‘Alaska Daily’ Episode 7 Recap: Who Dies in ‘Enemy of the People’?
The last time we saw Eileen Fitzgerald in ABC‘s Alaska Daily, she was in a bit of a sticky situation. After weeks of receiving threats from someone called the “Concerned Citizen,” Eileen finally met her stalker. He confronted her at the Daily Alaskan with a gun, and after a three-month-long break, fans finally learned what happened next in Alaska Daily Episode 7, “Enemy of the People.”
[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Alaska Daily Episode 7, “Enemy of the People.”]
The Concerned Citizen holds Eileen hostage in ‘Alaska Daily’ Episode 7
Alaska Daily Episode 7 begins by giving viewers a little insight into the Concerned Citizen and his motives for targeting Eileen. He’s sitting in his car outside of the Daily Alaskan, listening to a talk show where some man rambles on about how the media is quick to label someone “fascist, racist, or homophobic” if they disagree with them. Once he notes that everyone has left the building except Eileen, he grabs his gun and goes inside.
The Concerned Citizen locks the door and confronts Eileen. He points the gun at the journalist, demands she gives him her phone, and walks her to the bullpen. While Eileen tries to pull information from the Concerned Citizen, Gabriel Tovar watches from the archives room. Ruh-roh.
Gabriel texts Stanley Cornik and fills his boss in on the situation. And Stanley informs everyone at the bar — Bob Young, Roz Friendly, Claire Muncy, Yuna Park, and Austin Teague. Although they’re worried contacting the police might set the Concerned Citizen off, they call them anyway. After reaching (non-ally) Captain Freeman, the reporters stay in the bar and try to find more information about the gunman.
Back at the Daily Alaskan, the Concerned Citizen wants Eileen to write a confession about how she “spreads lies, suppresses the truth, and faithfully serves her corporate masters as they destroy the backbone of the country.” From that line, Eileen realizes he reads the Eagle and Dennis Gibson. The Concerned Citizen then admits he disagrees with her “liberal crap,” even though Eileen points out that she doesn’t even vote.
In the bar, the group discovers a user named OilMan223 who comments on the Daily Alaskan‘s post and the Eagle‘s is likely the Concerned Citizen in Alaska Daily Episode 7.
The Concerned Citizen’s identity is revealed
Gabriel starts to (understandably) get more nervous, so he calls Stanley in Alaska Daily Episode 7. They brainstorm a way to send Eileen a message, and Gabriel realizes he can communicate with her via the analytics page on a nearby screen. He writes, “Colombian Staffer Locked in Morgue. Can you see him?” And she does.
Yuna links OilMan223’s Twitter account to a website owned by Eric Berry. Stanley sends a picture of Eric to Gabriel, and he confirms that this is the Concerned Citizen. They inform the police, and Aaron Pritchard arrives at the bar to help. Meanwhile, the police surround the Daily Alaskan.
Eileen finishes her “confession,” even though she doesn’t believe a word of it. When Eric demands she publishes it online, Eileen starts making up excuses. And when the phone starts ringing, Eric’s frustration reaches an all-time high, so he shoots the landline.
After the unnecessary overreaction, Eileen convinces Eric to let her go to the bathroom. While there, she clocks that Eric worked on oil rigs from his shoes, so she tries to relate to him by mentioning that her father was a steelworker. Eric seems to soften up a little, and back in the bullpen, Eileen says he can use her to tell his story. And they get to work.
While explaining his life story, Eric seemingly blames his problems on “environmental freaks” and their protests. He admits he hasn’t worked for seven years as a result. And perhaps Eileen starts to feel sympathy for her hostage-taker.
Back at the bar, Claire discovers that the bank recently foreclosed Eric’s house. Austin and a detective head over to find more information about the gunman.
The police inform the reporters that they can shoot and kill Eric, but Eileen has to move out of the way. So Gabriel sends her a message — “Former Vanguard employee in line of fire. Drop to the ground to terminate problem.” However, Eileen refuses in Alaska Daily Episode 7. She doesn’t want to see Eric killed right in front of her, and we can’t say we blame her.
The hostage situation comes to a tragic end in ‘Alaska Daily’ Episode 7
The next morning, more than 10 hours after the hostage situation began, Roz confronts Dennis Gibson about OilMan223 in Alaska Daily Episode 7. She reads him one of the messages that Dennis sent Eric — “Take action, OilMan223. Reporters like Eileen Fitzgerald are a spreading cancer sore that requires excising.” So, Dennis agrees to help.
Austin and the detective find a goodbye letter to Daisy, Eric’s college-aged daughter, at his house. Her social media reveals that she’s in rehab, so Bob and Yuna pay her a visit. They inform Daisy of the situation and try to convince her to call her dad.
Eric clocks Eileen staring at the analytics page, so he shoots it and demands that she tells him where the messages are coming from. Flustered, Gabriel knocks over some boxes, and Eric grabs him. The gunman barricades them in Eileen’s office, out of sight of the snipers.
Dennis calls Eric, but Eric sees right through him and hangs up. Believing he has no other way out, Eric makes Eileen promise to tell his story, and once she does, he leaves the office, holds the gun up to Eileen, and a sniper shoots him in the head. As Eric’s dead body lays on the floor, Eileen and Gabriel note that the gun wasn’t loaded, and a call from Daisy comes on his phone. And just like that, it’s all over.
Later, Eileen writes the story and sheds light on the attack on journalists. And afterward, she and Jamie, the pilot poet, take a much-needed flight over the beautiful Alaskan waters.
New episodes of Alaska Daily air Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. Fans will be able to stream Alaska Daily Episode 7 on Hulu starting March 2.
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