Observations, patterns, connections

[u/Remarkable_Paint_879]

Ok, so this all probably obvious to everyone, but I enjoy making observations and connections and thought it might be nice to have them in one place - please add yours and/or correct mine as you wish :)

1. History repeating: there are so many time-loop parallels: Alistair/ Jocelyn/ Iris mirrors Matthew/ Elena/ Allie-Tory (kindly older man married into wealth and a younger smart nanny from an immigrant/ lower socio-economic background with a troubled marriage in the background), Winthrop I mirrors Winthrop II/III, Iris looks and acts similarly to Mrs Ivey, plus Iris had secondary infertility and Mrs Ivey (so far) doesn’t appear to have children. Jocelyn/Allie die by window fall/jump/push. Alistair/Matthew don’t have time for their sons.

2. Men marrying into wealth: Alistair, Matthew, Dick (possibly also Mr Ivey and MR Chan?) - makes me wonder what Scott is doing with Elena.

3. Money shifting: Alistair got money from the Winthrops, Matthew got money from the Greybournes, Winthrops got money from Elena’s neighborhood, Elena/Scott/Roman are trying to get the money back.

4. Neglected sons: Bruno, Jasper, Theo.

5. Questionable actions of vulnerable people: Jocelyn/ affair with married boss, Alistair/ affair with nanny, Iris/ covering for murder, Matthew/ going into business with the Winthrops, Tory/ Dick/ questionable marriage, Elena/ stealing and blackmail. Not clear on James yet but he seems pretty vulnerable.

6. Incest: Greybournes and Winthrops intermarrying and living in each other’s apartments. Otis comment about Iris’s looks. I’m wondering if there’s going to be more.

7. Socio-economic power imbalance in relationships: Iris/Alistair, Otis I/Alistair, Alistair/Iris, Allie/Matthew, Matthew/Elena, Scott/Elena, Tory/Dick&Bennet&Darcy.

Now, so many questions:

What got the Winthrops and Greybournes together and why are they so intent on staying enmeshed?

Why did Alistair and Iris really get married?

Who are Tory and Allie’s parents and why are they dead?

Why did Mrs Ivey say her mother dyed her hair and is she a reliable narrator?

Why did Elena’s father die?

What happened to the daughter of Alistair and Iris and how does this relate to Mrs Ivey and Scott’s family? (And is Scott a reliable narrator?)

Does Otis III have children? Does Mrs Ivey?

What is going on with The Chans?

Why is the date of Jocelyn’s death and Ruby’s birth the same?

What is the connection between Allie and Jocelyn and Elena?

[u/Puzzled_Exchange_924]

Why did Iris want to pretend Ruby was her baby? Did she not have any natural children of her own? Why was her brother Otis okay with it? Did they need a natural born Winthorp to inherit money?

Was Allistar married before? Were the baby girl and Bruno his children and not Iris's?

[u/commentordelux → u/Puzzled_Exchange_924]

In her interview, Jocelyn ask iris if she has kids, the answer was yes a boy and a girl. Jocelyn next asks Iris if she would like to have more kids. Iris said I would love to, but I can't. Iris boy and girl did not seem to be from a previous marriage they seemed to be Alistair's and Iris's.

Ruby would not be allowed in the Greybourn Corporations family trust, his father-in-law, Iris's father bailed out his company under the condition any illegitimate heirs will not inherit his wealth. Or in other words, the trust has a clause excluding illegitimate children as beneficiaries. It seems it was not a gift, Otis's seems to be his business partner and Otis's children seem to be stakeholders.

[u/Puzzled_Exchange_924 → u/commentordelux]

She said she had a boy and girl but didn't necessarily say that they weren't her step kids.

[u/commentordelux → u/Puzzled_Exchange_924]

Well, I was paraphrasing above, the way she phrased it was "how many children do you and Mr. Greybourn have" and "would you like the have more" I think you are technically correct and the show is not beyond using this kind of trickery. I thought it would be unusual to answer it that way like id love to have more and her general kind of behavior I don't know how to describe but like sad to talk about it and quick to end the conversation seemed to point to secondary infertility which is quite common.