We’ve known for awhile now that the characters on The Red Road have flawed pasts in which they have sustained deep cuts, but before the season finale, we never truly realized just how deep those cuts go. “The Journey to the Sunrise” sheds new light on almost the entire cast of The Red Road, pulling a 180 degree turn on most of these characters in only six episodes. Heroes become villains, criminals become lovers, and the past becomes indicative of the future in what is by far the best episode of The Red Road.
It always seemed odd to me just how easy it was for Harold to lie directly to his wife Jean during his recent actions, but here it turns out this is because he’s been lying to her since they were teenagers. Even though there were bags of tapes from Jean’s brother, the one tape that mattered most was in Harold’s possession all along, proving that Harold was with her brother Brian the day he died and kept it from her. Not only does this deception change Jean’s perception of her husband, it also puts Phillip in a completely new light. Jean and Phillip had a past together, one that could’ve changed the course of Phillip’s life. So when Phillip took the blame for Brian’s death, it also changed everything for these three. Harold ended up with Jean, and Phillip went on to his life of crime that would eventually lead to prison and running from drug dealers.
Even decades later, Harold’s actions are impacting Phillip, as Harold took all of the drugs from Phillip’s cave, meaning that Phillip has some pissed off drug dealers searching for him. While Phillip doesn’t want the dealers to find him, he doesn’t mind when Jean finds him hiding out and they rekindle their relationship. Of course, it doesn’t last long and Jean heads back home eventually, but still, that’s something quite interesting to look for if The Red Road receives a second season pickup.