Ten Years Ago
At the Geosciences Research Center, Gene and Alice Hernandez are working in their lab as a young Molly looks on. After talking to her husband, Alice tells Molly that Elian will love his new home. The Starkes call via video chat and Alice tells them that they have to see the projections in person. She shows them a glowing rock sample and Stacey figures the dig has nothing to do with renewable energy. Molly pokes one of the other glowing rock samples, and a door closes in the lab. Gene confirms that it's locked from the outside, and Alice sees a glowing tube on the floor. It starts beeping and Alice calls to Molly... and the cylinder explodes, destroying the building. As Leslie walks away, she calls Tina and says that the Hernandezes are no longer a problem.
In the building wreckage, Molly sits unharmed and holds one of the rock samples... and her eyes glow yellow.
Now
The next morning, Graciela discovers that Molly has climbed out the window of her new room.
As Nico finds Amy's recharged phone under the bed, Robert comes in and asks Nico if she's looking for something. His daughter claims that she's looking for tights, and Robert admits that his being home is strange. He says that Tina has given him a second chance and that it gives him comfort sleeping in Amy's room. Robert asks if Nico minds, and Nico says that she understands before quickly leaving.
Karolina tells Frank that Chase smashed the computer and destroyed the video, and they have no evidence. Frank advises her to let him take over, and asks for a couple of days to do something. He warns that it's too dangerous for the kids to do it on their own, just as Leslie comes in.
Chase is in his room watching a video of Janet giving a press conference saying that Victor is overseas undergoing radical therapy for his brain cancer. Janet comes in and Chase asks what's happening. She says that PRIDE took him and Jonah is invested in Victor's recovery. Chase wonders how Jonah is involved, and Janet begs him not to ask questions. She warns that it will put Chase in harm's way, and Chase wonders who PRIDE is. Chase wonders how they make it stop, and Janet admits that she doesn't know.
At the Academy, Ms. Tezuka offers her condolences to Chase about what happened to Victor. His teammates offer their sympathies and they share a bro hug. Alex, Gert, and Karolina are watching and Alex says that Chase needs a punch in the face. Gert says that Victor is just as bad as the other parents, and Karolina figures that they might still be able to put PRIDE away. Gert points out that Karolina hooked up with Chase, and Nico joins them.
Chase comes over and Karolina tells Alex to stay so they can talk through it. He tries to apologize, but Chase points out that they can't win. Karolina says that Frank has a plan, and Gert insists that they can't break up. Alex suggests that they call themselves "the Runaways" in honor of all the kids that they couldn't save or avenge. The others disagree and Alex storms off. Eiffel is selling tickets for the dance that night, and tells Alex that it doesn't concern him. She offers her condolences to Chase, and offers him a free ticket and a dance. Gert buys five tickets and says that they're all going together because at lest they can dance.
As Tina and Robert drive to the site, Robert smiles and says that once the drill starts up, it'll be over and they'll get back their family and their marriage. Tina warns that what they've lost they'll never get back.
Fifteen Years Ago
Tina is tending to a baby Nico and goes out to find Jonah with Amy. Jonah says that he's feeling better because of PRIDE, particularly Tina standing up to the others. Tina says that she only went along because she believed Jonah would carry out his threats, and quickly takes Amy out. Jonah warns that when girls become teenagers, they turn on their mothers. Once he leaves, Tina confirms that Amy is okay.
Now
At the dig site, Geoffrey and Catherine arrive at the same time as the other couples. Jonah and Leslie are already there and Jonah says that they're standing at the edge of history. He tells the others that he's dismissed the workers because they need a new level of security and the Church will provide it. Geoffrey objects but Catherine quickly cuts him off and says that she's glad the day is there. Dale asks for details about the "renewable energy source" that Jonah has claimed that they're digging for, but Jonah avoids the question and activates the drill.
One of the security men, Eldridge, leaves with the others and Darius has him get into his car. Eldridge says that they all got fired, and Darius figures that it's finally on.
Molly finds the others at the Academy and shows them the VHS tape. Alex offers to use the machine in the AV Club, and they play the tape. The Hernandezes are on the tape, explaining that they've been part of PRIDE and it plans on digging up something big beneath LA. They say that there's a blind fault there, and if they disturb it then it will cause catastrophic earthquakes and massive fires. The couple says that if Molly is watching the tape then they failed to stop it, and assure her that they love her.
Chase figures that their parents know what the dig will do, and Karolina suggests that the Hernandezes were killed because they tried to warn the others. Alex figures that PRIDE is using the school construction as a cover, and Chase agrees with Alex that they have to do something. Alex reluctantly agrees with Chase and says that they have to stop PRIDE because no one else will. He figures that the dance will provide the perfect cover, and they'll meet there and then go to the site.
Frank meets Jonah at the Church and says that he knows what's going on.
Janet is cleaning the garage when Chase comes in. She notices that he's dressed for the dance and tells him that it's good for him to do normal teenage things. Chase says goodbye and Janet asks who he's taking as his date. He figures that Karolina isn't into him, and admits that Gert occasionally makes a good point.
Alex is getting ready when Nico calls using Amy's phone. He goes to her house and Nico shows him the message warning Amy to get out of the house. They figure that it's a man who killed Amy, and Nico points out that the number didn't come from one of Amy's contacts. Robert comes in and says that he and Tina want to take some pictures before Alex and Nico go, and Alex says that Nico looks nice. Once Robert leaves, Nico says that she doesn't care anymore and says that finding the text doesn't change anything between them.
The Yorkes call Graciela, who says that Molly isn't there. She explains that Molly left that morning, and that she didn't call because she doesn't trust them. Graciela mentions that the Hernandezes left Molly a key and tells the Yorkes to leave Molly alone. Stacey is shocked that Gene and Alice didn't trust them, and Dale figures that they knew the Yorkes might be compromised. The couple wonders if anything survived the lab explosion. Jonah calls and asks for a group meeting immediately at his place.
Gert arrives at the dance and Molly gets into the back of her car. Old Lace is in the back under a blanket, and Molly explains that Chase gave her the Fistigons to hold while he went inside. The others arrive and Molly notes that Gert dressed up. Gert claims that it's for their cover story, but Molly tells her to find Chase and live her truth.
Inside, Gert finds Chase and talks about how no one really notices her. She says that Chase never noticed her, and he points out that she's always called him an idiot. Gert assures him that she didn't really think that and it was a defense mechanism. Eiffel comes in with her date, ignoring Chase, and Chase says that his old life was bullshit. He figures that at least they know the truth of who their friends and their parents are, and it's real. Gert asks for one last dance if it's going to be their last night on earth.
Gert and Chase go into the building chapel and dance, and he assures her that he always saw her. She says that she knows he did, and they kiss and then undress each other.
In the car, the others wonder what's taking Gert and Chase so long. Nico offers to go look for them, and Alex asks if she wants company. She agrees and asks Karolina to come with her. They go inside, and Karolina kisses a surprised Nico. After a moment Nico kisses her back. Karolina finally says that she wanted to do that for a long time, and she didn't know if she'd get another chance. Chase and Gert walk up, buttoning their clothes, and both couples realize what happened with the other... and figure that they should go.
At the Church, PRIDE gathers in the meditation suite and Jonah pours drinks and asks if they know where their children are. He says that their liars and they all know what PRIDE has been doing. Jonah tells them what Frank told him, and points out that they've been working behind his back. He warns that if they question their leadership then the consequences will be severe, and asks where their children are.
Tina and Robert go home and discover that Nico has taken the staff.
Dale and Stacey confirm that Old Lace is gone.
Janet returns to the garage and discovers that the Fistigons are gone. She calls and tells Leslie that they're gone.
Geoffrey and Catherine go home and Geoffrey tells his wife that Alex took a key card for the site from his desk.
Darius meets his pregnant girlfriend Tamar at a diner and he says that something is going on at the dig. He tells her about the teenagers and their powers, and wants to find out what Geoffrey is in to and then take it from him. Tamar tells him that she'll see him when she sees him and leaves.
The teens drive to the site and Alex tells Gert to keep Old Lace in the car. Alex says that once they get in, they destroy as much as they can as fast as they can, and then get out. He tells the others that their friends again and he wouldn't want to save the world with anyone else. As they go, a Church guard--Carl--comes up and Karolina tells him to call Frank for authorization. Darius is watching from his car and listens and Karolina says that they're there for a school photography project. Carl calls Frank and says that Karolina wants to get into the site, and has friends with her. Frank tells Carl to let them in... while Jonah sits next to Frank and smiles in approval.
Darius gets out of his car and goes in behind the others.
The teens run to the drill and find the bore hole leading downward for hundreds of feet. Chase and Gert look for the controls, while Alex, Karolina, and Molly prepare to dump a truck down the bore hole. Nico stands watch, and Gert insults Chase's intelligence as he examines the controls. He wonders if she's mad at him because of what happened, and she wonders if it was a one-time thing. Chase says that it was, and Gert agrees.
Molly pushes the truck to the bore hole.
Chase figures that there's an emergency system to cut the power, and Gert points out a big red button. He blasts the entire system with the Fistigons and an alarm goes off.
Molly pushes the truck into the bore hole and it plummets out of sight to hit the bottom. Nico commands the Staff to fill the hole, and a whirlwind forms. The Staff flies out of Nico's hands to go to Tina, who is with the other parents. They tell their children that it's time to come home, and Leslie insists that everything that they've done has been for them. Chase tells them that they're not on the same side anymore, and Stacey says that they're family. The teens prepare to attack, Karolina removing her bracelet, and Leslie admits that she didn't know what her daughter could do... but it was what she was afraid of.
Written by Gadfly on Jan 3, 2018