The Institute (2025) s01e06 Episode Script
Run
1
Previously on The Institute
Look, I've been thinking
about what you said
about those motion cameras
in in the hallways,
- how they can detect your body heat.
- I don't care, Nicky.
I figure if we can get
into the AC closet,
maybe we can find a way to raise
the temperature enough
to produce that "motion white-out"
you were talking about.
I can't take you
all the way to the fence,
but I can get you close.
Be in the laundry room by 11:30,
not a minute later.
I'm Kate, Kate the Great.
Oh. What do you do, Kate?
I run the local paper,
Dennison Weekly Standard.
A journalist.
Anybody ever really,
really look into the Institute?
I mean, like the Chief
or Inspections or anything?
Pretty sure it's federal.
We don't have jurisdiction.
What exactly goes on in there, man?
Infectious disease research.
Really?
He's the new Dennison night knocker,
the one I told you about.
The one who was talking
to the crazy woman.
[Stackhouse] Yeah.
You should've taken him out, too.
You agreed it wasn't a problem
unless she mentioned us.
Well, clearly, it's a problem.
We're a popular target
for conspiracy theorists.
We've decided it best
to confront them directly.
[groaning]
[Maureen] Once you're past the fence,
just head downhill right to the river.
You're gonna have to cross that river
and then walk downstream
until you get to the Red Steps.
I'll come and pick you up
once I'm off shift.
I know a reporter.
They're gonna tell your story.
[Luke] What is this?
[Maureen] Show the world
what goes on here.
["Shout" performed
by The Lumineers plays]
♪♪♪
Shout, shout ♪
Let it all out ♪
These are the things
I can do without ♪
Come on ♪
I'm talking to you ♪
Come on ♪
In violent times ♪
You shouldn't have to sell your soul ♪
In black and white ♪
They really, really ought to know ♪
Shout, shout ♪
Let it all out ♪
These are the things
I can do without ♪
Come on ♪
I'm talking to you ♪
Come on ♪
♪♪♪
[tense music]
[dog barking in distance]
[growling]
[dog barking in distance]
[dog barking in distance]
[growling]
[dog barking in distance]
[dog barking in distance]
[grunting]
[straining]
[grunting]
[straining]
[panting]
[growling]
[grunting]
[groaning]
You're gonna have to cross that river
and then walk downstream
until you get to the Red Steps.
[breathing heavily]
I'll come and get you
once I'm off shift.
♪♪♪
[elevator beeping]
Oh, uh, is there a problem?
Ms. Sigsby is not in her office.
We can't find her on any of the cameras,
but the log says she hasn't left.
Any idea where she might be?
Actually, I do.
HVAC room.
[beeping]
[elevator doors close]
I know Maintenance is short on manpower.
Don't tell me they've
pressed you into service.
When the air-conditioning
was on the fritz yesterday,
I figured it was just another sign
of this place being run down
sloppiness, carelessness.
But then Maintenance
got around to fixing it.
Turns out it wasn't
sloppiness, after all.
Sabotage.
If one of our staff
wanted to fuck this place,
there's a thousand ways more effective.
Who said anything about staff?
A child?
Which one?
Oh, which one do you think?
Ellis. Are you certain?
Well, he's due for the Box.
I'll just tell Tony to keep him
in a couple of extra minutes.
I braced the night knocker.
And? Is he from Upstairs?
Almost certainly not.
My read: he really is just a drifter,
happened to drift here.
Mm. So
not worth killing?
I'm not saying that.
What are you saying?
I've met guys like him
in the Forces, other places.
Once they get a hold of something,
you have to pry their jaws open
to make them let go.
He won't stop.
So we stop him.
[water rushing]
[tense music]
♪♪♪
[breathing heavily]
[snapping]
[rustling]
[tense music]
♪♪♪
[inhaling sharply]
[muffled groaning]
[groaning continues]
[gasping]
[muffled groaning]
[groaning continues]
[gasping]
[gasping]
[breathing heavily]
[breathing heavily]
[crickets chirping]
[dramatic music]
[board clattering]
[phone ringing]
[ringing]
[ringing]
[ringing]
[beeping]
Hey.
You've really been out there all night?
Uh, yeah. Yeah, I guess I have.
You find anything at least?
Not sure.
I think I found the spot where
Zoe Sloane and her friends
used to hang out.
Some kind of cabin or something.
It's been torn down.
Not much of it left.
It's probably Stackhouse.
He's probably lying about them
- the same way he lied about Annie.
- That might be a leap.
Why don't you come back,
tell me about it?
Yeah. Yeah, I will. I just
I can't help but feel that
I'm missing something, you know?
Something
something here is very wrong,
and nobody seems to give a shit,
and I am the only one
I give a shit.
Look, something's wrong. I get it.
Come back. I'll help you
figure out what it is.
Also, I need my fucking car.
[sighs]
Tim?
Are you there? I've gotta get
to work in like an hour.
Sorry. I'm coming back now.
Thanks.
Okay.
[phone beeps]
Maureen.
[phone ringing]
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir. Right away.
Mr. Stackhouse needs
to see you in Maintenance.
I'll hold your stuff.
He said it shouldn't take long.
Okay.
♪♪♪
A guard says he found them
in the Back Half rec yard.
[Sigsby] I thought
no one ever goes back there.
Mostly they don't.
What if one of the kids had found them?
Kids back there
are hardly in finding shape.
I want to know who signed them
out of Maintenance.
There must be a record.
There is.
And it doesn't interest you
which of our employees
is capable of this level
of carelessness?
Why? So, you can fire them?
Julia, you can't complain
about a staffing shortage
and then try to fire
the people you do have
over every little thing.
What happened to you?
- Excuse me?
- There was a time
you never would have tolerated
this kind of breach.
If you're unhappy with my performance,
you can suggest our employers let me go.
You hate they gave me this place.
Don't you?
Passed over for a girl you trained.
Passed over for a girl.
Our employers, in their wisdom,
decided we were best served with
an administrator at the helm.
Not my place to question it.
Your jealousy's
making you sloppy, Trevor.
Is there something
you wanted to say, Julia?
Was it Dr. Hendricks?
I notice you two have been spending
a great deal of time together.
Find out who dropped
the fucking scissors.
- I wanna talk to them.
- [elevator beeping]
♪♪♪
[beeping]
[beeping]
[line ringing]
Hi. This is Maureen Alvorson from
Yes, that's right.
Um, you remember you said
if I ever wanted to talk?
Well, I got a story that makes Watergate
look like a walk in the park.
Anyway, I've got
your source all ready to go.
I was gonna bring him to you, but
I'm afraid there's been
a change of plans.
Yeah.
Looks like I may not make it outta here.
So
I need you to meet him yourself,
get him somewhere safe,
make sure the world hears his story.
It then I'll let him cover all that.
You wouldn't believe me anyway.
He's expecting
to meet me at the Red Steps.
Can you get there?
Don't worry about a thing.
You're a good person, Maureen.
[scoffs]
Thanks.
[line clicking]
[sighs]
[P.A. beeping]
[guard] Anyone with eyes
on caretaker Alvorson,
she's wanted in Maintenance.
[tense music]
Are you okay?
You need some help?
Hey. Wait, wait. Whoa! Whoa!
It's okay. It's okay.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
- Stop! Stop! Don't
- Okay.
- Don't come any closer.
- Okay.
Okay. Easy. Just take it easy.
Are you with them?
Who? Am I with who?
It's okay, kid. I'm a cop, okay?
Well, I'm sort of a cop. My name's Tim.
Who's done this to you?
Was it one of your parents?
No!
My parents are dead.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Look, I think you're telling the truth,
but I'm not strong enough to be sure.
- [Tim] Right.
- God, I wish Avery were here.
Who's Avery?
Look, kid, you're pretty banged up.
We should probably get you
to a doctor or hospital.
No, no. No. I don't have time for that.
I need to get to a place
called the Red Steps.
Do you know it?
Why don't you have time for this?
- You're in trouble, huh?
- You're not listening to me.
I need to get to the Red Steps.
You You're not going
to believe me anyway.
- Why do you need to get to the Red Steps?
- Do you know it, man?
Hey, what are you
Here. Take this.
You look like you're freezing.
It's okay.
So, what's at the Red Steps?
I'm supposed to be meeting
someone there.
[Tim] Uh-huh.
That's assuming Stackhouse
doesn't sniff her out first.
What? What'd you just say?
They They watch
their staff all the time.
They're paranoid about leaks.
No, the name.
What name did you just say?
Stackhouse.
He's the head of security.
Okay.
Here's what's gonna happen.
We are gonna hike back up to my car.
It's not far from the Red Steps.
I will have cell reception there,
and you can tell me
everything on the way.
You're gonna tell me
your whole story, okay?
You're never gonna believe me, you know?
You'd be surprised what I might believe.
Come on. Come on.
[dramatic music]
[elevator beeping]
Someone fucking get me Maureen.
[thudding]
[suspenseful music]
Sigsby?
I suppose that makes sense.
She made a call a few minutes ago,
said she wasn't
gonna make it out of here.
A call?
She thought she was talking
to a journalist.
Fortunately,
for our short-term survival,
she called my journalist.
- You're welcome, by the way.
- She was leaking.
She was doing more than that.
She told my agent she'd
just helped a kid escape.
- Impossible.
- Exactly.
She was delusional.
Zeke, I need, um, a locater check.
On who?
I already looked. They're all here.
- All of them.
- [Zeke] What?
Just do it.
I'm telling you,
I've been through all of this.
Full house.
Twenty-eight locaters in Back
Half, including Gorky Park.
Three in Front Half,
one in the cafeteria,
and the other in their rooms.
Yeah. I need visual confirmation.
Are you serious?
First order of business,
get someone in here, cut down
- [Sigsby] Joanne?
- Go ahead.
Joanne, I need a physical head count.
- Okay. Got it.
- Gorks too.
Stand by.
[walkie beeping]
We're checking Front Half ourselves.
Close the door.
Telekinesis? That's like
that's like the power
to move shit with your mind?
I told you you wouldn't believe me.
Yeah, you get that from inside my head?
Well, I don't need to
if it's on your face.
But you can read my mind?
Sort of. I'm not very good at it.
Mm-hmm.
I can't get real words, really.
Just feelings.
I know how it sounds.
You think I'm having
some sort of break with reality
or maybe the beginnings
of schizophrenia.
Don't worry. It's what I'd think.
I didn't say that.
I know Stackhouse is real.
The rest of it is a little weird.
What is that?
It's a flash drive.
I know it's a flash drive. What's on it?
No idea.
Maureen gave it to me "in case."
You wouldn't happen to have
a laptop on you, would you?
Maureen. She's the housekeeper,
orderly, whatever you said?
- Yeah.
- You meet her and then what?
She takes me to talk to a reporter
who'll probably think
I'm as crazy as you do.
I didn't say that.
Subject Benson, confirmed.
[suspenseful music]
Joanne for Sigsby.
Go for Sigsby.
We're full up Back Here.
Visual confirmation on 28 out of 28.
One to go.
Zeke, where exactly is the
locater on subject Ellis?
[Zeke] What do you mean, ma'am?
I'm showing him directly
in front of you.
Range less than two meters.
♪♪♪
Come here.
I wanna take a look at your ear.
Uh, that can wait.
I mean, we should really keep moving.
The wound is wide open.
Last thing you need's
it getting infected.
Who knows what's in that river.
[phone beeping]
You've got signal?
Come on. Look up my name.
- Luke Ellis, Minneapolis.
- Yes. I will. I will.
[tense music]
I'm really sorry, Luke.
Minneapolis PD says that
you're a person of interest.
[scoffs] Of course I am.
God. These fucking people.
What? So, person of interest, what?
So, you're supposed
to detain me now, hmm?
[phone ringing]
- Chief Ashworth.
- Chief? Yeah, it's Tim.
I've got an emergency here.
I got a kid who said Chief?
- Fuck.
- What happened?
The call must've dropped.
Signal's gone.
It's weird 'cause we've
got line-of-sight here.
It's them.
- What?
- It's them. They know I'm gone.
We gotta warn Maureen.
Tim! How far to the Red Steps?
You don't really expect me
to take you down there
just the two of us.
We need to go find
Fine. I'll go myself!
Will you wait, please?
I believe you, okay?
I believe your story.
All I wanna do is help you.
So if you can read minds,
look into mine and you'll see
I'm telling you the truth.
You don't really believe me,
not about all of it, but
you do want to help.
That's fair.
Then the best thing
you can do for me right now
is just help me find Maureen.
'Kay, if I'm making it all up,
there'll be no one out there anyway.
Hmm?
Fine. Ear first.
Hurry up, man. She's got
a load in her drawers.
[Stackhouse sighs, clears throat]
[snipping]
I'm guessing she goes up the chimney?
As opposed to what? A proper burial?
[Tony] Where do we keep her till then?
The Security Office.
And not a word of this to anyone.
[Tony] 'Course not, ma'am.
[door closes]
You gonna call him?
You know there's not a world
in which this falls on only one of us.
First escape in 70 years.
Understood. Plenty of blame
to spread around.
And the second I pick up that phone,
we're both going up
in the chimney with Maureen.
Of course there's a chance,
if we bring the boy back quickly enough,
we never have to make the call.
If we bring him back alive.
My asset has orders not to damage him
more than necessary.
- Can she handle that?
- A 14-year-old boy?
I'd think so.
I'm about to take a team to back her up.
I'll do it.
Julia, this is a field operation.
It hasn't been that long.
And I need you here anyway
to hold down the fort
in case the kids have
some other thing planned.
Just remember, you said it yourself.
There's no version of this
where only one of us goes down.
And I know whose head'll come off first
and roll the farthest.
Hey, hang back a sec.
I'm gonna go scope it out.
If anything happens,
you make your way to Dennison
and you talk to Chief John Ashworth.
He will help you, okay?
You got me?
Yeah, okay.
Stay there.
Fuck this.
Maureen?
Holy shit.
Kate the Great.
Hey!
It's you.
It's me.
What are you doing out here?
You said, "Maureen," right?
You're here looking for Maureen?
Well, she sent me.
So, I guess that means
you've seen the boy.
What boy?
I just told you: Maureen
sent me here to meet a boy.
She said that she just helped him
escape from the place she works,
wants me to help him blow the whistle.
On the sasquatch breeding?
To be honest, I
thought she'd lost it completely,
that I'd come out here
and not find shit.
But then you show up,
asking for Maureen.
Hey!
Maureen sent me! I'm a reporter.
She wants me to tell your story.
Did she tell you that?
[Luke] She did, actually.
She's telling the truth.
I'm Kate.
Maureen never told me your name.
Luke.
Luke. Pleased to meet you.
Okay, first order of business,
we gotta get you somewhere safe.
Now, you're hiding something.
You're shielding.
What?
You were telling the truth before.
About Maureen?
Something's changed.
Okay, someone's gonna
need to catch me up here.
- The kid says he's able to
- [Phone ringing]
[phone ringing]
Your, uh
Your phone works out here?
Yeah.
Stackhouse.
She knows Stackhouse!
She's one of them!
Jeez, kid.
Where's the fire?
Relax.
It's okay. Just
Whoa. Easy, easy.
Nothing personal.
Wrong place, wrong time.
Oh
[dramatic music]
[Tim] Fuck.
Well, I guess they got Maureen.
But why only send one to intercept me?
What was that thing
with the, uh the tree?
That was you?
- Huh?
- Yes.
Right. All right, we gotta go.
Let's move.
We should look for a big city.
With an FBI office and
and a TV station.
Luke, somebody died.
Okay?
We gotta go to the police,
we gotta find Chief Ashworth.
Except that woman shot at you!
Yeah, Kate.
[scoffing] Clearly, the Institute's
got agents embedded
into the local population.
So, don't you think the Chief
The Chief is not dirty.
Okay, and I bet you would've
said the same about
Kate the Great before
she tried to kill you.
I met her one time.
The Chief, I know. He's solid.
Look into my mind
if you don't believe me.
Looking in your mind doesn't
tell me whether it's true;
it just tells me if you believe it.
Mm-hmm.
So, the Chief?
You're sure we can trust him?
- You're ready to die on that hill?
- We can trust him.
Sure hope you're right.
Otherwise
we both die on that hill.
They found the asset's vehicle.
It's back in the woods
on the North side.
- Any sign of her?
- Not so far.
♪♪♪
[phone beeping]
[phone ringing]
[sighing]
[Stackhouse] Stackhouse.
Yeah. Turns out your reporter
wasn't up to it after all.
Doctor. A word.
Uh, yeah, a word a word about?
Ms. Sigsby.
Ms. Sigsby. Uh, Jesus!
I, you know, I this
[exhaling sharply] How 'bout this?
The two of you can have each other.
- Just leave me out of it.
- You're babbling.
[stammering] You know we have
two kids left in Front Half?
Two! You have any idea
what happens when we run out?
No more conveyor belt,
no more replacing conductors.
Every keyhole brings us
one step closer to the end.
These are long-view problems.
Yeah, not not too long.
The rate we've been
going through keyholes,
I guess it depends
how you define "long".
It's why the first thing
in every lab report
is to define your terms.
At the moment,
I'd call a long-view problem
anything that doesn't relate
to us surviving the day.
Why wouldn't we survive the day?
Your lady friend is out there right now,
trying to make herself
the hero of this mess,
so she can hang it around our necks.
Not mine! I'm not due respect,
I'm not in charge of security.
Do you really think the Committee
will put this down
to a security failure?
After Harry Cross
and the twins?
You've seen how they operate.
They'll decide this place has
a culture of mismanagement.
Means either you replace the head coach
or her assistants.
She wouldn't
Of course she would.
So would you. So would I.
When it comes down to it,
there's no limit
to what you'll do to survive.
[sighing] So, what do you propose?
When the time comes,
you back whatever story I tell.
We present ourselves as the fix
for Sigsby's culture.
Yeah.
Right the ship.
And if we're in charge,
there'll be no one to snitch
to Upstairs about us
trying to develop a PC
Long-view problems, Doctor.
Short-term, yes.
For now, let's just try to see tomorrow.
NORBERT: Well, that's exactly
my predicament, Chief.
ASHWORTH:
Mr. Hollister, I'm a little busy
policing a whole town
without any communication.
Chief!
Chief, this boy needs help.
Sit down.
What happened to him?
Who is he?
Luke Ellis, Chief John Ashworth.
Tim, this boy needs
some real medical help.
I know, but first, you need
to hear what he's got to say.
NORBERT: I'll get the doc.
That'd be great, Norbert.
[Tim] Thanks, Mr. Hollister. Here.
[door opening]
Someone's gonna need
to start filling me in.
The kid's got a flash drive.
Says it'll help back up his story.
What is his story?
[Luke clearing throat]
You're better off, uh,
looking at the flash drive first.
It'll save time.
Why? What's on it?
I don't know.
Chief, please.
Trust me.
It's okay.
So?
Some kind of video.
I have eyes on the boy.
Well, I guess we better watch it.
Sub extracted from file & improved by
♪♪♪
Previously on The Institute
Look, I've been thinking
about what you said
about those motion cameras
in in the hallways,
- how they can detect your body heat.
- I don't care, Nicky.
I figure if we can get
into the AC closet,
maybe we can find a way to raise
the temperature enough
to produce that "motion white-out"
you were talking about.
I can't take you
all the way to the fence,
but I can get you close.
Be in the laundry room by 11:30,
not a minute later.
I'm Kate, Kate the Great.
Oh. What do you do, Kate?
I run the local paper,
Dennison Weekly Standard.
A journalist.
Anybody ever really,
really look into the Institute?
I mean, like the Chief
or Inspections or anything?
Pretty sure it's federal.
We don't have jurisdiction.
What exactly goes on in there, man?
Infectious disease research.
Really?
He's the new Dennison night knocker,
the one I told you about.
The one who was talking
to the crazy woman.
[Stackhouse] Yeah.
You should've taken him out, too.
You agreed it wasn't a problem
unless she mentioned us.
Well, clearly, it's a problem.
We're a popular target
for conspiracy theorists.
We've decided it best
to confront them directly.
[groaning]
[Maureen] Once you're past the fence,
just head downhill right to the river.
You're gonna have to cross that river
and then walk downstream
until you get to the Red Steps.
I'll come and pick you up
once I'm off shift.
I know a reporter.
They're gonna tell your story.
[Luke] What is this?
[Maureen] Show the world
what goes on here.
["Shout" performed
by The Lumineers plays]
♪♪♪
Shout, shout ♪
Let it all out ♪
These are the things
I can do without ♪
Come on ♪
I'm talking to you ♪
Come on ♪
In violent times ♪
You shouldn't have to sell your soul ♪
In black and white ♪
They really, really ought to know ♪
Shout, shout ♪
Let it all out ♪
These are the things
I can do without ♪
Come on ♪
I'm talking to you ♪
Come on ♪
♪♪♪
[tense music]
[dog barking in distance]
[growling]
[dog barking in distance]
[dog barking in distance]
[growling]
[dog barking in distance]
[dog barking in distance]
[grunting]
[straining]
[grunting]
[straining]
[panting]
[growling]
[grunting]
[groaning]
You're gonna have to cross that river
and then walk downstream
until you get to the Red Steps.
[breathing heavily]
I'll come and get you
once I'm off shift.
♪♪♪
[elevator beeping]
Oh, uh, is there a problem?
Ms. Sigsby is not in her office.
We can't find her on any of the cameras,
but the log says she hasn't left.
Any idea where she might be?
Actually, I do.
HVAC room.
[beeping]
[elevator doors close]
I know Maintenance is short on manpower.
Don't tell me they've
pressed you into service.
When the air-conditioning
was on the fritz yesterday,
I figured it was just another sign
of this place being run down
sloppiness, carelessness.
But then Maintenance
got around to fixing it.
Turns out it wasn't
sloppiness, after all.
Sabotage.
If one of our staff
wanted to fuck this place,
there's a thousand ways more effective.
Who said anything about staff?
A child?
Which one?
Oh, which one do you think?
Ellis. Are you certain?
Well, he's due for the Box.
I'll just tell Tony to keep him
in a couple of extra minutes.
I braced the night knocker.
And? Is he from Upstairs?
Almost certainly not.
My read: he really is just a drifter,
happened to drift here.
Mm. So
not worth killing?
I'm not saying that.
What are you saying?
I've met guys like him
in the Forces, other places.
Once they get a hold of something,
you have to pry their jaws open
to make them let go.
He won't stop.
So we stop him.
[water rushing]
[tense music]
♪♪♪
[breathing heavily]
[snapping]
[rustling]
[tense music]
♪♪♪
[inhaling sharply]
[muffled groaning]
[groaning continues]
[gasping]
[muffled groaning]
[groaning continues]
[gasping]
[gasping]
[breathing heavily]
[breathing heavily]
[crickets chirping]
[dramatic music]
[board clattering]
[phone ringing]
[ringing]
[ringing]
[ringing]
[beeping]
Hey.
You've really been out there all night?
Uh, yeah. Yeah, I guess I have.
You find anything at least?
Not sure.
I think I found the spot where
Zoe Sloane and her friends
used to hang out.
Some kind of cabin or something.
It's been torn down.
Not much of it left.
It's probably Stackhouse.
He's probably lying about them
- the same way he lied about Annie.
- That might be a leap.
Why don't you come back,
tell me about it?
Yeah. Yeah, I will. I just
I can't help but feel that
I'm missing something, you know?
Something
something here is very wrong,
and nobody seems to give a shit,
and I am the only one
I give a shit.
Look, something's wrong. I get it.
Come back. I'll help you
figure out what it is.
Also, I need my fucking car.
[sighs]
Tim?
Are you there? I've gotta get
to work in like an hour.
Sorry. I'm coming back now.
Thanks.
Okay.
[phone beeps]
Maureen.
[phone ringing]
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir. Right away.
Mr. Stackhouse needs
to see you in Maintenance.
I'll hold your stuff.
He said it shouldn't take long.
Okay.
♪♪♪
A guard says he found them
in the Back Half rec yard.
[Sigsby] I thought
no one ever goes back there.
Mostly they don't.
What if one of the kids had found them?
Kids back there
are hardly in finding shape.
I want to know who signed them
out of Maintenance.
There must be a record.
There is.
And it doesn't interest you
which of our employees
is capable of this level
of carelessness?
Why? So, you can fire them?
Julia, you can't complain
about a staffing shortage
and then try to fire
the people you do have
over every little thing.
What happened to you?
- Excuse me?
- There was a time
you never would have tolerated
this kind of breach.
If you're unhappy with my performance,
you can suggest our employers let me go.
You hate they gave me this place.
Don't you?
Passed over for a girl you trained.
Passed over for a girl.
Our employers, in their wisdom,
decided we were best served with
an administrator at the helm.
Not my place to question it.
Your jealousy's
making you sloppy, Trevor.
Is there something
you wanted to say, Julia?
Was it Dr. Hendricks?
I notice you two have been spending
a great deal of time together.
Find out who dropped
the fucking scissors.
- I wanna talk to them.
- [elevator beeping]
♪♪♪
[beeping]
[beeping]
[line ringing]
Hi. This is Maureen Alvorson from
Yes, that's right.
Um, you remember you said
if I ever wanted to talk?
Well, I got a story that makes Watergate
look like a walk in the park.
Anyway, I've got
your source all ready to go.
I was gonna bring him to you, but
I'm afraid there's been
a change of plans.
Yeah.
Looks like I may not make it outta here.
So
I need you to meet him yourself,
get him somewhere safe,
make sure the world hears his story.
It then I'll let him cover all that.
You wouldn't believe me anyway.
He's expecting
to meet me at the Red Steps.
Can you get there?
Don't worry about a thing.
You're a good person, Maureen.
[scoffs]
Thanks.
[line clicking]
[sighs]
[P.A. beeping]
[guard] Anyone with eyes
on caretaker Alvorson,
she's wanted in Maintenance.
[tense music]
Are you okay?
You need some help?
Hey. Wait, wait. Whoa! Whoa!
It's okay. It's okay.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
- Stop! Stop! Don't
- Okay.
- Don't come any closer.
- Okay.
Okay. Easy. Just take it easy.
Are you with them?
Who? Am I with who?
It's okay, kid. I'm a cop, okay?
Well, I'm sort of a cop. My name's Tim.
Who's done this to you?
Was it one of your parents?
No!
My parents are dead.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Look, I think you're telling the truth,
but I'm not strong enough to be sure.
- [Tim] Right.
- God, I wish Avery were here.
Who's Avery?
Look, kid, you're pretty banged up.
We should probably get you
to a doctor or hospital.
No, no. No. I don't have time for that.
I need to get to a place
called the Red Steps.
Do you know it?
Why don't you have time for this?
- You're in trouble, huh?
- You're not listening to me.
I need to get to the Red Steps.
You You're not going
to believe me anyway.
- Why do you need to get to the Red Steps?
- Do you know it, man?
Hey, what are you
Here. Take this.
You look like you're freezing.
It's okay.
So, what's at the Red Steps?
I'm supposed to be meeting
someone there.
[Tim] Uh-huh.
That's assuming Stackhouse
doesn't sniff her out first.
What? What'd you just say?
They They watch
their staff all the time.
They're paranoid about leaks.
No, the name.
What name did you just say?
Stackhouse.
He's the head of security.
Okay.
Here's what's gonna happen.
We are gonna hike back up to my car.
It's not far from the Red Steps.
I will have cell reception there,
and you can tell me
everything on the way.
You're gonna tell me
your whole story, okay?
You're never gonna believe me, you know?
You'd be surprised what I might believe.
Come on. Come on.
[dramatic music]
[elevator beeping]
Someone fucking get me Maureen.
[thudding]
[suspenseful music]
Sigsby?
I suppose that makes sense.
She made a call a few minutes ago,
said she wasn't
gonna make it out of here.
A call?
She thought she was talking
to a journalist.
Fortunately,
for our short-term survival,
she called my journalist.
- You're welcome, by the way.
- She was leaking.
She was doing more than that.
She told my agent she'd
just helped a kid escape.
- Impossible.
- Exactly.
She was delusional.
Zeke, I need, um, a locater check.
On who?
I already looked. They're all here.
- All of them.
- [Zeke] What?
Just do it.
I'm telling you,
I've been through all of this.
Full house.
Twenty-eight locaters in Back
Half, including Gorky Park.
Three in Front Half,
one in the cafeteria,
and the other in their rooms.
Yeah. I need visual confirmation.
Are you serious?
First order of business,
get someone in here, cut down
- [Sigsby] Joanne?
- Go ahead.
Joanne, I need a physical head count.
- Okay. Got it.
- Gorks too.
Stand by.
[walkie beeping]
We're checking Front Half ourselves.
Close the door.
Telekinesis? That's like
that's like the power
to move shit with your mind?
I told you you wouldn't believe me.
Yeah, you get that from inside my head?
Well, I don't need to
if it's on your face.
But you can read my mind?
Sort of. I'm not very good at it.
Mm-hmm.
I can't get real words, really.
Just feelings.
I know how it sounds.
You think I'm having
some sort of break with reality
or maybe the beginnings
of schizophrenia.
Don't worry. It's what I'd think.
I didn't say that.
I know Stackhouse is real.
The rest of it is a little weird.
What is that?
It's a flash drive.
I know it's a flash drive. What's on it?
No idea.
Maureen gave it to me "in case."
You wouldn't happen to have
a laptop on you, would you?
Maureen. She's the housekeeper,
orderly, whatever you said?
- Yeah.
- You meet her and then what?
She takes me to talk to a reporter
who'll probably think
I'm as crazy as you do.
I didn't say that.
Subject Benson, confirmed.
[suspenseful music]
Joanne for Sigsby.
Go for Sigsby.
We're full up Back Here.
Visual confirmation on 28 out of 28.
One to go.
Zeke, where exactly is the
locater on subject Ellis?
[Zeke] What do you mean, ma'am?
I'm showing him directly
in front of you.
Range less than two meters.
♪♪♪
Come here.
I wanna take a look at your ear.
Uh, that can wait.
I mean, we should really keep moving.
The wound is wide open.
Last thing you need's
it getting infected.
Who knows what's in that river.
[phone beeping]
You've got signal?
Come on. Look up my name.
- Luke Ellis, Minneapolis.
- Yes. I will. I will.
[tense music]
I'm really sorry, Luke.
Minneapolis PD says that
you're a person of interest.
[scoffs] Of course I am.
God. These fucking people.
What? So, person of interest, what?
So, you're supposed
to detain me now, hmm?
[phone ringing]
- Chief Ashworth.
- Chief? Yeah, it's Tim.
I've got an emergency here.
I got a kid who said Chief?
- Fuck.
- What happened?
The call must've dropped.
Signal's gone.
It's weird 'cause we've
got line-of-sight here.
It's them.
- What?
- It's them. They know I'm gone.
We gotta warn Maureen.
Tim! How far to the Red Steps?
You don't really expect me
to take you down there
just the two of us.
We need to go find
Fine. I'll go myself!
Will you wait, please?
I believe you, okay?
I believe your story.
All I wanna do is help you.
So if you can read minds,
look into mine and you'll see
I'm telling you the truth.
You don't really believe me,
not about all of it, but
you do want to help.
That's fair.
Then the best thing
you can do for me right now
is just help me find Maureen.
'Kay, if I'm making it all up,
there'll be no one out there anyway.
Hmm?
Fine. Ear first.
Hurry up, man. She's got
a load in her drawers.
[Stackhouse sighs, clears throat]
[snipping]
I'm guessing she goes up the chimney?
As opposed to what? A proper burial?
[Tony] Where do we keep her till then?
The Security Office.
And not a word of this to anyone.
[Tony] 'Course not, ma'am.
[door closes]
You gonna call him?
You know there's not a world
in which this falls on only one of us.
First escape in 70 years.
Understood. Plenty of blame
to spread around.
And the second I pick up that phone,
we're both going up
in the chimney with Maureen.
Of course there's a chance,
if we bring the boy back quickly enough,
we never have to make the call.
If we bring him back alive.
My asset has orders not to damage him
more than necessary.
- Can she handle that?
- A 14-year-old boy?
I'd think so.
I'm about to take a team to back her up.
I'll do it.
Julia, this is a field operation.
It hasn't been that long.
And I need you here anyway
to hold down the fort
in case the kids have
some other thing planned.
Just remember, you said it yourself.
There's no version of this
where only one of us goes down.
And I know whose head'll come off first
and roll the farthest.
Hey, hang back a sec.
I'm gonna go scope it out.
If anything happens,
you make your way to Dennison
and you talk to Chief John Ashworth.
He will help you, okay?
You got me?
Yeah, okay.
Stay there.
Fuck this.
Maureen?
Holy shit.
Kate the Great.
Hey!
It's you.
It's me.
What are you doing out here?
You said, "Maureen," right?
You're here looking for Maureen?
Well, she sent me.
So, I guess that means
you've seen the boy.
What boy?
I just told you: Maureen
sent me here to meet a boy.
She said that she just helped him
escape from the place she works,
wants me to help him blow the whistle.
On the sasquatch breeding?
To be honest, I
thought she'd lost it completely,
that I'd come out here
and not find shit.
But then you show up,
asking for Maureen.
Hey!
Maureen sent me! I'm a reporter.
She wants me to tell your story.
Did she tell you that?
[Luke] She did, actually.
She's telling the truth.
I'm Kate.
Maureen never told me your name.
Luke.
Luke. Pleased to meet you.
Okay, first order of business,
we gotta get you somewhere safe.
Now, you're hiding something.
You're shielding.
What?
You were telling the truth before.
About Maureen?
Something's changed.
Okay, someone's gonna
need to catch me up here.
- The kid says he's able to
- [Phone ringing]
[phone ringing]
Your, uh
Your phone works out here?
Yeah.
Stackhouse.
She knows Stackhouse!
She's one of them!
Jeez, kid.
Where's the fire?
Relax.
It's okay. Just
Whoa. Easy, easy.
Nothing personal.
Wrong place, wrong time.
Oh
[dramatic music]
[Tim] Fuck.
Well, I guess they got Maureen.
But why only send one to intercept me?
What was that thing
with the, uh the tree?
That was you?
- Huh?
- Yes.
Right. All right, we gotta go.
Let's move.
We should look for a big city.
With an FBI office and
and a TV station.
Luke, somebody died.
Okay?
We gotta go to the police,
we gotta find Chief Ashworth.
Except that woman shot at you!
Yeah, Kate.
[scoffing] Clearly, the Institute's
got agents embedded
into the local population.
So, don't you think the Chief
The Chief is not dirty.
Okay, and I bet you would've
said the same about
Kate the Great before
she tried to kill you.
I met her one time.
The Chief, I know. He's solid.
Look into my mind
if you don't believe me.
Looking in your mind doesn't
tell me whether it's true;
it just tells me if you believe it.
Mm-hmm.
So, the Chief?
You're sure we can trust him?
- You're ready to die on that hill?
- We can trust him.
Sure hope you're right.
Otherwise
we both die on that hill.
They found the asset's vehicle.
It's back in the woods
on the North side.
- Any sign of her?
- Not so far.
♪♪♪
[phone beeping]
[phone ringing]
[sighing]
[Stackhouse] Stackhouse.
Yeah. Turns out your reporter
wasn't up to it after all.
Doctor. A word.
Uh, yeah, a word a word about?
Ms. Sigsby.
Ms. Sigsby. Uh, Jesus!
I, you know, I this
[exhaling sharply] How 'bout this?
The two of you can have each other.
- Just leave me out of it.
- You're babbling.
[stammering] You know we have
two kids left in Front Half?
Two! You have any idea
what happens when we run out?
No more conveyor belt,
no more replacing conductors.
Every keyhole brings us
one step closer to the end.
These are long-view problems.
Yeah, not not too long.
The rate we've been
going through keyholes,
I guess it depends
how you define "long".
It's why the first thing
in every lab report
is to define your terms.
At the moment,
I'd call a long-view problem
anything that doesn't relate
to us surviving the day.
Why wouldn't we survive the day?
Your lady friend is out there right now,
trying to make herself
the hero of this mess,
so she can hang it around our necks.
Not mine! I'm not due respect,
I'm not in charge of security.
Do you really think the Committee
will put this down
to a security failure?
After Harry Cross
and the twins?
You've seen how they operate.
They'll decide this place has
a culture of mismanagement.
Means either you replace the head coach
or her assistants.
She wouldn't
Of course she would.
So would you. So would I.
When it comes down to it,
there's no limit
to what you'll do to survive.
[sighing] So, what do you propose?
When the time comes,
you back whatever story I tell.
We present ourselves as the fix
for Sigsby's culture.
Yeah.
Right the ship.
And if we're in charge,
there'll be no one to snitch
to Upstairs about us
trying to develop a PC
Long-view problems, Doctor.
Short-term, yes.
For now, let's just try to see tomorrow.
NORBERT: Well, that's exactly
my predicament, Chief.
ASHWORTH:
Mr. Hollister, I'm a little busy
policing a whole town
without any communication.
Chief!
Chief, this boy needs help.
Sit down.
What happened to him?
Who is he?
Luke Ellis, Chief John Ashworth.
Tim, this boy needs
some real medical help.
I know, but first, you need
to hear what he's got to say.
NORBERT: I'll get the doc.
That'd be great, Norbert.
[Tim] Thanks, Mr. Hollister. Here.
[door opening]
Someone's gonna need
to start filling me in.
The kid's got a flash drive.
Says it'll help back up his story.
What is his story?
[Luke clearing throat]
You're better off, uh,
looking at the flash drive first.
It'll save time.
Why? What's on it?
I don't know.
Chief, please.
Trust me.
It's okay.
So?
Some kind of video.
I have eyes on the boy.
Well, I guess we better watch it.
Sub extracted from file & improved by
♪♪♪