- The FBI continue to search the cult's bunker and training camp and find a connection with the right-wing militia group Freedom 13 and its leader Daniel Monroe. In fact, they believe that at least four members of Freedom 13 were part of Joe Carroll's cult. At the house, Claire and Joey make a feeble attempt to leave the grounds but are stopped before they get too far. Joe is concerned with the FBI having found the bunker and what they might learn. He no longer trusts Roderick and decides he will eliminate Monroe himself and sets off with Jacob and Vince McKinley. The FBI find Monroe and he lets slip that Joe and his followers have a house. That's about all they get out of him before Joe and the others arrive as well. With Joe away from the compound, Claire meets Emma for the first time since her arrival. In flashbacks, we learn that Ryan's father was shot and killed in convenience store. We also learn what he did about it.—garykmcd
- In the morning, Claire wakes up with Joey and tries to sneak out of the compound. She gets to the gate and finds it locked. Roderick and dozens of followers find her and lead her calmly back inside.
At his apartment, Molly the nurse and creepy killer, checks Ryan's vitals. She warns him not to get himself killed.
At the compound, Roderick outfits Claire with a tracking anklet. They show her the place is under heavy surveillance.
Warner County, New Jersey The FBI and Marshals check out the training compound. Agent Weston is out of the hospital and there. He's given a description of Roderick and they have a vague sketch. Debra Parker shows Ryan the training videos, but they're not sure what explosives and military training have to do with Joe Carroll.
There are Poe-related paintings on the wall, with symbols from various religions' afterlives. She's calling his religion "Carrollism."
At the compound, Joe tries to write a chapter about Ryan, including questioning what motivates him. He calls Ryan for inspiration, saying he's struggling with the hero's character arc. He wants more backstory. "What defines Ryan Hardy?" he asks.
Joe asks about Ryan's father, who had just retired as a police officer when he was shot. Ryan was only 17. Ryan doesn't answer, instead bringing up the armory and saying he's getting closer. Joe hangs up. He's unraveling.
1983 Ryan's dad leaves him in the car to head into a store.
In the present, the FBI connects some of the people in the compound footage to Freedom 13, a militia run by Daniel Monroe, a black market arms dealer.
At the compound, Joe questions Roderick and Vince about what the FBI might find at the compound. Vince thinks the FBI could find Monroe, who helped them find the compound. Roderick argues that he's a friend, but Joe says he'll deal with it himself with Vince and Jacob. He's lost all confidence in Roderick.
At the armory, they try to track Monroe. They find property records for Gloria Fowler, whose son Brian is a member of Freedom 13.
At the compound, Roderick sees Emma lurking near Claire, trying to find a way to talk to her. He taunts Emma about sleeping with Joe.
Claire tells Joey they need to act normal for awhile longer.
Roderick talks to Claire. She asks him about the people there, and he says some are cold blooded psychos, but some are just groupies. He's there because he wants a safe place to belong. She warns him that Joe can't be trusted.
Fowler Residence, Milton County, MD
Weston, Ryan and Parker check out the boarded up property. Weston breaks in without a thought. There's a warm kettle on the stove and an infared trip wire. A guy jumps out and knocks Ryan over. Debra pulls her gun and tells the guy to freeze. He's not moving much when Weston beats him anyway.
At the compound, Claire sneaks a peak at Joe's novel.
The FBI agents question Brian Fowler about Daniel Monroe. When he gets mouthy, Weston punches him again. Ryan asks why there are alarm systems everywhere in such a rundown house.
Ryan and Weston search the house and find Daniel Monroe.
Upstairs, Debra tries to make a call but discovers the signal is jammed. She hears a noise and goes to investigate. When she comes back to check on Brian, his throat has been slit. Jacob knocks her out.
At the compound, Emma approaches Claire, who is livid and keeps her from Joey. Emma says she considered them friends. "Shut your mouth right now, you sick little girl," Claire says. Claire follows Emma into the hall and warns her off Joey. When she punches Emma, Emma punches back. Claire starts to choke her, but Roderick breaks it up.
At the Fowler house, Monroe tells Weston and Ryan he has nothing to do with Joe and his "house of psychos." He won't say more about the house until he talks to a lawyer.
An alarm goes off signaling someone is in the basement with them. Ryan goes to investigate and narrowly misses getting shot by Vince. Ryan knocks him over. When Vince goes for his gun, Ryan shoots him. When Ryan comes back to check on Monroe, he finds him dead and Weston gone.
He finds Weston tied to a chair in a room with bullet proof glass windows. Joe Carroll is there, with a knife. Ryan can't get into the room and has to watch Joe torment him. Ryan tells Mike that Joe won't kill him because he needs him alive to get out of the house. Joe knocks him out then rhapsodizes about how their story is still being written. When Ryan says the FBI is coming, Joe says there's no point in keeping Weston alive and threatens him.
Upstairs, Jacob has Debra tied to a chair. She recognizes him immediately and asks about Paul and Emma. Jacob takes out a kitchen knife and says he's going to kill her. Debra says she wants to understand him, since he's a golden boy from a golden family.
Downstairs, Joe won't stop asking Ryan about his father's death. Ryan finally tells him so Joe won't hurt Mike.
1983 Ryan waits in the car, he hears gunshots and sees a man run out of the store. Ryan gets out of the car and runs into the armed robber. He's sure the robbery is going to shoot him, but he doesn't. He runs off. Ryan goes inside and sees his father bleeding out on the floor. Ryan watched him die.
Ryan tells Joe that the robber was found three days later, dead of a drug overdose.
"Why do you think you are surrounded by death?" Joe asks. He thinks it made Ryan want to save people.
"What drives you?" Joe asks. Joe says death drives him. "Me too," Ryan says. "We both seek it out, it motivates you," Joe says. He says they're alike and they both live through death.
Jacob brings down Debra. Ryan kicks his gun to Jacob. Joe leaves the sealed room. Jacob lets Debra go and he and Joe leave. Ryan runs after them through the basement but they get away.
Later, with the FBI on the scene, they want to follow up Freedom 13.
At the compound, Claire tells Joe she read his book. She doesn't think his plan is going to work. She makes fun of it and he storms out.
Jacob watches news coverage of himself. He calls his father in tears, but hangs up after saying "dad."
Joe finds Emma pouring herself a drink in the kitchen. He joins her and starts kissing her. They go at it in the kitchen.
Outside the Fowler house, Ryan checks on Weston, who knows he went too far. "You just gotta make sure you don't do something you can't live with," Ryan says.
Weston tells Ryan there's nothing he could have done to stop his father's murder.
1983 Young Ryan holds a gun on the man who killed his father, forcing him to inject more drugs until he dies.
Debra comes to get Ryan to introduce him to someone: Sheriff Nelson of a neighboring county. It's Roderick, and he's eager to help.
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