Obsession’s Party Scene, Explained: Nikki’s 'It’s Not Me' Warning Changes Everything

Throughout Obsession it is clear that the Nikki in front of Bear, after the wish for her to love him is made, is not the real Nikki.

At several points, her true self tries desperately to claw back control of her body to no avail. While the bedroom scene is the clearest plea for help, the telephone call presents proof that Nikki is trapped in some kind of demonic purgatory, and her backwards walk sees her literally fighting for control of her body. The common thread in all of these moments is that they have one solitary witness, Bear. 

He is repeatedly given evidence that Wish Nikki is not Real Nikki, and yet he refuses to acknowledge the information, opting to delude himself that her feelings are genuine. His selfishness and willingness to allow Nikki to suffer prove that his feelings are driven by lust rather than genuine love.

With no one else aware of the scenario, Bear can happily live in fantasy land. That is until the couple make an appearance at Ian’s house party. 

What Happens In Obsession’s Party Scene?

After initially planning to leave her at home, Bear agrees to bring Nikki to a gathering of friends at Ian’s house. While the pair had been affectionate together at work, this appearance is their big debut as a couple within their social circle, and it is apparent from the looks and remarks that they receive that no one is buying them as a couple. One friend even jokingly asks Bear what kind of spell he placed on her, causing Wish Nikki to laugh a little too aggressively. 

The group then embark on a hybrid game of Jenga and truth or dare, with each removed block issuing a challenge to the player. Nikki’s involves an uncomfortable reading of some of her writing, whereas Bear’s instructs him to kiss the person to his left. That person is Sarah, and a very upset Nikki displaces Sarah so that she will be the recipient of the kiss instead.

She then declares her undying love for Bear, only to suddenly freak out at the sound of Ian’s voice. Nikki begins smashing her own face in with a bottle before quickly calming herself and apologising for her outburst. It’s creepy and deeply uncomfortable on many levels.  

Why Nikki’s Hansel And Gretel Story Matters

Early on in Obsession, Nikki reveals to Bear over the phone that she is quitting work at the music store that employs them both in order to focus on her writing. The thought of suddenly not seeing her everyday is one of the many factors that motivates Bear’s wish. Nikki, of course, is not presented with any opportunity to write, and once that One Wish Willow has been broken, her existence is all about Bear. 

However, during Ian’s party, Nikki shares a poem that she has been working on. Of course, with the Real Nikki only able to rise to the top for fleeting moments of lucidity, one has to question who the author of Nikki’s work really is.

The story is a disturbing rendition of Hansel and Gretel, spoken from the perspective of Gretel. It speaks of her wanting Hansel inside of her as he has been before, of his reticence to do so, but her certainty that the event will happen again. 

A lot of reading into these words has focussed on the idea of Nikki seeing Bear as a brother and their new dynamic being as perverted as the one recounted. But, towards the end of her reading, the line “love only the branch of a willow tree could conjure,” is spoken. Could this point to the poem’s author being whatever has taken control of Nikki? Of a past experience that it lived through? Is it an aspect of the original Hansel and Gretel that has been lost to time? The tales of the Brothers Grimm were famed for their dark depravity, and although incest is not present in their version of Hansel and Gretel, it is in some of their other works. 

Either way, the actions of Hansel, who is revealed to be knowingly complicit, mirror that of Bear. The written word of Gretel, who makes admissions to the harm she will inflict in order to be close to Hansel, also reflects the unstable mindset of Nikki. The whole poem works as a confession relating to their situation, and a warning to Bear that the wish must be seen through to completion, no matter what. 

Is That The Real Nikki Saying “It’s Not Me”?

After Wish Nikki has succeeded in her mission to kiss Bear, Real Nikki is startled awake by the sound of Ian’s voice. It is later revealed by Sarah to Bear, that Nikki and Ian have had a very casual ‘friends with benefits’ deal for a substantial amount of time. It makes sense, then, that he would be able to bring Real Nikki to the surface.

Her awakening is coupled with utter terror and her screams of “it’s not me!” as a desperate cry for help. Bear has failed to intercept previously, but Nikki is clearly hoping that someone will step in now.

Instead, Ian, Bear, and the rest of the party guests watch in horror as Nikki repeatedly smashes herself in the face. As blood streams down her face, and with Real Nikki’s energy levels depleted, Wish Nikki once more asserts control. Her affirmations that she is fine and her profuse apologies for her outburst are met with a sea of nervous and uncomfortable faces. But, as with Bear previously, no one steps in to help.

Why Everyone Misreads Nikki At The Party

In this scene Real Nikki stops being a secret between her and Bear, but her attempts to communicate the nightmare in which she is living tragically fails. 

With no knowledge of Bear’s wish, Ian, Sarah and everyone else are not aware of any supernatural entanglement behind their relationship. Instead, the group interprets Nikki’s behaviour in a variety of different ways.

For those aware of Nikki and Ian’s arrangement, Nikki’s excessive affection towards Bear can be read as a performance to make Ian jealous. For Sarah, Nikki choosing to date Bear, knowing full well that Sarah has feelings for him, is a classic mean girl power play for dominance in the friendship. For those further outside of the circle, Nikki presents as either being on drugs, or battling mental illness. Then, there is the correct opinion that the two are locked into an abusive relationship, just not in the traditional sense. 

With Sarah and Ian clearly hurt by Nikki’s behaviour, and the rest not being close enough to her to feel it their place to offer assistance, Real Nikki remains trapped. The audience knows the truth and it is heartbreaking to see Nikki come so close to being saved.

Why The Party Scene Makes Bear Look Worse

Prior to the party, Bear has easily been able to convince himself that he is dating Real Nikki. Even the phone call, just hours before the party, isn’t enough to change his opinion. At the point he attends the party with Nikki, Bear is well and truly in ostrich mode, his head firmly in the ground.

The events that unfold there, however, make it impossible to ignore that there is definitely something not right with Nikki.

Having witnessed her brief lucidity several times before, he instantly understands her screams of “it’s not me.” In the heat of the party and amid Nikki’s psychotic maiming of herself, Bear almost seems to consider telling someone the truth. But, yet again, his own desires win out. He remains mute and instead promises to get Nikki to a hospital so that her wounds can be treated. Wish Nikki does not want to go to the hospital and rather than insisting she get checked out, Bear takes her home and the two go to bed.

Bear’s inability to look outside of himself and provide assistance to the woman he claims to love makes him 100% the villain of Obsession. This has been consistently set-up previously, but his behaviour, and more importantly, his silence during the party, finally condemn him once and for all.