William Blake once said “It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.”  It’s a harsh truth but there are few things worse than a betrayal by those closest to you. But what if that betrayal costs those unable to fight their lives—can you truly forgive such an action?

Stephen sits in stunned silence upon the aftermath of Hillary’s plan

The season’s penultimate episode doesn’t start off in the merriest of ways. Stephen rushes through ULTRA in search of Hillary before she does something she can’t take back. Too late as he’s caught up in the explosion and hurled backwards. He flashes back to an old memory of Hillary, one where she asks him “promise me that we’ll look after each other,” before reality storms back into his ringing head. A reality that includes an alive and mostly well Founder. During Hillary’s attempt to end things with violence, Jedikiah takes the unexpected approach—going straight to the source. He attempts to get Bathory and ULTRA shut down by explaining everything to a Senator friend who thinks Uncle Jed’s crazier than a bag of cats and locks him up in a psych ward. Back at the Lair, Stephen shares the news of the bomb blast with the gang. Cara’s freaking out over John’s absence but her fears are temporarily abated when she finds him skulking around the Lair. Unfortunately, the news of his new human state is the least disturbing. He gives Cara a message from the Founder—give him Roger Price or her friends will start dropping like flies. The ‘Star Trek’-like redshirt Jodi, who randomly accompanies her, Russell, and Natalie to meet with the Founder, is the first casualty. Natalie’s previous idiocy of trusting the Founder has all those who went with her, including Russell, embedded with a tracer/kill switch into their cerebellums. At the push of a button, they can be snuffed out like a candle. “You have one hour,” he says, “and then I’ll kill another one of your friends.”

Well, the Founder’s more than just a man with physical power. His threat has another effect, mainly Natalie opening her mouth, stirring the pot with the others. Knowing that selling Roger out is not an option, Cara and Stephen speak to super-genius Irene, tasking her with finding a way to neutralize the tracer agent in the Tomorrow People. She’s smart but doesn’t have quite the experience needed to get it done in such a short time. Calling Jedikiah Price…Marla’s drafted to break Jeddy out and he goes right to work with Irene, dissecting Jody’s body in search of a solution.

Barely escaping from the guards after getting Jody’s body for Irene and Jed, John makes the decision to say his goodbyes, believing he’s dead weight. “I know you’d never cut me loose, so I’m doing it for you.” Meanwhile Natalie continues her meddling while everyone else is trying to offer up a solution and Roger and Marla are having a bit of alone sparring time. Her time spent with him at the Lair has also given Marla a new perspective on what Roger’s been doing all this time.

Topside, John calls Astrid, admitting to her that he had no one else to call. He tells her about his loss of powers but “that’s not the worst of it,” he tells her. He’s feeling down on himself, useless, but Astrid reminds John that the powers don’t make the man. Her passionate speech nearly gets her run down by a taxi, only to be saved by John. “You saved my life again but you won’t go to bat for humanity,” she tells him. “Why are you hiding all that courage?” she asks before planting a big wet one on his lips.

While John and Astrid are sharing some pep talk time together, Stephen and Cara head out to the Relay Tower ULTRA’s using to activate the tracers, courtesy of TIM.

Natalie is the snake in the grass, whispering dissension

Stephen calls his partner out on hijacking everyone else’s thoughts only to have her finally admit what’s she’s been hiding. She’s scared — terrified, more like it — of what’s going to happen. As she’s the leader, she can’t show that type of vulnerability. They can’t play Kumbaya too long as the Department of Defense soldiers—did I mention the property was leased by the government?—and the fireworks start. Despite being pinned down by gunfire and Cara nursing a flesh wound (it’s always “just a flesh wound”) Stephen goes ‘Infamous’ on the troops, releasing a TK blast that KO’s the troops. They make their way down into the site and shut it down, with Stephen putting a clip of lead into it for good measure.

But everything’s not as successful in other places. Jed and Irene have found the key to the paranormal during their tracer research, something he’s been trying to find for more than 20 years. Outside the lab, Roger’s trying to prep everyone for the showdown with the Founder while Natalie still whispering in Russell’s ear, imploring him to “step up.” Her trolling finally works and Russell does the unthinkable; he betrays everything the Tomorrow People have stood for, selling out Roger to the Founder. Only when they hand him over do they realize Stephen and Cara were successful in taking down the Relay station. After saying goodbye to Astrid and promising that the next time he kisses her “it’s not gonna be because the world is ending,” John returns to the Lair only to find out about Russell’s treachery and Jedikiah’s  own little experimentation.

With Roger hooked up to the machine and its engine running, it looks like the bad guy is in the driver’s seat. While Russell and his band of Judases are celebrating, Stephen pays a final visit to his mom and brother, promising to stop it all. Cara brings Astrid to John after he tells her Astrid shouldn’t be alone…it’s that moment that Cara realizes John’s no longer hers.

But all is not lost…Jedikiah Price is no longer a homosapien. No, he’s a full-fledged paranormal and, as he walks down the street, his powers are frightening and just what the good guys need. If he’s firmly on the side of the white hats, that is.

Tomorrow’s News

  • Where to start?! How about the temerity of Russell, Natalie and the others celebrating life when, because of their actions, BILLIONS are going to die? While I understand the biological imperative to survive, what does it mean to value yourself over the lives of billions and then be okay with it?! It may be harsh but there’s no way I’ll ever be able to look at Russell the same way again, not after such a betrayal.
  • How about Uncle Jed, rolling down the street, his just received powers off the chart?! But will it be enough to take on the Founder? And will there be any side effects for his little one-off experiment?
  • Though he’s lost so much, Stephen Jameson has shown himself to be exactly what a leader should be. Sure, he’s had quite a few stumbles along the way but he understands, in a way only his father and John Young have demonstrated, that leading is not about your own survival or laying down the law (are you listening, Cara?) but acknowledging something bigger than yourself is out there and doing everything you can to guide others towards that bright and shiny finish line. And sacrifice…you can’t think about your needs but those around you. Even those you may have never met.