WATCH FOR SPOILERS!!
Do they have a chance against the Patriots? Pictured: (l-r) David Lyons as Sebastian Monroe, Stephen Collins as Dr. Gene Porter, Elizabeth Mitchell as Rachel Matheson
Charlie, Monroe and Connor are on their way back to Willoughby when they run into Miles and Rachel. They arrive at a new location for a hideout. Miles takes Monroe to the Patriot training camp. On their way back, they discover two Patriot recruits who were spying on them. Aaron and Pricilla camp in the woods on their way by to Texas. President is informed about the progress of the reeducation camp in Texas. Miles and Monroe take the cadets back to the boathouse where Gene immediately recognizes them. Miles suggests attacking the camp but Gene and Rachel are highly against the idea. Afterward, they ask the recruits about their involvement with the Patriots and learn that the kids willingly enlisted. Gene and Rachel take the children back home despite Monroe’s disapproval. However, Miles knows Monroe is right and tells Rachel the same. Miles, Rachel and Gene arrive at one of the children’s home where they are held at gunpoint by the girl’s father. Gene tries to reason with him but to no avail. The father believes the Patriot story about Miles being a terrorist until his daughter tells him about what happened to her at the camp. He looks at her eye and finds numbers tattooed on the inside of her eyelid. Suddenly, the girl shoots her father and then slits her own throat. Back at the boathouse, it is determined that the numbers are an activation code for the brainwashing inflicted upon the recruits. Parker and Neville with a small army of Patriot open fire on the boathouse after learning its location and a gunfight ensues. Neville finds Monroe and engages him while Jason deals with Connor. During the fight, Rachel releases the other recruit. Miles threatens to shoot the boy and Rachel begs him not to until he take his finger off the trigger and lets the boy leave. Miles, Rachel and the other fight their way out. After they arrive back in Willoughby, Doyle chews Parker and Neville out for disobeying him. Later, he invites Jason into his office and reads the number written inside his eyelid. Doyle asks Jason to tell him about his father.
Who wants to beat the Patriots more, Miles (Billy Burke) or Monroe (David Lyons)?
The Patriots are seriously bad news. They are enlisting children not old enough to vote to wear the proud flag of the United States of America on their arms. To top thing off, the recruits are being made into sleeper cell soldiers who are activated by reading the code tattooed in their eyelids. This is a method of creating obedient soldiers supposedly implemented by the Nazis and the Russians during the Cold War—soldiers so obedient that they will kill anyone who stands in their way including their own parent. Nice to see how much was learned from our enemies, ain’t it? The situation definitely causes conflict between Miles and Monroe and Rachel and her father Gene. Miles and Monroe understand the rules of war and know that the Patriot will do anything and use anyone to achieve their goal. They have to do whatever it takes if they want to stop the Patriots from taking over Texas and if they have to kill children not old enough to vote to do it then so be it. Monroe has no problem with the idea but Miles is conflicted. He doesn’t want to shoot a bunch of kids but his instincts tell him otherwise. Rachel is clearly against the idea because of what happened to her son Danny. Being told by Miles to play it smart, Rachel recalls all the times where she played it smart and it turned out bad for her. The nanotech she created that wiped out power to the world, the device she made that kept Danny alive, the decision to leave her family to protect them from Monroe, she views these as smart yet terrible choices she has made. She decides to think with her heart instead of her head. Rachel convince Miles to allow the boy cadet to go back home even though it was against his better judgment. Rachel thinks he made the right choice but Miles doesn’t. He knows the rules of war have changed now that there are children involved.
Miles’ decision stirs conflict between him and Monroe. Monroe was not a team player from the beginning which comes as no big surprise. Everything he has done has been for his own benefit, for him to reestablish the Monroe Republic and run it with his son by his side. And Miles figures it all out. It was inevitable that he would. He has known Monroe since childhood and he served with him in the Monroe Republic before leaving. Needless to say that Miles is not happy with the fact that Monroe wants to restore his empire. However, Monroe has a goal to fight for. What’s Miles goal? Why is he fighting? It’s a question that has to be asked. Gene wants the Patriots beaten so the people of Willoughby can be free. Rachel wants the same thing and they are bad news. Why does Miles truly want to beat the Patriots? He is not one for a strong sense of justice as he was willing to shoot a kid because he’s in a Patriot uniform. Maybe this situation will have Miles figure out what he really wants.
Tom Neville is still plotting his own vendetta against Doyle and he’s using General Parker to help him. Ever the smooth talker, he convinces Parker to go after Monroe against Doyle’s orders when Tom learns his location. It is interesting how manipulative Tom can be. He simply finds a person’s weakness and exploits it to where he may have them believing that they are doing the right thing for their benefit even though it really is for his benefit alone. Tom wants Doyle and he will use Parker to get him…or have Parker die trying.
Here’s something else: Pricilla seemingly has control of the nanites. While in the woods with Aaron on their way back to Willoughby, she heads to an area away from Aaron where the fireflies surround her. Strangely interesting, she seemed to revel in the fact that she is with the nanties whereas before she sought their destruction. Have the nanotech taken Pricilla over? There is likely more to this mystery. Question is can Aaron figure it out?
