Down Cemetery Road Season 1 Episode 2 Recap: Who really killed Joe?

Down Cemetery Road premiered on October 29, 2025, captivating viewers with its thrilling start. The series, based on the 2003 novel by Mick Herron, launched its first two episodes to critical acclaim. This fast-paced crime drama follows art conservationist Sarah Trafford, who becomes involved in a conspiracy after a bomb destroys her neighbor's house. Episode 2 follows Sarah's desperate search for the explosion's cause and Joe's suspicious death.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Down Cemetery Road Season 1 Episode 2. Readers’ discretion is advised.

Sarah suspects foul play after Joe's death in Down Cemetery Road season 1 episode 2. The episode intensifies as Zoe, Joe's widow, seeks justice. In the end, Joe's death is revealed, raising questions about the conspiracy's leader. Sarah's friend and neighbor, Axel, who Hamza talked about on the phone, blew up Dinah's house and killed Joe.

Down Cemetery Road season 1 episode 2 reveals The Truth Behind Joe's Death

Zoe finds out the truth about Joe’s death

Zoe is devastated when she learns her husband, Joe, died on Down Cemetery Road Season 1 Episode 2. The news shakes her emotionally, but she soon becomes investigative, suspecting something is wrong with Joe's death.

Zoe goes to the police to learn about Joe's death. She discusses the death with officers, including Officer Plod. Zoe doesn't have so much information with her, but one crucial piece of evidence is that Joe's knife was in his left hand.

Joe was right-handed, and this discrepancy makes her believe that Joe’s death was not a suicide, as it was initially reported. Zoe realizes that someone may have staged a suicide, but the knife suggests otherwise. Since Joe's left hand held the knife, Zoe has a new theory about what happened to her husband. This clue motivates her to investigate Joe's death.

With this new information, Zoe begins to solve the mystery and believes Joe was murdered. She starts questioning everyone and investigating Joe's death, which raises her suspicions.

Sarah Struggles with Grief While Mark Dismisses Her Feelings

While Sarah grieves Joe, her husband Mark compounds her mental strain. Sarah hires a private investigator to investigate the explosion and Dinah's disappearance, but Mark chastises her. Sarah seeks comfort elsewhere due to this coldness. Oxford Investigations' Amos warns her to stop investigating the mystery after a tense encounter.

Sarah grows suspicious as conspiracy members threaten her. She learns disturbing details about Dinah's kidnapping and links the explosion, Joe's death, and a dangerous conspiracy.

Zoe Investigates the Explosion’s True Cause

Zoe learns more concerning the explosion in Sarah's neighborhood as she investigates. She learns from local Lenny that people used gas cylinders to cook after the council cut off natural gas. However, the official story is that a gas leak caused the explosion.

Zoe discovers that the explosion may have been part of a plan to hide Dinah's abduction. Hamza, a key character, works behind the scenes to prevent injuries. But time is running out and things are getting more important for his team.

Rufus' truth surfaces with the progression of the storyline

One of the most shocking things that happens in the second episode of Down Cemetery Road's first season is that Sarah's neighbor Rufus is not who he seems to be. It turns out that Rufus, who was helping Sarah with her investigation, is really Axel, an Amos-hired hit man. It was his fault that the bomb went off and killed Maddie and almost killed Dinah.

As things get worse, Rufus (Axel) tries to kill Sarah in her own home. Sarah fights back in a tense and violent exchange, buying the mysterious gray van man just enough time to step in and stop the fight. It turns out that the man in the gray van is Downey. He seems to be on Sarah and Zoe's side, but it's still not clear what his real goals are.

Sarah’s struggle for survival: Will she survive?

The episode ends with Axel trying to choke Sarah with a garrote. The man in the gray van bursts into the house and fires a shot as Sarah fights hard and appears to die. The episode's cliffhanger leaves viewers wondering if Axel is dead or if Downey shot him to warn him.

Axel may survive and reveal the plot, even though he appears to be dead. What do Sarah and Zoe lose when Axel dies? Their best clue about the plotters is gone. The mystery worsens, and by the episode's end, there were more questions than answers.

Together, Sarah and Zoe are determined to find out what is going on and form an alliance as they share information. They start to work together more closely because Sarah's suspicions and Zoe's ability to look into things work well together. As a group, they are driven to find the truth about Joe's death, no matter what it costs them personally.

Down Cemetery Road season 1 episodes are available to stream on Apple TV+.