Read this The Boroughs review to see if the episode “The Mourning After” is worth watching. Netflix’s latest sci-fi mystery delivers another thrilling hour of tension. Following the premiere’s major cliffhanger, this chapter dives deeper into the community’s unsettling secrets while delivering major The Boroughs easter eggs that die-hard film fans will love. In our full The Boroughs episode 2 recap, we break down everything from Sam’s discovery of the mysterious “Keepsake Storage 1472” key to a brilliant Something Evil 1972 reference tied directly to Steven Spielberg. Whether you are trying to unpack the episode 2 ending explained or hunting down the tracks on the episode 2 soundtrack, we have all the clues, creature blood experiments, and hidden details covered.
About The Boroughs
- Season 1, Episode 2: “The Mourning After”
- Directed by Ben Taylor
- Written by Jose Molina
- Synopsis: Still reeling, Sam seeks answers close to home. Renee gets a break in the case of the missing minerals. Judy and Wally face up to painful realities.
- Airdate: May 21, 2026
- Starring: Augusta Allen-Jones, Ciarah Amaani, Beth Bailey, Rafael Casal, Geena Davis, Eric Edelstein, Teddy Eggleston, Doris Hargrave, Hayes Hargrove, Josh Horton, Bob Jesser, Jane Kaczmarek, Alex Knight, Mousa Hussein Kraish, Alice Kremelberg, Jena Malone, Lucinda Marker, Carlos Miranda, Alfred Molina, Kim S. Monti, and Seth Numrich
If you want to avoid The Boroughs spoilers, skip to the overall section at the end.
Warning: Spoilers for The Boroughs Season 1 Episode 2 ”The Mourning After”
Recap The Boroughs (2026): S1E02 – ”The Mourning After”
Episode two picks up after the shocking reveal of the creature in the last episode. The paramedics wheel Jack’s body away in the “whambulance,” as Jack called it. They attribute the man’s death to heart failure because of his sleep apnea. Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina) starts to say “an animal” or “something” killed him, but thinks better of it.
That night, he had another dream about his late wife, Lilly (Jane Kaczmarek). In the dream, he finds a mysterious puzzle piece in her hair before she starts “glitching.” He wakes up out of breath from his nightmare to his daughter Claire (Jena Malone) calling. She’s furious that he didn’t tell her about Edward’s (Ed Begley Jr.) confused attack the other day. She also worries when she hears him tapping on the wall, talking about “owls.” But he insists he’s fine and ends the call.
Meanwhile, Art Daniels (Clarke Peters) made Judy (Alfre Woodard) breakfast, but she seems distracted. On the other hand, he forgot she’s allergic to raspberries. She says she’s going to Pilates, and he says he’s going to play golf. All the while, “Visions of Your Reality” is playing. The song’s themes of emotional disillusionment and moving on from a toxic relationship fit perfectly, as their relationship is clearly strained. But is Art really going to play golf outside the community?
We follow Judy in her Pilates class as the ladies talk about the late Jack and his upcoming memorial at a Mexican restaurant, Señor Cocinas. As they talk, Renee Joyce (Geena Davis) perks up after one of the ladies reveals that several pieces of her quartz chess set are missing.
At the same time, Wally Baker (Denis O’Hare) is talking to his doctor about his stage four pancreatic cancer. He’s brought notes about several “alternative” treatments for cancer, like apricot seeds and hypnosis. Conversely, his oncologist is refusing to return his calls. The two come to an impasse about how to proceed. He seems to be unwilling to accept his doctor’s prognosis.
Secrets, Clues, and Hidden Truths
Back in town, Renee and Betty go to talk to Paz Navarro (Carlos Miranda) in security about the missing quartz. She insists there’s a connection between the three missing items. The guard says he’ll file a report if she goes on a date with him. Someplace nice and not Applebee’s.
The show cuts to the memory care facility, where Sam meets with Edward again. A woman comes by to give them “coffee” (pinecones) as he tries to get him to focus on the “owls” in his house. Folding up a napkin into a kite snaps Edward out of the delusion that he’s meeting his late son. Suddenly, Edward starts screaming. “The key is in the light,” he screams as the orderlies drag him away. “The owl is in the walls!” It has a real “all work, and no play makes Jack a dull boy” vibe.
Far away, Art is in a rundown shack smoking weed, tending to mushrooms, and talking to his pet crow, “Brooks.” It’s a reference to the classic 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption, where the elderly prison librarian Brooks Hatlen tends to a crow. He admits to the bird that he knew his wife was sleeping with Jack, but he looked the other way because he was afraid she would leave him. Now he realizes that his wife might have been in love with the man.
We cut back to Judy as Etta James’s rendition of “Stormy Weather” plays. The song is about heartbreak and longing, and it sets the tone as she walks into Jack’s house. She leaves the key and her wedding ring on a table before picking up one of his shirts and crying on the bed.
Speaking of lying down, Wally is test-driving a casket and asking about memory foam. Renee teases him about the Bluetooth speakers and becoming his afterlife DJ. He asks for her opinion, and she says they’re going to spend half the afternoon looking at caskets again.
Investigations and Strange Alignments
She asks about his doctor’s appointment, and he says he’s tired of hoping for a miracle for his terminal cancer. He’s decided to spend his last days with cocktails and chaos.
Judy is leaving Jack’s house, and Sam almost runs over. She guiltily tells him about the upcoming memorial. She asks him if he died peacefully and then returns his hammer. But then she gets suspicious when he says he found the guy dead, but knew how he died. Her journalistic instincts tell her he’s not telling her the whole truth.
Back at the police station, Hank Williams (Eric Edelstein) tells Paz that he found a guy in Albuquerque who had the missing quartz in his trunk. But when Paz asks about getting the things back, the other guard says it’s evidence, but they should just close the case with a “win.”
Meanwhile, Sam is ripping all the lights out in his home, looking for a key, and barely notices when his daughter calls. But he does find a key in a bathroom lamp with a label that says “Keepsake Storage” and the number 1472. This is a reference to Spielberg’s 1972 television movie, Something Evil. In it, a couple moves into a house where a sinister creature lives. It looks like Sam moved into someplace evil as well. More importantly, 1972 was the year Spielberg gained major Hollywood industry attention thanks to his television film Duel the year before. It led right into his theatrical debut.
Later, Paz tells Renee he knows his coworker is lying about the guy because he called
Albuquerque PD. So he bought a bunch of cameras to track down the thief. Why? Not just because he wants to date Renee. It’s also to screw Hank for being lazy.
The two bond over music. Rene references hip-hop songs, and the Hispanic guard references Barbra Streisand. They rib each other because he’s a drummer and she was a manager.
The Memorial and A Scientific Discovery
In case we forgot, Art is still at the shack tending to his mushrooms. Brooks comes crashing through the roof. He goes outside and sees thousands of birds flying in formation before all crashing to the ground with a heartbreaking series of thumps.
We follow Sam and his golf cart to the storage unit that night. One of the items is a statue that looks like the one from Molina’s first film role, Indiana Jones. The man also found a mysterious box that had a giant stuffed owl.
Back at the house, Sam notices the transition manager, Kayleigh (Beth Bailey). She’s worried about him after the trauma of the attack and the death of his neighbor. The chipper lady says sometimes it causes confusion, agitation, and disassociation. He says it sounds like getting old, and she counters that aging isn’t trauma. He says, “call me when you don’t recognize the wrinkled face staring at you in the mirror,” and walks away.
Sitting on his couch, he watches Little Shop of Horrors on his old TV. A flashing light sends him wide-eyed to the kitchen.
At the same time, the memorial starts, and the first person to speak is the CEO of The Boroughs, Blaine Shaw (Seth Numrich). Shaw reminisces on watching Jack give the weather report on the local news. He also quotes him saying, “that in every life, a little rain must fall.” It’s a touching and poignant quote, but Wally tells Renne Jack never said it. Judy, who’s sitting in front of them, asks them to be quiet. But soon the two are smoking watermelon Kush from his vape.
A “very special friend” of Jack’s comes up and sings karaoke to “Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree. Just then, Sam rushes in to get Wally since he’s a doctor, saying, “There’s something I need you to see.” The commotion sends Judy over the edge, who screams for them to shut up and storms out of the restaurant.
While she sits down outside, Blaine’s wife Anneliese (Alice Kremelberg) asks for a light. Art’s wife confides that it feels like it’s “too much.” The woman says that when she gets overwhelmed, she puts “it out there in the desert” and heads back inside.
Leaving it to the Desert
Later, Art excitedly tries to tell his wife that he saw something “divine,” but she’s more upset that he missed the memorial for her lover. She accuses him of being high and storms off. Outside, she shakily goes to their backyard wall and “gives” her pain to the desert. She’s one of the greatest actresses and gives a stunning wordless performance.
Meanwhile, Sam is excitedly showing Wally the experiments he’s been running. He takes some of the blood from the “creature that killed Jack,” puts it on a spoon, and in front of the television set. Then they take cover behind the couch. It bubbles and floats before exploding in a shower of sparks and lights that looks like a field of stars. Wally excitedly calls it a miracle.
Overall: Watch The Boroughs (2026): S1E02 – ”The Mourning After”
Watch The Boroughs episode “The Mourning After” because it’s another smart and moving episode in the series. It’s a character-driven show, so it’s moving pretty slowly. But the easter eggs are good and the dialogue crackles. Especially with Alfre Woodard. As the pieces connect, hopefully the ensemble will come together and move forward together soon.
I’m giving this episode 3.5 out of 5 stars
All episodes of The Boroughs are available to stream on Netflix. New episodes of The Boroughs drop every Thursday.
Click the link to read our review of the previous episode, ”Welcome to The Boroughs”
The Boroughs Season 1 Reviews and Recaps:
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