The Missing Season 1 Episode 1 Roberta and Marcella
- July 22, 2021
The Missing is a British television drama series that follows the story of Tony, a man who is searching for his missing five-year-old son, Oliver. Season 1, episode 1 is titled "Roberta and Marcella."
The episode begins with Tony and his son, Oliver, walking through a bustling square in a small French town. They are on vacation and enjoying the sights and sounds of the local market when suddenly, Oliver disappears. Panic sets in as Tony frantically searches for his son. The episode then jumps forward eight years to Tony revisiting the same town, hoping to find any new information that might lead him to Oliver.
Throughout the episode, the show takes a non-linear approach, jumping back and forth between the present day and the past to unravel the events that led up to Oliver's disappearance. We meet Emily, Tony's wife, who struggles with the guilt of leaving Oliver alone with Tony on that fateful day. We also meet Julien Baptiste, a retired detective who is brought onto the case to help Tony.
As the investigation unfolds, we learn about Roberta and Marcella, two women who seem to have information about Oliver's disappearance. Roberta is a witness who reported seeing a man with a boy matching Oliver's description near the town square on the day he went missing. Marcella is a waitress who remembers serving Tony and Oliver at a restaurant on that same day. Both women are interviewed by the police, but it's unclear whether or not they're telling the truth.
As the episode comes to a close, Tony begins to unravel, haunted by the memories of Oliver's disappearance. We see him struggling to maintain his relationships with his wife and daughter, who are both suffering in their own ways. He's also haunted by the possibility that Oliver might still be alive, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to find him.
"Roberta and Marcella" is a fascinating and intense episode that sets the tone for the rest of The Missing's first season. With its non-linear structure and complex characters, the show is sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats as they follow Tony's desperate search for his son.