After the big reveals over the last two weeks, will we get a ‘The Tomorrow People’ episode rife with fun and a little lighter on the hardcore drama?
Not quite.
Stephen and Darcy are trailing a suspect when, vintage Stephen, he disobeys her orders and catches up to the suspect, hesitating when he sees she’s a woman who promptly beats him down. Then the whistle sounds on the training exercise. Jedikiah appears, a bit disappointed at his nephew’s performance. Jed gives Stephen the business on understanding what he’s up against. Stephen leaves to meet Astrid from some study time and she’s still a bit hacked off because he lied to her. She eventually warms to him, acquiescing on his request to go with him to Homecoming. Jedikiah gets a call from one of his partner’s to bring Stephen in and though he doesn’t believe Stephen’s ready, he really doesn’t have much choice.
Stephen goes to meet the big boss of ULTRAWhen he drops by the hideout, Cara asks him to be in the room when a tomorrow person, Mark Menendez, gets his powers wiped. The newest refugee, a cute lil egghead by the name of Irene believes that if she can get her hands on the serum she can devise a cure. Their discussion is interrupted by John and Kurt (the bank robber) arguing. John is back on his semi-high horse about not associating with humans after Kurt went to see his mother. After a bit of back and forth, John tells Kurt “If you sneak off to mommy again; don’t bother coming back.” Cara does get John alone and understands the cabin fever everyone’s feeling; they all need a night out. John is not for it at all and when she asks “What’s the point of surviving if we don’t get to really live?” John petulantly aims the blame squarely on Stephen. Speaking of, Stephen nabs a vial of the serum from ULTRA when Jedikiah taps him about a trip to HQ to meet “the man”. He warns Stephen not to disappear, saying his father might still be alive if he followed instructions.
Cara again broaches the subject of a night out for everyone with John but he’s still not going to let it happen. Cara challenges him to a duel (or jaunt) with the condition they go out if she wins. Stephen comes in and tells John about his upcoming meeting and is a bit freaked out though he gets no real sympathy from John. Tired of being blamed for everyone wanting more of a life than what they have underground, Stephen challenges John to be a better leader and stop using Stephen as an excuse. “I’m not gonna be your scapegoat,” he says and it’s a sign that Stephen is ever so slowly finding his own strength. He does stay for the fight, introduced by the criminally underused Russell, and Cara wins to everyone’s delight. John’s not happy, walking away but not before reminding Cara of how big a mistake they are making.
Stephen’s in guy hell (yes, that’s what we call it, ladies) as he watches Astrid try on some dresses for Homecoming. She brings up the incident at train tracks and he avoids the question; she relents but promises he’s not off the hook yet. Jed calls Stephen and takes him to a giant estate before leaving his nephew to his partners. Stephen meets the ULTRA head, who is also a tomorrow person. He tells Stephen that he wants to be on the victorious side when things come to a head, hence his involvement with ULTRA. He wants to know what Stephen’s hiding from Jedikiah and proceeds to root around in Stephen’s head. At the hideout, Cara comes back, ready to go but John is still sulking about people not agreeing with him. She tells him that surviving “not enough anymore.” She brings up the impossible situation that is their relationship and wants to pretend to be a normal couple. “Cara,” he tells her, “we’re not.” The words sting and she leaves him to sulk alone.
Cara jumps in on Stephen and he tells her about the meeting. He’s worried the guy may have gotten in his head and their soirée but Cara promises him that all will be well. The group arrives at the club and John does show up. Right as Stephen’s about to leave for the dance, Jed shows un unannounced and brings Stephen with him. Neither realizes Astrid follows them out to the club.
Stephen watches ULTRA cut his friends apartJedikiah wants Stephen’s fidelity and he watches as the club outing was a trap for his friends. Just before the fireworks start, Astrid wanders in and bumps into Darcy though she gets out before anything can happen. Back at the club, just as John and Cara realize there are things going on, pandemonium breaks out. The D-chips have made them powerless and they can only duck and cover as bullets are flying. Stephen is forced to watch but ends up pulling away from Jedikiah long enough to find the power box and hadouken it, cutting the lights. It gives the Tomorrow People the time to get away, but not before Cara sees John’s secret (he can kill) in action. They teleport back to the hideout and Stephen follows. Everyone is out of sorts, a panic station of chaos. Irene’s the most seriously injured and when no one steps up to take care of her, Stephen breaks protocol and teleports her to a hospital.
Cara gets John alone and she’s quite upset at him keeping such a giant secret. He sees himself as a monster, a freak and that’s what he sees when looking at her. “I don’t care what your secret was,” she tells him, “it’s that you kept it from me. That’s what you were seeing, John.”
Stephen returns from the hospital to Cara searching for the traitor. He volunteers to be scanned, still worried the ULTRA partner got in his head. Before she goes to work on him, Kurt admits to being the one who sold them out and it does not go well. Of everyone, Cara’s reaction is the most surprising. She uses the serum Stephen pilfered and injects it into Kurt, removing his powers and promising to kill him if he blabs a word to anyone. After seeing the carnage and Cara’s actions, Stephen returns home to find Astrid in his room. He’s not sure how to handle things, or if he can deal it alone. She wants to be there for him and he finally relents. It’s apropos that he teleports them to where they first became friends. She looks over at the bridge and there isn’t fear in her eyes…there’s wonder.
Tomorrow’s Outlook
- It’s about time Stephen shared his secrets with Astrid. Granted, it’s only a matter of time before that info gets her in trouble but Stephen finally has someone apart from ULTRA, John and Cara to confide in. It also opens things up for her to be honest about her more than friends feelings she has for Stephen.
- Despite their maturity, Cara’s actions (injecting Kurt with the serum) are a reminder that both she and John are still green when it comes to leadership. Stephen’s going to have to steal another vial once Irene heals for her to discover a cure.
- How will John’s secret affect his relationship with Cara and, bigger picture, the rest of the group? Like all secrets, it’s only a matter of time before it gets out in the open. Will they see him as the monster he sees himself as, or something more…revered?
What did you think of last night’s episode? Let us know in the comments below!