Unveiling Danny's Intriguing Inner World: Unraveling Identities in The Crowded Room Ep 7

WARNING! Spoilers ahead for The Crowded Room! In episode 7, The Crowded Room delves into the inner workings and dynamics of Danny's alternate identities, drawing inspiration from Daniel Keyes' book, The Minds of Billy Milligan. The series focuses on Danny Sullivan's life and the legal proceedings following his arrest for a public shooting. While initially presenting as a typical procedural drama, The Crowded Room gradually unveils the psychological complexities of Danny's identity.

Episode 7 of The Crowded Room opens with Rya informing Danny that she has already encountered Jack. Initially skeptical, Danny is convinced when Rya presents him with Jack's sunglasses as evidence. Feeling pressed for time, Rya even shows Danny a CCTV footage from the day of the shooting, revealing that Danny was alone at the crime scene without Ariana. Subsequently, The Crowded Room visually represents the conflicts between Danny's alters, vividly depicting their interactions and takeovers when necessary.

7 Jack

In episode 4 of The Crowded Room, Jack emerges as a guiding figure for Danny during a time of genuine need. The conclusion of episode 5 establishes that Jack, as Danny's alter, possesses awareness of the remaining alternate identities. This grants him the role of decision maker or mediator for organizing the identities based on Danny's circumstances. Furthermore, in episode 7, Jack allows Mike to assume the role of Danny's alter when Yitzhak becomes violent towards Rya.

Rya also recognizes Jack's authority in making decisions. Thus, she makes efforts to persuade him that Danny should be informed of the existence of his alternate identities. Initially resistant, Jack eventually realizes that revealing everything to Danny is necessary to save him from imprisonment. Consequently, Danny learns about his alters by the conclusion of episode 7 and confides in Rya, admitting that "there are other people in here."

6 Yitzhak

5 Mike

Yitzhak, Danny's alter in The Crowded Room, is a proactive individual who frequently emerges when Danny requires brute force to extricate himself from perilous situations. One significant instance is when Yitzhak first makes an appearance to confront the bullies who torment Danny at school. Additionally, he intervenes when Danny's stepfather attempts to take him away, asserting his authority. Furthermore, in episode 7 of The Crowded Room, Yitzhak emerges as Jonny becomes embroiled in a prison brawl. Despite Yitzhak's vital role in safeguarding Danny from physical harm, his excessively protective nature can occasionally lead Danny into trouble, as showcased in episode 7 of The Crowded Room.

In contrast to Yitzhak, Ariana, and Jack, Mike has been friends with Danny for a considerable amount of time and appears to have known him since their early school days. While Mike's role as an alter is not as specific as Yitzhak and Jack, he acts as a peacemaker, intervening to prevent Danny from getting into serious trouble. Unlike Jack, he is not a leader, but he is capable of making mature decisions that ultimately benefit Danny. The reason why Jack requests Mike to take over when Yitzhak begins causing chaos in Rya's office in The Crowded Room episode 7 is due to Mike's calm demeanor.

4 Jonny

Despite being around the same age as Danny and Mike, Jonny's impulsive decisions throughout the series suggest a lack of maturity compared to the majority of the other confirmed alters. Whenever he emerges as Danny's alternate persona, his inclination is to make easy money through drug dealing. This constantly puts him in conflict with dangerous individuals, often leading to dire situations for Danny. While Jonny's intentions may be good and he appears to stem from Danny's underlying desire for self-sustenance in the real world, his hasty methods of making a quick buck make him more of a liability than a dependable ally.

3 Ariana

In episode 7, it is finally revealed that Ariana is also one of Danny's alters in The Crowded Room. While she appears to offer support and soothe Danny in episode 7, her backstory implies that her emergence as an alternate identity can be attributed to Danny's traumatic memories from his childhood, specifically his experience of being sexually abused by his stepfather. This connection between Danny and Ariana's past also explains why she is the one who encourages Danny to take action against his stepfather, as she recalls her own history of being sexually abused by him when she was much younger.

2 The Undesirables

In episode 7 of The Crowded Room, a group known as "The Undesirables" is introduced. This group consists of alternate identities whose unwanted traits have been suppressed. Among the alters in The Crowded Room, Jack, being the most prominent alter in Danny's mind, has the authority to determine which identities become "The Undesirables." In the seventh episode of The Crowded Room, Jack realizes that Yitzhak's unpredictable behavior does not favor Danny during his criminal trial. As a result, he decides to shoot Yitzhak, adding him to the list of "The Undesirables."

The concept of "undesirable" alters in The Crowded Room is based on the real-life inspiration of Billy Milligan, the character created by Danny Sullivan (via 10 WBNS). Much like Danny, Billy Milligan had a group of alters that were considered "undesirable." Among them was Arthur, a fused alter who, like Jack, had the authority to declare which of Milligan's alters could be classified as "undesirables" once they violated previously established rules.

1 Other Potential Alters

Although episode 7 does not confirm this, it is believed that Danny's brother, Adam, in The Crowded Room, could also be one of his alters. Adam's primary purpose was to protect Danny from his stepfather Marlin's abuse, and it seems that he stopped taking control as Danny grew older. Both Adam and Ariana, who also emerged as Danny's alters, appear to have a similar role in safeguarding him, as their emergence can be linked to Danny's history of abuse at the hands of his stepfather. However, in The Crowded Room, Ariana demonstrates a more aggressive approach in shielding Danny and is willing to do whatever it takes to help him recover from his past traumas.

New episodes of The Crowded Room release Fridays on Apple TV+.

Sources: 10 WBNS