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Are you gonna say anything? Where am I even headed?
Just get me out.
That's it? You just needed a ride out of the town? Why'd you even come looking for me? You could've just driven it yourself!
No I couldn't have. I'm not in control.- ― Ellen Adams and Jake Fischer
Clearcut is the sixth and final episode of the Alan Wake prequel live action series Bright Falls. This episode was released on the Bright Falls Website on 14 May 2010, coinciding with the release of Alan Wake in the UK.
Synopsys[]
In the wake of his alter ego's latest destruction, Jake is paid a visit from Deputy Mulligan, who lets him off the hook, barely. Distrusting his ability to leave town, Jake enlists the help of Ellen, leading to a disturbing conclusion.[1]
Plot[]
Deputy Mulligan sees Jake's destroyed motel room.
Deputy Mulligan arrives at the Mountain Air Motel. In his destroyed motel room, Jake Fischer is packing his bag when he hears someone knocking at the door. Half-opening the door, he sees Deputy Mulligan and asks him if he can help him. The deputy asks him if he had been in contact with Sam Smith, the owner of the motel. Jake tells him that he has not seen him in days, to which the deputy tells him that he had gone missing and that he found his son looking for him in the woods. He then proceeds inside and sees the state of the room. Lying, Jake claims that he had accidentally left the door open the night before, after which an animal entered and destroyed the room. Seemingly believing the story, Deputy Mulligan states, looking at the damage in the room, that the animal in question was a "14-point stag" and proceeds to show Jake evidence to support his claim, such as "cut patterns" and supposed "horn rib entry points". He also states that the animal was a "trophy deer" and that it would have earned Sam a prize had he been there, attributing his absence to a bender. After finishing his explanation, the deputy states that "the boys are gonna love this" and leaves.
Ellen drives Jake out of Bright Falls.
Agitated, Jake drives away from the motel. At The Bright Falls Record, Ellen Adams is having a phone call with an unknown individual when Jake arrives in his car. He asks for her help and begins dragging her into the car with him. When she asks him to explain, he simply tells her to "just drive". As she drives away, seeing that Jake does not tell her anything, Ellen questions him what is happening, but he only tells her to drive him out of town. More agitated, Ellen asks why he could not simply drive himself, to which he replies, they drive past the Bright Falls welcome sign, that he is not in control of himself. Ellen asks him to elaborate, but Jake does not respond and turns to her with his eyes widened. Suddenly, Jake is the one driving the car. As he comes back to his senses, he sees that Ellen is gone, with only a blood-stained shoe remaining on the right seat. As he sees the Bright Falls welcome sign again, he realizes that he is driving back to town and abruptly stops the car, hitting his face against the wheel. After a moment, Jake notices the same Deerfest sign that he first saw when he hit the deer days ago. As Jake remains in his car, petrified, the reflection of the tree's silhouettes in the front windshield begin to rapidly shift. By nighttime, the now empty car is found by the authorities.
The Wakes arrive at Bright Falls.
A police deputy lights and places flares on the ground to light up the accident site, with several emergency services and police vehicles around Jake's abandoned car. The deputy then signals an approaching car to stop. The driver, Alan Wake, who is also with his wife, Alice, asks the deputy what happened. He explains that it was most likely a driver crashing while trying to avoid a deer and advises them to be careful on the road up ahead. Alan thanks the officer and he and his wife resume their journey.
Cast[]
Full series credits can be found here.
- Christopher Forsyth as Jake Fischer
- Allison Lange as Ellen Adams
- Robert Peters as Deputy Mulligan
- Ilkka Villi (likeness) and Matthew Porretta (voice) as Alan Wake
- Emily Peterson as Alice Wake
- Edric Carter as Deputy Janes
Additionally, Joaby Deal (series sound designer) plays an uncredited role as the unidentified man calling Ellen.
Transcript[]
Main Article: Episode 6: Clearcut/Transcript
Episode Video[]
Bright Falls Episode 6- Clearcut (1080P)
Episode Six: Clearcut
Notes[]
- In an interview with G4TV, director Phillip Van made several following comments when asked about what was happening to Jake at the end and Ellen's fate. He further suggested that the title sequence of the Bright Falls series was also its epilogue, commenting "guess who" when remarking about who was in the perspective of the camera in the title sequence.
- G4: So Jake was a were-deer, huh? And he totally blacked out and killed his lady friend, didn’t he? It's ok. You can tell us.
PV: Secret's out - Jake is a satanic vampiric were-deer. A lucifvampwerestag that has no lady friends. Alright. I really appreciate the were-deer theories. To the max. But I would urge all were-deer loyalists to watch Mulligan's scene again at the start of the last episode, and just for the hell of it, entertain the idea that perhaps, in a little act of boasting, Mulligan has absolutely no idea what he's talking about. Just to see how the likes of the brilliant Robert Peters (Mulligan) and Christopher Forsyth (Jake) play out that possibility. I'm not saying this is the truth and I wouldn't dare say that "cut and buck" and "horn-rimmed entry points" are made-up hunting terms. I'm just saying - give it a shot. This was always one of my favorite scenes and changed very little from first inception. Mulligan is one of those character's who just sort of comes out whole on the page. I really loved what Stephen Johnson wrote about the comedy aspects of the scene and if you watch it in this way, those do carry through to the end.
About Jake's lady friend Ellen (the wonderful Allison Lange) and the missing time between their departure and Jake driving - It depends on what you believe about Bright Falls. Keep in mind that whatever Jake did took place outside of the town. If you believe that the town plays a significant roll in Jake's blackouts, then maybe she has a chance.
While we're on topic, I know the title sequence has been analyzed a lot, but there's something cool about it that hasn't been mentioned: it's not just a title sequence - it's a series epilogue. The cup with the key, dead deer, Ellen's shoe, shotgun and little lost Daniel are the wreckage Jake left in the forest. And the perspective of the camera - well - guess who. So if you're really pining for more, watch the titles, or Bright Falls Episode 6.5 again. - ― Interview: Bright Falls Director/Co-Writer Phillip Van
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
Episode[]
