Episode 5 begins with Doctor Burrows (Ralph Berkin) leading what appears to be some type of reincarnation ritual in the woods surrounding the institute. The victim is revealed to be female but her identity remains shrouded.
Alone in her room, Lucinda/Luce Price (Jessica Alexander) goes over her newly acquired files before retrieving the smuggled cell phone and placing a call to her father, Harry Price (Roderick Hill), outside. Just as she goes outside, she catches sight of the elder returning from the ritual. The call with her father does little good, being that he practically believes nothing she says.
Doctor Clifford Howson (Alexander Siddig) and Ms. Sophia Miriam (Sarah Niles) return to his office alone where it is revealed that he wanted nothing to do with the ritual but was forced into participation. It is also suggested that the Veil should have stopped Edward Lockwood from seeing anything more than the charred remains of the facility. Unfortunately, this apparently wasn’t the case because according to Howson, the Outcast (Adam Zambryzczky) disrupted the Veil.
The following morning at breakfast, Luce immediately notices the changes in Penn Lockwood (Esme Kingdom). She doesn’t get too long to dwell on them due to the arrival of Daniel Grigori (Gijs Blom). Their conversation reveals that Daniel has also been at the facility for 20 years and undergone multiple documented medical operations. According to Luce, her files were practically normal. After sharing her discussion with her father, it becomes clear that they need to escape with physical proof of Howson’s wrongdoings.
Penn briefly meets with Ms. Sophia Miriam’s sister (Sarah Niles) to discuss the previous night’s incident. Penn remembers very little from the incident but clearly fears being kicked out of the institute for unprofessional conduct. Eugene (Nick Wittman) continues his harassment of Molly (Maura Bird) by making her hold a boiling hot put. This ends up blistering her hands.
Daniel and Luce continue planning their escape while training together. Roland (Lawrence Walker) and Cam (Timothy Innes) are also paired together which leads to a discussion about their files. Roland claims to have been at the facility but miraculously remembers very little of it due to Howson’s memory adjustment procedures. What he does remember is a girl named Maya who was apparently a bit of a troublemaker. Although Cam does not share the contents of his file with Roland, he does later tell Luce that it contained a variety of near-death experiences and miraculous recoveries. This is when she tells him about finding Cassie (Laura Majid) and her and Daniel’s plan to escape.
Much to Molly’s surprise, Gabbe (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) brings her some medical cream for her blistered hands and even treats her with tenderness. Sometime later during a meal break, Daniel and Luce approach the other residents with their escape plan. Despite the plan requiring everyone’s participation, it will only be Daniel and Luce who actually escape. They do promise to later return for the others. After a bit of teasing about that part of the plan, they all agree to help, except for Gabbe. This leads to Daniel and Luce later debating whether or not to show her the files.
Arriane (Josefine Koenig) has been excluded from the escape thus far but when Luce later gives her the files, it’s revealed that she has heard. She’s clearly upset about being excluded, despite Luce’s assurances that she will return for her. Much to Arriane’s surprise, Luce claims that it was Arriane who made her feel safe when she first arrived at the facility. Arriane tells Luce that she’s the first resident she’s really connected with and attributes that to saving her life.
When someone slips Molly and Gabbe their medical files it leads to a very awkward evening group therapy session. Howson defends his methods as ethical and humane while the residents claim they are nothing short of a lobotomy. Despite all this, things really get grim when Luce asks if he chose them specifically because they were troubled and no one would miss them if they died. Howson ends up walking out of the session. Gabbe later not only gives Daniel and Luce the keys to a Humvee but she gives Luce a key to remove her ankle bracelet.
Ms. Sophia confronts her sister after discovering one of the pages from the prophecy books missing. Sophia’s sister not only plays dumb but she accuses Sophia of being overworked and stressed. As she walks out, Sophia tells her sister that removing the page won’t make the problem disappear.
Along with the other residents, Daniel and Luce prepare for the escape, but things take a bit of an unexpected turn when Molly attacks Eugene in the kitchen and holds him at knifepoint. Luce intervenes and prevents her from killing him at the moment but does eventually leave them alone. Roland also manages to kill the electricity as planned but ends up getting electrocuted in the process. Cam and Luce share a bit of a moment when he gives her a ‘departing gift’ – her jacket. By this time, Daniel has made it to the Humvee and got it started.
It’s not long before Tasha (Sam Bell) learns of the missing Humvee and orders her staff to lock down the facility. Roland just happens to wake from the electrocution about the same time and begins attacking the electrical panel with a fire extinguisher. Although it is extremely close, this provides the time Daniel and Luce need to make it through the front gate.
Daniel and Luce spend a few minutes celebrating their win after making it to Cassie’s jeep. This is revealed to be a bit premature when Howson arrives with backup. As they are taken back to the institute, Cam returns to his room to find Arriane waiting on him. Much to his surprise, she wants to discuss her medical file which reveals that she’s also been at the institute for 20 years. In addition to that, she’s been subjected to Howson’s memory treatment 122 times. Despite Arriane’s confession, it is the return of Cassie that shakes him to his soul.
Daniel and Luce are immediately delivered to Howson’s office where they are just as quickly interrupted by Tasha. When Howson steps away, something draws Luce to Howson’s secret lab. By the time she reaches the Outcast, Daniel has noticed her disappearance and gone after her. Although her discussion with the Outcast is just as brief as it is cryptic, it reveals a familiarity of sorts. The Outcast tells Luce that she is the girl from Anavarzine and must choose so that they can return and be forgiven. He also tells her that this is her last chance and the others are already dead. When Daniel eventually leads her away, they are attacked by the Outcast who has now returned to monster form. Despite escaping, there is a brief struggle in which Daniel ends up sustaining a cut to the stomach.
By this time Luce gets Daniel back to the med bay to treat his wounds, Howson has realized that the Outcast planned its capture so that it could communicate with Luce. While searching for disinfectant, Luce finds a pendant of sorts that inspires brief memories of another life.
The episode ends with her discovering a clone of herself in some type of scientific tank.
Fallen Review
If this series has accomplished anything after 5 reaching its halfway point, it is confusion. I am not sure if the intent is to keep viewers guessing or intrigued. Maybe it was written for an audience familiar with the book. I don’t know but things are confusing and only appear to getting more so. I for one would certainly appreciate a much more thorough explanation of things, which will hopefully come in due course.
Despite that, I do find the content impelling enough to keep watching. For that, I’d have to give this episode a 5.3 out of 10. I did enjoy how this episode was built around the escape but everything from Daniel and Luce’s plan to the actual execution, I felt was poorly executed.
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