the.com/unspool
To unwind, literally or mentally, until everything that was wound tight comes loose.
means To unwind something coiled, or to gradually fall apart, reveal, or lose composure.
from From the spool, that humble cylinder thread and film wound onto; to unspool is to reverse the winding, letting the stored line run free.
Film rootsOld movies literally unspooled through projectors frame by frame.
Emotional sensePeople unspool too, slowly coming undone under pressure.
Narrative useCritics love saying a plot unspools across episodes.