Paramount+'s ‘Fatal Attraction' follows Dan Gallagher (Joshua Jackson) as he becomes involved in the murder of Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan), a coworker with whom he had a brief romance.
The plot of this sensual thriller series is based on a movie from 1987, but the characters' goals and histories have been modernized for this adaptation. The same holds true for the seventh episode, “Alex,” in which we see Alex with her father as a child.
Meanwhile, the details of Dan's murder trial and the reasoning behind his conviction are revealed. But in the here and now, Dan is doing his best to clear his name.
If you saw the seventh episode of “Fatal Attraction” and were left wondering if Dan made any progress toward his goal, here's all you need to know about the show's conclusion. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Fatal Attraction Episode 7 Recap
‘Best Friends,' the seventh episode, begins with Dan's release from jail on bail. He and Beth had a conversation regarding his approaching court date. Dan believes that admitting his affair with Alex in front of the jury would be detrimental to his reputation as a family guy.
Instead, his defense hinges on labeling Alex a paranoid nutjob in order to undermine her credibility. Dan says it's important to him if Beth thinks he could kill someone or not. In a sequence of flashbacks, we see how Alex and her father, Stanley Forres, interacted when she was a child.
Stanely was a pathological liar and serial adulterer who constantly blamed his problems on Alex. Alex's participation fostered a spirit of brotherhood between Alex and her father. When Alex begins to expose her father's lies, tensions arise between her and Stanley.
Dan's trial begins in the past, as the prosecution tries to paint him as a spoiled rich guy who cheated on Alex. Alex was expelled from her law school study group for her compulsive behavior, as shown in flashbacks.
However, she betrays the group's confidence just before she leaves. Later, she had a talk with her dad about what happened in class. Stanley, though, remains unsupportive of Alex and emotionally distant.
Alex also discovers that Stanley has lied to her about how much he enjoys skiing, which causes friction between the two. Alex's depression quickly leads him to seek professional help.
Alex tells the counselor she's lonely and immediately clicks with her. Alex publicly belittles her father after telling Stanely she plans to drop out of law school and work in victim's service over the course of a dinner conversation.
In the past, Stanley testifies against Dan in court. Alex will soon begin therapy with the hope of resolving her problems with her father's help. Alex's interactions with her therapist, however, also display compulsive tendencies.
The victim's body was found near a lake, and blunt force trauma was ruled as the cause of death, Detective Earl Booker testifies in court. And since Dan's fingerprints were discovered in Alex's place, he's the main suspect.
The defense attempts to portray Alex as a troubled lady, but Conchita Lewis testifies in her favor. Alex has informed her therapist of her plans to relocate to Los Angeles, California. When Alex's therapist suggests that Alex's tense past with her Seattle coworkers is the main reason for the transfer, Alex responds angrily.
Ellen maintains tabs on her professor Richard Macksey in the present day. Dan later hands Ellen his request for a fresh trial so that he can clear his name in Alex's case. Dan admits that the prosecution had an easy time establishing his guilt because of his lies over his involvement with Alex.
Emma Rauch and other witnesses are brought in to testify against Dan. However, Dan's lawyer continues to argue persuasively on his behalf until shocking evidence is presented. Stanley believes that Dan had an affair with his daughter and he agrees with this assessment.
Alex called her father after relocating to Los Angeles to give him an update on her life. Consequently, he receives photographic evidence that Dan is dishonest about his relationship with Alex in the form of a selfie featuring Alex, Dan, and Dan's dog, Quincy.
Fatal Attraction Episode 7 Ending
In the final minutes of the episode, Dan's case is nearly resolved. After Stanley reveals Dan and Alex's affair, Dan is left with very little to defend himself with. The jury then turns on Dan and returns a nearly unanimous guilty judgment.
The judge hands down Dan's prison sentence, and the rest of the plot is familiar to viewers from earlier episodes. However, Dan has since chosen to appeal the initial ruling. Dan tells Ellen that besides Alex's fingerprints, there were more recovered in the flat.
Because he fabricated his relationship with Alex, the police never took either of them seriously as suspects. Dan is certain that his appeal for a retrial will be granted because of the fresh evidence and additional suspects he has presented.
Dan's strategy, however, backfires spectacularly. Dan, who had already admitted guilt in exchange for a reduced term, confirmed his role in Alex's murder during his parole hearing. Therefore, the judge in charge of Dan's retrial application suspects that he may be lying.
The judge has no way of knowing if Dan is telling the truth because of his history of lying. Dan gives up on the case after she declines his request because of this. In the end, Dan confronts Beth with the outcome of his retry appeal.
He chooses not to challenge the judge's ruling but finds solace in Beth's confession that she knew Dan was incapable of murder all along. In the closing scene, however, a flashback reveals that Beth arrived to visit Alex soon after discovering her husband's infidelity, giving fresh significance to her earlier statements.
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