666 Park Avenue Recap: “Murmurations”

by Jessica Grafer:

666 Park Avenue Recap: “Murmurations”
Original Air Date (ABC): Sunday October 8, 2012
Season 1 Episode 2

Jane is put to task cleaning out Barlow’s apartment. He’s “left” and his stuff needs to be packed and shipped. Jane is confused as to why he left with out letting her know. She is the manager after all. She gets to work making notes as to what needs to be done when she hears noises coming from Barlow’s bedroom wall. Jane starts to pull at the aged wallpaper and finds a hole in the dry wall. As she watches stunned at least a hundred birds, starlings, fly out of the wall. The starlings break out the window and swoop around the building. Gavin watches them fly up and away from his penthouse.

Louise is still in the hospital recovering from the rabid elevator attack. Brian comes to visit and while he’s there Alexis comes with some items from their apartment. It appears Louise trusts Alexis so much she’s let her borrow the keys. This makes poor Brian uncomfortable. He’s trying really hard to be faithful while Alexis keeps throwing herself at him. Jane also comes to visit. Louise tells her she’s thinking of suing the Doran’s for the elevator going nuts. Does anyone else think this is a bad idea? If Gavin finds out he’s about to be sued I’m thinking some not so nice stuff might happen to Louise. Worse even than getting beat up by an elevator.

Henry and Jane get invited to another penthouse party. Henry sees a model in Gavin’s office of a development of office and living space. It’s currently owned by Alpern Development Group but Gavin is buying them out. It’s going to be a great investment he tells Henry. At the party we meet another tenant of the Drake. Danielle is a mid-thirties single woman who appears very sweet. She just can’t seem to find the right man. She’s staring at Henry and Jane as they snuggle outside on the balcony. Awkward.

That night Jane is in bed when she remembers she left the laundry in the dryer. She doesn’t want to leave it all night because of recent thefts. Jane has become a victim remember when her grandmother’s necklace that everyone loves is missing. Jane goes down to get the clothes. She notices the closed off door is no longer hidden. Jane opens the door and walks into a beautiful apartment. I Only Have Eyes For You is playing and you can tell that you are no longer in the present. Jane walks around the bed to find a man lying dead on the floor. He abruptly sits up and Jane, startled wakes up to find herself back in bed. The laundry basket is sitting full on the floor next to her.

That morning Jane asks Tony if he’s ever heard of a murder at the Drake. He says lots of suicides and accidents but no, no murder. You’re kinda creepy aren’t ya, he asks Jane right before the exterminator comes in.

The exterminator informs Jane that those birds are starlings. He says he can kill them all and get them out. They begin checking apartments and come to Brian and Louise’s. Brian notices Alexis in a hot pink bra and panty across the way. He shuts the curtains. This is driving him crazy. The harder he tries to ignore her, the more she seems to show up. While he’s talking to Jane he notices the curtains are open again.

Danielle was supposed to meet her date at a restaurant Gavin picked out. The poor thing is stood up. Wait, here comes Gavin to the rescue. He just happens to be having drinks with a friend and the friend would love to meet Danielle. The beau in question is Frank Alpern. Things go so well at the bar Olivia takes Danielle shopping the next day for a dress to wear on date number two.

Nona sees the exterminator down in the basement. Jane figures she can have him demolish the wall so she can get to the door. Nona tells him she doesn’t want the birds to be upset. The starlings are very precious to Nona. She told Jane earlier that she should leave the birds alone, they are a part of the Drake. Neither Jane nor the exterminator listen however. Nona takes a rabbits foot from the exterminator as a parting gift. While Nona is holding the rabbit’s foot in her room she gets a vision of the birds attacking the exterminator. He ultimately dies. So Nona is psychic. Is that why she steals a personal item from all the guests? So that she can get an idea of who they are or what is going to happen?

Alexis shows up in Brian’s apartment. She has made her own key. He tells her to leave but she kisses him and doesn’t stop. Brian is trying so hard to be faithful (pun intended). I’m not sure how long he can last.

The exterminator is going home for the night. Just as Nona saw the birds start to taunt him. Dive bombing and pecking at him. While he tries to run away, swatting at them he runs right in to the street. A passing cab slams into him. The exterminator dies in the middle of the road. He should of left those birds alone.

The Doran’s have dinner at Henry and Jane’s apartment. Henry tells them how Jane found out there had been a murder back in 1956. Someone left a newspaper clipping under her door. Jane tells Gavin she found the clipping at the library. Henry knows insider information about the Alpern Group. That property is toxic. Henry wants to tell Gavin at dinner but he can’t for legal reasons.

Speaking of Alpern, Frank and Danielle are getting into the hot and heavy part of their second date. They have a wonderful time but then Frank starts to get ready to go. He’s married. He says he’s had his wedding ring on the whole time. Danielle looks confused. She looked for a ring and it wasn’t there. Frank is pretty matter of fact. He tells Danielle she knew the drill. This was just a one night thing. Danielle is so upset. She wanted love. That’s all she’s ever wanted. He can’t leave. Danielle runs to the kitchen, get’s a knife and stabs Frank Alpern dead. After she’s done this Gavin walks in. He tells her it’s ok. He deserved it. Gavin in fact was counting on Danielle getting upset. Danielle looks in the mirror and she’s an old woman. We find out that Gavin has been using her to get rid of troublesome men for years. Since 1956 actually. Danielle stays young by doing in these men for Gavin. He tells her not to worry, he’ll clean up the mess and she’ll be a new woman in the morning. When we see Danielle the next morning she is refreshed of mind and body. She has no recollection whatsoever of the night before or ever meeting Frank Alpern.

Lou is home from the hospital. Lucky them Gavin has sent them a $300,000 check and an apology for the faulty elevator. Now they don’t have to sue. I don’t think that Gavin gives anything away however. They will pay for taking that money.

Gavin tells Jane just to leave the birds alone. They’ve been at the Drake for years. They are a part of it. He also wants her to take care of that mess in the basement. Jane heads downstairs. The exterminator has a good chunk of the door visible. Jane pushes it open and takes a step inside. She hears someone or something. As Jane calls out, the door is slammed shut behind her.

Jessica Grafer has loved the “darker” things since she was old enough to pick her own books. She is a contributor for DarkMedia who will be covering Revenge and 666 Park Avenue. She loves to walk the book store shelves and pick up whatever catches her eye. She is a movie lover with a great range in her tastes, and appreciation for all genres. Jessica is a writer and has several things in the works. You can follow her quirky Twitter posts at @scarletbe and check out her blog.