Best Friends

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

## Synopsis

*In the present, Dan prepares the application for his new trial and shares it with the people in his life who were most affected by the original trial's verdict. While in the past, Dan prepares his defense with Cabral. In the more distant past, key moments in Alex's life shape the woman she becomes when she meets Dan.*

## Plot

At Dan's Trial, with each person taking the stand, they unfortunately make him sound more and more guilty.

Dan escaping the media and heading into the car garage to get into the car with Beth. She asks him if they have a body, and he says he has to think they do with him being arrested. Back home, they dissect her going on the stand. Dan then tells her she would have to lie on the stand, and he won’t let her do that.

Dan already knows he will be the bad guy, so if he reveals that he had an affair with Alex, the jury will already convict him without hearing the evidence. He explains to Beth that he must use Alex being a stalker, and that will be his case.

During Alex’s childhood, her relationship with her father was good, but he also was quite manipulative with her. Her mother didn’t love their relationship, and it caused a massive rift between them.

This followed by her being at law school and her classmates alienating her for her actions. Later that night, she discussed what went down with her friends with her dad, ending with them arguing.

Later, the District Attorney is dissecting to the jury what she believes went down between Dan and Alex. Inside the courtroom, Dan’s lawyer gets a list of who is testifying, and Alex’s father is on the list, whom Dan thought was dead because Alex said he was.

As it turns out, Alex’s father was stern with her and dissected everything she did.

Back in the courtroom, person after person hits the stand taking down Dan’s relationship with Alex. From Detective Booker to people in the courtroom who witnessed their relationship with his former co-workers, they either saw them make eyes at each other or talked highly of Alex’s character.

After Alex’s body was found in Marina Del Ray they sent it to the medical examiner for autopsy. Upon receiving the body, the medical examiner saw a large crack to which he removed the brain and a huge contusion to the left hemisphere and revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

Back to Alex, she alled her dad amid her struggles, but it’s been over seven months since she last called him. On the call, she brings up Dan and her relationship with him. Her dad criticizes their relationship but tells her to live in the moment and not have too high expectations.

All this leads to her father, Stanley, taking the stand and telling Alex’s side of her and Dan’s relationship. Dan’s lawyer grills Stanley, saying all of this talks about Alex and Dan, and doesn’t have a single shred of evidence to prove it. However, Stanley tells him that he does, and pulls out his phone and shows the judge and the defense lawyer a picture of Alex and Dan together on the beach.

In the present day, Dan brought his application to the judge about clearing his name for the murder of Alex. The judge states that he has lied in the past and denies his motion to reopen the case.

Moments later, the jury announce the guilty verdict. One of the college professors walks up to Ellen and asks her if she has heard from Stella, as she hasn’t been in class and her voicemail box is full.

Dan heads to talk to Beth about the judge denying his retrial. He mentions that he waited so long to do this to prove that her faith in him this entire time was for the good. But surprisingly, Beth at a restaurant and meeting with Alex.

## 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
* Toks Olagundoye as Conchita Lewis
* Holley Fain as Julia Tomlinson
* Walter Perez as Jorge Perez
* Isabella Briggs as Stella Chapman
* Dee Wallace as Emma Rauch
* Vanessa Martinez as DDA Jeannette Ruiz
* Cliff Chamberlain as Stanley Forrest
* Gary Perez as Rolando Cabral
* Michael Cassidy as Clay Bishop
* Jessika Van as Michelle
* Rondi Reed as Judge Webb
* Lena Georgas as Patricia Forrest
* Rebecca Lowman as Sarah
* Ivy George as Young Alex

### Co-starring:

* Jesse Mackey as Rodney Scanlon
* Burt Bulos as Phil Packer
* Anthony L. Fernandez as Det. Suarez
* Jason Jia as Damien Habalo
* Garvin Funches as Bailiff
* Andra Nechita as Kelcey
* Jeremy Denzlinger as Roy Lenz
* David Saucedo as Jury Foreperson
* Marcy McCusker as Abby's Mom
* Lesley Wolff as Yvette
* Michael Shen as Herbert Hong
* Terra Mackintosh as Woman
* Daniel Kim as Leo
* Max Pescherine as Mark
* Mark Anthony Williams as Judge Watson
* Juan Sanchez Molina as Waiter
* Ava Margaret Youmazzo as Abby
* Deanna Pak as Paula

## Gallery

### Promotional Videos

Fatal Attraction - Up Close And Personal With Episode 7 - Paramount+
## External links

* Best Friends 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