Jake Lacyenters unsettling territory in an all-newA Friend of the Familyepisode.
In PEOPLE’s exclusive look at this week’s episode, which airs on Peacock Thursday, Lacy’s character Robert Berchtold — a real-life kidnapper and abuser — employs his manipulation tactics on his young neighbor, Jan Broberg (Mckenna Grace), to kidnap her for the second time. He previously kidnapped her two years prior when she was 12 years old.
“You leave a note like I told you to?” asks Berchtold as a shaken-up Broberg responds, “Mmm-hmm.”
Peacock
Noticing the worry in Broberg’s demeanor, Berchtold tries to reassure her that everything will be “alright.” And when that doesn’t work, Berchtold suggests Broberg take a special pill “just for the jitters.” (He had previously given her pills to make her fall asleep.)
“After I drop you at the airport, you do exactly like I told you to. Okay?” he continues. “My friends are going to meet you to pick you up when you land.”
After telling the teenager that she looked “beautiful,” Berchtold made a promise to Broberg: “I’m going to try to come out as soon as I can, so we can spend a little time together before school starts.”
From there, Berchtold tells Broberg to “close your eyes” and “get some rest,” explaining how they have a “long trip” ahead of them.
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New episodes ofA Friend of the Familyarrive Thursdays on Peacock.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
