Episode nine of Cape Fear, “The Scar”, follows Anna as she travels to North Carolina to find Max’s sister Crystal, while Natalie, Tom and Zack remain caught up in the fallout in Savannah. The reviewer considers the episode a disappointing, slow-paced instalment at a crucial point in the series, arguing that it resolves major mysteries too abruptly rather than sustaining the tension built earlier.

Crystal tells Anna she collected photographs of Max to document his actions and reveals that Amy, who died in the premiere, had been stable before meeting him. In prison, Nevaeh is exposed as Max’s manipulated accomplice, with his plan involving Natalie’s death to inflict similar grief on Anna; she also confirms her involvement in attacks on the Bowden family. The episode additionally reveals a photograph of a scarred boy at Amy’s trailer, while the reviewer criticises Zack’s limited screen time and the use of exposition to explain key plot points.