Nine Perfect Strangers Recap: Masha Confides in David About Her Daughter’s Killer
The enigma surrounding David and Masha’s brief encounter — along with the mystery of their daughter’s death — was unveiled in the latest episode of Nine Perfect Strangers.
Warning: Spoilers ahead from season 2, episode 5 of Nine Perfect Strangers.
In the episode that aired on Wednesday, June 11, Masha (Nicole Kidman) uses her experimental psychedelic tool to take David (Mark Strong) back to their first meeting in Prague in 2001.
As David’s experience unfolds, viewers discover that they first crossed paths when he was covering a story for a local news station where Masha (then named Mila) was employed. After she criticizes him for prioritizing profit in his work, David becomes intrigued and asks her out.
Masha agrees to meet David, but chooses to take him to a dive bar where they indulge in shots to disorient him. The night eventually leads them back to his hotel, where they share a one-night stand that David admits has lingered in his thoughts.
Astonished by the power of the drug, David consents to accompany Masha to a second location, where he learns he is the father of her deceased daughter, Tatiana (Emílie Páclová). While still under the drug’s influence, David expresses a desire to meet Tatiana, prompting Masha to reveal the circumstances of her daughter’s tragic death.
Masha notes that she sought out David when he returned to Prague years later, but he seemed oblivious to her presence. David argues that he never encountered her, but Masha explains how being dismissed pushed her into a dark path, compelling her to investigate who David was with that day — a Russian military contractor involved in arms manufacturing — in hopes of exposing him and remaining close to David.
As the psychedelic experience continues, Masha shows David that she successfully identified the Russian man and his illicit activities, which placed her in danger. After being followed by this shady figure, Masha and Tatiana fled, and despite reaching out to David for assistance, she ultimately faced her struggles alone.
David claims he never received Masha’s letters or threats and tells her he cut ties with the man she was investigating upon discovering his wrongdoings. However, for Masha, it was too late, as the corrupt Russian eventually caught up to her and was responsible for the collision that took Tatiana’s life as a child.
“I’m so sorry,” David tells Masha, as he experiences her pain through the drug-fueled journey. “I failed her, not you,” he insists, which unexpectedly leads Masha to forgive him.
After David comes out of the trip without any lasting side effects, he and Masha share another intimate moment. However, their night of connection — along with their journey into the past — goes unnoticed by Martin (Lucas Englander), who is eavesdropping through a hidden device in the room, and he seems displeased with Masha’s methods.
Meanwhile, Masha appears to be achieving her objectives — David is now aware of the truth, her daughter’s story has been unveiled, and David expresses interest in investing in the Austrian retreat, which is currently facing financial difficulties.
Nine Perfect Strangers airs on Hulu every Wednesday.
