On Friday, Apple TV released the final episode of its limited series forwardfinally answers many of the questions that have kept viewers guessing since the first episode. The show received mixed reviews, a reaction that wasn’t entirely surprising since it was never designed to appeal to a broad audience.
forward is a show with a specific appeal that is unlikely to be liked by everyone. Its deliberate pacing and hesitation to deliver clear answers early on keep viewers guessing about the show’s true focus for longer than they might be accustomed to. In today’s fast-paced world, where audiences are often drawn to exciting, non-stop narratives, this approach can feel jarring. The show requires a level of patience and a willingness to reflect – qualities that are increasingly difficult to accept in Western society, which makes a nuanced show like this all the more difficult forward Find a wider audience.
Only as the series unfolds do we begin to understand its deeper premise: the idea of reincarnation – the idea that characters have lived lives before their current ones. The main character, Eli, is a successful psychiatrist and a firm believer that nothing exists outside the realm of science. He clung to this belief almost until the end of the show, despite mounting unexplained evidence. At some points, he must have questioned his own sanity, as he continued to reject the possibility of an afterlife—or, in this case, “before”—despite being bombarded with signs to the contrary.
Eli’s bond with his young patient Noah grows stronger and more mysterious with each episode. Eventually, we discover that Eli’s late wife Lynn also had a connection to Noah. The bond between the three grows as Lynn appears to Eli multiple times from the afterlife and offers guidance. However, for much of the series, Eli remains unclear about her true intentions.
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| Previously, pictured: Judith Wright. AppleTV+ ©2024 AppleTV+. all rights reserved |
Lynn’s backstory is revealed in excerpts that are heartbreaking. Exhausted from her battle with cancer and enduring endless experimental treatments, she attempted suicide before the events of the series. Blinded by his ruthless determination to save her at all costs, Eli neglects to listen to her or truly hear what she wants. His focus remains on finding new experiments that might save her or at least buy her more time. One day, he found her in the bathtub, her wrists slashed and bloody. Still conscious, she begged him not to call an ambulance and begged him to help end her suffering. Although Eli resists at first, he eventually realizes that he must respect her desire to find peace. In a heartbreaking act of love, he pushes her underwater. Water is a recurring theme throughout the series, becoming a powerful symbol of trauma and release.
Meanwhile, Noah’s mysterious condition has baffled doctors all season. He suffered from delusions and was plagued by hallucinations, freezing attacks and near-drowning without water, and no one was able to determine the root cause of his illness. With no solution in sight, the medical team recommended moving him to a long-term care facility. However, Eli remains determined not to give up, especially as it becomes increasingly apparent that Noah also has an inexplicable connection to Lynn’s ex-boyfriend Benjamin, who died long before Noah was born – even before Eli and Lynn before they got together.
By episode nine, Eli has finally come to accept that what happened to him and Noah cannot be explained by science. He came to believe that he, Lynn, Benjamin, and Noah had a common connection in a past life—that something traumatic had happened to Noah such that his soul still carried the pain, preventing him from living fully in this life.
By this time, Eli had been admitted to a psych ward, and those around him attributed his changes in behavior and his obsession with helping Noah to unresolved grief over Lynn’s death. Eli was stripped of his role as Dr. Noah and left feeling helpless after the boy’s transfer was arranged. Surprisingly, Noah’s adoptive mother, who often doubted Eli’s abilities, turned to him for help, suspecting that he knew better than anyone else what was happening to Noah. Eli is sure he knows how to help the boy, but there’s nothing he can do because he’s trapped in a psych ward.
A sketch that Lynn made for a children’s book she was working on before her death gave Eli the inspiration he needed: It showed two children in the woods, one of whom had blood on his hand—a cut—that inspired The thought of Eli hurt himself. This forced the hospital to transfer him to other departments for treatment, creating an opportunity for him to escape. Taking this opportunity, he kidnaps Noah and takes him to the farmhouse, believing that it holds the key to unlocking the boy’s trauma.
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| Before, as shown in the figure: billy crystal & Jacobi Jupe. AppleTV+ ©2024 AppleTV+. all rights reserved |
At this point, the story begins to unravel, with events becoming increasingly surreal and inexplicable. There was an unsettling aura about the farmhouse, an unidentifiable energy. Is this because of the coming of Eli and Noah, or has it always been there? This mysterious power feels intrinsically connected to the weird worm that has been plaguing Noah and Eli throughout the series. Even though the show has ended, the existence of the farmhouse and the origins of the mysterious worm are still shrouded in mystery. Whether these are unresolved open questions or deliberately chosen to highlight the limitations of human understanding remains to be explained.
Inside the farmhouse, reality seems distorted. The room kept moving and deforming, leaving Eli disoriented. He loses track of Noah and panics, frantically searching for him. Then, inexplicably, the house seemed to evict him. Stumbling out, his mind was filled with memories. Eli believes he was a little boy in his previous life, next to Noah (who was a girl in his previous life) and another girl, whom he recognizes as Lynn from his previous life.
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| Previously, pictured: Walter Mulroony and Delaney Bike. AppleTV+ ©2024 AppleTV+. all rights reserved |
As these vivid memories unfold, Eli finds himself on the edge of a frozen lake. In his memory, three children stumble upon what appears to be a beehive (in winter?!?) and are chased by an angry swarm. They run for their lives in panic until the boy – Eli in his previous life – accidentally pushes the girl (Noah in his previous life) onto the ice. She hit her head and lay motionless until the ice beneath her gave way, plunging her into the cold, dark water. Another girl, Lynn from a previous life, pleads with the boy (Eli) to jump in and save their friend, but he is paralyzed with fear and runs away instead.
Caught between memory and reality, Eli desperately searches for Noah. When he finally found him, he followed the advice of the girl Lynn from his previous life: “Jump!” Eli hugged Noah tightly and jumped into the lake. It felt like an eternity to be overwhelmed, unsure if any of them would survive his desperate efforts to heal the boy. While underwater, Eli confronts his own lingering trauma—the pain of losing Lynn and the burden of helping her die. What happened to Noah’s mind remains a mystery. When Eli finally pulled them out of the water, Noah wasn’t breathing. Panicked yet determined, Eli begins CPR, echoing the moment he performed the same maneuvers on Lynn’s ex-boyfriend and Noah’s previous life, Benjamin.
In a tense and painful moment, Eli considers giving up because Noah shows no signs of life. But after everything he’d been through, he refused to let the boy slip away. He continued the chest compressions steadfastly until Noah finally gasped. Relieved, Eli collapsed next to the boy. In a poignant flashback, Eli lies in the exact same position on the bathroom floor next to Lynn’s lifeless body. The visual similarities are striking, highlighting the deep and complex connection between their three souls.
Noah was now fully awake and alert, unaware of what was happening. He suddenly talks and behaves like any typical boy his age. Meanwhile, police sirens sound, signaling Eli’s impending arrest for kidnapping the boy.
Eli was readmitted to the hospital, where he completed five months of inpatient psychiatric treatment, while Noah continued to live a normal life, exhibiting age-appropriate behavior. Despite the court order restricting Eli from seeing Noah again, it no longer matters – he accomplishes what really matters: saving him. Eli couldn’t save the young girl from his past life, Benjamin couldn’t save her from her past life, and there was nothing he could do to prevent Lynn’s death – but this time, he and Noah succeeded.
The final scene of the show’s finale highlights just how profoundly everything Eli has experienced has changed. In a touching moment, his granddaughter Sophie handed him a rose, claiming Grandma Lynn wanted her to give it to him. In the past, Eli might have gotten angry and denied her claims of communication with Lynn, but this time he just smiled and gently let Sophie thank Lynn for him. When he asked the girl what else her grandmother said, she replied: “Listen.”
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| Previously, pictured was Rebecca Runel. AppleTV+ ©2024 AppleTV+. all rights reserved |
Although the show ends on a hopeful note, there’s one detail that leaves room for ambiguity: Eli still has visions of worms—haunting reminders of his former life, and his journey that may very well have yet to come Finish.
forward explores topics rarely touched on television, making it a unique and thought-provoking show. However, it is not without flaws. The female cast – especially the talented Judith Wright – is underused and feels like a missed opportunity, while a mysterious subplot involving Sophie and Lynn’s apparent ability to communicate remains unresolved. The significance of the worm hallucination also remains unclear, raising more questions than answers.
Despite its imperfections, forward offers a bold narrative that challenges viewers to reflect on trauma, connection, and the mysterious forces that shape our lives. While it may not appeal to everyone, the cast’s seamless chemistry and their stellar performances in all ten episodes are undeniable. Billy Crystal gives his all to the role of Eli Adler and delivers a consistently riveting performance.
For fans of slow-burning mysteries with metaphysical overtones, forward It is a journey well worth taking. Personally, I found it thoroughly enjoyable and engaging – a series that stays with me long after the final credits roll. With most of the episodes making it into Apple TV’s top ten, it’s clear many viewers feel the same way.
What did you think of the show and its conclusion? Join the conversation in the comments below!
