*WARNING-SPOILERS ARE IN STORE!!*
Following Claire’s self-induced abduction, Hardy falls into a moment of depression with the weight of failure on his shoulders. Joe Carroll calls Ryan to give him a little pep-talk to which Ryan is quick to decline. Parker arrives with info on the hidden message used to recruit new cult members. After some convincing from Parker, Hardy joins her as they head for a sex house where they learn that one of Carroll’s members has been using it to embed URLs to keep communications private. The owner of the club decides to help the FBI nail a man named Vincent. Getting permission from Roderick, Vincent arrive at the club and meets with the owner who he has been seeing. Taking a large package to his car, he demands her to get in. Hardy and Parker follow them to an abandoned military facility. It isn’t long before they must rush in once Vincent discovers the wire. Parker and Hardy rescue the club owner but Vincent escapes. They investigate the facility and learn that it is used to train cult members. Some of the latest recruits are discovered in a cell by a SWAT member who is immediately attacked and killed. Ryan, Parker and SWAT hunt down the new members. They kill all of them in the process and secure the facility. At the mansion, Carroll learns that the FBI has found the training facility and holds Roderick responsible for letting Vincent leave, putting his faith in him in question.
The FBI continue to dig through the computers and files at the training facility. They discover that a former militia named Danny Monroe has been providing the military presence for Carroll’s cult. Turns out the FBI has been tracking him for months. Further investigation leads them to the address of Michael Fowler. Weston breaks into the home and Ryan and Parker follow him in. They soon find Fowler and ask him about Monroe. Weston tries beating the information out of Fowler until Parker stops him and orders him to accompany Ryan as he searches the house. In the basement, Monroe is found and he denies being a cult member.
However, he lets it slip about the house where Carroll and his followers live. Upstairs, Parker is attacked and restrained by Jacob Wells. Back downstairs, someone has entered the basement. While searching for the intruder, Ryan is attacked by Vincent whom he quickly kills. He returns to the room where Weston is to find that Joe Carroll is there was well. Carroll tells Ryan that he is having a hard time writing his book and asks him about his father. To save Weston, Ryan talks to Joe about the night his father was killed during a robbery. Carroll says to him that they are alike, that their motivations are governed by death. Jacob, concerned for Joe, enters the basement with Parker as a hostage. He demands Hardy to drop his gun before throwing Parker at Hardy, creating a distraction for him and Joe to escape. Afterward, Ryan has a talk with Weston about his actions to which Weston regrets. Then he meets the local sheriff who is willing to assist them—Sheriff Nelson aka Roderick.
Last week, Ryan Hardy secluded himself in his apartment out of regret for not being able to protect Claire Matthews. Throughout most of the season, he has done everything within his power to keep Claire safe. Getting so close to saving Joey only to lose him again shoved the knife into Ryan’s heart. Losing Claire who he fell in love with twisted it, causing him more pain. Ryan has promised her so much and now he feels like a failure. And to further the pain, Joe Carroll calls him to simply taunt Ryan and wriggle the knife around a bit. Ryan is prompted to continue Joe’s game, for he knows the only way to stop him is to play along. Last night’s episode put the responsibility back on Ryan’s shoulders as he now must find a way to save both Claire and Joey. He gets some relief when the FBI discovers the training facility used to test new cult members. This cuts off the bulk of the military presence in Carroll’s nest and backs the former college professor into a corner. Ryan has the edge for the moment.
Joe Carroll begins to unravel due to the loss of the facility and a major networking hub. He questions the loyalty of Roderick who allowed Vincent to leave without first consulting Joe. Vincent’s actions lead to Ryan and the FBI throwing a huge wrench into Carroll’s plans. Joe now questions the man he put in charge during his incarceration. While things fall apart between him and Roderick, Joe tries to patch up things with his ex-wife Claire Matthews. He wine and dines her hoping that the spark is still there. Fat chance on that as Claire turns him down flat. He tries to make her situation appear as normal as possible but still Claire refuses to let him in. However, she deduces that Joe may love her enough to help her understand what the purpose is behind Joe and his followers. Claire tries to wonder what made him change so much. She sees that he is unstable and appeals to him to give up his cult and his torment of Ryan Hardy. Joe cannot because he feels the need to kill. He has the makings of a social-path. With his world beginning to crumple around him, how long will Joe be able to hold on to his humanity?
Mike Weston’s beating by Roderick has left him with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. First he goes up against Ryan when he shows concern for him after Weston begins tossing things and slamming drawers when he quickly becomes frustrated while looking for information on Danny Monroe. Later, he breaks into Fowler’s house instead of following procedure and then he beats the man senseless when they capture in an attempt to gather information. Parker and Hardy are taken aback and become concerned that Weston may have been pushed too far. When he and Hardy find Monroe, there’s a role reversal with Weston playing bad cop instead of Hardy. Before, Ryan Hardy was the one using harsh methods to gather information, but this time he’s on the other side of the mirror. Luckily, Weston realizes his mistakes in the end with Ryan giving him some “fatherly” advice.
Congratulations to Jacob Wells who finally committed his first kill. So what does he do now? He kisses Joe Carroll’s butt until its black and blue. Earning Carroll’s trust over Roderick, he is assigned to look after Claire during her stay at the mansion. Then, when it came time to plug Monroe before he leaks any information about the location of the house, Jacob steps to the plate, pledging he will kill him. Again, he steps all over Roderick’s toes. Guess killing your best friend really changes a person, or so I thought until Jacob sees the news report about him where he then calls his father only to break down crying once he hears his voice. I don’t think Jacob will be able to keep it together much longer. It’ll be a matter of time before this nut will crack.
The best way to describe Joe Carroll and Jacob Wells’ mental states at the moment:
Everything you say to me/takes me one step closer to the edge/and I’m about to break ~ “One Step” Linkin Park
