White Lies season 1 episode 3 ending explained: Was Daniel saved from the gang who kidnapped him?

White Lies season 1 episode 3 dropped on Thursday, December 12, 2024, for US and Canadian audiences via Sundance Now and AMC+. The latest episode was the start of the weekly episode release of the South African series after its back-to-back premiere last week.

So far, the series has given endless twists and turns that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. First, the show quickly introduced the McKenzie patriarch's murder, which kickstarted the show's murder mystery. As Edie Hansen and the police investigated the murder, there was another shocking twist just before episode 2 ended, Daniel was abducted by a group of young men.

In White Lies season 1 episode 3, Forty Bell found Daniel held captive by the Live Young Crew. In the end, Daniel was saved, but not only by Forty but Edie and Peri Zondo also came to the rescue, and it was the latter who saved the day for everyone involved.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for White Lies season 1 episode 3. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Daniel is found and saved in White Lies season 1 episode 3

After going missing, Daniel was found in White Lies season 1 episode 3. The latest episode kicked off with Edie trying to look for her nephew, Daniel, who had been kidnapped. Back in White Lies season 1 episode 2, a group of men snatched Daniel while he was outdoors, waiting for someone. They brought him to a van before leaving the scene.

Daniel was found in White Lies episode 3 (Image via Sundance Now)

In episode 3, he was seen being tortured by several men on the beachside, talking about the money Daniel supposedly owed them. The latest episode confirmed that the people who abducted him were from the gang called the Live Young Crew.

A man also called Daniel alerted Forty Bell about a white boy being held captive by the gang, but he didn't pay it any mind at first. However, when he knew that Daniel had gone missing, he deduced that the white boy could be Daniel.

Forty Bell went looking for him, and he later found Daniel being held captive in Magiet's house. He found Daniel bloody, gagged, and tied to a chair, and just as he was about to free the boy, Magiet arrived with a gun. He wanted to kill Forty, but the detective begged for his life, making the gang member laugh. Forty peed his pants in terror, and that was when Edie arrived.

However, Edie wasn't alone. Magiet's mother had her shotgun aimed toward Edie, and it was between Forty and Edie versus Magiet and his mother. They fought against each other until Constable Peri Zondo arrived and shot Magiet, leaving the gang member bloody on the floor. He saved the day, and because of that, Daniel, although bloody, was safely home by the end of White Lies season 1 episode 3.

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White Lies season 1 episode 3 sees two people dead

Edie identifies a dead body (Image via Sundance Now)

Two people died in White Lies season 1 episode 3, and that's a total of three dead people in the series so far. Back in the 2-episode premiere of White Lies, Andrew McKenzie was murdered. In episode 3, a man was found dead on the beachside, and the other one supposedly drowned.

The first death was an unknown man, a spectator, who saw the gang members trying to torture Daniel at the beach during the night. His dead body, which was bloodied and bruised, was found by the police at the beach the next day.

The second dead body in White Lies season 1 episode 3 was of Banjo, the homeless man Edie previously met and the one who told her about seeing a "white boy" the day of Andrew's murder. Edie received a phone call about a dead body that was supposedly drowned. She was asked to identify the body because her calling card was found in the person's possession.

When she arrived at the morgue, she thought it was Daniel, but when she looked at the face, she found that the dead person was Banjo.

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Edie Hansen gets arrested in White Lies season 1 episode 3

Edie at the police station (Image via Sundance Now)

Edie Hansen and Detective Forty Bell haven't been on the same page when it comes to her brother's murder investigation. In White Lies season 1 episode 3, Forty Bell had Edie arrested and held at the police station for "conspiring to defeat the ends of justice." He found out at the morgue that Daniel was missing and that Edie had been purposely keeping it from him.

The detective was angry, and he told Peri Zondo to take Edie to the police station. He accused her of distracting the investigation. And while a call from the lawyer revealed that Daniel had been abducted and that the kidnappers were asking for 50 thousand grand, Forty still wanted to book Edie.

However, Edie didn't stay long at the police station. She escaped there to try and find Daniel, and that was when she found Daniel and Forty at Magiet's house.

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Daniel opens up to Edie in White Lies season 1 episode 3, but he still has other secrets

Daniel opens up about his addiction (Image via Sundance Now)

White Lies season 1 episode 3 saw Daniel open up to Edie after she came to his rescue, but Edie learned something about her nephew just before the episode ended.

While Daniel had been wary of Edie before as he didn't really know her before his father died, everything appeared to change in episode 3. After Edie came to Daniel's rescue, he thanked her on the way home. He also opened up about the kidnapping, saying that he owed those people money.

When Edie asked him if the money was because he bought c*caine from them, Daniel said yes. He also revealed that he had been using it for at least a year or two.

The caring aunt said that she would help him if he wanted. However, just before the episode ended, Edie decided to follow Daniel when she saw him leave on his bike. She found him at a s*x party where dr*gs were clearly involved.

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Catch White Lies season 1 episode 3, now streaming on Sundance Now and AMC+. The previous two episodes of the murder mystery thriller can also be watched on those two platforms with a subscription.