'Night Sky': Who is Jude and why is he wrecking Franklin and Irene's relationship?
Created by Holden Miller, ‘Night Sky’ is the latest addition to Amazon Prime Video’s sci-fi catalog. Starring Academy Award winners J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek, the eight-episode series focuses on a couple who have a teleporting chamber that delivers people to an extraterrestrial observation room on an unknown planet.
Franklin (J.K. Simmons) and Irene York (Sissy Spacek) live in Farnsworth and have been married for 50 years. They are also living in the shadow of their son Michael's tragic death 20 years earlier and always retreat to his room for solace. The only interesting aspect of their lives is the huge secret they are hiding: an underground chamber that leads to an alien planet. There is a door to the 'other side' but they have never used it. Their lives change when Irene finds the mysterious Jude (Chai Hansen) on the other side of the chamber.
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Towards the end of Episode 1, Irene writes a letter to Franklin in which she states that she is going to use the door of the chamber and go to the other side forever. She goes to the chamber and decides to enter the alien planet. However, before she could get there, she sees an unconscious man covered in blood. She informs Frank and together they bring him to their house. Though an apprehensive Frank decides to inform the police, Irene stops him and decides to take care of the alien intruder. She nurses him back to good health and then enquires about his identity. He reveals himself to be Jude, but he doesn’t have any other memories.
As the series progresses, Irene and Jude develop a close bond. She folds his clothes, cooks for him, discusses literature with him, and even teaches him how to drive. To avoid suspicion from others, Irene introduces Jude as their caretaker. Later, they have a heartfelt conversation about her dead son Michael. Irene describes Michael as sweet, funny, and intense. She also recounts the excruciating pain she suffered when she lost Michael and tearfully wishes if only she could see him again.
Finally feeling comfortable with Irene, Jude decides to reveal his backstory to her. He describes his childhood and tells her that his father Gabriel left him very young. He is in search of his father.
Jude also reveals that some dangerous people are after him, and they are protecting a secret. If they find him, he will be killed. He asks Irene for help. Together, they embark on a journey to find his missing father.
Irene's close relationship with Jude makes Frank uncomfortable. Her health gets better after Jude's arrival, but Frank is still concerned about her safety and grumbles that Jude has got her wrapped around his finger. A jealous Frank even goes to the police to complain, and once that approach fails, he decides to kick Jude out of their house. However, when he realizes how much Jude means to Irene, he calls him back.
Franklin warns Irene not to look at Jude as their dead son because he will never be able to replace him. Irene replies that she is only helping Jude and doesn’t care if Frank feels threatened. Nevertheless, the changes in her health and attitude suggest that she considers Jude as her son. To make matter worse, Franklin finds Irene’s letter about leaving him forever. He is hurt and angrily tells Jude they were fine before his arrival.
Franklin feels alone and this leads to him sharing an unexpected friendship with his nosy neighbor Byron. During a heartfelt conversation, Frank expresses his fear and doubts about Irene’s love for him. He doesn’t believe Irene loves him as much as he loves her. Jude's arrival creates a distance between Franklin and Irene. While Irene is busy helping Jude, Frank decides to work with Byron on the mysterious chamber.
All eight episodes of 'Night Sky' are available on Prime Video.