Will and Riley take a train and Riley has Will take a blocker to stop Whispers from linking with him. They kiss and then Will takes the pill. Mr. Hoy merges in with Riley, who introduces herself. She tells Will that Hoy doesn't trust them, and Hoy admits that he's escaped a lot of BPO traps through the years. Hoy takes a blocker and figures that they'll see each other again before leaving the merge.
Sun tells her teacher that she has to go. Unsurprised, he gives her a bag that he's put food, clothes, and money in. The teacher assures her that nothing he has done in live exceeds the honor of being her teacher, and says that he and Sun's dog will be there for Sun whenever she returns.
As Lito makes breakfast, Hernando points out that he slept on the couch and wonders if he's been mad at him. Dani comes in and Lito says that he's mad at himself. Lito tells them that they're going to Sao Paolo for the Gay Pride Parade.
Nomi and Amanita return to their home, and kiss to celebrate their return.
Capheus is driving down the street when Zakia hails him. He pulls over and admits that he's looking for some courage. Zakia knows that he came to her office the other day, and tells him that the guys who told Capheus that she's gay are assholes. She admits that she's bisexual and she loves people for who they are regardless of their sex. Zakia tells Capheus that that she hasn't felt so lucky since she met Capheus. Jela and the passengers all watch from the bus, and applaud as Capheus kills Zakia.
That night, Kala wakes up and goes to her pool. She dives in and swims, and merges with Wolfgang. Kala tells him that she's trying to be brave.
Zakia takes Capheus to her apartment He points out that they live in different worlds, and she tells him that tonight they don't as they kiss, undress, and make love.
Wolfgang strokes Kala's arm, and she talks about how she's with him, all of the rules and logic abandon her. He asks her if she's sure, and Kala nods before they make love in the merge.
In the morning, Capheus gets up, goes out on the balcony naked, and looks through Zakia's books. he checks out her kitchen appliances and manages to start up the coffee machine. Zakia joins him and Capheus hands her a cup of coffee.
Rajan brings Kala breakfast in bed and kisses her on the cheek. Wolfgang is merged with her and smirks as Rajan ends up kissing him. Kala jerks, startled, breaking the merge.
Capheus tells Zakia bout the DPR's visit, She says that Koman is a serious man and wonders why Capheus hasn't met with Koman. When Capheus points out that he's a matatu driver, Zakia figures that's exactly why people would vote for him, and that the people trust him. The government abuses the poor people by raising the prices on them, and Zakia tells Capheus to hear the DPR out.
Lito, Hernando, and Dani arrive in Sao Paolo and a crowd is there to greet the actor. The parade host hugs Lito and tells him that he's one of his biggest fans, and gives him a complimentary packet. The host tells him that the parade kicks off after Lito's address, if Lito wants to give it. Lito's new fans hug him and take selfies with him.
Silas drives up to Capheus on the street and has Shiro with him. He tells Capheus that he's seen him on Youtube, but warns him that people are noticing him. Mother and son go inside, and Shiro wonders if she should be worried that Capheus didn't spend the night at home. He asks the same of her, and Shiro admits that both she and Silas have AIDS. Silas has told her that they may soon have a cure./ Capheus starts crying and finally tells his mother that sometimes he forgets that life is full of gifts as well as surprises.
Riley and Will return to their "borrowed" apartment with papers to cover the windows. As they kiss, Puck appears in Riley's mind via a merge. When she tells Will, he figures that Puck was on blockers when he and Riley first met. Puck says that she should assume that any of their kind she meets is a BPO collaborator. He figures that Riley is a collaborator, and admits that he came to the concert to have sex with Riley. Puck suggests that it's a good trust-builder, but a disgusted Riley refuses. He advises her to call him when she gets bored of Will, and they merge to Italy where Puck is. Puck explains that he makes his own blockers, but warns that they won't keep Riley safe forever. He licks her face in the merge and drives off.
Wolfgang and Sebastian are playing soccer against Sebastian's team
Kala is in her office trying to work and merges with Wolfgang. She watches as Wolfgang stares down an opponent who knocked down Felix, and then knocks the man down. Wolfgang goes to the bench for some water and Kala asks if he has to do such things intently. He tells her that he only does so with the things that matter and starts to kiss her. Kala's assistant comes in, interrupting her. Once she leaves, Kala tells Wolfgang that it wasn't real. He figures that married women like to fantasize, and assures her that they're safe. Kala insists that she can't be trusted with her thoughts and tells Wolfgang that she needs help. He says that pretending isn't a life and goes back to the game.
Lito, Hernando, and Dani have dinner and Hernando asks Lito if he knows what he's going to say. Dani tells Lito that he's good when he speaks from his heart like at the premiere. two men nearby are openly kissing, and Dani points it out to Lito and Hernando. Lito looks at them and Hernando smiles.
The next day, the host introduces Lito as the parade's Grand Marshall. Lito admits to the crowd that he was scared to come there, and to admit that he's a gay man. Hernando mouths his encouragement, and everyone cheers as Lito smiles and enthusiastically repeats his confession. Lito admits that he might have to lose his career pretending to be other people, to be what he's pretended not to be. He brings Hernando up and introduces him to the crowd, and says that he is the love of his life. Lito tells Hernando that he's a better and braver person because of him, and doesn't care what the cost is because he knows that he's worth it. With that, he kisses his love as everyone cheers. and the cluster joins Lito to celebrate.
Later, Sun and Riley merge and agree that the parade was fun. Sun admits that she misses prison, and they figure that they've switched places since the last time they've met. Riley tells her clustermate that it may be what life always feels like.
Nomi meets with her sister Teagan to try on wedding dresses. Teagan claims that her parents are okay with Nomi being there, but admits that her father said that she would regret having Nomi there because Nomi woudl make the wedding about her. She told him that he was wrong, and couldn't imagine being married without her sister being there. Nomi hugs her as Amanita takes a picture, and then gets an email from Abrasax that they found an old shipment to the cabin and it's near Dancing Water, the commune where Amanita grew up. Nomi insists that she has to go, hugs Teagan, and leaves.
Will wakes up in a bed in Whisper's house, merged with him. "His" daughter Chloe shows him a picture she made, and Will goes to a safe and opens it. Inside is a phone, and Whispers calls the Secretary The Secretary says that it's a big day for them and they're counting on Whispers. Will looks up and sees Whispers in the bathroom window, breaking the connection. He tells Riley that something bad is going to happen.
Wolfgang is taking a shower when Lila merges with him and pretends to shoot him with a gun. She says that she's bored, and Will merges to tell Wolfgang that they need information. Lila explains that she uses blockers like everyone else, and refuses to give her supplier's name. Wolfgang shows her a photo of Whispers, and another man--Maitake--appears and tells Lila to walk away. Wolfgang sees her side of the merge as she watches Volker and his men go into a restaurant. Lila breaks the merge and goes to the bookstore, but Wolfgang reestablishes the merge and advises her not to go in because Volker's men will soon come out. She concedes Wolfgang's expertise and waits, and the two bodyguards come out. Lila shoots them dead and goes inside.
Lila enters the bookstore and kills Volker's two men. Volker recognizes her and says that he hoped that it was her. He knows what Sebastian doesn't: that Lila is just like him. She kills Volker, and Wolfgang asks if Volker was right about her. Maitake appears and tells Lila to stop talking to Wolfgang. Wolfgang points out that Lila keeps walking away from him when he asks for something. After a moment, Lila ignores Maitake's advice and says that Volker was The Cannibal, and ate his own. She admits that Maitake thinks that Wolfgang is lying. When Wolfgang asks what she thinks, she fires the gun at him and breaks the merge.
As they eat takeout, Riley wonders if they made a mistake doing the rave. Will figures that there must be some kind of cluster intelligence network because they all knew who Riley was. Hoy appears and reverses the merge, showing Riley the soundproof box that he lives in to prevent anyone merged with him to find him. He points out that the rave was a terrible risk and asks why she did it, and Riley points out that he took a risk coming to the rave. He admits that after 30 years of surviving--but not living--he's slowly dying of surviving.
Riley says that she's sick of playing by the rules and leads him out to the roof. Hoy follows her and sees where she is. Hoy opens his box and exuberantly shows her around his house in the Highlands. A woman, Kirsty, calls Hoy to dinner and he introduces her to Riley. Kirsty isn't surprised and invites Riley to dinner, and once she goes Hoy explains that Kirsty was the wife of one of his clustermates. Hoy was with him when he died, and he asked Hoy to look after Kirsty.
Nomi and Amanita go to the cabin following the directions of Amanita's three dads. As they walk, Nomi asks her lover if she thinks what Teagan said is right. She apologizes for focusing on things other than Amanita,, and admits that she couldn't survive without her. As they kiss, Nomi sees Angelica standing nearby.
Over dinner, Hoy tells Riley that in 1962, the BPO was created at a covert conference. He was there helping Ruth draft the initial charter and guidelines for research into sensacity. At the end of the conference, the signatories guaranteed human rights to Homo sensorum. Hoy shows Riley photos of the conference.
Amanita tells Nomi that in Ruth's book, she talked about how the brain stores connections like memories. In the memories, Angelica talks to Jonas about how sequoias are like Sensates, and the two of them living together at the cabin.
Hoy tells Riley that BPO didn't announce the presence of Homo sensorium because they knew that Homo sapiens would destroy that which was different from them. Ruth's twin sister was a sensate, and was stoned to death as a witch in the Egyptian village where they both grew up. Ruth became a crusader to stop the same thing happening to anyone else's sister, and now Hoy says that she would seep upon seeing what BPO has become.
Nomi realizes that something is wrong, and sees Angelica and Jonas arguing with Todd and the rest of their cluster object to their collaboration with BPO.
Riley asks Hoy if he knows Whispers. He admires her courage and admits that she doesn't know his real name. Hoy tells her that Whispers is the bogeyman of BPO, and warns that he can give her what she wants but it comes with a price. When Riley agree, Hoy explains that there's a sensate network, the Archipelago. it's a word-of-mouth sensate network that has existed since the Neolithic. Whispers spreads the word through the Archipelago that he's looking for Whispers--the Cannibal--and soon a janitor sees Kolovi and sends word back to Hoy. Hoy warns Riley that she won't like the answer.
Waking up, Riley tells Will that she learned a lot about BPO. There's someone on the inside that knows Whispers, but she has to go alone to Chicago to meet the person.
Nomi and Amanita reach a burned-down building, and Nomi "sees" Metzger prepping Angelica for surgery. Raoul and Angelica destroy the building, and Angelica calls Senor Pasquale for Raoul. he then sets himself on fire, destroying the research building with it. Angelica and Whispers watch from nearby, and Angelica says that she'll start over. The cluster realizes that everything started to go wrong when Angelica went to Chicago.
Written by Gadfly on May 13, 2017