3 months earlier…
We go back to the beginning of Octavia, Hope, Dioyza, and Echo’s training with Anders on Bardo. During the tour of the facility, they ask about Gabriel, but Anders brushes it off. He leads them to a room that opens to a glimpse of what happened to the Bardoans. It’s a dark landscape with greenish lightning surrounding crystal, stone statues frozen in motion. Anders tell them that this is the enemy they are fighting, it’s an unwinnable war he’s fighting, intriguing Dioyza to rise to the challenge. They are on board.
At the banquet hall in Sanctum, Nikki orders Emori to be taken away and questioned. Madi fights and weapons are drawn. Nikki approaches telling her that she’s only borrowing her for a little chat. She grabs Emori, leading her to the middle of the room to make an announcement to be broadcasted over the entire compound. She extends an invitation to Russell, Daniel Prime, and Raven Reyes asking them to meet at the palace within the next 20 minutes or hostages will start to die, starting with Emori. She then hands the mic to Emori having coached and threatened her to say what she wants them to hear. Instead, she tries to tell Murphy to not do anything stupid which is exactly what he wants to do because he tries to rush to her aid without even thinking of a way to get her out of there without either of them dying. Thankfully Jackson is with him and he stops him almost immediately after Nikki warns her to stop talking. Jackson tells Murphy that they need a plan. Then Indra comes in asking them what the hell did they do now. Murphy doesn’t answer and just asks where Raven is. She tells them that all they found were bodies and blood, none of them their own people. Murphy tells them that he won’t let Emori die so they turn to the one person who might be able to help. Russell. Or Sheidheda.
They meet Levitt again in training. He informs them that although he will be helping train them, Anders will be the one leading it which he tells them is very rare. Then Anders comes in with four more recruits and tells them that over the next 12 weeks they will train together, learn to trust one another. They’re instructed to choose partners and practice duelling. Dioyza, Hope, Echo, and Octavia all successfully subdue their partners with quick ferocity. Anders smiles and nods in approval before turning his attention to Hope. He mentions Dev who he knows was somewhat of a surrogate father to her on Penance and this angers her.
Levitt tries to convince Anders that maybe they should show them their way of life as they are already accomplished fighters. Anders tells him he’ll take it under advisement, insisting they first need to break their bonds to each other so they’ll fight to protect mankind rather than protect their friends. So they begin the fear simulations to test the strength of these bonds and to determine how far they will need to be broken to succeed in turning them. They all fail except for Echo. He tells Dioyza during her own simulation that she needs to let go of her motherly instincts to believe in the cause to make it successful and if she doesn’t she’ll be right back on Penance. He threatens that it will happen to them all one by one so that they will each grow old and die alone. He suggests to commit to her training before she loses both her sanity and then eventually her life.
Indra and Murphy go to Russell. For him to help, he wants some things from Indra. She gives him protection from the Faithfuls, 20 minutes outside time and demands someone who understands the complexity of chess to play with. They strike a deal and the plan is set. He shows them a map detailing a tunnel that runs straight below the palace, creating the perfect undetectable way to save Emori and the others. He tells them that Alyssa will show them the way.
Levitt and Anders show them a room full of embryos telling them that the women on Bardo do not give birth like Dioyza did with Hope. Instead they can monitor these embryos and cure any birth defects before their births. They have 25 embryos, the same amount of disciples that they’ve killed according to Anders. They don’t have parents either and are raised by the collective which stops them from creating selfish bonds. Next they go to a classroom, but all Hope sees is some serious brainwashing being done. Problems between Hope and Echo rise. As Echo shifts to Anders side, the further Hope is pushed against it. Echo believes in what they are teaching the children and their people and that causes the strife between her and Hope. She tells her that she won’t allow Hope to drag her down with her.
Next is the weapons room. They notice a biohazard door in the far corner and Levitt explains that it’s what took out the Bardoans, the thing that turned them into the crystal creatures they were shown at the beginning of this episode. It was caused by something called Gem9 and that’s what is stored behind that door. It’s a small amount but Levitt tells them that it’s enough to take out everyone on Bardo. Back on task, this lesson is one on teamwork. They partner up once again and are blindfolded. They are told to listen to their partners directions to help them hit the targets with their weapons. Instead, Echo targets her friends and knocks Octavia, Dioyza, and Hope down before turning once again to the target and listens to her partners direction to hit a bullseye. Octavia gives her look before Levitt rushes to help her up, asking if she’s okay. Anders notices this and flashed a look in Levitt’s direction. Anders is impressed by Echo’s performance and it sparks an idea. He believes that it will be perfect control that will make them win.
Later that night, Levitt visits Octavia. He tells her that he’s just there to check in with her, but she calls him out on it. She closes the door and he tells her that she has to pass this last part. He calls her a level 2 at best, while he’s a level 11. She approaches him until she’s standing right in front of him and then kisses him, before they walk over to the bed.
With four minutes to go, Murphy and Russell arrive at the banquet hall. She immediately notices Raven’s absence, but Murphy assures her that she’s on her way. She makes Murphy step up and address the Faithfuls on the truth about the Daniel Prime and how he isn’t him. He does, then Emori does. Murphy whispers to her telling her that Indra is on her way, they only need to stall. Next is Russell. He says the Primes are gone forever. Nikki still threatens the countdown as Raven isn’t still there and she once again threatens to kill Emori. Murphy tells her that it wasn’t Raven’s fault for what happened to Nikki’s people. He tells her that it was his idea to use them but she doesn’t believe him, knowing that he will say anything to save Emori. She puts a gun to Murphy’s head and that’s when Indra and her reinforcements come in to save them.
Hope goes to Echo with a stolen flamethrower trying to recruit Echo to help burn down Bardo. She tells her that this isn’t the right way to handle things but Hope continues on, heading outside. They fight and Echo throws a knife at Hope’s throat to stop her from killing the collective. Then we see Echo wake up as it was a simulation and the last part of the recruitment process. Echo passed, but the only person who doesn’t pass is Hope herself. During her simulation, it’s Dioyza who wants to kill everyone on Bardo and at first she tries to stop her, hesitant to agree with such aggressive tactics until Dioyza convinces her it’s the best thing to do. When she agrees to kill them, she proclaims that they deserve it. This ends her simulation and she’s informed that she has failed the final test.
Escorted to the stone room, Anders calls Echo his star student so he has bestowed upon her the honour of choosing hope’s punishment. She chooses five years on Penance. He rules it a fair sentence and she is escorted out, screaming for help.
Indra has her guards position outside the banquet hall doors with orders to await further instruction. Russell thanks Alyssa for leading Indra to the hall as she passes him the keys to his cuffs. Zev is angry about the Primes deception, riling up the rest of the Faithfuls. They crowd Sheidheda as Indra leaves the room. She orders the doors closed once more and tells them that whatever they hear the doors must stay closed until she says otherwise. Murphy thinks about what Indra is doing when realises that this is exactly what he wanted all along. He rushes to the door trying to alert the guards that they aren’t hearing the screams of one man but of many. Suspicious, they relent and open the doors to a room full of slaughter. Bodies cover the floor with Russell at the centre standing victoriously.
And that’s it! Stay tuned for next week’s episode!
