Caregiving

"**Caregiving**" is the eighth episode of the Paramount+ American erotic psychological thriller miniseries *Fatal Attraction*. It aired on May 28, 2023 alongside Best Friends, and together both serve as the season finale.

## Synopsis

*The collision course Dan set for everyone around him plays out in both the past and present. Dan tries to move forward with regret and honesty, agreeing to continue at Jorge's firm and revealing to Ellen that the judge denied his appeal. When Mike and Dan are invited to brunch at Beth and Arthur's home, it becomes clear he is surrounded by secrets.*

## Plot

Beth and Alex meet, and Beth wants to know it all and wants her to understand that no matter what she says, none of it is real. Alex explains that she has two options, fight and make a fool out of herself or lose. She tells her she is pregnant, but Beth doesn’t believe her.

Sometime earlier, Beth talks to Ellen about the day Alex took her.

In the present, Ellen and Dan are at a bar together, discussing his case being denied a retrial. Of course, she asks if he will appeal, but he is uncertain of his next steps because if denied, he would have to wait another year.

A new lawyer at the firm Dan works for says he wants to use his brain to help him with the case. On his way out, he asks him to tell the real story of him and Alex one day, pissing Dan off.

Mike, Detective Earl, and Dan are sitting down and eating lunch. Earl informs him that he read his case file and wonders who they think did it. While thoroughly convinced that Dan did it, Earl says that if he didn’t, he needs to see it for himself, so Mike convinces him to join him on the hunt.

Stella confronts Ellen because someone leaked confidential information to the college, and now she’s been kicked out of school. So, Beth decides to have dinner inviting over Dan and Mike while Arthur is slightly uncomfortable at the table.

Arthur arrives at Alex’s apartment building to pretend he is working on something. He breaks into her apartment and snoops around. Later that night, as Arthur is taking care of his wife, he gets a call from Beth crying about the case.

Because of this, he sets off to help her. After this happens, Alex freaks out on the phone to her dad over what Dan had said after he left her house. He tells her to pack her stuff and head to his house, and they will figure it out.

As she is packing her stuff, Arthur enters the apartment and grabs her in a chokehold. Alex fights for her life, trying to get herself out of it, but ultimately, he chokes her to death, or so he thinks. She opens her eyes and slowly crawls to her phone, but Arthur grabs a weight and hits her over the head, officially killing her.

After dinner, Ellen tells Dan she never wants him to give up on his appeal. She hugs him, showing an emotion that he hasn’t gotten much from her since getting out of jail.

Present-day Ellen is editing an audio file from her professor while in the past, Alex and a young Ellen meet, where she breaks down a rule of thumb about who you should trust and who you can’t.

The professor walks into the room, asking why Ellen is in her house. Ellen looks at him and says, “It looks like you are mad at me”.

## Cast and characters

### Starring

* Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forrest
* Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher
* Amanda Peet as Beth Gallagher
* Alyssa Jirrels as Ellen Gallagher
* Toby Huss as Mike Gerard
* Reno Wilson as Detective Earl Booker
* Brian Goodman as Arthur Tomlinson

### Guest-starring:

* David Meunier as Richard Macksey
* Vivien Lyra Blair as Young Ellen
* Holley Fain as Julia Tomlinson
* Walter Perez as Jorge Perez
* Isabella Briggs as Stella Chapman
* Cliff Chamberlain as Stanley Forrest
* Kevin Changaris as Steve Scirocco
* Graham Sibley as Bruce
* Christina Anthony as Andrea

### Co-starring:

* Al Rodrigo as Luis Beltran
* Johnny Sneed as Lawyer

## Gallery

### Promotional Videos

Fatal Attraction - Up Close And Personal With The Season 1 Finale - Paramount+
## External links

* Caregiving on the Internet Movie Database

## References

1. ↑ The Dillingers - Paramount Press Express
2. ↑ Fatal Attraction series episode listings - The Futon Critic
3. ↑ PARAMOUNT+ ANNOUNCES “FATAL ATTRACTION” ORDERED TO SERIES - Paramount Press Express
4. ↑ JOSHUA JACKSON JOINS PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL SERIES “FATAL ATTRACTION” - Paramount Press Express
5. ↑ ‘Fatal Attraction’: Amanda Peet Joins Lizzy Caplan & Joshua Jackson In Paramount+ Series - Deadline
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 ALYSSA JIRRELS, TOBY HUSS, RENO WILSON AND BRIAN GOODMAN JOIN PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL SERIES “FATAL ATTRACTION” - Paramount Press Express