What’s with the cat and the fox in the disclaimer? Real meaning and theories explained

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Disclaimer episodes 3 and 4.

Two distinct animals may be thematically linked to the plot of Apple’s new mystery-thriller series Disclaimer. Cate Blanchett leads a talented cast of Disclaimer as Catherine Ravenscroft, an acclaimed and hard-working television documentary journalist from London, England. Catherine’s world unravels when a mysterious novel titled The perfect stranger arrives at your doorbringing back memories of one of his deepest, darkest secrets. Disclaimer also stars Sacha Baron Cohen as Robert, Catherine’s husband, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nicholas, Robert and Catherine’s son, and Kevin Kline as Stephen Brigstocke, a local Londoner who lost his wife and son.

Disclaimer is based on the 2015 book of the same name written by Renée Knight. The Apple series marks Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón’s first return to television since 2014 To believe. Cuarón won two Oscars for Best Director, one for 2013 Gravity starring Sandra Bullock and another for her 2018 film Black and White Gypsy. Disclaimer scored an impressive Rotten Tomatoes critical score of 78%, marking a satisfactory recovery for the two-time Oscar-winning actress after the huge commercial and critical disappointment of Borders. Disclaimer consists of seven parts with the final episode releasing on November 15.

The cat in the disclaimer apparently represents Catherine’s guilt and loss of control

In several scenes of DisclaimerCatherine’s pet cat is visibly around her in such a way that it may be intentional and allude to the themes of her story and character. The cat follows her practically everywhere in the house, which is a clear sign, on a basic level, that they are quite bonded and that Catherine probably spends a lot of time at home around the cat. When she puts the cat down, she can’t escape it as it hovers and fights for her attention.sometimes even defiantly disobeying Catherine’s demands and instructions.

The cat is also gray, which could represent the gray area on Catherine’s side of her story with Jonathan and be an interesting manifestation of her ambiguous feelings. After four episodes of Disclaimerthe public has I still haven’t heard Catherine’s perspective on the events that happened with Jonathan in Italyhaving only seen her horrified reactions upon being exposed to her case some twenty years later. The cat could also just be an additional filmmaking tool to make Catherine’s home life more believable. However, the frequency with which the cat appears throughout the series is enough to raise questions about its other potential meanings.

Could the cat be even more important in the disclaimer?

Catherine is more attached to her cat than her son

There is so much indirect focus on the cat in Disclaimerwhich begs the question of whether he could end up being more directly involved in the plot in the future. Significant or not, the cat could play a notable role in Catherine’s inadequacy. Otherwise it would have just been added because of the atmosphere of Catherine and Robert’s house. If that were the case, why would the cat need to be in so many scenes? While it may seem like overkill at this point in the series, the cat could be a clever method to further reveal Catherine’s side of the story and perhaps points to his innocence or guilt in Jonathan’s death.

If Catherine’s cat does not belong to the plot of Disclaimerso at least there are clear connections between the cat’s characteristics and Catherine’s behaviors. The cat is often playful and mischievous, jumping on tables where it shouldn’t be while appearing completely sweet and innocent. Like Catherine, the cat expresses a boldness that suggests confidence in getting away with it. that you know you shouldn’t be doing. Catherine also naturally feels more comfortable at home, where she can be herself, something only the cat sees. Furthermore, Catherine is more affectionate and attached to her cat than to her son, Nicholas.

The fox could be a clue that what happened in The Perfect Stranger isn’t real

The fox may suggest the cheating done by Nancy and Stephan against Catherine

On the other side of the plot, a fox often appears in the yard in front of the Brigstocke house. While again it could have been implemented to add authenticity to the film set, or even one of those strange occurrences during production that somehow makes it into the final version, there are several common meanings for foxes in literature and stories that could be applied.

Foxes are cunning and can play tricks, which may suggest that Nancy’s book version of events between Jonathan and Catherine is just that, a trick designed to ruin Catherine’s life. The fox may also reflect Stephen’s trickery with Jonathan and Robert while he discreetly plants The perfect stranger in your possession. Stephen’s goal is to ruin Catherine’s life through Nancy’s romance in Disclaimer but he may end up on the side of revenge rather than justice by the end of the series.