[Growls]

Weaver: Keep everyone back.

Never were much to look at.

Oh, to us maybe.

For all we know, this one's a prime specimen, the Brad Pitt of Skitter world.

Porter says we have to try to communicate with this thing.

Figure out how it thinks, we can figure out how to beat it.

Weaver: You actually think you'll figure a way to talk to it?

I get it in a controlled environment, give it a shot.

A lot depends on what it's got underneath the hood.

I wouldn't underestimate them.

See the eyes?

It's studying us as much as we're studying them.

I mean, even if he wanted to chat, vocalizations could extend above or below the range of human hearing.

I mean, for all we know, he could be cussing us out right now.

I can almost guarantee it.

[ Growls ] [ Grunts ]

Weaver: Get that damn thing in the cage!

All right, get that thing in the cage! Get him in!

[ Screeching ]

Get him in there!

Get him in there!

[ Screeching ]

[ Hissing ]

Yeah.

[ Hisses ]

I remember you, tooell, uh, it seems to have settled for now.

Might want to keep your distance.

I might.

Time for our patient's morning fix.

Meet me in the command post in five.

Pope: This bike shop, right? Anyway, she calls me up.

She's like, "hey, Johnny, you want a new ride?" I'm like...

[ clears throat ] Captain.

Pope tells me there's a motorcycle shop near Somerville.

It's well off the main highway, so there's a chance it's not picked clean.

I want you to take a team, check it out.

Wait, what?

You're sending me after bikes? No.

My team's ready to get Ben. Porter gave us permission.

He gave you permission to rescue one kid.

That kid turned out to be Rick.

Doesn't change what I need to do. I understand that.

I also understand that Mike's son is a work in progress and Harris is going through the last of our heavy drugs on the detox. So we'll get more.

Yes, we will.

And it will be a hell of a lot easier when we have more bikes.

One objective leads to the next.

First the bikes, then the drugs, then your son.

All right.

So, when do we leave?

You don't.

Pope knows where it is.

He could draw me a map.

If I'm doing this, I'm doing it with people I trust.

It's your call, but I scored my last ride from this place.

I know the layout. I know the streets.

And I can't draw for crap.

We're down one rider since we lost Karen.

I talk, you listen, and no weapon.

You go unarmed.

Unarmed? What am I, Canadian?

[ Laughs ]

Good luck. Thank you.

Anne: No congestion.

His lungs are completely clear.

I know this is gonna sound weird, but are you sure Rick had cystic fibrosis?

"Five specialists in three states" sure.

Before the invasion, he could barely breathe.

I had to put him on a nebulizer twice a day just to clear his lungs.

Why?

I'm no expert, but full remission like this is extremely rare.

Meaning what?

That...Thing that he had on his back cured him?

I don't know.

[ Knock on door ]

When's he gonna wake up?

Dr. Harris said later today.

Tom: How is Rick?

We're weaning him off opiates.

24 hours and we should know if we have him back.

Look, I totally understand if you're holding back with Mike, but I really want to know everything.

So how dangerous is this?

As surgery? Not very.

As long as we have enough drugs to counteract the harness, it's basically cutting steel.

I'm sorry you couldn't get Ben.

I know. Mike is torn up about what happened.

Yeah, well, it's just a man trying to save his son.

So this morning's attitude was for Harris.

I noticed he couldn't get away from you fast enough.

I appreciate your concern over my state of mind.

I am your doctor.

I, uh...

Harris told me that he saw my wife die, and it's hard for me to look at him and not remember that.

Oh, God.

I'm sorry.

At least she was with a friend.

Yeah.

Um, I got to go.

[ Children laughing ]

Sir, they're back.

You were due back two hours ago.

Recon takes longer when you're on foot.

The transportation issue's being addressed.

What's your report?

I saw some harness kids being led into that hospital off of Route 2.

Same hospital you saw before?

It looks like they're still using it as a home base.

And one of your fighter jocks thought they saw Mason's kid.

Any sign of Karen?

Didn't see her.

Right. Dismissed.

Captain, I don't mind taking orders, but I'd appreciate it if you'd tell your fighters I'm not the enemy.

You had them keeping tabs on me, didn't you?

I did.

You were found with Pope.

I was in his vicinity.

I wasn't with him.

If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have a second-in-command.

Those convicts trusted you with a gun.

That whole time you were with them, you never thought about using it before?

Yeah, every second of every day.

On myself at first.

And then on them.

What about now?

I'm just taking it a day at a time.

All right? Yep.

We ready? Ready.

Matt: Dad.

Matt, what are you doing here? You should be in class.

I ditched when I heard you were leaving.

I want to come with you.

[ Sighs ]

Sorry, Shrimp.

You got to be that tall to ride.

But I mean it. I want to help.

You are helping by going to class, keeping an eye on things while Hal and I are gone.

But I can fight, too.

Some of the other kids are learning how to load guns, even shoot.

Well, that's the other kids.

But, Dad... Matt, I said no.

We'll be back soon. Go on. Go back to class.

Scott, will you take him?

Yeah, come on. Come on, Matt.

You're not doing your boy any favors, you know.

Skitter's come knocking, the kid should at least have a chance to defend himself.

If I want any parenting advice from an ex-con, I'll ask for it.

You know, Pope's got a point.

Matt deserves a childhood.

One day, when you have kids, you'll understand.

Me? Kids?

Dream on.

I will.

Tom: How much farther?

Half a mile or so.

What the hell you grinning about?

I'm just enjoying the air.

Didn't mean to piss off the company gangbanger.

Black man with a gun... that's your default?

[ Chuckles ] I just call them as I see them.

So, what were you?

Blood? Crips? Slytherin?

Actually, Mr. Pope, I was part of the biggest gang in the world.

I was Boston P.D.

Thought I smelled a little ham.

You know what?

You know, you laugh that up, convict. Okay?

Because one of these days when we don't need you anymore, me and you... we're gonna have a little talk about my friend Click.

[ Bird squawks ]

Being awfully quiet.

I got nothing to talk about.

Well, if you want to talk... look, Dad, I just got some things to think about, okay?

But thank you.

This thing with Karen... it must be rough.

Oh, it's gonna be rough for a while.

When you see him like this, like a soldier, it's easy to forget that he's only 16.

He's holding it all in.

Well, he's his mother's son.

With me, it was always kind of like talking to a brick wall, but Rebecca... she kind of always knew the right thing to say.

Yeah.

Time like this, I miss her a lot.

What do you think she would have told him?

I don't know, but it would have been perfect.

Maybe I'm lucky.

I didn't have anyone when they hit.

I see you worry about them... Hal, Matt.

Wouldn't want that.

Oh, I worried about them before the invasion, too.

Trust me... Hal with a set of car keys is just as frightening as a Mech.

Same worries, higher stakes.

Hey, come on, guys. Let's hurry it up!

Sooner we get those bikes, sooner we can go after Ben.

W-what are you doing?

Um, saying a prayer for the missing.

It's just something I like to do.

You think it helps them?

It helps me.

You don't know any of these people.

You're not even from Boston.

I heard you talking to Hal one night about how you grew up in Mexico city.

Well, my mom and dad bought a house here when I was 10, and my dad would go back and forth for business while I went to school.

I was freshman pre-med at Wellesley when they attacked.

[ Chuckles ]

Wellesley's not in Boston.

It's in Wellesley.

[ Laughs ]

Okay, 617 snob, my parents' house was in J.P.

Is that Boston enough for you?

W-what part of J.P.?

The part where people lost their faith.

[ Growls ]

Earth. This planet.

Harris: So, this is your game plan? Our planet.

Show it pictures, hope it says the word in Skitterese?

Our galaxy.

Stars.

Outer space.

Well, you know, if that doesn't work, you can try exchanging recipes.

No curiosity, no fear, no remorse.

Maybe that's why it's so easy for them to kill us.

Believe what you want.

But I think it's scared out of its mind.

I wonder what it sees when it's looking at us.

Are we as hideous to it?

As strange?

Yeah, that's a good question.

I got an idea.

[ Screeches ]

This the radio you wanted to show me?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I made it out of an old fallout-shelter survival kit I found in the basement.

Doesn't need a battery?

No, you just crank up the handle to power it up.

You could listen to the Red Sox game.

The other regiments will be working on their radios.

We need to monitor the frequencies, see if they're up and running.

But I don't want it to take you away from making explosives.

That's what I was thinking, which is why I brought along a very capable volunteer.

Come on.

See, all he has to do is wind the handle and slowly turn the dial.

He's looking for something to do.

Right.

[ Laughs ]

Guess what.

I just made you the communications officer.

Cool.

We need to stay inside the tree line.

Pope! I knew I smelled something.

Shh.

Skitters.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Shh, shh.

You'll wake 'em.

Hal: So, they fly across the universe and wipe out mankind and they sleep like bats.

At least they're sleeping and not having Skitter group sex.

I didn't think they slept during the day at all.

They're not nocturnal.

I'm guessing they catch a pile of shut-eye whenever and wherever they can.

Just like soldiers anywhere.

[ Rustling ]

Mechs... north and south.

Active?

Sleep mode.

What the hell are you waiting for?

Let's hose 'em! As much as I love to kill Skitters, as soon as we open up on them, those Mechs are gonna open up on us.

Engaging them is not the mission.

Let's go.

They're like fish in a barrel.

Can we get around them?

Stick to the trees, go past, double back.

Only adds a half mile.

Water?

[ Chitters ]

Are you thirsty? Want some water?

[ Growls ]

It's okay.

[ Chitters ]

Get your damn hand out of there.

What are you doing?

I thought we might try to provoke it with a little visual stimuli.

Hey, chief.

You remember that Skitter that Pope and his boys killed.

Watch this. Remember this guy?

[ Growling, screeching ]

[ Static crackling ]

What was that?

Static.

I know.

It wasn't there a moment ago.

[ Growling, screeching continues ]

Lock! No!

Want a friend?

Get a dog.

[ Snorts ]

[ Hisses ]

[ Static crackling ]

And may we be truly thankful.

In the name of the father, of the son, the holy spirit.

What?

You're lucky you still believe in something.

Did I hear right?

Mason and his crew are taking Pope on this motorcycle raid?

You got a problem with that?

No, I don't. But they will.

This place didn't get hit like they did down... watch out there... didn't get hit like they did downtown, but the, uh, the cooties...

I tell you, they sure as hell made their presence known.

Actually, I scored one of my first rides from this place.

All right, let's check the tanks.

Probably empty, but you never know.

Mi Negra Amor.

And just the off-roads.

We don't need any recliners on wheels.

Professor, you have no sense of style.

Is that the kind of bike you bought here, Pope?

Oh, I never bought a bike here.

I said I got a bike here.

I sure as hell didn't buy it.

Hell, I didn't even need it.

I was just trying to impress a lady. It worked, too.

Pretty proud of your criminal past, aren't you?

I was good at it.

They're all empty.

There's a repair bay back here, couple of bikes in pieces, tanks of gas.

All right, take Pope, see if you can find another empty gas can we can fill and take back with us.

Let's put some gas in these things, see if we can start them up.

It's Dai, right? What do they call you for short?

If there's anything else you think we could use back there, grab it.

Well, this is gonna suck.

Karen would have loved this.

What would Karen have loved?

She's no girly girl, at least not since we knew her, probably never was, but...

She'd have taken this.

We can leave an I.O.U.

Nah.

We're not giving up on her.

Oh, I know.

I just...can't help think about what's happened.

Well, I don't think Karen would want you to blame yourself.

She's a high-school senior, Dad.

She's not a soldier.

She should have never even been put in that situation.

Well, we all wish that had gone differently.

Listen, Karen knew how dangerous it was, and she came anyway because she knew how much getting Ben back means to us.

So, that's it?

We should move on?

I think...

Your mom might have said to...

Hold on to the memory and let the rest of it come.

Actually, she would have said

"suck it up."

Really?

And I'm sorry, but if that was your attempt at parental advice, that was pretty lame.

[ Both laugh ] She was always better at that than me.

[ Laughs ] Yeah, she was.

Come on.

Let's go see if we can help Anthony with those bikes.

You can't cut into it.

It's a living creature.

It's a Skitter. It's not a human being.

At most, it's vivisection.

You can't tell me you got a problem with vivisection or you never would have made it through med school.

Our job is to communicate with it, not just make it scream.

How's Pumpkinhead doing with his ABCs?

If there's a way that we can figure out what it wants and learn about our enemy... we know what it wants. It wants to exterminate us!

Look, they killed my family.

I would like nothing more than to take an ax and cut that thing's head off.

But Porter's orders were clear.

We need to attempt communication.

I believe he's right.

That's a very noble speech. That's very noble.

But it's my call.

I'm not gonna be second-guessed by a pediatrician.

[ Growls ]

Ricky?

Who are you?

[ Chuckles ]

It's me. It's dad.

Who are you?

I'm...

I'm your father.

[ Screeches ]

Father?

Father.

[ Hisses ]

So...

That boy in there... he's my son.

He's everything to me, the only thing that kept me going.

And when he woke up just now, he didn't know me.

But he's here, and he's healthy, probably because of the harness you put on him.

[ Chitters ]

That's why you get this chance to live or not.

[ Growls ]

Hi.

Hey, Annie.

You guys hungry?

Is something wrong?

You usually only seek me out when you need advice on a personal problem.

I've been busy. You've been hiding.

Annie, sweetheart, you can keep pretending that everything's all right, but after what you've been through...

Mike: You're alive right now because they want to know if you're capable of communicating with us.

I want you to talk to me.

Explain yourself.

We're gonna start simple.

All you got to do is point one of your fingers at any picture here and make a sound.

[ Hisses ]

How did you find our planet?

What made you decide to attack us?

[ Screeches ]

So, maybe you didn't understand me.

Or you need some motivation.

[ Static crackles ]

I didn't... I didn't touch it.

It's nice to hear static again.

Yeah, we've been hearing these short bursts every now and then, but... This low wash just... just happened a minute ago.

What's causing it?

I haven't the faintest idea.

I'm not gonna shoot you.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Point at a picture and make a sound.

Don't you look at my son!

[ Hisses ]

You look at the pictures and make a sound.

[ Screeches ]

[ Gun cocks ] Point and speak.

I said speak!

[ Screeches ]

[ Static intensifies ]

[ Static stops ]

Mike: I was just trying to make it talk.

By sticking a gun in its mouth?

Our Skitter's breathing and heart seem fine.

So why'd it just collapse?

Uh, well, in dissections, I found a nerve bundle located just above the soft palate.

Could be a pressure point.

There's no bone to separate the brain from the soft palate, so you probably gave it a concussion.

You knocked it out. So, it's vulnerable.

Well, yeah, I suppose, but if you're close enough to put a gun in its mouth, I suggest pulling the trigger.

So, this just happened five minutes ago?

You wanted to see me?

Dr. Glass wants to go in for a treasure hunt inside the Skitter's skull.

Why? Is this the Skitter that Mike attacked in the lab?

No. This is the one that Pope and his boys shot.

We're gonna open him up.

I-I'm not sure I follow.

Tell Dr. Harris how you heard those loud bursts of static on your radio.

Okay, well, there was, uh, one right around lunch.

I remember them banging the pans.

Which is the same time you brought this one in to provoke the one next door.

Yeah, and the second burst...

Mm...Well, you were with me.

Yeah, it's the same time Mike was sticking a gun in the Skitter's mouth.

She thinks the static may be caused by the Skitter's reaction.

You're not saying that the Skitters have radios in their heads?

Oh, yeah, that's exactly what she's saying.

So what should I be looking for here?

Tubes? Transistors?

Subwoofer? No?

[ Engine revving ]

Oh-ho-ho-ho!

Well, there's one.

All right, let's see what else we can get started.

This thing's drier than a nun in west Texas.

You got all there is? Let's go.

[ Engine revs ]

[ Tires screech ]

What happened?

I don't know. Guess he clocked me.

Great. No wonder he wanted to help us with the motorcycles.

He was planning on bolting the whole time.

One less mouth to feed.

You all right? Yeah, I think so.

[ Engine shuts off ]

Rise and shine.

[ Explosion in distance ]

That wasn't good.

Hal: What is that? Tom: It looks like Pope's work.

That's gonna draw some attention.

[ Dog barking in distance ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

[ Hisses ]

Find anything?

The corpse is too old.

It was mush in there.

[ Static crackling ]

Oh, well, there's your proof right there.

Of what?

What? That the Skitter and the static are unrelated.

It's not being provoked. We're all in here.

It's alone.

I mean, unless it's out there hanging itself right now.

Ricky's in there.

Ricky. Rick.

Ricky! Ricky!

No, no, no, no! Get back! Hold him, hold him, hold him!

Get that thing off of him!

What do you want from us?

[ Chitters ]

You want to hurt me.

We just want to know why you're here.

What the hell does he think he's doing?

He thinks he's talking to the Skitter.

So, what do you want?

Let me go.

No, I can't do that.

This child is one of ours.

Not anymore. We cut off his harness.

Then I'll be punished. Mike: We're gonna help you.

Help me? We're gonna help you, Ricky.

Shut up. He's not your son.

How can we help you?

Kill me.

Stop it, stop it!

Ricky.

[ Screeching ]

[ Gasping ]

He put the harness on.

He wanted to wear it.

How could he do that to himself?

[ Screeches ]

Did you find Pope? Only what he left behind.

He blew up that Skitter nest.

Where's your bike?

I ditched it after I saw what's coming up the road.

Kids, harness kids, heading our way.

Oh, man.

What do we do, Dad? Hold your fire!

There must be a Skitter nearby, guiding them, giving them orders.

Aah! Come on, come on!

You okay? I've been better.

Hal: What are we gonna do?

I don't know.

I know it's horrible... and I hate it, but... no!

Look, man, we got to defend ourselves.

We're not shooting kids!

Look for the Skitter controlling them.

If we stop it, maybe we can stop them.

They move together.

They seem to only shoot when there's a target.

[ Grunting ]

You all right? Still with me? Oh, yeah.

[ Engine revs ]

I think we found your Skitter.

[ Screeches ]

[ Tires screech ]

[ Screeches ]

[ Engine revs ]

[ Screeches ]

What about those kids?

Next time.

Weaver: Skitters have Mechs, superior weaponry.

Why do they need to harm children?

Human shield.

We've been doing it for thousands of years... psychological warfare.

It worked.

You couldn't shoot them. No one would be able to.

Well, we'll figure it out.

There's a silver lining.

I'm not seeing it.

Well, the more that we get to know them, the more we see they're not so different from us, which means we can understand them, which means we might be able to gain them back.

We figure out how, we got a good shot at beating them.

We're a long way from figuring that out.

Well, we know a hell of a lot more about them today than we did yesterday.

You know, your optimism's starting to get a little annoying.

[ Laughs ]

Would it help if I was a pessimist?

Hey, captain, tomorrow, I'm gonna start looking for the drugs we need for those operations, and then I'm gonna go get Ben and as many kids as I can grab.

Permission granted.

If mine were still out there, nothing on this Earth could keep me from going after them.

[ Clears throat ]

I didn't know you still had this.

It's the last one, right?

"Deathly Hallows." Yes.

We were halfway through it when the attack happened.

I figured I'd hang on to it.

We could finish it when we get him back.

He was a huge fan.

He came to me one time and told me he wished he was nearsighted so that he could have glasses like Harry.

[ Laughs ]

Yeah.

I think we both knew that he was getting a bit old for his dad to be reading him stories.

We made an exception for Harry.

Think he'll be all right when we get him back?

Yeah, I do.

Hey, Dad...

I have a feeling that Ben might be a little different now.

I mean, you've seen him.

Well, I've seen him with a harness on.

I mean, you heard what Harris said.

They're pumping drugs and God knows what else into those kids.

Yeah, yeah.

After we get it off of him, I'm sure he's gonna...

I-I hope so.

But when he took Karen, he was staring at me, and it wasn't our Ben staring back.

[ Clears throat ]

Dad.

I know my son.

He's stronger than you think.

He's gonna be fine.

Don't forget to eat, huh?

[ Sighs ]

[ Door closes ]

Anne: The good news is the radio transmissions aren't very strong.

Otherwise, our Skitter would have signaled his friends, and they would have attacked us already.

That is good news.

Aside from that, just a quiet day at the shop, huh?

Yeah, other than that.

Oh, Matt got a job.

A job?

Uncle Scott's assistant.

That's perfect.

He's been needing something to do.

I know.

He really misses you when you're not here.

We all do.

[ Bell ringing ]

Dinnertime.

What are you doing?

Right now? I'm starving.

Don't you dare put weight on that leg.

Unh-unh-unh. I'm gonna get you a crutch.

I'll meet up with you later.

Okay.

[ Sighs heavily ]

What are you thinking?

Hey.

I hear you're scouting pharmacies.

Word travels fast.

Well, everything within a 20-mile radius is picked clean.

Then I'll go 30.

There's, uh, there's another option.

Hey, Dad, check this out.

Is that real bread?

I haven't tasted fresh-baked bread in months.

Yeah, it's a farewell gift from Pope.

He's a liar and a deserter, but the son of a bitch can cook.

Come on. Dad.

It smells good. Hey, I heard you got a job.

Lourdes: Dear God, we thank you for this meal and for this safe place we live in.

We know not everyone is as lucky as we are tonight.

Really think we're lucky?

Yeah, I think we can still appreciate what we have in our life, even now.

I'm thankful for the motorcycles and the chance we have of bringing back the people we love.

And I'm grateful we found each other so we don't have to go through these times alone.

Well, I'm grateful for this bread, even if it did come from Pope.

How about it, Dai? Worth a trip to the chow line?

Yeah, it was.

Dai is high as a freaking kite.

He is loving this bread.

[ Laughter ]

Dai speaks about himself in the third person now?

Yes, Dai does.

Did you get some of that bread, captain?

I will.

Oh, hey.

Not bad.

You should say something again.

[ Clears throat ]

Heavenly father, for everything you've given us and especially for our connection to each other...

May we be truly thankful.

In the name of the father, of the son, and of the holy spirit, amen.

Anne: Amen.

Tom: Amen.