WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Disclaimer episodes 3 & 4.
Jonathan has a mysterious cut on his arm in Apple’s new mystery thriller seriesDisclaimer.Cate Blanchett leads a talented ensemblecast ofDisclaimeras Catherine Ravenscroft, a hard-working and acclaimed television documentary journalist out of London, England.Catherine’s world unravels once a mysterious novel titledThe Perfect Strangerarrives at her doorstep, bringing up memories of one of her deepest and darkest secrets.Disclaimeralso stars Sacha Baron Cohen as Robert, Catherine’s husband, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nicholas, Robert and Catherine’s son, and Kevin Kline as Stephen Brigstocke, a local London man who has lost his wife and son.
Disclaimeris based on the 2015 bookof the same name written by Renée Knight. The Apple series marks Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón’s first return to television since 2014’sBelieve. Cuarón has won two Best Directing Academy Awards, one for 2013’sGravitystarring Sandra Bullock and another for his 2018 black and white filmRoma.Disclaimerhas earned an impressive Rotten Tomatoescritic score of 78%, marking a satisfying rebound for the 2-time Oscar-winning actress after the massive commercial and critical disappointment ofBorderlands.Disclaimerconsists of seven parts with the final episode releasing on November 15.
New episodes ofDisclaimerrelease every Friday on Apple TV+.
Stephen first notices the cut when identifying Jonathan’s body
After four episodes ofDisclaimer, the biggest clue to what might have really happened to Jonathan is the mysterious cut on his inner right forearm. It’s first noticed by his father, Stephen, as he and his wife Nancy observe Jonathan’s body in Italy to confirm its identity. Stephen also astutely notices that Jonathan’s face isn’t swollen despite having drowned, which raises another element of suspicion against Catherine and the claims of the Italian authorities. If anything other than what was depicted inDisclaimerepisode 4 did happen to Jonathan, it’s more than likely thatthe cut on his arm holds an answer to an undiscovered question.
Who The Narrator Is In Disclaimer & What The Narration Really Means
The narration in Disclaimer purposefully shifts perspectives to shed light on Jonathan’s death, moving from Catherine to his late father and more.
One possible theory for the cut on Jonathan’s arm is that he got it from the pocketknife that Stephen had given him, which Stephen reveals he did so to gain his affection. The pocketknife is seen during two crucial scenes inDisclaimer. First,Stephen rediscovers it in the first episode as he unlocks Nancy’s top desk drawer, where he initially comes across the manuscript for The Perfect Stranger. Secondly, and first in the chronological timeline, Stephen finds it in Jonathan’s room in Italy when he and Nancy arrive to collect his belongings. Since the knife has gotten a bit of emphasized attention without much explanation thus far, it would make sense if it was how Jonathan was cut.
Did Catherine Cut Jonathan, Or Did He Do It Himself?
The cut could have been incidental or intentional
Continuing with the theory that Jonathan was cut prior to drowning in the sea, either he or Catherine are the most likely people to have caused the scratch beforehand. The explanation that it happened while Jonathan was in the water trying to save young Nicholas doesn’t make the most sense but is still certainly plausible. Just before Nicholas gets stuck out on his dinghy,another child is seen rushing off the beach, bleeding. The mother says that the child needs emergency medical assistance because of a cut he had gotten while in the ocean. The child could have plausibly been cut by coral, shells, or glass in the sea and Jonathan could have suffered the same fate.
Alfonso Cuarón & Disclaimer Stars Tease Cate Blanchett’s New Apple TV+ Series [TIFF]
Disclaimer director Alfonso Cuarón hypes his Apple TV+ series while costars Kevin Kline and Leila George praise Cate Blanchett’s performance at TIFF.
Another possible reason is that Catherine cut Jonathan as part of their sexual encounters. It could have been intentional since even Jonathan calls Catherine “wild” and she is using Jonathan to experiment in ways she never has before.It could also simply have been an incidental and unintentional scratchthat occurred in the heat of their passionate affair. There is also the slim chance that Catherine used a knife in self-defense against Jonathan since he was becoming delusional about flying back to London with her and Nicholas, but that seems to be the most unlikely outcome. Perhaps Disclaimer has a clever way of tying Jonathan’s knife with his cut and with Catherine.
The Cut On Jonathan’s Arm Shows We Don’t Know The Truth About How He Died
Some details between the novel’s retelling and the true story don’t align
If one thing is certain about the cut on Jonathan’s arm, it’s that it shows that the full truth of his death has yet to be revealed inDisclaimer. The cut is almost small enough to be deemed insignificant, butto the grieving Stephen and Nancy, it provides a crevice of hope and validationto their suspicion that Jonathan did not simply drown but was actually murdered. Jonathan’s death as portrayed inDisclaimerepisode 4 is merely how it was portrayed inThe Perfect Strangernovel within the series. Catherine ignores Jonathan’s initial cries for help, which could have made all the difference in saving his life. Still, there are a few key details in the novel’s retelling, such as Jonathan’s cut, that may not align with the true story inDisclaimer.
Disclaimer’s Four Different Timelines Explained
Alfonso Cuarón’s new mystery thriller series Disclaimer portrays the scandalous past of Cate Blanchett’s Catherine and her dark secret, Jonathan.
Disclaimer
Cast
Told in seven chapters, “Disclaimer” is based on the novel of the same name by Renée Knight. Acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Blanchett) built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others. When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she is horrified to realize she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets. As Catherine races to uncover the writer’s true identity, she is forced to confront her past before it destroys both her own life and her relationships with her husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and their son Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee).
