Boilermakers – As the fourth episode of Night Sky begins, Jude (Chai Hansen) has a nightmare that he is being attacked and choked by a man. He leaves the York house and buries the shiny ball object in a hole behind the shed. Byron (Adam Bartley) surprises him with his dog Lucy. Once Byron learns that Jude is the new caretaker, he asks what it is like working for those two. After Jude says he just started, Byron suggests they’re somewhat strange. They seem normal to Jude though. Byron questions whether he has seen them go out to the shed, but Jude leaves without answering. When Jude returns to the house, he tells Franklin (JK Simmons) that he just went out for a walk. He learns about Byron so he warns Jude to stay away from all the neighbors because they’re nosy.

Franklin makes him sit down for a cup of coffee before asking about searching for his father. He finds it strange how memory can come and go even in a young person like himself. Irene (Sissy Spacek) joins them to say they can see her former student Marianne at the library because she is going to start them off with public records. Jude doesn’t think his father is going to be in any records although Franklin says everyone is in something. After Jude and Irene leave to visit the library, Franklin uses a towel to put Jude’s mug in a plastic bag. At the library, Marianne (Tracey Greenwood) asks whether they did a reverse image search with the picture of Gabriel. Franklin leaves them while Marianne does the reverse image search.

Jude doesn’t think he likes him very much although Irene claims he is grumpy to everyone. Franklin visits Thomas (Tim Griffin) to say Irene hired this shady guy who claims he can’t remember anything. He tells him about the knife he found and gives him the mug so he can collect DNA evidence. Thomas admits he can’t do that without cause. Franklin tells him about the weird metallic thing that might’ve been circuitry he found in the sink hoping it’ll change his mind. Thomas reveals what Irene told him although Franklin insists he isn’t senile. He warns Thomas that it’ll be on him if they get murdered in their sleep. Marianne returns with a hit for the image from the Farnsworth Clarion from June 2005. Jude learns that his father was arrested for loitering in Thayer Park.

He can’t understand how someone could be arrested for not having a place to sleep. When Franklin joins them, he is surprised to see the mugshot and the fact that the defendant claimed to suffer from amnesia. As they drive away, Jude wonders if his father is still around here. Irene suspects it is possible. Franklin plans for Jude to chop a big pile of wood this afternoon. Irene isn’t sure it is necessary, but Jude says he’ll do it because he likes labor. It clears his mind. When Stella (Julieta Zylberberg) wakes up, she encourages Toni (Rocio Hernandez) to get more sleep because it is going to be a big day. Stella apologizes for not being able to tell her. Toni says there are so many rules like not being able to go into the chapel. She understands now.

Nick (Stephen Louis Grush) knocks on the door to see if they’re ready to get started. Later, he asks Toni how she likes it in America. Once she says it smells weird, Nick tries to explain that. She asks about going to New York all the time, but Nick doesn’t because he has everything he needs right here. He shows them his old computer that can navigate and track. Nick runs the card through while telling Toni that it is logging onto the telecom grid and it is looking for a signal. Once the system is done, Nick receives serial numbers to help them pinpoint where the object is. He believes he can narrow the search area, but he’d have to tag along. He shows them the van that is full of equipment that he’d used to help find what they’re looking for.

Nick promises to show Toni how all this works although her makes her swear that she’ll never tell another soul first. He describes Toni as his apprentice now. In private, Stella admits to Nick that her daughter doesn’t know anything. She argues that Toni is too young so she doesn’t want Nick to mention anything to her. Nick tells her it is nice to see her before they get into the van. Denise (Kiah McKirnan) thanks Katie (Paulina Olszynski) for letting her spend the night. Katie thinks it must be nice leaving town and hanging out with so many fancy people.

Denise doesn’t think it is what she expected and never thought she would be bored and stressed at the same time. When she complains about migraines, Katie suggests spending another night. Franklin admits he thought this would tire Jude out. Irene complains he has been in a mood since the library. Franklin suggests it has something to do with her telling the chief he is senile. Irene confesses it was the only way to get rid of him the other day. Franklin feels like she is choosing Jude over him although Irene quickly denies that. He reminds her that Jude is not Michael, but Irene already knows that. Irene is going to help Jude because it is the right thing to do. She is not going to give up on that because he feels threatened. Franklin decides to take a drive.

He passes by Byron who is busy burning his campaign signs. Irene invites Jude back inside for a break. She asks why he is being so secretive, but Jude doesn’t know what she means. Jude claims there is nothing he can say that he hasn’t already said. Irene argues that he hasn’t said anything. Jude thanks her for the sandwich and everything she has done for him. He offers to leave if she isn’t happy with the way things are, but Irene isn’t asking for that. She just wants to be honest with one another so she can trust him. Chandra (Beth Lacke) arrives at the door to talk to Irene. Jude listens from a distance as Chandra says she thought seeing her the other day was a sign from the universe. She is delving into freelance and would like to help people she likes.

Chandra asks whether she has thought about hiring someone to help with chores before disclosing that her rates are reasonable. Jude interrupts to see if they’d like some more tea. Chandra learns that he is the new caretaker. Chandra gives Irene one of her cards and asks if she can use the bathroom. Before she leaves, she looks for something to steal. Once she gets in her car, she complains about the stupid kid. We also see that she stole the metal bar or whatever Jude had in his bag. Toni asks Nick whether they’re only to see New York only to learn they’re going in the opposite direction. Nick believes she is in for quite the adventure though. He suspects she’ll do a lot more traveling in the future since it comes with the territory.

Nick asks Toni to get him a drink from the cooler in the back. She opens the wrong one and finds a gun and bullets before opening the right one. At home, Jude picks up the phone as a man asks if this is the York address. It is Dale from D&H Pawn calling about the gold coins Frank showed him. He has a guy who is super motivated. Jude pretends to be Franklin’s son to get the guy’s phone number. Meanwhile, Franklin plays pool as Randy (Brad Armacost) watches at his pub. Randy claims business is going fantastic even though it is empty. Franklin tells him to never shut this place down. Franklin doesn’t look happy when Byron enters. Jude calls the interested buyer. When he calls him Gabriel, he is told he likely has the wrong number.

The man on the phone says he just wants to see the coins and it doesn’t concern him if they’re stolen. Irene begins calling for Jude. Before he can hang up, the man tells him “fiat voluntas dei”. He tells Jude that nobody was on the other end so she suspects it was a telemarketer. Irene gives him some money because he has done a lot of work and deserves to be compensated. Before she goes to bed, she tells him that she’ll be there when he is ready to talk. Later, Jude realizes that one of his belongings has gone mission. When he finds Chandra’s card, he suspects she was responsible. Jude walks into a karaoke bar and tells the bartender he is lost, but she wants to give him a beer.

He asks the bartender how to get the address on Chandra’s card. She tells him to wait a second. Katie and Denise are also there. Denise approaches him to apologize for what happened the other day. She asks if he wants to do a shot with her and her friend Katie, but he isn’t sure what a shot is. Byron buys Franklin a beer before they begin playing pool together. Franklin claims he threw himself out while Byron says he dropped out of the race. He tells Franklin that he forged a signature on the petition although it was only his. He believes Franklin knows, but he does not. Byron doesn’t think he was going to win anyway. Once Franklin wins the game, Byron tries to convince him to have another round. As Katie goes to get them around round, Denise tells Jude she is a friend from middle school.

Jude thought she was going to Chicago. He hopes she isn’t staying to keep an eye on him. She asks whether she should be suspicious. They drink more before the ladies try to force Jude to come dance with them. Byron tells Franklin about his marriage. Franklin doesn’t think anyone loves their wife more than he does because they’ve been to hell and back. He loves her just as much as the day he married her although he isn’t sure it goes the other way. That guts him. Byron knows he wasn’t Jeanine’s first choice. She was engaged to a chemist where they worked. When he got sick and died, Byron became her consolation prize. Frank tells him he is a catch before they agree to have more drinks and play more pool. When Irene gets up, she finds that Franklin is gone and Jude didn’t do the dishes.

She checks Jude’s room and the shed but finds nothing. Irene gets into her vehicle so she can go look for them. Byron and Franklin sit outside The Illinois Billiards Club as Franklin suggests he could probably drive. Byron breaks the news that he saw it last night because the shed door was open. Although Franklin says it is a bomb shelter left over from the cold war, Byron refuses to believe it. Byron wants to know how he built it. Franklin suggests it might be time to call the cops to tell them about his trespassing. Byron threatens to tell them about his alien ship. When Franklin says it isn’t a ship, Byron asks him to show him what it is. Jude takes to the stage to sing something for everyone. He sings a song in another language and it seems odd for everyone.

Jude complains that was stupid and everyone is looking at him. Denise admits it was weird although beautiful. He knows about her father and apologizes for what happened to him. Jude grew up with his father and only had a single polaroid so he knows how tough it can be. Denise tells him to stay there while she finds Katie and they’ll get him home safe. Instead, he tries to walk home. Franklin takes Byron into the shed so he can see how it works. When nothing happens, Byron believes Franklin has been messing with him. Franklin says this has never happened before, but Byron calls him funny. In a flashback, Irene (Lily Cardone) asks Franklin (Lowrey Brown) whether Michael is going to win the pinewood derby this year.

Franklin reveals that Michael (Chase Clevenger) said some of the kids in his group make fun of him. They find that he is missing forcing them to go search for him. They find him on the swing outside in the dark. In the present, Irene begins panicking as she drives around looking for Jude and Franklin. A police car pulls up behind Jude before a policeman gets out. He chases Jude who falls to the ground and imagines he is being choked by someone. Jude manages to pull out a knife and stab his attacker in the side several times. Irene drives by in time to see Jude being arrested.

 

Night Sky Review

The fourth episode of Amazon’s Night Sky was the best episode since the first and likely better than the first. I think certain aspects of the show are going to be pretty predictable, but that likely won’t matter anyway. There is a lot going on in each episode of Night Sky. The difference in this episode is that it felt like everything mattered here. We learned more about Jude, his father, and the attack in his past. Irene and Franklin seem to be at odds with Jude’s presence.

The introduction of Nick and everything he has going on added a lot to the Stella and Toni storylines. I doubt it is any secret what they’re trying to do, but time will tell whether my assumptions are correct. Byron didn’t find what he thought he did after all. Night Sky has taken some time to develop but it may have finally hit its stride. The fourth episode scores a 7 out of 10. Recaps of Night Sky are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our work at this link.