Warning: This article contains spoilers for Apple TV+’s The Changeling.
Summary
The Changeling’s episode 3 ends with a cliffhanger that leaves audiences with several questions surrounding who “The Wise Ones” are and how a woman named Cal is connected to them. In its initial moments, The Changeling almost unfolds like a fairytale in which Apollo consistently asks Emma out for dinner before landing a date with her. However, things start taking a grim turn when Emma goes on a trip to Brazil and returns with a red string on her wrist. She recalls that a mysterious woman tied it, claiming that three of her wishes would be granted if the red string fell off.
Emma’s first two wishes — a husband and a baby — are granted after Apollo cuts the string. However, she soon starts believing that her baby is not her own and seeks help from a Facebook group called “The Wise Ones.” While Apollo believes that postpartum stress is taking a toll on his wife, Emma plots a heinous plan to kill her baby. When she disappears after executing her plan, Apollo finds himself looking for answers, which finally leads him to “The Wise Ones” towards The Changeling episode 3’s ending. The episode does not reveal much about the group but leaves enough room for speculation.
The Changeling’s “The Wise Ones” Connects To Real Folklore
As Apollo reads up on “The Wise Ones” towards the end of The Changeling episode 3, he learns that it refers to witches, forcing him to believe that his wife, Emma, somehow got embroiled in a witchcraft cult. While the episode’s closing moments suggest that her involvement in witchcraft turned her evil and made her kill her baby, the term “The Wise Ones” and the origins of its meaning hint there may be more to Emma’s motives than meets the eye. In old English, the words “Wicca” and “Wicce” were often used to refer to practitioners of witchcraft.
Unlike modern times, where witchcraft often has negative connotations, the “Wicca” were considered “The Wise Ones” because their witchcraft practices revolved around worshiping nature and its natural cycles. These early implications of the term imply that the witches or “The Wise Ones” in The Changeling may not be as evil as they seem. Since the show is named The Changeling, Baby Brian was possibly replaced with an evil supernatural being, and Emma’s actions were driven by logic. The Wise Ones and their hinted leader, Cal, likely helped and encouraged Emma to kill Brian’s replacement even though it seemed morally wrong.
In The Changeling’s episode 3’s final arc, Apollo (played by LaKeith Stanfield) finds another woman with the same experiences as his wife. She even backs her claims of being spied upon with evidence by showing a printout of the same disappearing text messages that Emma was receiving. This proves that Emma was not paranoid and likely did what she did to protect her family, not destroy it.
The Wise Ones Reveal Hints At What Happened To Emma In The Changeling
The Wise Ones reveal towards the closing scenes of The Changeling hints that Emma likely went into hiding with Cal and other witches after committing the crime. While the series has not yet revealed their whereabouts, they likely live in a place that is secluded from society. In the upcoming episodes, Apollo will try to track them and seek answers to what happened to his wife and why she did what she did. In this pursuit, not only will he learn about his wife’s true motives but will also realize that history has its way of repeating itself, given how his present is seemingly connected to his experiences with his father.
The Changeling Episode 3’s Ending Means Baby Brian May Still Be Alive
In the changeling legends of ancient folklore, a supernatural being like a troll, goblin, or fairy replaces a human baby with one of their own kind. Something similar seems to have happened in Apple TV+’s The Changeling both literally and metaphorically. From a metaphorical standpoint, the changeling seems to be a narrative device that highlights how Apollo will have to grapple with several harsh realities of fatherhood before he can become worthy of having his child back. From the beginning of his relationship with Emma, he kept saying that he always wanted to be a good father and a husband.
While his intentions were always in the right place, his flashbacks suggest that he never had a positive father figure to look up to. Hence, to become a good father to his child, he must heal from his past, understand the impact of his father’s absence, and walk down the path of personal growth. His quest to find his son and wife will likely trigger these changes in him and help him heal before he can get baby Brian back. The Changeling has not yet confirmed the real baby Brian’s fate and whereabouts, but he is likely still alive, and if things end well, Apollo will rescue him.
