What Alan Really Did To Terry & Why He Helped The Castevets In Apartment 7A

Warning! This post contains spoilers for Apartment 7A.

Alan is among the most mysterious figures in Apartment 7A, which leaves several questions surrounding his motives and why he helped the Castevets. Serving as a prequel to Rosemary’s Baby, Apartment 7A resolves many underlying mysteries that its parent film left behind. For instance, by centering its narrative on Terry Gionoffrio, a minor character from the 1968 film, the movie finally reveals the truth about her fate and how it connects to Rosemary’s story.

Apart from focusing on Terry, Apartment 7A also marks the return of several familiar characters from the original film, including Minnie, Castevet, Roman Castevet, Guy Woodhouse, and Rosemary Woodhouse, among others. It also unravels the truth behind what happened to Lily Gardenia, the tenant who lived in the same home as Rosemary and her husband before they moved in. However, despite answering many lingering questions, Apartment 7A creates some of its own mysteries by maintaining an air of ambiguity surrounding its original characters.

Alan Drugged Terry & Helped The Satanist Cult Assault & Impregnate Her In Apartment 7A

Alan Was Involved With The Cult From The Beginning

Terry first meets Alan in Apartment 7A‘s opening arc, where he intervenes in one of her auditions and tests how far she would be willing to go to become an accomplished dancer. Later, when the Castevets offer Terry a place to stay in the Bramford building and help her by arranging a meeting with Alan Marchand, Terry cannot help but feel grateful and fortunate. However, the movie soon reveals that Alan Marchand, too, is a resident of the building. When Terry meets him, he initiates the cult’s satanic ritual by drugging her.

The cult then proceeds with its ritual of summoning the Devil, who assaults and impregnates Terry. Terry later suspects she was assaulted, but Alan keeps her under his control by offering her exactly what she wants: a prominent place in his dance troupe. Alan and the Castevets even convince her to keep the child by promising her they will help her achieve her dream of stardom and success. Blinded by the prospect of a glamorous life, Terry falls for Alan Marchand and the Castevets’ traps.

Alan Joined The Cult To Help His Career As A Director

Alan Was Also Lured Into The Cult

Although Apartment 7A does not delve into Alan’s past, it seems obvious how he ended up joining the cult. Like Guy was lured into the cult in Rosemary’s Baby with promises of fame and success as an actor, Alan was also likely told that his path to becoming an accomplished director would be paved by sacrifices and unwavering loyalty to the cult. Therefore, like the cult’s other members, Alan figuratively sold his soul to the devil and became a willing participant in their dark rituals.

Owing to this, it is hard not to believe that Alan had already set his eyes on Terry the day he met her during the audition. He intentionally drew her towards the Bramford building, knowing Minnie Castevet would handle the rest by deceiving her with her kind demeanor. With his calculated charm, he helped the cult execute the first step of their plan by bringing them a new target. Terry’s fate was already sealed as soon as she entered the Bramford building after following Alan Marchand and accepting the Castevets’ kindness.

Why Terry Kills Alan In Apartment 7A

Terry Realizes What He Did To Her

In Apartment 7A‘s second half, Terry understands what Alan and the cult did to her and starts to piece together the horrifying truth behind her circumstances. As a result, when she later encounters Alan in the location where her assault was orchestrated, she kills him out of a surge of rage. From a narrative standpoint, Apartment 7A also seems to intentionally set Alan Marchand’s death in its storyline because he is an original character who does not appear in Rosemary’s Baby‘s story. By killing him off, Apartment 7A explains why he is not a part of the parent film’s roster.