The Institute (2025) s01e07 Episode Script

1
Previously on The Institute
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?
I know how it sounds.
You think I'm having some
sort of break with reality
or maybe the beginnings
of schizophrenia.
I didn't say that.
I know Stackhouse is real.
The rest of it is a little weird.
Zeke, where exactly is
the locater on subject Ellis?
What do you mean, ma'am?
I'm showing him
directly in front of you.
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.
Easy, easy.
Chief, this boy needs help.
What happened to him?
The kid's got a flash drive,
says it'll help back up his story.
I have eyes on the boy.
Some kind of video.
Well, I guess we'd better watch it.
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 ♪
Oh, God. Hope this works.
I'll never be strong enough
to do this again.
Luke, if you're watching this,
it means that you're out,
and I'm dead.
So
I-I'm gonna hide this in my uniform.
I made a hole.
I'm gonna record everything,
so you can show the world.
My life story doesn't matter.
I'm going to hell anyway.
I knew that 20 years ago in Afghanistan.
Just I'm sorry it
took me too long to see.
You don't think of yourself as evil.
It's still hard for me
to believe what we've done.
All in service
of this thing they created.
This machine they've made has needs.
And, of course, the biggest need
is a constant supply of children.
Because Back Half uses them up.
By the time they hit
Recovery, they're gone.
Kaput.
'Gorked', we say.
Eventually, they just
forget to keep breathing.
Recovery.
We call it Gorky Park.
Oh, my God.
Sometimes, you just make jokes
trying to stay sane.
And this is where they all end up.
No. No, no, no.
Dust to dust.
No one thinks of themselves as evil.
Nobody should have to
Well, uh
now you know.
What in the name of all
that is holy did I just watch?
Where the hell have you been, son?
- What's our ETA?
- Thirty minutes.
- Target confirmed?
- Yeah.
Our asset says the boy
is still inside the station.
He neutralized one of
Stackhouse's people already.
Who?
Uh, one of his sleepers.
- So, we're going in hot.
- Yes.
You're cleared to go in hot.
Just recover the kid.
Keep our asset in place.
If there are problems?
Then we deep clean.
And just be aware,
the night-knocker's ex-Army;
he's gonna be on high alert.
Well, at least he won't be too smart.
What does that mean?
I just mean, like,
Yeah. My dad's 26 years career army.
He has a doctorate and
three master's degrees, so
My friends are all still there.
We need to hurry,
and we can save them,
but we need to go now.
Look around you, kid.
This department is not built
to hit a place like that.
It's a hard target.
You would need a SWAT Team.
- Or three.
- Every day, kids are dying.
- We-we can't waste more time.
- What do you think happens
if the Chief goes
in there with two officers.
- It's not just
- Hello? Chief?
You back there?
Hey, what's up with the phones?
I heard
Drew, I need you to mind the shop.
People are gonna call
about the cell service,
the Internet, and God knows what else.
- But what's going on?
- You're in charge.
I'm taking these two
to Portland right now.
I know the SAC down there
Special Agent in Charge.
He's a good guy, rock solid.
And this whatever the hell this is,
I will tell you one thing. It
is way above our purview here.
- Let's go.
- I can drive them, sir.
- I'm happy to go.
- No, you stay here.
Get Wendy in. All hands on deck.
Uh, yeah, uh, Chief, please.
I-I don't wanna
Why don't I take them?
I don't wanna be in charge.
What if there's an emergency?
There's no Comms.
I won't be able to reach you.
Get Wendy in.
The two of you can handle it.
I'm gonna walk this in myself.
They're not gonna
take you seriously otherwise.
We're gonna get you some help, kid.
Shit! Damn it!
Goddamn it!
Don't fuck with me, Jamieson!
Don't fuck with me!
Drew Drew, I am
I am not going to fuck with you.
I never meant to do that.
Get his cuffs.
Drew, just just take a second.
Think about what
Tim, I have known the Chief 20 years,
and look what I just did to him.
I've known you how long?
Two fucking months? Now, get his cuffs.
- Now!
- All right, all right. All right.
Good.
Now, take the cuffs
and lock the kid to the bench.
He's the one they want.
Now! Go! Go!
You think I'm fucking around?
Sorry, kid.
Okay, now, do yourself,
next to him, so I can
keep an eye on both of you.
Do it right! I'm watching you.
Okay. Good. Good.
Under control.
This is Reynolds. I've got them.
Both of them?
- Yes.
- Excellent.
Hang on.
Yes, sir.
We just may live through this yet.
- You wanted to see me.
- We're gonna have to move
the Dixon boy up,
quick and dirty. Use the Tank.
This is a bad idea.
It's a terrible idea.
He's too much of a wild card.
He's so strong in some ways,
I'd worry
I have the Keyhole in two hours.
If we can't make it,
there's gonna be problems. Just do it.
Now!
You still there?
I'm here.
I have a team 20 minutes out.
I need you to control the situation
until they reinforce you.
Yeah. I can do that.
Now what?
You wouldn't happen to have
a safety pin or a paperclip, would you?
No.
Uh, there was a bit of a, uh
a complication. Uh
I had to
Chief Ashworth is dead.
Understood.
The team will take care of that.
Okay. Uh
Now, listen to me, Reynold
Um, okay.
I need you to lock down that place
until backup arrives.
No one in. No one out.
I can't stress that enough.
Lock it down.
No one is going anywhere.
Um No, I understand.
Locked down. Yeah.
Sure.
ETA 20 minutes.
Twenty minutes.
Got it. I'll uh
Yeah, I-I'll wait here.
Just send them to the side door,
and I'll let them in.
Just hang tight. Okay? Just hang tight.
You don't wanna do this.
Well, it's a bit late for that, Tim.
Day late and a dollar short for that.
You're making
a huge fucking mistake, man.
I can't look at this shit anymore.
Shit, the, um, the drive thing.
The fucking video's in his pocket.
Shit.
That, uh that thing
you did with the tree?
You think you think you
might be able to try it
with those paperclips?
No, no, I told you. I can't.
I can't control that, okay?
It happens when
I'm upset or if I'm angry.
Well, then, get fucking upset
because if we die, then there's
no one to blow the whistle,
and your fucking friends
are gonna be stuck there.
So, just try.
Are you doing it?
I can't.
Come on. You've got this.
One more time. Let's go.
Fuck.
Argh! Goddamn it.
Oh, shit. I did not think
that would work.
Couldn't have got it a little closer?
You do it next time.
Yes!
About time.
What? No.
No, no, no, no! They were right
They were right here!
They were cuffed right here!
- Get the car.
- No, I What the
Get the car!
They couldn't have gotten far.
Fuck.
Officer Jamieson! My savior!
Mr. Dobira, I didn't realize you
were out of the hospital.
As I told my brother,
work is its own medicine.
Is there trouble?
- We need your help, sir.
- Of course.
I owe you my life.
Whatever I have is yours.
Do you have a car by any chance?
Or maybe a phone that works.
My phone isn't working, either.
W-Why is that?
What's going on?
- Oh, shit. Hide us?
- Yes, yes. This way!
To the back.
Under there. Under there.
Head around back.
We may need a wider cordon
around the area.
- Hello there.
- May I help you?
We're looking for a
a boy, a young boy.
It's possible he's being trafficked.
Are you the police?
Uh, federal officers.
We believe he could be
with a Tim Jamieson,
the new night-knocker.
Do you know him?
I have seen them.
They they were just here.
They bought coffee and
sandwiches and then they left.
Excuse me, ma'am.
Insurance doesn't allow
customers in that area.
Mr. Jamieson said they
were driving to Portland.
- What kind of car?
- Uh, black.
They're headed to Portland.
Route 1 South.
Your phone is working.
What's going on
with the phones, Officer?
What kind of black car?
Dodge.
Charger, I think.
They're gone. It's okay.
Hey.
Thank you.
Wait!
Ilko wada jir bey wax ku gooyaan.
"Together, the teeth can cut."
When we unite, we are strong.
I kiss my children
good night because of you.
Apologies, Mr. Dixon,
but we have less than
two hours to Keyhole.
Hope you got your diaper
strapped up tight.
No more. No more.
No more. No more!
Avery.
What's going on?
- Luke?
- No. It's fine.
We should go.
- Sure?
- Let's go.
I guess I don't need
to tell you what happens
if that kid gets out of jamming range,
manages to find someone
who'll listen to his story.
No.
Upstairs'll send a burn team.
Expunge us from the face of the earth.
Delete our birth certificates.
It'll be
be like we never existed.
We'll catch them.
What What are we doing, man?
We We need a plan.
We can't just sneak around.
This is the plan. Shh.
- More cops?
- It's okay.
I trust her.
Let's move.
Oh, God.
Have you, uh
Has anything like this ever
No.
It's remarkable.
Truly remarkable.
Hey, my friend, are you there?
That's right. That's right.
All right.
Chief, this is Wendy.
Mic check?
Dennison PD, mic check? Come back.
Anyone, anyone, anyone, signal check?
Wendy.
It's okay. It's okay. It's me.
It's me.
You nearly gave me a heart attack.
Sorry. We, uh
we've got no place else to go.
What are you doing here? Who's this?
Did you God,
did you hit him with my car?
I don't know how to tell you this.
Chief Ashworth is dead.
- What?
- Drew shot him.
What are you talking about?
I am telling you, the Chief
is dead, we are in trouble,
and we need your help right now.
Well, who is this?
- Reynolds.
- Yes.
Find a place to pull over up ahead.
And And start thinking about
where they might have gone,
who Jamieson has
that he still might trust.
- Okay. Got it.
- Yeah.
You're gonna pull over behind him.
I'm going back to Dennison.
You keep going, keep the pressure on,
drive 'em into the cordon.
You're going back?
Yeah.
That clerk, uh
Also, kids tend to hide
when they're scared,
not run.
Looks like there's more to the article.
Yeah, that's what loaded
before it all went dead.
Tim? Says he's a person of interest.
I was kidnapped.
I'm so sorry, Luke.
It's awful. Beyond.
God, you need medical attention,
psychological care,
social services.
What are you doing?
I mean, this is this is
- You've got no legal
- I-I had no choice! All right?
If you had seen
what was on that drive
The drive you left
in the Chief's pocket!
The one that would prove everything!
- Yeah, I I know how it sounds.
- Sounds like Annie!
Yeah, and they fucking killed Annie!
Look, if none of this is real,
who's jamming your communications?
Uh, landlines, Internet, cell service.
Who can do all of that?
Yeah. I just drove Fort Hill,
checking the cell towers.
It looked fine.
Also, all the radios aren't working.
So what? So what?
This is This is them?
All of it? Some kind of scrambler?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Because that that's what they do.
I need to get him out of town, okay?
And Drew shot Ashworth?
- Drew shot Ashworth?
- Yes.
- Why?
- Because it makes sense
to have one in the local cops, okay?
Maybe more than one.
- Look, I don't understand it all, either.
- Yeah.
But you know you
know, uh, that reporter?
- Kate whoever?
- Kate Nilson.
She tried to kill us, too.
No, no, no. That's true.
Okay? She worked for the Institute.
Okay, you have absolutely
no reason to believe me,
but we are telling you the truth.
Yeah? What do you want?
I understand Dixon
damaged the deprivation tank.
"Damaged"? He blasted it apart.
You have any idea what kind
of TK power that requires?
A full house on a Sparkler Night
can't do that.
It's orders of magnitude
bigger than what we've seen.
You told us TK
was too weak to be weaponized.
It always was! It's not just me.
All of us. All the literature.
No one has ever had a TK that strong,
not that could be verified.
Of course, there were always rumors.
Presents some intriguing new options.
There's no options!
We're simply not prepared to
deal with that kind of power.
Dixon's a time bomb.
We can't leave him like this.
Don't tell me liquidation.
It would be safest.
But no, at the moment, we need him.
So we Gork him.
Immediately.
He conducts tonight,
goes straight to Recovery.
He can power The Hum indefinitely.
The answer to our prayers.
Hey.
You better hurry up and eat.
I'm shutting this up soon.
It's Sparkler Night.
Here we go, Sha.
Here comes the airplane.
Come on, Sha.
You can't do Sparkler Night
on an empty stomach.
Oh, shit.
Avery, my man.
What's wrong with Kalisha?
She's going, man.
They're all going.
Then me, then you.
Gorked.
Nicky, help me. Hold my hand.
What do you want me to do?
Just help me.
Kalisha.
Can you hear me?
Kalisha.
Kalisha.
Go away. I have to hide.
Wake up, Kalisha, please.
- Sha?
- Please, Kalisha.
Kalisha.
Hey, look who it is.
It's Avester.
You're a sight for sore eyes.
I missed you.
I missed you too.
Someone give me a smoke. Today.
It's Sparkler Night. Eat up.
Did Luke escape?
I felt it.
Yeah, he's out. They're scared shitless.
I thought so. I thought I felt him go.
- Fuck, yeah.
- Shh.
Can you talk to him?
I can feel him sometimes.
He's not strong enough
to talk back to me.
But me I'm strong.
I'm a lot stronger than they know.
Strong enough to do something.
We can't escape, Avery.
I have the pieces.
I don't know how to put them together.
Thank you.
Ah, okay, so,
we are gonna run out of time
because they, uh they are not dumb.
- Just a minute.
- All right.
So, we we head out,
stick to backroads.
- Yeah.
- Boston. Montreal.
Wendy? You in there?
- Wendy!
- Yeah, hold on.
- Let's go.
- No, no, no!
Go in here. Go in here.
Go on. We'll close it.
- You all right?
- Hold on!
I'm coming.
What's with the radios?
I tried changing the battery
what are you doing, Drew?
What's going on?
Sorry. Who are you, exactly?
How many guesses do you need?
Oh, the FBI doesn't care
about warrants anymore?
You're law enforcement.
Shouldn't take a warrant
to ensure your cooperation.
With what? What are you doing, Drew?
What's the last you
hear from Tim Jamieson?
Tim? Why? Is there something wrong?
Afraid so. Last contact?
Uh, last night, he borrowed my car.
Tell you why he needed it?
Why are you asking me about Tim?
He may have had a
a breakdown of some kind.
A breakdown?
A break with reality.
There's substantial mental
illness in his family history.
How the fuck do you know that?
Wendy. Tim shot Chief Ashworth.
That's not possible. Okay? No way.
It's true. We were just at the station.
The Chief told you Tim shot him?
Chief didn't tell us anything.
Chief is dead.
What?
I'm sorry, Wendy. I'm really sorry.
Oh, my God.
Well, what's Amanda going to do?
She this this
this doesn't make any sense.
Well, it's
He's the prime suspect at this point.
I'm telling you, Wendy, I saw
him on my way out this morning.
It sounded like he'd been
drinking Annie's Kool-Aid,
talking about astronauts,
a hole in the moon.
Well, I still don't believe it.
And even if it's true,
it doesn't change the fact
that he's not in my fucking house!
So, if you two don't mind
Drew, get the fuck out!
Drew, what the fuck are you doing?
Hey, Drew.
Ah! Ah! Hands.
Let's not make this worse.
It's already worse.
Back up against the wall, both of you.
Hands where I can see them.
You won't
Sure, I will.
Ah! Jesus, Tim!
I told you, he's gone crazy!
We have to do something!
Shut up! Just shut up!
You shot the Chief right in front of us,
so don't fuck with me.
That's her, the one I told you about.
Mm-hmm.
Luke. I'm worried about you.
Wendy, if you wouldn't mind
taking these two into the other
room and tying them up,
relieving them of their weapons.
Don't tell me you're buying
this bullshit they're spinning.
How long have we known each other?
- He's snapped!
- Move!
All right, all right, all right.
There's no point arguing.
Let's de-escalate, right?
Like they taught us. There!
There! Come on. Have everyone calm down.
Let's let Tim calm down.
We'll sort all this out.
Let's just Let's just
not point guns at each other.
Tim.
Tim, look at me.
Let me disarm both of you, okay?
I'll establish chain-of-custody
on Drew's sidearm,
and forensics will show if
it's what killed the Chief.
There's not got gonna be
any forensics, right, Drew?
I'm sure the Chief's body's
already gone.
Still, I would be very happy
to put this gun down,
just as soon as you disarm him
and Miss FBI over there.
She's not FBI.
It's a good time to
de-escalate, like she said.
Drew?
Okay.
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Let her go! Let her go now!
Let her go right now, man!
Drew. Drew, Drew, Drew.
Just give me a reason.
Mm.
I know this must feel like
a very dark time for you.
Give me it.
Give me it.
Clearly, he's been telling you things
Yeah, no shit. You kill Annie yourself?
- Tim?
- What?
You killed Drew.
He killed the Chief and he just shot me.
I know. I've known him
since we were kids.
Mr. Jamieson,
I haven't killed anyone.
You're making a huge mistake,
and based on what?
The words of a scared, confused child.
Maureen made a video.
Oh, well
That's unfortunate.
Why?
It means we're all dead.
Yeah?
What was on this video?
All of it.
Your
"Gorks." All of it.
I think it went all the way through.
Arm works fine.
All right, let me take a look.
I told him everything.
No, you didn't.
What does that mean?
- You don't know everything.
- I know
what you do to us, kids like me,
like Kalisha, like Avery,
and I know what you did to my parents.
Yeah, but you don't know why.
Smartest kid in the world
doesn't think to ask why.
What's to know? You're using us
to commit the perfect crime
murders with no physical evidence.
You're You're a hit squad.
You're assassins
or whatever you wanna call it.
And you're the blind man
who felt the tail
and thought he could describe
the whole elephant.
We should just shoot her.
It's not as easy as you think.
She'll kill all of us, if she can.
No. Not all of you.
Not if I don't have to.
Go ahead. Describe the elephant.
What's the point?
You're gonna kill me anyway.
Not if I don't have to.
I'm going for my cigarette.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
Yes, the Institute is involved
in untraceable assassinations.
I told you.
- Fucking A.
- But the real question is who we target.
Why does that matter?
You you think we do this for money?
Or politics?
You've seen the news
about Senator Ramsey,
died in a small plane crash recently?
- Yeah, I heard that was you.
- Yeah.
Ramsey's what we call a "hinge."
If he'd lived, nine years from now,
he's Secretary of Defense,
has a break with reality,
convinces the President
to hit North Korea,
limited nuclear strike.
The problem is, the missiles
overfly Russian airspace,
and Russian early-warning systems
are old and shitty,
and from their screens, it looks like
we're coming for them.
They have moments to react. They launch.
We have moments to react to that.
- We launch.
- Did you say,
"Nine years from now"?
Give or take.
- Uh-huh.
- I know.
Hard to fathom.
But I'm sure you've seen by now,
Luke has some rare abilities, low level.
But there's another ability,
more rare, more important
precognition.
Like telling the future?
The PC track.
How rare?
I'm not cleared to know how many
we have at any given time.
How many you have to do what?
Find people who will trigger Armageddon.
Hinges, Tim.
Very good.
And once you've found one,
you put together a target package,
and they turn over to you
for elimination.
Right?
Since 1950, we've saved the world,
I don't know, over 500 times.
Yes, people have died,
but billions have been saved.
So, you're the math whiz.
You understand cost-benefit ratios.
This is it's bullshit.
It's fucking bullshit.
Okay. Well, what would you do?
What would you do?
What would you do to save the world?
Whatever it takes?
Correct.
I don't get to have
crises of conscience.
I don't get to
to feel sad for some particular kid
and his poor, particular grieving Mommy,
or the mission fails.
And full nuclear exchange?
Four billion people die in two hours.
Within ten years,
throw in 99 percent of plants and
animals, if you care
about that kind of thing.
Yeah.
You can see my thoughts. Am I lying?
She's not lying.
That just means she believes it.
So, tell me this.
If you really are saving the world,
why not do it out in the open?
Why all the secrecy?
Why not let us all decide?
We can't run that risk.
You understand that.
You shot a child in Boston
to prevent a massacre.
You walk out of here with Luke Ellis,
you're putting the entire
world on suicide watch.
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