The Passage
“How You Gonna Outrun The
End of the World?” (Episode 105)
February 11, 2019

Last week of The Passage was an important episode. Among other things, we learned about Anthony Carter’s backstory and in the present, saw him make a choice to join Fanning’s Family; Shauna further ingrained herself in Clark’s mind; Brad learned a bit more about Fanning’s plan; and Amy learned a bit more about her emerging powers.

Catch up on all of the action from last week with our recap here. Now, on to our deep dive recap and review of this week’s all new The Passage … BEWARE OF SPOILERS!

Meet Horace Guilder (James Le Gros), Deputy Director at the Department of Defense. A man, as Brad explains to Amy, famous for taking credit and avoiding blame. Brad posits that Horace has shown up to Project NOAH in reaction to the Paulson debacle from last episode. Amy has had enough intel download for now and she and Brad agree that they both like to know the score.

I really appreciate how Brad is both a father figure to Amy but also treats her a partner. He doesn’t talk down to her like a child but rather, an equal in this befucked situation they are trying to get out of. It’s a refreshing take on adult/kid relationships in a TV show.

On the ground, Guilder questions Richards on why Wolgast is around and acting like he’s part of the team. In response to Clark saying that Brad makes Amy more cooperative, Guilder tells him he needs to speak to Amy alone so Clark has to get rid of Wolgast for a bit.

As this is happening down in the foyer, Brad and Amy are in her bedroom hatching an escape plan. Using their reconnaissance from the tree house, they know the cooks have a door to the outside with no active alarm. From there, they will use an abandoned drainage pipe to get outside of the Project NOAH compound.

In the crew quarters, Sykes is giving Lear an exam. He’s concerned about the exposure to Carter’s blood and that it might make him turn. As a proactive measure, he’s committing himself to 4B so that, should he turn, he won’t kill anyone. Sykes keeps telling him he won’t turn but also promises to shoot him herself if he does. Jonas finds the upside, being quarantined with the vampires is preferable to hanging around with Guilder.  Sykes teases him that they don’t say “vampires” and then explains that she’s going to come clean to Guilder.

“We used science we didn’t understand to create a lethal species with superpowers that we can’t control, who seem hell-bent on destroying us … oops.”

Before he goes to 4B, Jonas says he needs to see someone.

Cut to Elizabeth Lear being wheeled through Project NOAH.  In his cage, Fanning’s eyes are all lit up which indicates he’s doing some mind traveling or thinking.

Flashback Time! Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2012. Jonas and Elizabeth are at a dinner of sorts. Tim enters the room and him and Elizabeth make eye contact. They both smile. A little too smiley if you know what I mean and I think you do.

In the present, Jonas kneels before Elizabeth but there is no recognition in her face of who he is. In his cage, Fanning lets out a low snarl as he places his fingers on the glass … almost like he was reaching out for Elizabeth.

Title Card. Commercials.

We come back to Lacey and Lila stopping somewhere on their journey to … somewhere.  Lacey is looking at a storm gathering in the sky and tells Lila that something, “Book of Revelation Bad” is going to happen, she can feel it. She asks Lila what she does when she is feeling lost. Lila says she goes back to fundamentals and relies on her training to see her through. Good, great, grand, says Lacey, we’ll do that.

Project NOAH. Sykes is telling Director Guilder about the telepathic abilities of the Virals and how they have begun to aggressively target people.  She proposes that they terminate all of the subjects on 4B but not Amy. Amy is an exception. Dr. Pet jumps in to take credit for Amy being his idea and that they’re very optimistic about her chances. Sykes ignores Pet’s interruption and tells Guilder that they can’t begin formulating a vaccine until they are sure that Amy won’t experience side effects like the others.

“Dr. Sykes, it’s the side effects I’m after.”

Guilder explains that he’s recently changed jobs inside the DOD, he’s now the Deputy Director of the Department of Special Weapons. Sykes is (naively) confused, what does special weapons have to do with combating the Avian Flu. Director Guilder is all, pssh, someone else will figure out the bird flu. Guilder explains that he’s going to take Project NOAH in a new direction.  He wants to know about the extent of Amy’s telepathic powers.

Nichole says Amy doesn’t have telepathic powers but more importantly, she wouldn’t have given Amy the virus so she could be used as a weapon. Guilder dismisses her concerns saying that scientific accidents lead to scientific breakthroughs elsewhere all the time. He cites Viagra originally being developed as a heart medication as a defense of his position which … wow, someone did not give Director Guilder the #MeToo movement fliers.

Dr. Sykes says that horribly inappropriate comparison aside, it’s a bad idea to weaponize science that has been such an epic failure and speaks on behalf of the staff to say that no one in Project NOAH will want to take part …

Which lasts exactly half a second because Dr. Pet, sitting right next to Sykes, suggests that they might be able to control the Virals using deep brain stimulation. Nichole stares at him open mouthed, not believing what she’s hearing.  Her naivete is disturbing given how intelligent she is.

Dr. Sykes begs Director Guilder to ignore Pet and shut them down. Of course, Guilder is hearing what he wants from Pet so he grants him 24 hours to show proof of his concept. Nichole has a sad face.

In the cafeteria, Brad and Amy are making their final plans for escape. Amy accidentally reads Brad’s mind for the location of the kitchen, thinking he’s said the words aloud.  Amy’s face simultaneously falls and makes an, “oh shit” look.

“Amy, are you reading my mind?”

She correctly guesses the things that Brad is thinking about, “baseball, 26, blue.” She says she’s trying to stop it but her brain won’t listen to her. Before they can discuss anymore, Clark and the Good Squad come to drag Brad away so Amy can have her meeting with Director Guilder. Two of the Goon Squad place Brad down on 4B and begin to punch him … I guess that is one way to keep him occupied.

Convent. Lila and Lacey enter a church where some nuns are taking communion.  Their leader, Sister Arnette approaches them and Lacey asks for a place to stay. Sister tells Lacey this is “convent, not a motel” and that she can’t Lacey bring whatever storm she’s caught in into their lives.  Lila pleads that they’ll help out with the Sisters’ community work in exchange for some hospitality. Sister Arnette agrees to board them for one night.

Project NOAH.  In Dr. Lear’s bedroom, Jonas apologizes to Elizabeth. He tells her he’s sorry because after all they’ve done, nothing has worked to bring her back to him.

Down near their atrium, Nichole finds Clark and questions his decision to send Amy to Guilder alone, without talking to her first. Richards defends himself, he’s following the orders from his boss, just like he followed orders when Sykes had him bring Amy to Telluride to be experimented on. Sykes changes tactics and tells Clark that Director Guilder wants to weaponize Amy.  Clark’s response is basically, “A duuuuuhhhhh.” What did Nichole think the military wanted out of Project NOAH?!?

Nichole changes course again and calls Clark on his lying about the DOD staying Babcock’s execution. She asks him Shauna is in his head because if she is, Nichole tells Clark, she’ll help him figure it out. Clark tells her that he doesn’t know what she’s talking about and leaves.

Liar! Gah, Sykes and Richards are in the running for worst people on this show by their shear stupidity. It’s a race between them for most in denial and delusion.

The Cells. Grey is getting Jonas squared away in his cage. He wishes Dr. Lear luck and gives him advice, don’t look at Fanning.  As soon as Grey leaves, the first thing Jonas does is look at Fanning.

Me: *sigh* Sitting here shaking my head.

Flashback Time! Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2012. We’re back at the dinner from earlier and Jonas is giving a speech. Seems this is a graduation dinner of sorts for doctors (though it might doctoral candidates).  As Jonas goes on with his speech, Tim whispers to Elizabeth (who is totally fine at this point in time – remember, this is three years before her diagnosis and the trip to the Bolivian cave) if they can at least agree Jonas’s speech is long and boring.  Elizabeth doesn’t disagree and Tim pours her a drink. None for Tim though, he’s three months sober. Elizabeth congratulates him and Fanning asks if it’s true that Jonas is headed off to Europe again (for work, presumably). Elizabeth says it’s true and that he won’t be back home until the holidays; the ups and downs of marriage.

Jonas launches into another story and Tim says it’s time for him and Elizabeth to go.  She says that would be rude but Tim disagrees, rude is Jonas not spending his last night home with his wife. Fanning interrupts Jonas (and the assembled room), “Jonas, I’m taking your wife home” and Jonas nods. He even thanks Tim.

Oh, this will not end well.

Back in the present, Director Guilder is reading Amy’s copy of A Wrinkle in Time. Put that down you bastard!  He compliments Amy for doing so well on the medical tests. Nichole comes in the room and tells a surprised Guilder that she wouldn’t miss it for the world.  Guilder resumes his interview and asks Amy how she likes it at Project NOAH? Who does she talk to? Does she still talk to Carter?  Amy says that it’s impossible as Carter is gone.

Guilder tells Amy that the impossible seems possible here at Project NOAH and Amy responds by telling him he’s a bad guy (Preach Sister!). Guilder asks if Amy read his mind just then? Because, if she did that would make her special and isn’t that what all kids want to be … special?

Nichole ends the meeting right there. Guilder tries to object but Sykes informs him that she’s still in charge and until she’s stripped of her clearance and position, what she says goes. She and Amy and in the hallway, Dr. Sykes takes Amy’s GPS chip offline. She asks Amy if maybe her and Brad wouldn’t want to bust out of this joint?!?

“Not gonna lie, we were already working on that plan.”

Commercials.

We come back and see Brad having a mindscape conversation. Brad is at a country home and Carter is there. He says they might be in Montrose, Texas. Anthony’s mama is there and all hospitality.  Anthony tells Brad that his real mom has been dead three years so this mind stuff has its advantages.

Brad explains that he didn’t know what Project NOAH really was or about Fanning. Anthony tells him that Fanning isn’t thew only problem anymore, Guilder wants to turn Amy into a weapon, he tells Brad. Brad says he’ll get Amy out and save her. Carter laughs.

“There is no saving her. Your chance to save her was back at that foster home.”

Anthony explains that Amy is the savior for them all. Anthony is only here having this conversation because of Amy. He tells Wolgast that he hasn’t forgotten, hasn’t forgotten that it was Brad that literally drove him to this hell. Brad reiterates his promise to save Amy and get her as far away as possible. Carter stands up and moves towards Wolgast.

“How you gonna outrun the end of the world?”

Carter explains that getting away from Guilder is easy, the hard part for Brad is to prepare Amy for what comes next. That’s his mission now, Anthony says.

Brad wakes up, still bound to his chair.

The Cells. Dr. Pet walks with Emily towards Winston’s cage. He explains that they know Winston had a connection to Paulson so he’s as good a Viral to experiment on as any.

Fanning’s eyes are burning bright in his cage, he’s still thinking about Elizabeth.

Flashback Time! Tim and Elizabeth are walking to his car … which is a recent purchase we learn, a restored 1969 Mustang I think. It’s the ultimate in mid-life crisis mobiles. Elizabeth turns to him and chides him on whether he’s really a scientist what with his child aged girlfriends and penis mobiles. They are very close to each other, this is very flirty. Tim goes straight faced and tells Elizabeth that he’s truly in love with her, and that’s something as he’s never been in love before. Elizabeth’s face falls.

“Tim. Dammit … that was out subtext and now … it’s text.”

They kiss.

Back in the present, Dr. Lear is still staring out at Fanning’s cage when Tim manifests himself inside his cage.  Tim asks Jonas why he doesn’t play Rumours for him anymore. Jonas’s mouth is agape. Like, he knew this was a thing but this is the first time he’s really experiencing it.

The two old friends squabble over whether Jonas should have killed Fanning (as Fanning wanted) or not; tried to save him or not; and of course, Elizabeth. Fanning taunts Jonas that while Jonas cannot speak to her now given her condition, Tim probably can … he wonders if she wouldn’t want to join his family?  The taunt continues when Tim brings up the night that he drove Elizabeth home from the graduation dinner.

Lear doesn’t want to hear about that and changes the subject to Carter’s message, what did Tim mean that they’d already changed the world? “You’ll see,” is Fanning’s ominous response and disappears from Lear’s cage.

Over in Brad’s holding area, Dr. Sykes shows up to free him and take him to Amy.  She gives him the lowdown on points to keep in mind while escaping. Also, she gives him the name of Dr. Stuart Ross at Stanford, an expert in infectious diseases and someone she trusts. He promises to do that. They meet up with Amy and Nicole says her goodbyes. She reminds Amy that she is very special and there is a great light inside of her.

In the medical area, Dr. Pet and Emily are hooking Winston up to their mind sync machine. Dr. Pet is all pomp and ego, sure that his experiment will work. What’s the worst that can happen in thirty seconds,” he wonders? Obviously, Dr. Pet has not been watching this show.

Emily begins the brain sync and immediately, it’s just Dr. Pet and a non-Viral version of Winston. “How do, fella,” Winston says.  Winston is in full control here, despite what Pet thinks.

In the real world, it looks as if Pet is standing still and Winston too. They take the restraints off of Dave.

Mindscape. Dr. Pet tries to regain the alpha feel in the conversation and commands David to stand up.  “Don’t mind if I do,” Winston says. It certainly appears that he doesn’t need to do what Dr. Pet is telling him but rather, choosing.  Dr. Pet has Winston raise each arm and then asks David to tell him what he’s thinking.  David does and then he sits (after a brief hesitation) at Dr. Pet’s command.

In the real world, we see Winston do all of the commands we heard in the Mindscape. He’s very stiff and robotic. He sits and Emily re-engages the restraints. She disconnects the brain sync and congratulates Dr. Pet on his success!

“I’m a freaking genius.”

Commercials.

We come back to Amy and Brad sitting in the refrigerator holding area. Brad is freezing but Amy is not. She says it’s just another strange new thing about her like running fast and reading minds. Brad tells her that she can tell him anything, “secrets can make you lonely.”

Amy confesses to meeting Shauna Babcock in a mindscape. She tells Brad that Shauna said she’s part of their family now and that when she changes, Brad won’t want to be around her anymore. Brad says that isn’t true, he isn’t going anywhere.

“You want family? That’s me. Not them. Me.”

Amy asks why he’s so nice to her? Brad tells her about how he lost someone “precious” to him and then pushed everyone else away. But that all changed when he met Amy. He believes in her and in turn, has begun to believe in himself again. Amy tells Brad that she’s hearing a lot of thoughts, the thoughts of all the Virals and they’re bad.  Brad tells her tell a story of her own so she doesn’t have to listen to anyone else’s thoughts. Best day ever, go! She begins to tells a story of a mountain bike she had as we cut away …

Back to the Winston experiment. Director Guilder has joined the group, he wants a demonstration of the mind control.  Emily fires up the brain sync but nothing happens. Pet turns to Guilder and swears it worked before, Emily backs him up.  “Real impressive. Let me know when you have something, Pet.” Guilder leaves.

In Jonas’s room, Elizabeth sits alone. We see Fanning, eyes still burning bright, turn to Jonas and smile. That’s a first for the Viral form.

Mindscape. Tim joins Elizabeth who is sitting in a smoky, cold looking, desolate park. This is a perfect visualization for her broken mind. She tells Tim that she doesn’t know who he is. “I’m not even sure who I am? I left the house a long time ago. And now, I’m lost.”  Tim offers to stay with her and help.  She complains about the cold and he says he can fix that. The scene brightens in color, you can tell it’s warmed up and she asks how he did that?

Tim tells Elizabeth her name and gives a quick synopsis of who she is, including being a beautiful and hilarious woman, a talented writer and loved by many. He explains that they were friends once. And he’s going to help get her out of her mind.

In the real world, Viral Tim looks into the security camera and makes eye contact with grey who is watching him. A message is conveyed and after a few seconds, Grey gets up and walks off.

Commercials.

We come back from break to find Clark wondering how Brad and Amy have gone missing. He orders the compound locked down and for them to be found. When his Goon Squad leaves, Shauna arrives.  After making an, “I’m pregnant” joke, Shauna gets to her real purpose. To rat out Nichole’s complicity in helping Brad and Amy escape. She tells Clark that they are hiding in the blood cooler. Why should I believe you, Clark asks?

“Because, we’re getting out of here real soon, Clark Richards. And when we do, I’m taking you with me.”

First, Brianne Howey cleans up real nice. God damn, and second, it’s so much fun to watch Babcock screw with Clark. He’s so confused, he has no idea what he wants or doesn’t.

In the blood cooler, some workers come by forcing Brad and Amy to accelerate their escape. Amy leaves her A Wrinkle in Time behind which makes me sad.

Convent. Lacey sits with Lila in the empty church. She talks about how Sister Arnette used to talk about a stirring, what we would call, “a calling.” Lacey says that for the first time, she has a stirring and it’s to protect Amy, “all the promise she holds out to the world.”

Sometime later, Lila is at the alter, praying for Brad and Amy’s safety. A man, in gloves, grabs her from behind, covering her mouth. We don’t get a good look at who he is.

Project NOAH. Clark finds Nichole in the blood cooler, she’s checking on the unconscious worker. Nichole claims to not know what’s going on but also tells Richards that she hopes he never finds Brad and Amy.

In the medical lab, Dr. Pet comes in to work with Winston. Alone. Before he even gets the brain stimulation gear on, David takes them into a mindscape. He asks Pet if he wants him to read his thoughts again.  David is picking up on Dr. Pet regretting come alone, that’s for sure. Dr. Pet is a moment away from shitting himself and it’s wonderful.  He tells Winston that he wasn’t so bold earlier.

David Winston explains that you can learn a lot about a person when you let them think they’re more powerful than you. Suddenly, the restraints go free, the lights turn off, and the door opens. Dr. Pet asks Winston who is doing all of these things and in his very flat, Southern tone, he tells Dr. Pet that it’s him doing it.

Daniel Pet looks up and sees the real world version of himself, all blank faced, doing all of these things. The terror really enters his face at this point.

“Now, I suggest you run.”

Dr. Pet wakes in the real world and takes off running for his life. A smile plays across Viral Winston’s face and he gives chase to his dinner the doctor.

Dr. Pet runs into The Cells and bangs on Jonas’s cage, begging him to help. Too late though because Winston is right behind and he goes nom nom nom on Dr. Pet, splattering blood all over Dr. Lear’s cell. The alarms begin to blare.  The last thing we see as we head to commercials is David Winston, free and making a run for it through Project NOAH.

Commercials.

We come back form the last break, alarms still blaring, and Brad and Amy wondering if the alarms are about them?   Amy realizes she left her book but Brad tells her they can’t go back.

The Cells. Fanning mindscapes Jonas. Tim remarks that this Dr. Pet situation is quite a curveball, bad for both of them, but Jonas just tells him to get out.  Tim says there is some good news, Jonas isn’t infected. Lear replies that he already knew about Fanning’s night with Elizabeth. She told him about it and they fixed it. The fixed it and moved on because they love each other.  Recognition dawns on Dr. Lear’s face and he says that Tim never accepted losing Elizabeth to him, and that is what all this is about.

“You lost, and you’ll never get over it. She never loved you. She never will.”
“You sure about that?”

Fanning ends the mindscape and Jonas realizes he needs to get out of the cage ASAP. He runs to his bedroom to check on Elizabeth. He passes Grey who has just come out of the bedroom. Inside, Elizabeth turns when Jonas calls her name. She gets out of her wheelchair and calls Jonas by his name. They hug and over her shoulder, Jonas spies an empty syringe.

Ruh Roh. Elizabeth is the newest member of Team Fanning, y’all!

Outside the entrance to the kitchen, Amy pulls up short. She senses danger and can hear “him.” Brad turns and sees Winston emerging from the kitchen. Brad tells Amy to run  as Winston leaps across the hallway on to Brad. He begins kicking Brad’s ass and is about to bite out his neck when Amy lets out an ear piercing scream. It reverberates, you can almost feel it in your chest. The force of her scream blows Winston off of Brad and all the way back across the hallway to where he began. Winston is disoriented but eventually gets up and scampers away, almost whimpering.

“You just did that.”
“I just did that.”

Amy faints in Brad’s arms. The episode ends as Brad stares out, clearly thinking, “what the fuck is even happening right now.”

Thoughts.

If last week’s episode was the culmination of the first three episodes of the season, a mini-climax as it were, tonight was the start of the next chapter in our story.  But don’t think there was a moment of relaxation, this show is go go go all the time, I find it hard to breath when it’s on.

The arrival of Director Guilder represents a new, and sinister, existence for Project NOAH while it’s inhabitants are all making choices and choosing sides.

Brad and Amy successfully recruit Dr. Sykes to their side while the wedge is driven deeper between Sykes and Richards. Clark, knowing that what is happening is wrong, refuses to abandon his core belief of a soldier follows orders. It’s going to be his downfall because he’s going to find himself on the wrong side of history. Unless, he gives in to Shauna’s wily ways, which means he’d have to probably become a Viral himself. That’s the only possible path to redemption for Richards at this point, he’s gone too far against Wolgast and Sykes now.

Jonas began his next chapter by committing himself to quarantine on 4B but also, (inadvertently? or purpose?) exposed himself to Fanning’s contact. Part of me thinks that Jonas got exactly what he wanted by Tim reaching out to him as he’s seen happen to Grey and to Paulson and to even Wolgast. Jonas is a scientist, he wanted to see for himself what this form of telepathic communication looked like. He maybe got more than he bargained for by seeing the truly sinister side of Viral Tim.  Maybe he did know about Tim and Elizabeth, maybe he didn’t, but he certainly didn’t appreciate how much of an enemy he had in Fanning until tonight.

What does Elizabeth being injected with the Viral serum mean for her? For Jonas? For Fanning?  Old Elizabeth maybe never really loved Tim but will this new, revitalized version feel differently as she changes and realizes she owes her new existence to Tim, and not Jonas? I think Dr. Lear is in for some hard times and hard truths as this story plays out.

Speaking of Fanning, is his overall scheme going according to plan in light of the Winston breakout or was that really an unplanned curveball as he suggested to Jonas at the end of the episode? You can see where the death of Dr. Pet may cause retribution by Guilder against the Virals but on the other hand, we have seen Tim Fanning exert tremendous control and influence over his “children” so I am finding it hard to believe that Winston acted against his wishes by lulling Dr. Pet into a false sense of security before killing him. Seems the exact kind of calculation that Fanning would plan for.

And last, RIP Dr. Daniel Pet. You were a cocky asshole and I am glad you are dead. You were among the very worst people on this show.

Thank you for reading and I can’t wait to see what happens next week! Remember, you can always live tweet the episodes with me. Find me on Twitter at @popcultureview.