Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This – As the episode opens, Bat Lady/Lizzy (Tovah Felshuh) searches for Brad Bolitar (Kristoffer Polaha) who she believes is calling her. She screams, “Brad, is that you.”

Arthur “Spoon” Spindell (Adrian Greensmith) warns that Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael) is going to be killed. Emma “Ema” Winslow (Abby Corrigan) admits to being surprised by the “stalker apps” he installed on their phones. Correcting her, Spoon says they are “bestie apps.” They track Mickey’s phone to an area near the river. Seconds later, they discover Mickey’s body nearby.

Shira Bolitar (Constance Zimmer) conducts a search about “homewreckers” when Hannah Taylor (Missi Pyle) messages to say she has the exhumation forms. After sending a thank you text, Shira tells herself that she is going to hell. A knock at the door grabs her attention. She opens to the door to find herself face-to-face with Troy Taylor (Brian Altemus). Giving her a letterman jacket for Mickey, he says Hannah was supposed to bring it but she has been a “total flake” as of late. Shira assures him that Hannah has been busy with the restaurant. He suggests she is avoiding Chief Ken Taylor (Lee Aaron Rosen). He asks what she and Ken were discussing at Dylan Shakes’ (Jack Casey) memorial service. She claims they were talking about Dylan. He demands she stay away from his family before leaving.

At the hospital, Spoon admits to being angry at Mickey. Ema accuses Bat Lady of almost getting Mickey killed.

Bat Lady claims to have Brad again. Sunglasses Man/Dylan (Hunter Emery) reminds her of what she said about leaving the dead, dead. She questions why Brad haunts her. He suggests Brad is telling her to leave Mickey alone. She warns it is too late when a CCTV alert detects Spoon and Ema. Bat Lady says it is too late for them as well before meeting them outside. Spoon blames her for Mickey being in the hospital. Ema demands she stop playing mind games. Bat Lady admits to knowing about Mickey. Ema asks why she didn’t help him. Bat Lady assures them that she is helping him, now that they are there. She holds up her arm to reveal a tattoo of numbers and letters on her forearm. Ema sees the same series of numbers and letters on the nearby tombstone. She has a flashback of Lizzy with the same tattoo. Bat Lady urges them to finish Mickey’s mission to save Ashley Ken (Samantha Bugliaro) when Rachel Caldwell (Sage Linder) approaches.

Shira admits to a nurse (Marsha Goolcharan) that she failed to protect Mickey. She questions if she lacks maternal instinct.

Spoon escorts Rachel into the boiler room. Rachel admits to feeling bad about not stopping Mickey from returning to the club. Spoon says she should have stopped him. Ema assures him that Mickey wouldn’t have taken Rachel’s advice. They study the blueprints for the club. Later Ema picks them up in a green Lamborghini before heading to the club.

At the hospital, Mickey wakes up to find Dylan in his room. Dylan explains what happened when young Shira (Sadie Veach) and her friends dared young Brad (Maximo Masefield) to enter Bat Lady’s house. In a flashback, Dylan reveals himself to Brad. Bat Lady caps her hand over Brad’s mouth to muffle his screams. She tells Brad that Dylan will be taken somewhere safe. He vows to never tell anyone. He and Dylan exchange baseball caps. Bat Lady tells him that “Abeona” calls him. Back to the present, Dylan gives Mickey Brad’s cap. Mickey says Brad kept his cap as well. Dylan tells Mickey it is time for him to take over for Brad.

At the club, Spoon crawls through the ventilation system while listening to Ema’s muddled directions via a handheld radio. He drops down into a room where a kidnapped girl (Jamie Pohs) dances for a male client. Outside, Ema and Rachel hear the lead bouncer (Matthew K. Addison) ask who he is when his radio cuts off. Inside, Candy (Sophia Adler) watches as the bouncer searches Spoon. When the bouncer steps away to talk to Buddy (Carter Gill), Candy approaches Spoon from behind. She orders him to continue looking forward before asking if he is there for Ashley. She suggests he is linked to Mickey. Spoon informs her of Mickey being in the hospital. He tells her that his friends are in the alley waiting to get inside. The bouncer escorts Spoon up the stairs. Outside, Ema forces Rachel to give her the gun when Candy approaches. She tells them that they have Spoon. Frantic, Rachel asks how they can help him. Candy says they have less than an hour to rescue Ashley before her buyer arrives. She explains how the dungeon is protected by a key code that changes every few minutes. She says they need to get Buddy’s phone to access the dungeon.

Following Candy’s instructions, Ema and Rachel enter the pub and continue their way to the dungeon. Outside, Spoon is put into the back of the van. As the van prepares to drive away, Candy hops in the back with Spoon. Back at the club, Ema tells the bouncer that she is Angelica Wyatt’s (Stephanie March) daughter. Rachel is holding cash when Buddy authorizes their access. They order drinks when Buddy admits to loving Angelica Wyatt in the “dolphin movie.” Ema claims the dolphin taught Angelica how to swim. Back in the van, Candy cuts Spoon’s restraints. He recognizes her from a fountain in Asbury Park. She confesses to being there with her mother. He promises to get her out. Back at the pub, Rachel offers to take a photo of Ema and Buddy. He reluctantly hands her his phone. While aiming his phone, Rachel authorizes access to the dungeon before returning the phone. After viewing the blurry photos, he looks up to see them gone. He realizes the dungeon lock has been activated with over two minutes left before it resets.

The Bouncer pulls Spoon out of the van. He threatens to shoot him if he doesn’t talk when Candy hits him. Surprised, Spoon says that was awesome before the bouncer shoots her. She opens her jacket to reveal a gunshot wound before collapsing. Back at the club, Rachel and Ema are at the Dungeon entrance when Buddy approaches from behind. Rachel aims her gun but he knocks it out of her hand. A fight ensues. Buddy strangles Ema nearly unconscious before Ashley knocks him out with a gun. Ema informs her that Mickey set them to save her. Back at the van, Candy asks Spoon if they can return to Asbury Park to walk the boardwalk and see her mother again. He holds her until she takes her last breath. Mickey calls Spoon’s phone.

Back at the club, Ashley, Emma, and Rachel are leaving when Kylie (Auben Wise) restrains Ema. Kylie orders Ashley to go with her buyer but Rachel refuses to let her go. She threatens to kill Ema if Ashley doesn’t comply. As Ashley approaches the buyer’s car, Ema gets free. A van mows Kylie down. Emerging from the van, Mickey rushes over to pull Ashley out of the car. The buyer drives away. Mickey wraps his coat around Ashley. He admits to tracking them to the club when a distraught Spoon emerges from a van. Ema rushes over to embrace him. Octoface/Antoine Lemaire (Manuel Uriza) hands Mickey an address and orders them all to. As they flee, a shootout ensues.

Troy finds Ken drinking in his vehicle. Ken informs him of Hannah asking for a divorce. He says she has been different ever since Shira came back. Troy pulls up in front of Shira’s house. Inside, Shira informs Hannah of Troy’s visit. She says he believes she and Ken are having an affair. Shira assures her that she only came back to take care of Mickey because it was Brad’s dying wish. Hannah pleads with her to not leave her again. Troy secretly watches as Hannah professes to love her.

Mickey, Ashley, Ema, Rachel, and Spoon arrive at a parking garage. Ashley tells him that Brad tried to rescue her before Kylie’s men brought her to the club. After getting away, she followed Brad to their camp where she saw him comforting Mickey. She suggests they will always be connected before Octoface arrives. Ashley leaves with two people from Abeona. As Octoface wipes the temporary tattoo off his face, he explains Brad’s loyalty and bravery. He gives Mickey a letter from Brad to Antoine Lemaire.

Ema drops Mickey off at Shira’s house. He thanks her for saving Ashley. She reminds him that he saved her. She embraces him before leaving. After looking at Brad’s letter, Mickey starts running down the road. In the letter, Brad asks Antoine to help him and Kitty Bolitar (Narci Regina) Abeona. Busting through the door of Bat Lady’s house, Mickey accuses her of killing Brad because he wanted to leave Abeona. He finds Bat Lady in a room with walls covered in photos of children. She denies killing Brad. Reminding him of how he helped save Ashley, she says he will rescue more children. Pointing out a photo of young Luther Daniel Adaro), she says Brad saved him. Mickey remembers Luther as the paramedic (Luke Marinkovich) from the accident. As she prepares to tell the story, Luther stabs her before locking Mickey in the room. The room begins to feel with smoke. Spoon’s photo burns. The entire house is on fire as the episode ends.

 

Harlan Coben’s Shelter Review

Ema and Spoon track Mickey’s phone to a river where they find him unconscious. Shira blames herself for not being there for him. Dylan visits Mickey in the hospital to explain what happened when Brad was bullied by Shira to enter Bat Lady’s house. He returns Brad’s hat to Mickey.

Bat Lady reveals her true identity (Lizzy) to Ema and Spoon. She urges them along with Rachel to rescue Ashley. Spoon enters the pub through a vent. Buddy orders a bouncer to get information out of him. Candy informs Ema and Rachel how to get Ashley out of the dungeon. While trying to save Spoon, Candy is shot. She dies in Spoon’s arms.

Buddy relaxes around Ema after discovering her mother is Angelica Wyatt. He allows Rachel to use his phone to take their photo. After activating the digital lock securing the dungeon, they have over two minutes to rescue Ashley. Buddy arrives and a fight ensues. Ashley intervenes to stop him from strangling Ema. They flee but encounter Kylie outside the club. She threatens to kill Ema if Ashley refuses to go with her buyer. Mickey mows Kylie down and pulls Ashley out of the buyer’s vehicle. Antoine gives them an address to go to.

Abeona takes Ashley to a safe location. Antoine gives Mickey a letter that Brad had sent him. He reads the letter to discover Brad and Kitty wanted to leave Abeona. Mickey confronts Bat Lady who denies killing Brad. She tells him that it is his legacy to take over for Brad. As she prepares to tell Luther’s story, Luther kills her. Luther locks Mickey inside the room before setting the house on fire.

The series becomes more unbelievable and ridiculous with each episode. The dialogue misses the mark more often than not. A major human trafficking network operates without police interference. Kylie’s biggest obstacle is a group of teenagers working under the premise of another questionable organization, Abeona. Murders, abductions, kidnappings, and other crimes go unreported.

A failed opportunity to provide real insight into human trafficking. The U.S. Department of State estimates 26.6 million victims of human trafficking worldwide. Over a million are being trafficked inside the United States.

The episode deserves a 5.5. Get more Harlan Coben’s Shelter recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Our onsite advertising builds brand awareness, click the link to learn more.