SPOILERS AHEAD!!
Claire Matthews talks to Carrie Cooke about using herself to draw Joe out. At his house, Kingston Tanner watches a video sent to him by Joe Carroll. Tanner wants to act on Carroll’s threat but Mike and Max are opposed to the idea. Meanwhile, Ryan has snuck his way onto the Korban Compound in search of Joe Carroll. Disguised as one of the Korban followers, he infiltrates their ranks and learns the next phase of their plan. Lily Grey prepares to hunt down Joe Carroll. At the compound, Joe learns from Roger that Ryan is in their midst which upsets him. Under Joe’s orders to search for Ryan Hardy, Roger finds him and takes him to Joe. Tracing a cell phone, the FBI finds the house Lily Grey and her family was staying in and they learn that Lily has a vendetta against Joe after finding Mandy’s body. Joe and Ryan finally meet face to face where Joe has Preston kill Courtney to save himself. Lily and her mercenaries arrive just outside the compound. Emma warns Joe about the approaching vans and he leaves with her and Roger. The mercenaries storm the compound, killing Korban followers along the way. Ryan breaks free and takes several mercenaries before he is stopped by state police and reunited with Max. Meanwhile, Mike Weston finds Lily Grey.
Ryan Hardy has known Joe Carroll for a long time and knows how influential he can be. But he gets an eyeful of how much power Joe has gained when he sneaks into the Korban compound and witnesses the gathering of Korban followers chanting their praises for Joe. Ryan has to have felt the initial shock from this. Joe’s power has gone beyond the collective of followers he had before. To those people, he was their savior, helping them break free from their old lives that they have deemed unnecessary. To these people, he is hope. He is their light. He is their god. The Korban followers revere Joe and have forgotten about their fallen savior Micah. Ryan sees the urgency in stopping Joe before he becomes more powerful. All had to do was get a clear shot on Joe. He misses and is later captured. Joe and Ryan finally meet. Joe chats with Ryan even exchanges witty banter with him and makes him realize that Ryan needs him just like Joe needs Ryan. See, Ryan’s purpose is to kill Joe and since he clearly couldn’t let go after his subsequent demise, it is evident that Ryan’s life would have no true meaning without Joe. He is the Joker to his Batman. The same goes for Joe. Ryan Hardy is the only person who truly challenges him and he cannot go on without his “friend”, as Joe calls him. Too bad Ryan doesn’t feel the same way but he does for a moment seemingly think about what Joe said about him needing him. Maybe in the end, Batman truly needs the Joker to continue his purpose in life.
I am not feeling Pastor Kingston Tanner. Not because he’s a glorified televangelist but because he expresses damn near no emotion for his kidnapped son. Most parents would be distraught or upset in some way but not this guy. Nope, doesn’t shed one tear. Right off the bat, Tanner immediately leaves the return of his son Preston in god’s hands. Well, sorry but man is going to have to intervene on this one. What is interesting is that Tanner mentioned that he and his son don’t really see eye to eye. This might explain why it was easy for Joe to manipulate Preston into killing a girl to save his own life. If Preston was really devout, he would’ve died in her place. Also, I don’t think his daddy is all that pious either.
Mike finally gets his vengeance on Lily Grey for killing his father. It’s no secret that he sees Ryan as his hero and tries in immolate him, even taking on his gritty approach to things to boot. He finds Lily at the Korban compound and has a gun aimed at her. Ryan and Max try to stop him but he plugs her anyway. This scene would be something Ryan should drink in and perhaps rethink his decision to kill Joe. And Claire Matthews shows just how stubborn she can be. Driven by anger, she talks with Carrie Cooke about doing an interview to throw Joe off his game. Cooke refuses until Claire takes a page from her ex-husband’s book and uses Cooke’s weakness for a juicy story against her. Cooke can’t pass up an opportunity like this since she is just as obsessed with Joe as Ryan is. She delivers a message on the air that only Joe will understand. Now, how will Joe continue to act with the inkling that his wife is possibly alive?
