Disclaimer: What Happened Between Jonathan & Sasha, And Why Did She Really Leave?

Apple's Disclaimer episode 6 hints at what may have actually gone down between Jonathan and Sasha in Italy, which could completely flip the script on Stephen's revenge plan against Catherine. The first four episodes of Disclaimer mostly chronicled what was published in The Perfect Stranger novel, which was written by Jonathan's mother Nancy and published under a pseudonym by Stephen. This was the planted seed in an elaborate attempt to ruin Catherine's life for allegedly causing Jonathan's death by drowning.

Disclaimer episode 5 was the first episode of the 7-part miniseries to suggest that Nancy's view of the events, which are taken as fact by Catherine's coworkers and husband, Robert, were intentionally skewed to paint Catherine in a devious, and potentially criminal, light. By the end of Disclaimer episode 6, the penultimate episode of the Apple limited series based on the book of the same name by Renée Knight, Catherine forces a face-to-face confrontation with Stephen to finally share her side of the tragic story.

Did Jonathan Assault Sasha?

Sasha didn't leave Jonathan because of a family death

Disclaimer episode 6 suggests that something else happened to Sasha in Italy that led her to leave Jonathan. The scene with Nancy getting a phone call from Sasha's mother flips the previous Jonathan and Sasha scenes on their head, revealing that Sasha didn't leave Jonathan because of a family death. Sasha's mother is clearly furious and upset on the phone as if she has been told a horrific truth about Jonathan that is too heartbreaking to believe.

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Disclaimer: What Really Happened Between Catherine & Jonathan (& How Much Is The Show Lying About It?)

Catherine & Jonathan's affair in Italy is depicted in the early episodes of Disclaimer but may have been dramatized by an unreliable & biased source.

Catherine also offers brief glimpses into how she recalled meeting Jonathan in Italy, who she described as being much more forward and potentially predatory towards her in a relentless way. There's enough talk throughout the episode from Catherine about Jonathan's creepy behavior to support the theory that Jonathan may have sexually assaulted Sasha before meeting Catherine. The story seemingly hints that this is what happened with Sasha, or at least that Jonathan was being aggressive towards her and pressuring her to have sex. This could also explain how Jonathan got the cut on his arm Stephen noticed when examining his dead body.

Did The Truth About Sasha Partially Inspire Nancy To Write The Perfect Stranger?

Nancy could have been covering up the disturbing truth about her son

It's interesting to question why Nancy wrote The Perfect Stranger. At face value, it's an attempt to deal with her grief and reclaim her son, even if it's a hyperbolized version of events that never existed. Given the new information about Jonathan and Sasha, it makes more sense that Nancy also wrote the book to process and perhaps rewrite the disturbing news about her son, effectively burying it and making Catherine the clear villain while Jonathan remains a pure victim. Jonathan's photos of Catherine suggest that she consented. However, her full account of the events in the Disclaimer finale should clear the air for good.

Told in seven chapters, “Disclaimer” is based on the novel of the same name by Renée Knight. Acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Blanchett) built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others. When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she is horrified to realize she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets. As Catherine races to uncover the writer’s true identity, she is forced to confront her past before it destroys both her own life and her relationships with her husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and their son Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee). 
 

Release Date October 10, 2024

Seasons 1