Episode 9 opens immediately after the events of the previous episode. Cooper, Jordan, Antonio, and Jeremy are marched down a hallway by masked gunmen and ushered into what appears to be a conference room. Once the hoods are pulled from their heads, they come face-to-face with Dr. Diana Starling, previously introduced in the prior episode. She reveals that she orchestrated their prison break (with the help of Franny) and brought them here because they share a common enemy: Byron Forst. After Byron prioritized The Beauty, he shut down her division, which had been developing humanoids—a project development dedicated to merging organics and robotics. The masked gunmen surrounding them, she explains, are actually these humanoids, known as Deacons. She also informs them that Byron intends to market The Beauty as a pharmaceutical product—and that its official launch is just 48 hours away. Diana offers them a deal: she will work to secure treatments that can extend their lives and delay their eventual combustion—but only if they agree to one condition: assassinate Byron. As they debate their next move, Cooper decides he should take a dose of The Beauty, reasoning that once transformed, he’ll be the only one out of the four that Byron won’t recognize. In that form, he’ll be able to bypass the advanced facial recognition security systems that Byron has employed. But just as Diana prepares to inject him, Cooper pulls his arm away. He chooses a different method to contract the virus. 

The episode then shifts to Cooper and Jordan on a dinner date at a fancy restaurant. She reassures him that she’ll always love him, no matter how he looks. Afterward, they head back to their hotel room. Following a brief moment of hesitation, they finally have sex. 

Later that night, Cooper’s transformation sets in, his body violently twisting and contorting. Jordan wakes up and does everything she can to help him, but it quickly becomes clear that what he’s enduring is far worse than what she went through. His transformation is more intense—more agonizing. Panicked, she phones Antonio and Jeremy for help. When they arrive, she tells them he’s been like this for hours. As they attempt to restrain him, Cooper turns on them, lashing out uncontrollably. They end up locking Cooper inside the bathroom, where he finds his fingernails peeling off and his teeth falling out of his mouth. He collapses onto the floor, where his ribcage suddenly bursts open out of his chest. 

The episode comes to an end as Jordan, Antonio, and Jeremy wait it out until the morning. When they hear a clattering noise from the bathroom, they rush in. In the center of the bathroom is the sac. It slowly splits open, revealing the newly transformed Cooper—now a young child. The three of them stare in shock. 

Episode 9 of The Beauty stands out as the series’s most gripping and intense episode so far. Despite being one of the shortest episodes, it packs in a remarkable amount of story while keeping the audience constantly on edge. Dr. Diana Starling becomes a significant force as the series heads toward its finale. And although her introduction arrives relatively late, given her importance, her appearance in the previous episode effectively establishes her motive to take Byron down. The stakes also surge instantly when Cooper agrees to contract The Beauty. He has managed to avoid infection for most of the series, but under the circumstances, becoming infected becomes the only viable path to reaching Byron. It’s a sharp, strategic turn in the series. Evan Peters delivers a terrific performance. He takes on a demanding, extended transformation sequence that reminds the audience just how agonizing and brutal the process truly is. After Byron’s betrayal, the episode also solidifies the alliance between Cooper, Jordan, Antonio, and Jeremy. Though the transition occurs somewhat abruptly, it sets up an exciting next episode, with the group preparing to confront Byron just as The Beauty is about to launch—and with Cooper now transformed into a child. 

Rating: 8/10