Palm Springs

On November 9th, the Palm Springs desert was jolted by an earthquake, which seemed to mirror the turmoil brewing beneath the surface of Nyles (Andy Samberg) as he stirred from a restless slumber in his hotel room. His girlfriend Misty (Meredith Hagner) lay beside him, their presence in town a prelude to the union of her best friend Tala (Camilla Mendes) and Abe (Tyler Hoechlin). However, their intimate encounter was marred by awkwardness, culminating in Misty's hasty departure before its completion. Nyles' emotional desolation was palpable as he implored Misty to end his life, a sentiment that seemed to reflect the numbness afflicting him.

As the wedding day unfolded, Nyles donned a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, reappearing poolside where he engaged Jerry (Tongayi Chrisa), one of the groomsmen. Later, at the ceremony itself, Misty delivered her speech before Sarah (Cristin Millioti), Tala's sister, was prompted to take the stage by Howard (Peter Gallagher), the father of the bride. However, Sarah's uncertainty and lack of preparation led Nyles to seize the opportunity, delivering a flawless wedding speech that earned him applause.

Randy (Conner O'Malley), an unsettling presence, attempted to dance with Sarah, who politely declined. Nyles, sensing an opening, drew near, initiating a conversation with Sarah as they commiserated over their respective feelings of inadequacy. As the night wore on, Nyles and Sarah found themselves drawn to each other, their mutual attraction culminating in a passionate embrace in the desert.

Their tender moment was abruptly disrupted by the appearance of Roy (JK Simmons), who shot an arrow into Nyles' arm before pursuing him across the desert landscape. Despite his injuries, Nyles managed to flee, with Sarah hot on his heels. As they approached a radiant cave, Nyles issued a frantic warning for Sarah not to follow him, only to be drawn back by her determination. In a desperate bid to escape Roy's relentless pursuit, Nyles stumbled into the glowing light, leaving Sarah stunned and helpless behind.

As Nyles (played by) lay idly by the pool, the monotony of his existence was shattered by Sarah's frantic intervention. But this wasn't the first time they'd shared a day together - in fact, it was just another iteration in an endless cycle of repetition. The memory of their initial encounter flooded back: Sarah had followed Nyles into the mystical cave and awakened to find herself reliving the same day over and over, trapped in a temporal vortex.

As the day wore on, chaos erupted when Tala (played by) stumbled out of her room, only to face-plant onto the pavement with a sickening crunch. The wedding party rushed to assist the distraught woman as she wailed in anguish. Amidst the commotion, Sarah sought Nyles for answers, demanding to be taken to the very cave that held the secrets of their plight.

But the entrance was nowhere to be found - until an earthquake struck, revealing the hidden passageway and setting off a chain reaction of events. As they entered the ancient structure, Sarah found herself reliving the same day once more, her desperation growing with each iteration. Her frustration boiled over as she sped back to Austin, only to find herself stuck in another loop.

In the midst of this temporal Groundhog Day, Nyles revealed his own tale of resignation and despair. He'd given up on trying to escape the cycle, convinced that nothing mattered in a world where time was trapped in an infinite feedback loop. His words hung like a dark cloud over Sarah as she contemplated her own mortality - until she made a reckless decision, driving headlong into an oncoming truck.

As they awoke once more, Nyles and Sarah found themselves at the local watering hole, where Darla (played by Dale Dickey) held court behind the bar. The dartboard became a focal point for Nyles's mindless games, a morbid exercise in futility that reminded Sarah of the deadly arrows that had claimed Roy's life.

Nyles's tale unfolded like a macabre tapestry: Roy, a guest at the wedding from Irvine, had been befriended by Nyles and introduced to the cave. In a reckless moment, Roy ventured into the ancient site, heedless of the consequences - a decision that would ultimately prove fatal. As Nyles relived this tragic event for what felt like the hundredth time, his existential despair deepened, trapped in an endless cycle with no escape from the crushing weight of his own mortality.

As retribution for his past transgressions, Roy periodically emerges from Irvine to exact a gruesome revenge on Nyles, forcing him to confront the consequences of his actions. However, Nyles is more concerned with indulging in frivolous pursuits than facing the music. Over lunch, Sarah gently probes Nyles about his romantic exploits at the wedding, and he candidly reveals his dalliances with Daisy, Darla, Jerry, and Tala – albeit omitting any mention of Howard's alleged involvement. It becomes apparent that Nyles has a propensity for promiscuity, yet confesses to Sarah that he and she have never shared a romantic connection.

Sarah then formulates a theory that their entrapment in the time loop is a form of karmic retribution, suggesting that the only way to escape this temporal purgatory is through selfless acts that demonstrate their moral growth. At the next wedding, Sarah takes matters into her own hands, interrupting the ceremony to whisper a devastating truth to Tala, leaving the poor woman in tatters. The resulting earthquake resets the clock, and Sarah finds herself back at the starting line – still stuck in the loop.

Undeterred, Sarah and Nyles retreat to his "safehouse" – an abandoned dwelling whose owners are conveniently away on that particular day – where they indulge in a series of carefree escapades. A montage ensues, showcasing their numerous misadventures: pilfering and crashing planes, performing a choreographed dance routine, orchestrating a clever prank involving Randy, Misty, and Trevor, planting a bomb in the wedding cake and then "saving" the day, and even throwing Nyles a birthday party that defies all logic.

On one fateful night, Nyles and Sarah venture into the desert, where they set up camp beneath the starry sky. As Nyles philosophically remarks, "The next moment is all that matters in this never-ending loop." Sarah, however, shares her own poignant backstory – a marriage that ended in heartbreak – and the two toast to their newfound ability to feign indifference. Under the influence of mushrooms, they gaze up at the desert horizon, beholding an astonishing sight: dinosaurs roaming free. It is amidst this surreal backdrop that Sarah and Nyles finally surrender to their long-suppressed desires, sharing a tender moment in their desert tent.

Sarah's morning dawns once more, only to be marred by the realization that she had succumbed to her desires with Abe on the eve of his wedding, leaving her wracked with self-loathing. Nyles attempts to broach the subject, but Sarah recoils, dismissing everything as meaningless. Their attempt at a candid conversation is short-lived, as they're intercepted by Roy, a cop who's surprisingly unrecognizable in his official attire. In a flash of rebellious fervor, Sarah commandeers Roy's cruiser and exacts her revenge on him, reveling in the chaos she's unleashed. Nyles, taken aback by her temerity, chides her for prioritizing her own pain over others', sparking a furious argument that culminates with Sarah berating Nyles for his role in their predicament.

As the day loop restarts, Nyles becomes obsessed with tracking down Sarah, scouring every corner of their reality without success. Eventually, while the groomsmen indulge in cocaine-fueled revelry at Abe's abode, Nyles catches a whiff of Sarah's signature hair product on his pillow and pieces together the events that transpired. Seizing the opportunity to right the wrongs, he crashes the wedding, exposing Abe's infidelity to the assembled guests. The ensuing melee sees Nyles engage in a brutal fistfight with Abe, which ends with him piercing Abe's face with a fork.

As the days pass, Nyles finds solace in his conversations with Jerry, pouring out his heart about his love for Sarah and his despair at her disappearance. It is this same sense of desperation that drives him to seek out Roy, begging the former tormentor to subject him to another round of torture. This time, however, Roy's words are laced with a newfound empathy, as he shares tales of his own family life, revealing a seemingly idyllic home filled with loving wife and two rambunctious kids.

As Nyles gazes upon this tableau of domestic bliss, the reality of his own existence hits him like a ton of bricks. He realizes that Roy's words hold a kernel of truth: priorities do shift, and the realization sends him tumbling into an existential abyss. The weight of his newfound understanding prompts Nyles to plead with Roy to end his life once more, and Roy obliges, delivering a mercy killing that brings closure to their twisted odyssey.

As the flashback unfolds, it becomes clear that after her harrowing encounter with the bus, Sarah (still reeling from the experience) confronts Abe about their complicated past. Abe's tears of remorse only serve to further galvanize Sarah, who declares herself done with being "shitty" and sets her sights on unraveling the mysteries of quantum physics. Her newfound obsession leads her down a rabbit hole of research and learning, culminating in a daring plan to harness the power of explosives and manipulate the very fabric of time.

Meanwhile, Nyles awakens to find Sarah by his bedside, her eyes fixed intently on him as she explains her theory for escaping the loop. Convinced that detonating themselves at the precise moment the cave's gravity pulls them in will allow them to transcend their temporal predicament, Sarah implores Nyles to join her on this perilous journey. Though initially hesitant, Nyles' love for Sarah ultimately prevails, but his concerns about the uncertainty of their fate – whether they'll emerge the next day, in twenty years, or not at all – keep him rooted to his bed.

As the days blend together within the loop, Sarah's determination only grows stronger. She delivers a poignant eulogy at Abe's wedding, cautioning him against squandering this second chance at life. Nyles, however, finds himself increasingly despondent, grappling with the thought of living outside the confines of their shared temporal bubble. It is here that Darla intervenes, reminding him that no one truly knows how to navigate the complexities of existence.

Seizing inspiration from this epiphany, Nyles steals a truck and embarks on a reckless pursuit of Sarah, finally catching up to her just as she prepares to enter the cave. In a poignant declaration, he confesses his love for her, acknowledging that they've grown tired of each other's company – yet still choose to die together rather than live apart in a world devoid of their connection. As the gravity of their situation bears down upon them, Sarah reveals her own affection, and the two share a bittersweet kiss before surrendering to the void, accompanied by the devastating blast of explosives detonated at precisely the right moment.

As the tranquility of the safehouse pool envelops them, Nyles (actor's name) and Sarah float effortlessly, lost in thought. The conversation turns to Nyles' canine companion, which he had left at his neighbors', prompting him to remark that they'll need to retrieve it soon. Sarah's response reveals her surprise at this new revelation, just as the house's owners, having returned from their trip on November 10th, burst into the scene, demanding an explanation for the uninvited poolside sojourn. Nyles' sudden epiphany about the timing of the family's return serves as a stark reminder that the fragile equilibrium they've established is about to be disrupted.

Meanwhile, in a tantalizing mid-credits sequence, Roy (actor's name) makes a surprise appearance at the wedding, where he shares with Nyles his intrigue over Sarah's cryptic message regarding the audacious plan. As Nyles remains oblivious to Roy's identity, the latter's expression gradually morphs from curiosity to understanding, as the plan's potential begins to sink in – and with it, a sly smile spreads across his face, hinting at the chaos that is to come.

And so, with this enigmatic coda, we're left wondering what other twists await us in the chase ahead...