Family Ties

**"Family Ties"** is the fifth episode of the fourth season of *Slasher*. It aired exclusively on Shudder on September 2, 2021.

## Plot

Florence's secrets spill out as the games continue.

## Synopsis

Liv returns to the house to look for Birgit. She finds damage to the quilts and mattress in their bedroom. Vincent arrives, and she asks where her mother is. He shows lack of care, and she asks what he did to her, where he denies doing anything. When she tries to explain her mother's actions, he attacks her. She fights back, and he calls her as bad as her mother. She admits that what her mother did was wrong, but also says Vincent was a bad person who hurt her, and the family drove her to it. He attacks again, and she restrains him and is about to break his arm when the others arrive, eventually convincing her to release him when he says he does not know where Birgit is. She tells Theo her mother was keeping watch at the dock, and they decide to find her before anything happens. After she leaves, Florence calls Birgit a devil, and Liv of her blood, but Theo just replies "it's hard to tell the good from the bad these days".

Outside, Theo and Liv look for Birgit in the forest, and head down to the beach. At the house, Florence and Vincent are convinced Theo is not on their side, and O'Keefe tries to say Birgit is not a bad person, but their mother states Birgit has always wanted what is theirs, and the worst is yet to come. At the beach, Liv and Theo find Birgit's corpse buried in the sand.

Grace mourns Jayden, and promises his corpse that Seamus felt his pain. O'Keefe comes in to collect things for breakfast, and tries to comfort her. They make breakfast together, where she teaches them how to cook. Florence walks in and observes them.

A flashback shows Florence making art, and Grace noticing how derivative it is to other works. In the present, Florence tell O'Keefe to watch their fingers, as Grace has a taste for them. Liv and Theo bring Birgit's body back to the house, and Liv tells him all she wants is to leave the island. Theo agrees to come with her if she can prove the boat can survive the trip.

The group eats breakfast, and a bell rings from a closet. Florence opens it to find paintball guns and a note that says they should take a gun and hide somewhere on the property for hunting season. The winner and the second place winner will stay in the bunker breathing easy. Christy notes there is no protective equipment, and Grace and Florence both say Spencer didn't believe in it. Aphra takes a gun and accidentally shoots Theo, and after Vincent calls him a wuss again, the guns are shown to be loaded with rubber bullets. Liv says it will be dangerous for them, and leaves the house. The others follow, Florence telling O'Keefe to meet at the ravine to knock Liv out and play a "fairer" version of the game.

In the forest, O'Keefe has trouble with their gun. Florence tells them to just hide and return when she whistles. She runs into Grace, and they end up in a standoff, which is broken by Vincent, who says they agreed to team up on Liv. Theo arrives and tells them not to. Florence tells him to stop supporting her, believing she is the killer. Theo tells them they are not a family, just a group of fucked up people, and gives a speech on family, but Vincent ends it by shooting him. He walks off, refusing to participate. They, along with Aphra, go to hunt Liv.

In a flashback, Florence tries to sell her work. The director of the gallery refuses, recognizing the work is plagiarized, and when she mentions Van Gogh, states she has no creativity, calling her a wannabe with too much time on her hands.

In the present, the others find Liv and pin her down. Florence promises her an allowance if she surrenders, but she just shoots at them. Florence then taunts her over Birgit's death, offering to let her be the new housekeeper. Liv shoots Aphra, and then Vincent, before being shot by Grace. They regroup, and Florence shoots Grace in the eye, destroying it in revenge for her finger. She then sends the others back to the house, grabs O'Keefe and goes to the bunker. It is open, and she claims it is due to being on a timer. They enter the bunker, and find it well stocked, even containing a pizza.

At the house, Christy tries to treat Grace, but thinks she will lose the eye, and sends Theo to get sheets to cut into strips. She asks if Florence would give them the first aid kit from the bunker. Theo says no, but Vincent says every security system can be worked around. Liv offers to watch Grace, while Vincent notices Aphra lick some blood off some used gauze.

In the bunker, Florence mentions she is glad O'Keefe is with her, as it would be hard to choose between Theo and Vincent. In a flashback, Florence shows Theo her latest artwork, a mannequin covered in blood called Save Me, based on Theo's experience when Vincent was kidnapped, shown while she plays a recording of the police interrogation of Theo after the kidnapping. Theo breaks down, saying he tried to save Vincent and failed. In the bunker, she tells O'Keefe she loves them so much, before a bell rings and screens come on. The bunker closes, and a screen showing Spencer activates. The video says people make their own luck, whoever will get the company must be ruthless, and they will be tested starting now, only one can win. The video shuts off, and gas comes in to the room through boxes on the shelves. O'Keefe panics, but Florence says there must be oxygen masks. They find only one mask, as well as a tank, and start moving it between them.

Christy, Aphra, Vincent and Theo arrive at the bunker, and Vincent tries to override the lock. Christy gives him her earring to do so. In the bunker, Florence and O'Keefe notice the oxygen tank running out, and Florence takes the last of it for herself, pushing O'Keefe's hands away while they beg her for more, before they choke and die in front of her.

In a flashback, Florence paints while Theo confronts her on using his tragedy for her own gain. She is unsympathetic, claiming she has already submitted the work to a gallery. He says he will find a way to stop her, but she reminds him that the noise will draw more attention. When she tries to tell him about art, he tells her she cannot see beyond herself.

In the present, the adults decide to use a winch to pull the door off, but Aphra tells them there is no more yelling from the bunker. It opens, and O'Keefe and Florence are rescued. Christy pronounces O'Keefe dead. Theo, in anger, trashes the bunker, where he finds some zip ties. Outside, Florence tells the others there was only one mask, and Theo grabs her, claiming it should have been her instead. They walk back to the house, Aphra leaving flowers on O'Keefe's chest.

Florence screams for compassion, but Theo replies that she never showed him any. They drag her to the memorial of Vincent, where Theo puts her on trial. He zip ties her to the memorial, and says he will call it The Trial of The Mother of The Fucking Decade. When she begs someone to run to the house for help, Theo points out that the only people at the house, Grace and Liv, hate her. Against her protests, he decides to leave her to be admired. He says if she suvives, she is the killer, and if she dies, she is innocent of everything except O'Keefe's death. In a flashback, Florence is offered a residency based on her kidnapping focused art, but Spencer is disgusted by her making money off the family tragedy, calling her pathetic. In the present, Theo, Vincent, Christy and Aphra walk back to the house, leaving Florence screaming.

* A.J. Simmons as Vincent Galloway
* Alex Ozerov as Theo Galloway
* Chris Jacot as Seamus Galloway
* Jeananne Goossen as Dr. Persephone Trinh
* Maria del Mar as Annette Galloway
* Paula Brancati as Christy Martin
* Rachael Crawford as Grace Galloway
* Sabrina Grdevich as Florence Galloway
* Sydney Meyer as Liv Vogel
* Breton Lalama as O'Keeffe Galloway
* Corteon Moore as Jayden Galloway
* Nataliya Rodina as Aphra Galloway
* Patrice Goodman as Birgit Vogel

## Death(s)

 O'Keeffe Galloway | Not enough oxygen in bunker