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

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Disclaimer episode 6.

Apple's mystery thriller series Disclaimer depicts a heated affair between Jonathan and Catherine that leads to a tragic death. Cate Blanchett leads a talented ensemble cast of Disclaimer as Catherine Ravenscroft, a hard-working and acclaimed television documentary journalist out of London, England. Catherine's world unravels once a mysterious novel titled The Perfect Stranger arrives at her doorstep, bringing up memories of one of her deepest and darkest secrets. Disclaimer also stars Sacha Baron Cohen as Robert, Catherine's husband, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nicholas, Robert and Catherine's son, and Kevin Kline as Stephen Brigstocke, a local London man who has lost his wife and son.

Created by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón, Disclaimer is based on the 2015 book of the same name written by Renée Knight. The show offers up a twisted, complicated narrative that obfuscates the truth, telling a story-within-a-story where viewers are left trying to discern between fact and fiction. The only sure thing, really, is that Jonathan Ravenscroft (Louis Partridge) died on vacation in Italy, but Catherine's role, and what actually took place between them, is still not entirely certain after episode 6, though the picture is clearing up heading into the seventh and final episode.

Catherine's Version Of Events Vs. Nancy's: Which Jonathan Is The Real One?

The Two Versions Of Him Are Completely Different

After six episodes of Disclaimer, there are a lot of questions about the events that take place in the Italy scenes pertaining to how accurate they are. The biggest consideration of all, which appears to be a central point of the show, is the questioning of reality and truth through the lenses of perspective and bias.

For the first few episodes, the way that Jonathan and Catherine's characters are portrayed in the Italy scenes makes it seem like they are characters within their own novel living out scripted scenes in real-time. This dynamic, combined with the glossy, divine tone, bright paradisiacal visuals, and opening and closing irises the take us in and out of each flashback implies that the scenes in Italy are highly romanticized and dramatized, which could ultimately mean that they are also somewhat fabricated.

Disclaimer episode 6 begins to shift the perspective, as we finally begin to hear Catherine's account of things, which she tells to Nicholas, who remains unconscious in hospital. It shows that the photos of Catherine on the beach weren't posed, but simply her adjusting her bikini, while Jonathan spied on her. This version of Jonathan comes off creepier, verging on stalking, such as when he sits across from her at the bar. She admits to being excited by his interest, but unnerved by it too. There's no suggestion of her initiating anything, nor inviting him up to her room.

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At this juncture, audiences are left to decide what's the truth, but it leans in favor of Catherine's story. A key difference is that we hear Blanchett narrating these events, recalling a clear memory. In contrast, the earlier scenes, seemingly taken from The Perfect Stranger, are more like we're watching a story unfold. It's still left up in the air what really happened for now, but Disclaimer is seemingly heading towards a bigger reveal about Jonathan, and that the book's version, Nancy's version, is a work of fiction.

Did Jonathan Really Die By Drowning After Saving Nicholas?

Could There Be More To It?

Disclaimer episode 4 depicts Jonathan's death by drowning in the Mediterranean Sea after trying to save Catherine's 4-year-old son, Nicholas, who is stranded in deep waters on an inflatable dinghy. While the series makes it seem like that's what actually happened, there is some doubt due to the increasingly unreliable perspective of The Perfect Stranger's author, Nancy, disguised as EJ Preston. While Stephen never explains why he chose the pen name, EJ Preston, it's obvious that he does not want to draw real-life attention to himself but instead wants to use the book as a means to destroy Catherine's life. Both Nancy and Stephen believe that this is how Stephen died, but Catherine may know a more accurate truth.

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Stephen, who didn't alter Nancy's draft of The Perfect Stranger whatsoever, is under the impression that Nancy somehow discovered the truth about Catherine and Jonathan and wrote the manuscript to expose her. He does not once consider that his wife wrote the novel as an expression of grief and a way to cope with the horrific loss of her son, finding relief and even pleasure in making Catherine out to be a monstrous enemy that seduced and discarded her poor son. Stephen also raises questions about the mysterious and potentially unsolved aspects of Jonathan's death, one being that Jonathan didn't appear to have drowned because his face was not swollen.

Even if Jonathan did die by drowning, there's a good chance there's more to the story that hasn't been shown (or truthfully told) yet. It may be that he wasn't really saving Nicholas and his death was not so heroic, or it could instead be the circumstances leading up to and after it - namely, Catherine's actions - shift the truth of what happened.

Why Catherine Didn't Tell Anyone Jonathan Was Still In The Ocean

Catherine Figured Jonathan Wouldn't Be A Problem If He Were Dead

Catherine is the first to spot Jonathan struggling to stay afloat in the sea, but does nothing but watch from afar for at least a minute. This could have made all the difference in the world, since Jonathan was nearly saved by lifeguards, according to the depiction of the events in Disclaimer episode 4. Catherine strangely stays silent with a contemplative look on her face, indicating that she's briefly wondering whether to say something. She determines that having Jonathan dead is more advantageous than keeping him alive.

This is intended to display how cold-hearted Catherine truly is and how little she cared for Jonathan in the first place, who proved that he would not take no for an answer and was determined to fall in love with Catherine back in London. Of course, that is what Nancy, via The Perfect Stranger, wants us to think. It's possible Catherine wasn't as involved in Jonathan's death, or had a different motive for letting him drown: if he was stalking her - and perhaps it went beyond that - then she may have been fearful of him, which resulted in her inaction as he died.

What Was The Mark On Jonathan's Arm?

The Cut Could Lead To The Truth Of Jonathan's Death

The biggest clue to what might have really happened to Jonathan is the mysterious cut on his inner right forearm. It's first noticed by his father, Stephen, as he and his wife Nancy observe Jonathan's body in Italy to confirm its identity. Jonathan could have gotten cut from the pocketknife that Stephen had given him, which is seen during two crucial scenes in Disclaimer when Stephen finds Nancy's manuscript and when Stephen and Nancy collect Jonathan's belongings in Italy. While Jonathan could have gotten cut while trying to save Nicholas, it is also entirely possible that the cut represents an entirely different and more accurate sequence of events that connects to Catherine and the pocketknife.

What Happened With Catherine & Jonathan Was Extremely Traumatic

Catherine's Reaction Strongly Suggests There's More To It

Based on Catherine's response to reading The Perfect Stranger, which the series portrays with flashes of the sensual photographs and uncontrollable vomiting, it's evident that whatever happened between Catherine and Jonathan was very traumatic. She has a similar breakdown when Robert confronts her over it, far beyond simply being defensive over an extramarital affair.

While it's difficult to determine exactly why Catherine responds this way, she is likely either overcome with grief for what surely is the worst instance in her life, or she is sickened by the thought of having her dirty laundry printed and distributed on paperback. The biggest mystery next to what happened to Jonathan is what exactly happened to Catherine during these events. As episode 6 begins to hint at, there's a darker truth here, whether that's Jonathan stalking her or assaulting her, which should be revealed in the finale.

Why The Photos Are So Damaging To Catherine

Why Is Everyone Quick To Accept That's What Really Happened?

Catherine had likely never seen Jonathan's photos of her before and believed they would remain eternally undeveloped. Seeing the photographs creates a new monster that Catherine, nearly 20 years after the events in Italy and Jonathan's death, thought could not possibly have existed. Catherine buried her involvement in the affair with Jonathan himself, returning to her successful life and marriage back in London far away from her betrayal in Italy. The photographs not only dig up a dark secret of Catherine's past but also of her identity and her view of her place within the world.

If what happened in The Perfect Stranger were the truth, then what Disclaimer is saying is she had thought she'd gotten away with it and now that she's been exposed, she can no longer carry her egotistical air of invincibility. However, given her trauma-like response, it is also plausible that the photos are so damaging because of what they remind her of, dredging up a past she has worked incredibly hard to shut down.

What's particularly interesting about the photos, the book, and Stephen's story overall, is how quick everyone is to accept that narrative. Until episode 6, Catherine cannot give her side of the story; no one wants to listen or even hesitates to question if it's the truth. That speaks to the convincing story Nancy created, and could be a commentary on "cancel culture": Catherine looks like she may lose her job as things at work escalate, and the show may be trying to make a point about how quickly people can be to judge without knowing all the facts.

It is also, more specifically, a point about women's voices not being heard, which feels most telling. Nancy's voice is only heard when her husband publishes the book; Catherine's story is only told when she's sitting with her unconscious son. For Catherine more so, there may be a lot of bitterness, jealously, and rivalry through her relationships, both at work and at home: her husband and colleagues resenting her, quickly taking the opportunity to take her down.

How Does Jonathan's Mother Know So Much About What Happened?

It's Likely That Nancy Filled In The Blanks Of The Story With Her Pain And Grief

While there would obviously be news and police reports of Jonathan's death for Nancy to pull information from, she seems so convinced and knowledgeable about it all in a heightened and uncanny way. Her convictions towards Catherine, that she is some devil who swooped in and took her son away from her, is clearly written from a place of pain, as Catherine points out in her voicemail to Stephen in Disclaimer episode 4. Since Nancy only has the secondary sources of reports and photographs to pull from, it's entirely plausible that she filled in the blanks of the narrative with her own speculation and fiction as a way to find comfort and someone to blame in Disclaimer.

What Happened Between Jonathan & Catherine In The Book

Book Spoilers Ahead, Though The Show Could Differ

In the Disclaimer book, it's revealed later on in the story what really happened between Jonathan and Catherine in Italy: he sexually assaulted her. As Catherine has started to reveal in the show, he stalked her on vacation - in the book, it's Spain - and then assaulted her in her hotel room. There was no affair, no flirting between them or suggestion of romance. She never wanted to tell her story, but was forced into doing so by Stephen's actions. It's a harrowing twist, and while Disclaimer could differ, the setup from episode 6 seems to be laying the groundwork for this to be true in the show as well.

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