Slasher Season 4, Episode 4 recap: Upstairs, Downstairs

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Slasher Season 4, Episode 4.

Slasher Season 4, Episode 4, “Upstairs, Downstairs,” doesn’t waste any time in letting everyone know that Seamus is dead. When we last saw Seamus, The Gentleman had just stabbed him through the eye with a fire poker. That’s not all the killer had in store for Seamus, though. When Christy returns to their room to talk to him after her heart-to-heart with O’Keefe, she finds half of his body strung up by the wrists “like a death’s-head hawkmoth.” Both eyes have been gouged out, and the lower half of his body is missing.

As if it’s not bad enough to be stabbed through the skull, the killer further desecrated Seamus’s body for all to see. Christy is, understandably, distraught and freaks out on the remaining Galloway family members, who she blames for his death. Before anyone can do anything to help her or take the grotesque scenery down, the bell chimes signaling that it’s time for round three of Spencer’s twisted game.

Watching another video from Spencer dictating an insane game that has resulted in two deaths and plenty more strife is all a bit too much for Christy. She bludgeons the television with a statue, although not before everyone hears Spencer imply that the people who lose the game will die. Florence argues that Spencer would never have them killed because they’re his heirs. No one else shares her opinion. Discord and distrust are rampant among the family, and accusations fly at every turn.

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In particular, tensions between Birgit, Grace, and Florence are astronomically high, so all three women split up despite Theo’s pleas that they stay together because it’s safer. Grace tries to reassure Birgit that Liv is safe, that she’s the “strongest one here.” She still hasn’t returned to the house.

Theo continues trying to bond with his long-lost brother. Perhaps doing so while removing your dead uncle from the wall isn’t the best time to do that? Then again, Vincent is unphased by the carnage, chalking it up to his hunting pastime. Sure, dude. Vincent is obviously sketchy but feels like an intentional red herring. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s hiding something like maybe he’s not even the real Vincent.

Outside we finally catch up with Liv while she’s poking around the beach. She narrowly avoids becoming The Gentleman’s next victim, fighting them off and escaping to the wine cellar. Seconds later, Vincent opens the door. It’s enough time for him to remove his killer getup and feign innocence, but again, I think he’s too obvious of a suspect. Nonetheless, his sudden appearance is enough to raise a red flag for Liv.

Grace and Birgit tend to Liv’s knife wounds, courtesy of the killer. Again, Florence charges in with nasty accusations and cruel taunts toward everyone in the room. Liv intends to keep competing despite Florence asserting she’s out due to missing the last competition.

But even Vincent vouches for Liv. She took on the killer, and she deserves the chance to compete and, Spencer wanted her to. Much to Florence’s annoyance, Liv is back in the game. Florence also turns on Christy, insinuating that she might have killed Seamus after learning his other secret (that he’s either bisexual or gay).

MORE: Slasher Season 4, Episode 4 recap: In Trust

While Grace patches her up, Liv tells them what happened with Vincent in the woods. If you recall, he made a move on her in the woods in the previous episode. Realizing that his brother is the same brat he was as a kid, Theo confronts him, and things turn ugly. Vincent is unapologetic about pursuing Liv (guys, she’s your cousin). “Liv, your mom, the money. You’ve had it your whole life. Now it’s my turn.”

Elsewhere, Christy wakes Aphra from a terrifying nightmare and then tries to prod her daughter for intel on Seamus. Florence’s comment is nagging at her. Either Aphra doesn’t know what Christy is talking about or is unwilling to share it since she avoids giving Christy a straight answer.

The secret passageways in this house must be common knowledge because Birgit uses one to eavesdrop on Florence, Vincent, Theo, and O’Keefe. Vincent and Florence insist Liv is probably the killer. Even O’Keefe sounds convinced. Theo is the only one who thinks Liv is innocent, but it probably won’t be enough to stop whatever Florence and Vincent are planning.

Having overheard all of this, Birgit rushes to Liv to tell her they need to get the heck off this island before Vincent and Florence try to kill them. Liv admits that she found a little boat while she was outside and lied about it so no one else would know. It’s damaged, but she promises her mother that she’ll fix it the next morning. Liv also believes Theo would never hurt her. Birgit isn’t so sure.

That night, Birgit rocks Liv to sleep, singing her an old lullaby. Her singing travels through the vents, and Vincent hears it. Something about the song disturbs him and sends him toward the source. Ready for a big twist? Vincent says his kidnapper sang it to him. Yep, Birgit and her family kidnapped Vincent that fateful day decades ago! Birgit admits to it. She says she did it for money so she could take Liv and get away from the Galloway family.

According to Birgit, Spencer found it was her, followed her, and took Vincent. Then he sent Vincent away. Spencer supposedly knew all along what had happened to Vincent’s son.

Of course, hearing all of this confirms Vincent and Florence’s suspicions. They go off the deep end and try to attack Birgit and Liv. Theo is forced to steal Vincent’s gun to protect them. He says they’ll lock them up in the room so the police can deal with them later.

That doesn’t sit right with Florence and Vincent. They get kitchen knives and prepare to murder Liv and Birgit. But they’re too late. Theo has already helped them escape the house, where Liv gets to work on fixing the boat. She instructs her mother to wait on the dock to keep watch. Then the killer attacks and abducts Birgit.

Slasher Season 4, Episode 4 recap: 24 years in the past

Slasher Season 4, Episode 4 takes us 24 years earlier, right after Birgit gave birth to Liv. Spencer continues to prove that he’s a delight by immediately giving the new mother an ultimatum. Raise Liv on her own, and he’ll pay to take care of her or try to claim her as a Galloway, and he’ll destroy her and ensure she never sees her daughter again.

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We skip forward several years to a Christmas morning where a school-aged Liv receives a gift from Spencer. It’s a math kit. A subtle dig at Liv’s struggle in the subject. Ugh, he really sucks.

Remember how Birgit said she wasn’t so sure Theo would never hurt Liv? Well, she had good reason to think that. As a kid, Vincent once convinced his brother to help burn Liv on a tree.

The last we see of Birgit, she’s been buried up to her neck in sand at the beach as The Gentleman prepares to finish the job and bury her alive. As the killer piles more sand on top of her, Birgit sings the fateful melody intercut with a vision from the past that shows her singing the same tune to a kidnapped Vincent.

New episodes of Slasher Season 4 premiere Thursdays on Shudder.