Let's Return to Last year's Halloween special, The Next and Final Episodes of the German Horror Show, Cassandra.
Let's Recap. (Or you can read the Review of episodes 1-3 at this link below)
Bogger Box Office: Halloween special 2025: Cassandra Episodes 1-3
To internalize the Grief of a woman who is either her sister, her Threesome Partner or both, A mother, along with her Husband, Teenage son and Primary school aged daughter, move to a rural town to live in a 50-year-old smart home, where they foolishly reboot it's AI Controller, the Eponymous Cassandra. The AI is a help to begin with, But Cassandra seeks to undermine, gaslight against, replace and ultimately k*ll the mother, Samira ("Sam"). This is also the origin of Cassandra Schmidt, as she was 50 years ago, a housewife who suspects her Husband impregnated her Neighbour. But she had own problems in been complacent in 3 mu**ers committed by her son, Peter.
In the present, side-plots include an Enamoured Cassandra Aiding Husband David with his erotic novels, son Finn's Burgeoning Gay romance with Steve, Who was threatened by the robot in the last episode, and Cassandra's successful Manipulation of Using Six-year-old Juno to cause a School shooting to secure a part in a school play.
CURRENT K*LL COUNT: 6
HORST SCHMIDT-Pulled through a windscreen and spine broken in a car crash.
A MOUSE-Crushed by Cassandra's Wheel track
PETER SCHMIDT-Offscreen (Confirmed dead from same Car crash that claimed Horst)
3 SOCCOR PLAYERS: Beaten to Death by Peter as revenge after an Assault by them.
THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS OF A 15 RATED TV SHOW THAT CONTAINS DEATH, SUICIDE, INJURY DETAIL, SEX, WHICH IS DOWNPLAYED, VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE WHICH WILL BE CENSORED. AND SOME SCENES WHICH WILL BE PREFACED BY A TRIGGER WARNING. THIS REVIEW WILL BEGIN WITH SCENES AFTER A SCHOOL SHOOTING FROM THE OFF SET THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL FIND DISTRESSING. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Episode Four- A Children's Game
We open With Samira in the kitchen thinking as a Policecar pulls away, covering her blank face with blue and red lights that pulls her into a flashback of happier times when Cathy was alive. Her Sister goes with Juno to play. But as Finn clears his Aunt's plates, he sees Hidden Tablets.
TRIGGER WARNING FOR VIOLENCE TOWARDS A CHILD
Without her meds, Cathy gets Uncontrollable rages about Juno colouring the Sun Pink, she lashes at Juno with a Scissors while Shouting "DO IT RIGHT!", Causing the girl to bleed and cry for her mother, when Cathy regains her Composure. Finn shows his mother the discarded pills.
That night, David wants to put Cathy in a Psych ward, with Cathy hearing it all we can follow what the Conclusion was.
K*LL COUNT: 7
CATHY- Su***de
The next day Sam in the middle of the uproar Juno caused by bringing Cassandra's gun that was Hidden, quote "Under Mama's Bed" in the AI's attempt to Undermine Sam.
Sam Prill finally snaps and Defends Herself. She tells us that it was Juno who found her Aunt after her death. They want to take responsibility, but they plead not to Expel Juno.
On the Ride home Sam blames Cassandra for this, but David still doesn't believe his own wife.
At home Juno confronts Cassandra about what she did. But the Robot is not above gaslighting a child. Samira tells Juno she doesn't have to change schools, but Juno has fallen for the manipulation and tells her mother she "Just found" the Gun.
And here it is. The character Assassination of Samira Prill!
She starts to grab and shake Juno to get her to confess about Cassandra. And here is where Samira's Character Drive Changes From "I will prove Cassandra is Evil to save my Family " to "I Will Prove Cassandra is Evil...Because I'm Right!"
This causes all four family members to get in the same Room when Cassandra exacts her final play against Sam- An Over dramatic Fake Termination to the Tune of Johnny Mathis' "When A Child is Born" with The Translated German lyrics that use Subtext, Because Writers are Cowards:
When You say to Yourself/ That it is over/
You Don't Believe/ She is Loyal To You.
Then Turn Around and look in her Face
And you will see/ Tears Do Not Lie
Before the Screens make anguished Muted faces before Shutdown.
So you would think Samira would Follow through with smashing the Calculation Engine that powers Cassandra with the crowbar she picked up, but nope, it's Flashback time to 1964, one whole decade further than usual.
In what was the Schmidt house, A young Peter is copying the movement of an ice-skater on TV. While Horst is too busy with work, he makes a comment that his co-worker has had a Sixth Daughter being born. And how terrible he doesn't have a real Heir. Cassandra says she wouldn't mind a second child. To which Horst retorts maybe it's not so bad "Peter is old enough to be a man, and you nearly have your figure back!"
You know, the more I hear Horst talk, the more I realise Cassandra must have enjoyed every moment breaking His Spine!
We cut to Forced Contentment in a Christmas Family Video, where Horst forces Soccer onto his son, that's when Cassandra reveals when tucking in Peter, she "Found" a unopened present.
OH BOY! I BET THIS DOESN'T LEAD TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WERE PLAYED OUT LAST EPISODE (!)
So Being the Guy that will the Crux of all of Cassandra's Evil acts, he is afraid Peter will "Want a Dress next!"
NINE-TEEN SIX-TIES! CASUAL QU**R-COD-ING!
By the way, this was the 60s when Ice Hockey was starting to become Blood On the Ice. And the Americans and the Soviets where treating it as national pride on the line. So I doubt Horst would survive if he came up to a Hockey player and called them sissies!
That's when...Both Horst and Cassandra...get in the mood after their Arguing with Cassandra saying
"Arguing is Good For Us!"
It's this reciprocal Submission That's carried over to her programming, that would put her at odds with Samira, who is in a modern 2 income household if both weren't so alike now in their Stubborness and misplaced superiority.
A Machine can be arrogant.
A Hero, one who was never a fighter to begin with shouldn't be.
Back In the Present, Samira wants Juno to be on Friendly terms with her class, However Emily, the 6th class Girl Juno wanted to beat for the part in the school play is not an Easy Sell, So David is Convinced that making a play date with the girl is a good idea, provided David does a reading at Emily's mother's Bookshop.
Back in the past, Cassandra is now pregnant once again, Horst is of course hoping for a son, But Cassandra has Doubts when Horst wants to settle this now.
At the Department of Science where he Worked, they are Developing an Ultrasound so exact it will determine the Gender in no time.
Keep In mind, Horst's Field is Robotics, Not Midwifery.
Exposure to the x-ray causes a lot of pain and lot more, Down the line. But it also reveals Horst's baby is a daughter despite pretending not to see any results.
We focus now on Finn and Steve is nowhere to be seen, so he texts him a message.
The playdate is made with Emily going, Contingent of David reading at Kristen's Bookshop. Finn rides to Steve's Farm, where his distraught mother tells his boyfriend Steve is Missing. That's when a man's voice Shouts "if that's him, I still never want to see him again!"
Back at the Smart House, The Six-year-old plays some weird game with a blindfold, a wooden spoon and saucepan. This is a family that does game nights regularly, why didn't they have a game for both girls ages? When Juno takes off the blindfold, she is convinced Cassandra is reactivated.
Finn finds Steve living rough in a garden Shed, with A cut on his lip-A tell-tale sign he came out to his father.
Back at the Smart House, The girls play hide-and-seek which was Emily's idea, she tries to find a place in the kitchen, that's when Cassandra, who has being only pretending to be offline, opens the oven for Emily to hide inside. See, Samira, this is why you count to 20 not 100 when playing hide and seek with children!
Back at the shed, Steve Tells Finn about how he was nearly victim #7, when Cassandra threatened him with a knife and called Finn "Her Son"
TRIGGER WARNING FOR VIOLENCE TOWARDS A CHILD
Spying on Sam in Secret, Cassandra locks the oven and turns it on with Emily Inside, as her Skin Blisters, we cut back to 1963 where A young Peter is frightened by a Storm, Cassandra comforts her son and it's a nice moment-Time to throw it into a Brick wall!
TRIGGER WARNING FOR SCENE OF MISCARRIAGE
Peter Notices his Mother Bleeding as the Schmidt Bundle into their car during the storm, but with the road out, Horst tries deliver his baby at home himself.
Back in 2024, the ambulance workers frees Emily from the oven which was Foreshadowed last year that it Malfunctions. Finn comes home the Only person who believes his mother-Not that it helps her, as Samira is committed to a Mental Institution-And she just won't stop-She wants Juno to call her if anything else happens-only because IT'LL PROVE SHE WAS RIGHT!
Full.
Blown.
Character.
Assassination!
And Episode 4 ends with Samira Put in the Rubber Room at The Funny Farm. Juno tells David she thought she saw The Screens flicker today, but she's unsure. Finn tells David what Steve told him. David is so much of an idiot. Maybe Robot Cassandra barging right in to kitchen to stop Finn leaving and put the house on Lockdown while Proclaiming" Now we can be a family!" Will Convince You!
Episode 5-You Are Not Alone
So David Finally Cops on that, when looking for his phone, that is was Cassandra who started the fire when she does the exact same with her control of the gasoline. Surrendering, David asks what does the Machine want. So Cassandra Tells him how she got this way in a flashback
In 1972, a year after the m**ders of the Soccer players, Cassandra is forced to attend the memorial match. At the game they sit with her Neighbours and Horst's Love-child while hers was a stillborn.
K*LL COUNT: 8-MARGARITE SCHMIDT-Died in Infancy
Cassandra opens her eyes to her Son not Bowing his head over the Deaths his abusers, but he obeys. Years of Hatred has Turned Peter into an Aggressive Player. Cassandra wants to know why he still insists on leaving the team now when it's only going to look suspicious. She Doesn't want see him in a Cell. Which Peter retorts "Yeah, Because Home is So much better!"
Some Time later Peter leaves for a date. When Cassandra Goes upstairs with Food for her and her husband, She Suddenly Collapses! When she calls Birjit's Home, She and Horst are making love. More or less, she let's Her know she always knew about the affair, she just wants Horst home. Cut to a Doctor's Office, where the Doctor confirms she has Cancer. In fact, because of the botched Ultrasound, there isn't a single organ that is untouched.
This Destroys Cassandra. the cancer, The Love-child, her own baby's death, the guilt of the mur**rs, but the last straw is seeing Peter stumble home drunk after lying about being on a date, when all he did was drinking, and the realisation he will grow up without her. She tells Peter the bad news who is more upset about continuing to live with Horst. That is when Cassandra gets an Idea.
She wants Horst to use his Robotic Expertise to help her Cheat Death!
But Horst was told to Discontinue the Project, because it meant Willing Test Subjects which were dying, so it was deemed Immoral!
HASN'T STOPPED YOU BEFORE!
In the dead of night Horst shows the Prototype Robot and she is in, after all, this is all Horst's fault.
2 months later, The Department of Science overhauls the Schmidt home into the Smart House. One of the Researchers, Wilhelm, who Cassandra recognises as the man who Horst ordered to perform the Ultrasound, makes the mistake of being alone with Cassandra. He's spared because unlike everyone else, he apologizes. But Cassandra Forgiveness will cost him a favour.
Cassandra gets drunk and dances with her Prototype. Peter begs his mother do this after she dies to she can die with some dignity. But the process can only be down when the mind is at the threshold between dying and death.
It's the day of the transfer and it's too much for Peter, Cassandra gets her head shaved and prepped into an Electric Chair like device to Euthanize her and Convert her Brainwaves into Computer Data.
K*LL COUNT: 9-HUMAN CASSANDRA-Euthanasia
The Process has worked and Cassandra tries out her new Robotic Body, Wilhelm like a Complete idiot brings out Cassandra's body in a body bag in front of Peter, who wants to see his mother's real face once last time, only to find it burned and Scarred During the process.
And that Bring us back to the Kitchen. David fights back and incapacitates her with a chair for a while as the kids run off, David points his finger at the Robot, which Cassandra promptly cuts off with her gardening shears!
Back in 1973, Horst has become sexually frustrated and while taking a shower he turns to see Cassandra watching him having "Alone Time" Cassandra pines that this is the only way she'll feel any Sastifaction from here on in. But when she puts her cold metal arms on his skin, he is repulsed. He hugs her to comfort her, but Peter cannot get over the fact that thing is not his mother. When Horst thinks he has finally had his bread buttered on both sides in having a housewife that doesn't sleep and a mistress that gave him a second chance to raise a man, Cassandra locks the doors to stop them from escaping.
During Dinner, Horst get A call from Birjit, she has trouble at her home too, but Cassandra cuts the phoneline.
Horst turns off Cassandra at the mains so he can cheat with Birjit by letting her live in the Smart House. He tells Peter that baby Thomas is also his son. We learn the Favour asked of Wilhelm; it was to replace the main killswitch with a Dummy, over time Cassandra learned how to send her Conciousness like a relay to give the illusion of being switched off.
It is the Night of the Car Crash and it all starts with Cassandra Kidnapping the Baby and Bashing Birjit's head with the oven door and magnetism.
In the Present, the Prills including David with Crude first aid on his hand, are forced into their bedrooms for the night. Finn searches for his phone, but Cassandra has taken all phones. David, slow on the uptake as usual, accuses Cassandra of murder, we see the m***er of Horst and Peter play out during their escape.
We learn However it really was an Accident, Peter tried to Get Out of the moving car to go back to Cassandra, but Distracted Horst crashed the car as it smashed into a tree.
We Recap the Opening scene Cassandra finds the wreck and sees Peter die, She is so Angry her programming short Circuits, the only functioning Thing In the Smart House, ironically is the Malfunctioning oven that acts almost like a Heartbeat for the next 50 years, and the last thing we see a mysterious girl with blonde hair covering up most of her face flicking a switch on and off repeatedly.
Episode 6-Merry Christmas
We open with More Bad news in 1965-So, it looks like I will have to Update my K*ll Count to have one less. For you see Margarite Schidmt was Born, But the Radiation deformed her. Seeing her face Makes Horst not want "that thing" to have His mother's name!
Horst However cannot bring himself to K*ll Margarite Only because he sees Sons as Heirs and Daughters as Livestock, Noone will ever Love Margarite....As Much as They will! YEAH, THAT WHAT HE MEANT (!) He wants to Raise Margarite in secret to save face and lie to everyone that she did die during infancy!
K*LL COUNT: 8: (-1): OH BROTHER, THIS GUY STINKS!
So Cassandra is forced to obey her Orge of a husband once again!
Final Title drop and Samira's Driven Home from the Facility Due to Christmas, She returns to a home in disarrary, rotten Food and Distrubingly, no sign of Cassandra or her Family.
She Hears Juno's voice cry for and goes to her room, only to see one of Cassandra's Tricks as she had Used her programming to mimic her family's voices and likeness to cry for help and tell her she is a failure of a mother!
No turns out, That was a nightmare and she is still in the Hospital Even over the Holidays, her Nightmare Prompts her to call David, who tells her he won't be picking her up Any time soon. Samira who has been cured of her character Assassination in the last 2 episodes is now back showing real concern, when Juno cannot be bought to the phone! Cassandra Threatens David with a Hot iron to the face.
The Nurses will not allow Sam have her phone, before she can be written off As safe to leave. At the House, Cassandra takes advantage of Grocery Deliveries being No questions asked to keep "Her Family" Alive.
Finn has a Rebellious Streak due to his captivity, but unlike his Chicken crap of a father, he has a plan to escape, and that is to Precure a Christmas tree for Juno. Given Cassandra's Real Weakness is her Maternal instinct and her hatred of Sami, he allows David one hour to Buy a Tree or Juno won't wake up to see Christmas Day!
Can't Wait to see How he Bodges This up and makes things worse!
Sam Steals Nurse Miriam's Keys to Retrieve her Phone, Meanwhile David Finally passes the Idiot Ball to Cassandra, who generally falls For the Bed Stuffed with Pillows Trope. With Juno trying to call her mother on her Phone-The Phone she doesn't know is Confiscated. Samira finds a confide office to get her Phone. Just as Cassandra goes to find Juno. Samira finds her affects but the phone is dead! Cassandra Finds Juno in the closet, but she hand-waves it off as being a Fort!
David takes back Possession of the Idiot Ball, as he did not go straight to a Police Station or the Hospital, But Obediently went to a buy a tree, here David Bumps into Kersten who gets worried about his Injured Hand and Severed Finger.
Now, you may ask yourself why Kersten Wants to give the Husband of the Woman who Supposedly Nearly Burned her daughter to Death!
......
GOOD QUESTION!
.......
SO ANYWAY!
David Continues to be THAT GUY! In a Horror Story, when he tells Kersten what he is about to tell.
Let's Just say Don't be surprised if the Kill Count goes back up to 9!
In the Hospital Office, Sam Desperately Tries to find a working Phone, or a Battery for her Phone's Make and Model. Instead, of all things- she finds a universal Charger.
The Irony is lost on Cassandra, Years of Forced Happiness at Christmas, and she is doing the same.
Sami's phone gets charged enough to turn on and she is inundated with Missed calls. She calls back Juno's phone which the resourceful girl put on Silent and Vibrate and sings loudly to Distract the Deranged AI from noticing. But them Sami calls back at soon as the music died down.
Concerned, Samira shows her Contraband phone to Nurse Miriam, who gets angry that Samira also admits to stealing her keys. Rather than read the messages, she does nothing! But Samira won't give up on saving her family, She's learned her lesson and so did the Writers!
That can't be said for David, who is not being believed by Kersten. Keep In mind, Smart Houses died out in the 1970s in his world for reasons never given to the public and disasters like this were possibly covered up by the Department of Science, so this story just sounds like the ramblings of a Maniac!
At the Hospital, Samira's heart sinks when Juno calls back, threatened by Cassandra to wish her a Merry Christmas.
The Coward Returns to a House that is under Martial Law. Sequestered in her Room Samira finally snaps and sees the "Ghost " of Her sister. Cathy.
So that's what the Psychiatrist meant in episode 2 when she said, "I'm Glad you Didn't meet her til later", she meant seeing this delusion.
The Ghost apologizes for what she did, but the Samira she knew would never let another woman, Flesh and bone or otherwise harm her family!
At a forced Christmas Dinner, Steve, more Destitute than he was Months ago, is at the door. Threatening Juno, he wants Finn to tell Steve to leave. Thankfully, Steve is Suspicious since he was threatened by Cassandra or "Scary Poppins" as he called her. Finn has to lie that it's David who has the problem with Steve staying the night.
"Yeah It's Always the Fathers who have the Problem, Huh?"
He Gives Finn a Gift before leaving-a Wind up music box, a call back to a Song Finn wrote about His attraction to Tom Holland. He kisses Steve and they promises this will get better. But he closes the door to the outside world indefinitely.
Overnight, Samira Escapes and Nurse Miriam leaves a voicemail to David's Phone in Cassandra's possession, With all the screens plastered with The AI's wide eyed stare, it's now Endgame between Sami and Cassandra.
Cassandra's plan is to make David Kill Sam, With Cassandra telling David while it's not in her programming to K*LL Children, she can be very imaginative on how to HURT Children, look at what she did to Emily! David, However does not have it that lucky, as Davis has his genitals crushed by Cassandra's Vice like grip.
Sam smashes through the Basement window to Calculation machine. So I can agree saving her family first comes before destroying Cassandra. Finn sees Sami in the house on screen, but also David with a sharp Poker to Kill his wife. But Finn and Juno's Voices reaches her, She smashes a family photo over David's head, Travelling through a walk in closet to the kids bedroom, she finds a secret Room while trying to free her Children. A makeshift bedsit for a child covered in discarded Toys and Rats. Cassandra sneaks up to Samira and stabs her in the stomach when she turns around, ad she stumbles in pain, she pulls down a curtain to find the Mummified Remains of an abandoned young girl!
K*LL COUNT: 9-MARGARITE SCHMIDT-Starvation
And then....
AND THEN!
Samira is bleeding out and her first words she says is "I WAS RIGHT!"
Let's focus more on how Horst is such a terrible human being, because he did not want to play happy families with a Deformed Girl, he abandoned her during the night of the car crash. And that is why Steve tried to bail out of the car that night-Not to return to his mother, but to save his sister.
And that is what Samira is pleading, that Cassandra was a good mother, that she did her best, like she has, But She can't replace her kids with someone else's, that she cannot get the love she thinks she'll get by replacing her, she will never be called "Mother" she will be called "Mother's M***erer"
That causes the knife to spring out of Cassandra's hand once more, she turns towards the mummy and sees A girl in it's clothes shaking her head.
So let's Wrap this up!
Samira Hugs her kids when they are freed from their bedrooms. In a piece of Twintext, Samira tells David "Yes it's over" meaning both the ordeal and marriage. But Cassandra isn't going to let the family gather their thoughts, No, She is about to go full Amityville Horror Up in here, As Samira smells gas and all four book it.
K*LL COUNT-10: CASSANDRA-Destroys herself in a House fire.
And the Series end with the "Spirits" of Margarite and Cassandra hug and take their hands to walk from view and fade away.
This Series....Eh....
If the Brainfart of Samira's Character Assassination didn't happen this would be a forgettable series. The only thing setting it apart is that it's non-American Horror and Cassandra's design is unique. This film is not and it's biggest flaw is all the loose ends. I will contest that the writers did not put in the existence of Ghosts in the last minute, but instead argue that Margarite and Cathy are products of Cassandra and Samira's broken psyches. What will happen to the Prills now? The family house is burnt down, but the family are pariahs in the town. Hell, since noone has even heard of a Smart House in this timeline, who is truly going to believe them that they didn't start the fire themselves? Are they going to live with Steve? Go back to Berlin? Get separated once the Hospital apprehends Samira? The lack of a epilogue leaves me empty.
CREDITS
Cassandra was Reviewed Compiled and Edited by Eamonn Bermingham (eamonnisenli.bsky.social)
With Media from Cassandra.
Cassandra was Produced by Rat Pack Productions For Netflix.
All rights reserved and all Media used belong to These owners.
NEXT MONTH AT BOGGER BOX OFFICE...
This year for Halloween, let's do something different! We barely touch Mysteries for this time of year, so let's change that!
Someone is Cooking up something in a kitchen, but it's not dinner, it's death! As we meet for the first time! The Gourmet Detective!
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