In the fifth episode of Anthracite, "A Darker Shadow," the series takes a
dramatic turn as secrets are unearthed and the line between past and present
blurs. The episode begins with a shocking revelation as Ida breaks down a door,
leading to Caleb's frantic escape. A flashback delves into Faure's younger days,
when she innocently managed the storage room and stumbled upon tapes containing
Caleb's footage, ultimately transforming her into a believer. Her journey takes
a dark turn as she becomes a nurse to get closer to Caleb, only to be rejected
by him.
In the present, Faure's true colors are revealed as she liberates Eddy from the hospital, assigning him the dangerous task of taking down Jaro. Meanwhile, Gio returns home to find Erwan plotting to confine her in an asylum, prompting her to move in with Romeo.
The tension escalates as Ida, disgusted by her connection to Jaro, flees the scene, leaving him bewildered. Jaro confronts Solal, who confesses that he never returned to investigate the case. Instead, he came to test Caleb for a potential bone marrow match for Ida, but Caleb was a negative match. Solal's frustration led him to seek permission from Marie to approach Jaro, but she sent him away angrily.
At home, Marie discovers a recording in Juliette's room, and a conversation between Juliette and Roxane leaves her stunned. Tragedy strikes when Jaro finds Marie lifeless, with anthracite smeared across her face. Claude, filled with grief and anger, blames Jaro and orders him to leave.
The turmoil continues at the police station, where Erwan taunts Jaro, pushing him to the brink of violence. Jaro's rage leads him to throw Erwan out of the station.
Ida's world spirals into chaos as she speeds off in her car, only to be overcome by hallucinations that result in a devastating crash. She awakens in darkness and finds herself on a bridge, and as she is about to jump off, Caleb appears. In a desperate attempt to save her, he pushes her off the bridge. As they hang over the edge, Caleb's words bring Ida back to her senses, and she climbs back to safety. Caleb tells her that she is the only one who can save Jaro now.
The episode takes a dark dive into Faure's past, revealing a harrowing scene where she brutally rapes Caleb, leading to the birth of twins in 1997. Romeo, deeply unsettled by the revelations, visits his mother and finds her with the same protesters who had beaten him for being gay. Urgency drives him to Hari's home, eager to accept his offer to flee the town. However, Hari's moody and distant behavior leaves Romeo perplexed.
The truth about Hari's mother, Nurse Faure, is unveiled as she invites Romeo to dinner, only to reveal her venomous side. She insults Romeo, claiming that Hari is too good for him and urges him to leave. Romeo's suspicions are ignited when he notices that the cigarette Faure smokes matches the stub found in the storage room.
As the episode progresses, Gio's son, Titouan, leads his friends to the mines, where they stumble upon a bracelet inscribed with Malia's name. Jaro, homeless and desperate, seeks refuge at Romeo's house, where he encounters Gio. Together, they realize that all the missing persons, including Emma, vanished near a mine entrance. Jaro's heart breaks as he suspects that the attacker deliberately killed Marie after abducting the others. Gio offers comfort, and their kiss deepens into a tender moment before Erwan interrupts with news about Malia's bracelet.
The episode culminates in a shocking climax as Jaro and Gio, refusing to wait for cave rescue teams, plunge into a cave filled with the lifeless bodies of the missing individuals. The masked man attacks Gio, but Erwan arrives just in time, forcing the killer to flee. Erwan carries the injured Gio to safety and promises to send reinforcements for Jaro. Meanwhile, Caleb coerces Ida into entering the mines to assist Jaro.
At the Faures' residence, Romeo discovers the notebook, and a flashback reveals its contents. Hari writes that he is a child of the light, while his twin sister confesses that she is a child of the darkness. For every life Hari saves, she must sacrifice another. When they reach adulthood, Faure brutally forces the girl to reside in the mines forever. The episode ends with a tragic twist: Hari shoots Romeo, and Faure orders him to dispose of the body, leaving the viewer on a cliffhanger of suspense and tragedy.