In the latest episode of Syfy’s SurrealEstate, special guest star Melanie Scrofano (“Wynonna Earp”) brings to life a completely new character — or characters — in the form of Harper North, the owner of a lakeside cabin that houses a large history of baggage. Meanwhile, Susan searches for the perfect home for a picky author, while dismissing the offer of help from her colleague. Written by Ramona Barckert and directed by Danishka Esterhazy, here’s what went down on “For Sale By Owner.”
Hustle & Flow | Susan (Sarah Levy) has her work cut out for her, as she takes on one of the agency’s regular clients, William Larson (Charlie Tomlinson). She recognizes his name as the “master of modern horror,” though Zooey (Savannah Basley) thinks of him as being a “dick.” The author is writing a new novel and needs to buy a new house for inspiration. Zooey offers her expertise, but Susan brushes her off, explaining to the office manager that she’s worked with celebrities before and has it handled.
After Larson has a look at all the properties Susan has offered, the master of horror shows up at the office upset. He tells her that they were all wrong and a complete waste of his time. “I have a story that needs to flow out of me, and that cannot happen unless the environment I am in lets that flow remain uninterrupted,” he tells her. “Stacey — are you going to blow my flow?”
He tells her that she needs to show him the “most messed up, walls bleeding, chain rattling, bloody Mary in the mirror, haunted houses in 12 states,” or he will be taking his business elsewhere. After he leaves, Zooey gives Susan their Larson file filled with lots of addresses. Susan tells her that this information would have been great to have. “You were so confident. You said, ‘Trust me,'” Zooey says. “Next time, consider trusting me.”
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With a new understanding of what William wants, along with the Larson file, Susan shows the author a series of houses that should be right up his alley. Unfortunately, though, he is not liking what is being presented to him. “I don’t know, Sharon,” he says, unamused. “We don’t seem to be clicking, do we? Perhaps it’s time for some fresh blood, so to speak.” Just when he is about to let her go, Susan begs to show him one last property. He agrees under one condition: if that property doesn’t please him, he is done.
Susan’s last ditch effort to keep Larson as a client moves forward as she shows him one final home. It appears to be a quaint property. He even describes it as a “Brady Bunch House.” While he has a look around the house to see if it suits him, Susan messages Zooey for another option. Zooey replies saying that Susan should trust her. The author quickly returns to Susan’s car out of breath. “I’ll take it,” he says. “I want it. I need it. Make the deal, whatever it costs!”
Back at the office, Susan arrives in a celebratory mood. She gives Zooey a much-needed heartfelt apology. “I was dismissive and condescending,” Susan tells her. “It is a flaw in my character, and I am working on it. Honestly, I just thought you were the office manager.”
Cottage Breeze | Luke (Tim Rozon) learns of a picturesque lakeside cabin that has been on the market for six months. The property has had a lot of showings, but zero offers. He heads to the cabin, where he plans to stay for a couple days, to check it out. There, he meets the quirky and timid homeowner Harper North (Scrofano). She tries to scare him off by mentioning that it’s not safe there at night, that he has no idea who or what can enter or leave the cabin, and about the mortal remains scattered in the lake.
Noticing the sling over her arm, the real estate agent asks her how she got it. “Whipping wind came at me from hell itself and a strange force pushed me down the stairs,” she explains to him. A gust of wind appears, and the homeowner starts to get worried. “It’s happening again!” she says, terrified.
He finds that the “wind from hell” is actually a Dyson cool tower just over his head, and that she has her hand on the remote controlling it. “Who the hell are you?” she asks. “I’m just the guy that’s gonna sell your cottage.” He tells her that he came to see if her home was supernaturally compromised, but finds the only compromising factor is Harper herself. She reveals her true self by removing her wig and sling and asks if he’s hungry.
The two have dinner on the deck, and we get to know more about Harper. Luke learns that she had studied Biodiversity Conservation in college and had an opportunity for a job promotion that had to be turned down because she and her brother took ownership of the cottage after her dad had passed away. She tells him that someone had to keep up the place. It was supposed to be a temporary thing, but she hadn’t left since. “I know I’m in the right place,” she says. “A place I belong.”
The next day, Luke finds himself locked in a broom closet after getting knocked out with a shovel by Harper. She opens the closet, and in a demonic voice, says, “The house is ours. Not for sale.” He figures out that her dead relatives who remain at the cabin are using her as a vessel, and reminds her that she is Harper North. “You live in this cottage, but you are not this cottage,” he says.
When she comes to, he tells her that her dead relatives are somehow controlling her and tying her to the property. He assures her that he can help. Harper is once again possessed by her family and forces him out of the cabin. He flees to the woods and runs into Harper’s dead grandmother Samantha (Deborah Grover). She sings a cryptic song which gives Luke the idea to get Harper away from the property to try to release her of the hold that’s tying her to it.
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In the cabin, Luke “leaves a message” for Harper to let her know that she is being kept there by her family and that it’s no life, not for someone who is as terrific as she is. “Just think of the amazing things that she could do, that you could do, if you could leave,” he says. “Let’s do this. Or undo this. Together. Right now.” She takes his hand and they run to his car and they drive off. Mysteriously, however, they end up back at the cabin. “I literally can’t leave,” she says disappointedly.
Inside, Harper is joined by her maddened, dead relatives who blame Luke for her wanting to leave the property. One of them locks Luke in a choke hold, and Harper helps him buy winding up her music box backwards. The trick helps, and her grannie Sam appears at the door, to much delight from Harper. She apologizes to her grandmother for trying to sell the cottage and leave. Sam tells her that when her grandfather died, the cottage and the music box it inspired, became an obsession. She shares that she had no idea that her final act of despair would keep Harper and the Norths trapped. But now they’re free and can move on. “And so must you.”
Special Interest | Luke tasks August (Maurice Dean Wint) to do a check-in at the Donovan house. Father Phil (Adam Korson) has a feeling that Luke has taken an unusual interest in the property. “He’s clearly hot for the homeowner,” August tells the researcher. At the house, August tells Megan (Tennille Read) that the welder did a fine job sealing the portal in her basement. She tells them that Luke seems to have a special interest in the house, and inadvertently spills information that Luke’s mother used to live next door and that Megan’s house was the last place she was seen alive.
After a successful day saving Harper North, Luke shows up at Megan’s, though, not for a professional visit — “the other kind.” He heads upstairs to her library and is delighted that his mother has graced him with her presence. The sweet reunion quickly turns sour, however, when she tells him that she’s always wanted a little girl. After going through labor, she was disappointed that “all that I got was you.” She goes on to say that while he seeks the truth and helps others with their unfinished business, somehow, he can’t even face his own. And with that, she disappears.
SurrealEstate airs Fridays at 10pm on Syfy.
Rowell was born and raised on Maui, Hawai’i, and now lives in the almost-as-green Pacific Northwest. He’s obsessed with Cirque du Soleil, loves teen dramas (especially those with a supernatural element) and horror movies, and is addicted to sushi. Prior to PopWire, he created individual fan sites for the shows Friends, Hellcats, Nikita and others, which led to creating and working on OMFGTV.
