- Ruben! - James.
Hold on!
We can't just leave it.
Everyone at the house is in danger. We gotta go.
It's fine if you hate me.
I don't hate you, I feel bad for you.
James was right.
About what?
How cold you can be.
Harbinger says McNab is good.
It's the other one, Assassin, that's bad.
[Maggie] Meryl said that Harbinger
is on some kind of a mission.
- What is it? - To find the machine.
What happens when you turn it on?
We prepare.
Prepare for what?
The invasion.
This is the liquid.
It's yours.
[James] We need to find Grandma.
You really believe she'd hurt us?
Yeah.
[Ellen] I don't think it's me. Not anymore.
It could be in any one of us.
It does say if we can just find out who it is,
there's a way to get the Assassin out of them.
How?
We drown them.
[birds chittering]
[solemn music]
[groans]
Ah... shit.
[groans]
[breathing heavily]
[solemn music continues]
[panting quietly]
[exhales]
[music intensifying]
[music fades]
[dark, suspenseful music]
[breathing heavily]
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music continues]
[exhales]
[dark, suspenseful music]
[McNab breathing heavily]
[grunts]
[breathing heavily]
[dark, suspenseful music continues]
[gentle, emotional music]
[sniffs]
[gentle, emotional music continues]
[inhales, sighs]
[ominous music]
[eerie, piercing drone]
[soft, eerie music]
[birds chirping nearby]
[ominous music]
[paper crinkles]
[exhales deeply]
[drawer opens]
[items rustling]
[door unlocks]
[ominous music continues]
Valeria?
Um, for the kids.
I would have done the same thing,
but no one's getting past Nicholas.
Not on my watch.
[ominous music continues]
[Ellen, in voiceover] I remember the barn.
I remember that man, Olsen.
And then...
...pitch black.
Nothing.
Well, not nothing, but...
I mean, I-I tried to cry out.
I know I could have done it,
but I was just-- I was just too tired.
[sniffs] And too scared.
I heard something...
Someone was whispering.
Someone awful.
In my head.
They kept whispering, and whispering.
[exhales deeply]
I couldn't make out the words.
[clicks tongue]
And then I was back in the barn.
And you didn't see anyone then?
Uh, maybe a movement, or a shape.
But... I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.
Yeah, I get it.
But... anything could be a clue.
What if we did know?
What if we actually figured out who it is?
Are we really gonna drown someone?
[soft, ominous music]
- [insects chirring] - [fire crackling]
We should do another sweep.
McNab's hurt.
He's scared.
In his own fucked up way, he was trying to help. He's not coming back.
[Ruben] You don't know that.
And this?
This is a waste of time.
- Somebody's gonna see the smoke. - Yeah?
And think we're burning leaves.
- Ruben, it's Monday. - So what?
So, UPS, FedEx, mailman...
somebody will come today.
And will they be here before another one of us dies?
[sighs]
I didn't think so.
[ominous music]
Jesus Christ! It's not me.
Oh... well.
That was easy.
Fuck you.
What are we supposed to do, then?
Not stand around a fucking campfire, that's what.
Someone needs to check if his--
Yeah, I'm on it.
Throw one of those on.
Nobody's gonna think "burning leaves"
if you get some black smoke goin'.
[door rattles, creaks]
[suspenseful music]
[sighs]
[music softens]
Hey.
Bet you forgot about these.
I did.
Still any good?
[exhales]
Ooh. Wow.
[clears throat] That was awful.
[chuckles]
Give me one.
Thanks.
Fuck.
Keep expecting someone to just open fire.
Yeah.
I don't know, I think it's more targeted than that.
Olsen, he didn't shoot. He-- he insinuated himself.
You know?
He was patient, subtle.
Nothing subtle about Navarros.
[sighs]
We can't do this.
[unsettling music]
"Check for signs of life."
"Put your ear near their mouth and watch their chest--"
I mean, it just sounds insane. It's crazy.
[James] I know.
I know. But, uh...
What if?
I mean, if it were to actually come down to it.
Then what?
Of all of us, you'd be the one to--
- Don't do that. - Don't do what?
Act like I'm not just as terrified as everybody else.
I'm just saying, you're very good at--
Very good at what?
[sighs]
- Go on. - [scoffs]
Very good at being so fucking cold?
That I could drown somebody?
Just... end a life.
Is that what you're saying?
- Maggie... - And let's say I did that.
And let's say I was actually able to bring somebody back.
[scoffs]
And that somehow, some way,
it actually fucking worked.
[unsettling music continues]
Then what?
- [fire crackling] - We figure it out.
What you mean is I figure it out.
Mm-mm. No, I mean "we."
Together. We figure it out.
[Maggie] Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, you don't get to do that either.
[liquid pouring]
[eerie, unsettling music]
[Ruben sighs]
[gun cocks]
Whatever you're thinking, this isn't that.
So what is it?
Well, if I'm right,
it's a way out.
Bullshit.
Follow me.
Keep your rifle pointed at me the whole time.
I'll show you what I'm gonna do. Then you can decide if it's bullshit or not.
Or shoot me now.
Otherwise, I'm going.
[liquid sloshing]
[birds chirping]
[footsteps approaching]
[sighs]
No sign of McNab. Nothing's upstairs.
Except Olsen.
Don't think about it.
Well, it's kind of hard not to.
[clears throat]
Okay, uh, people need to eat,
and this stuff's all just gonna go bad, so...
will you hold this open for me?
[Valeria] Yeah.
- [Ellen] This... and this... - [plastic rustling]
Hey.
Oh, I didn't sleep.
[sighs]
Obviously.
I was all alone, and Ruben had already left
and Nicholas was upstairs, safe.
[soft music]
And there was this little bit of light,
and, you know, it was almost dawn,
and just for a minute, I thought about...
bread pudding.
[chuckles]
Bread pudding. Mmm.
Ruben loves it. Nicholas, especially.
I wish I could make it. There's this, um,
restaurant, luckily, where we all go,
just the three of us.
And just for a minute,
I actually felt hopeful.
You know, like somehow this could all turn out okay.
- It-It's crazy. - No.
It's not crazy.
- It's not? - Absolutely not.
Because every once in a while...
...things actually do turn out okay.
[unsettling music]
It says there's this family in Maine.
They had masks on.
Real masks, like McNab's,
and the mom, she had an Assassin in her,
so they tied her up and drowned her in a lake.
How come nobody's heard about any of this?
They've been keeping it a secret on purpose.
It says there's these... groups online
and that they talk about being, the... the resistance.
The underground.
It's-It's so... cool.
And it worked. In Maine, they forced the Assassin out and got away.
How did they know?
I guess the mom was herself when they brought her back.
"Brought her back."
Like, from the dead.
Well, yeah.
You know, I read that, once,
that drowning's just like going to sleep.
You know who wrote that?
Who?
Someone who's never drowned.
[eerie music]
James said it won't do anything.
Fuck James. He doesn't know.
The kid, Travis. He said McNab told him--
Travis is dead. And you're gonna trust McNab?
We need to go back, Ruben.
Now.
When you moved that fence line, did I do anything?
- What? - I could've.
Said something. Got lawyers involved. But I didn't.
I own plenty without it and I didn't want to start something.
I don't know what the fuck this has to do with anything.
It has to do with you and me.
We've known each other a long time.
Been neighbors a long time.
Left each other alone for a long time.
So the fuck what?
So, I don't like the way you do things.
And I bet you got plenty of problems with me.
We let each other do what we're gonna do and leave it at that.
What the fuck are you talking about?
I need you to let me do what I'm gonna do
and leave it at that. That's what I'm talking about.
[tense music]
God dammit.
[sizzling]
So after Olsen, Maggie was alone with you here.
James was alone when he went to check on you.
[scoffs] We were all alone at some point while we were searching for you,
so it could be... me.
Or, uh, Ruben, or Donald,
who found you in here.
[sighs]
[intriguing music]
Ruben was at the fire.
But I didn't see him while I was there.
We've all been trying to stay as far away from each other as we can.
Still... Um, do you need me here?
No, there'll be plenty to cook later on.
[food sizzling]
[intriguing music continues]
[sighs]
[footsteps approaching]
Hey.
You all right?
[music fades]
I don't even know anymore.
It's amazing.
I said, don't stare at it.
Yeah, I heard you, it's just--
Don't.
[unsettling music]
- James said-- - I know what he said.
But you saw. That woman.
Edward. Brian.
Yeah. Carmen in the woods.
Claire.
We got to try.
Fuck it. Light it up.
[dramatic music]
[flames roaring]
[dramatic music continues]
[music fades]
[Nicholas] I guess the visitors, Harbinger and Assassin,
they move from person to person through their mouths.
[gentle music]
It has to be really close.
How close?
Well, it's not like COVID.
It's, I don't know, like, um...
Like what?
[chuckles softly]
Like, um...
- I don't know. - Like kissing?
Well...
maybe.
Just not across the room, or...
across the table.
Like... right next to you.
Right in front of you.
But, like, how close, do you think?
[chuckles softly]
Like...
Like a foot?
I don't know.
Less?
This close?
Closer.
[gentle music continues]
Like this?
I think it's got to be really, really close.
[Meryl chuckles softly]
[inhales deeply]
[laughs]
- I should, um... - Yeah.
I should probably check on him.
Yeah.
Yeah, you should.
And I'll, uh, I'll stay here.
And I'll keep watch.
- Okay. - And I'll catch my breath.
That was...
That was a lot.
No, it wasn't.
This is.
[tender music]
Okay.
[sighs]
[soft, suspenseful music]
[paper crinkling]
[door closing]
It's got something to do with where the machine is.
The machine Harbinger's supposed to turn on.
What is it?
[whispers] I don't know.
Looks like...
...like lightning?
Or, like...
[soft, suspenseful music continues]
...like a map.
[James sighs]
[soft music]
Look, if the two of us were to do it...
and everyone stays as far away as possible...
I mean, the clinic, the barn, the woods.
I mean, maybe. Maybe.
Right, but what happens after?
I mean, you can't revive someone without mouth-to-mouth,
and you can't do mouth-to-mouth if...
If you're wearing a mask.
Right, and if we somehow force Assassin out of someone...
- [sighs] - ...like, out into the open air?
Yeah, and then you took off your mask to resuscitate them...
Right. What's stopping Assassin from just...
moving into me?
I don't know.
I mean, all of this is pretty pointless, considering
one of us could just be talking to Assassin right now.
I'm not Assassin.
Oh, you're not?
It's me. I can't prove it, but it's true.
That's a relief.
- Maggie... - I wish I could believe you.
You know, at some point, we're gonna have to start trusting each other.
Yeah, I didn't trust you before we found out that one of us could be a killer,
so I'm not sure how I'm supposed to trust you now.
[Maggie huffs]
Oh, my God.
[James sighs deeply]
This is nuts, not knowing who's good or bad.
[laughs]
What?
That first time that you
came to my parents' house for Thanksgiving.
- Oh, God. - [laughs]
Your mother started it, she did. What'd she say to your dad?
"Oh, Tom, I think you and James actually look a lot alike."
[both laughing]
Your dad, he didn't miss a fuckin' beat.
"Yeah, salt and sugar look a lot alike too,
but one makes everything taste better and the other one rots your teeth."
[both laughing]
[sighs]
[ominous music]
It's still there.
[McNab] You can't destroy it!
[ominous music continues]
But... there's something we can do.
[suspenseful music]
[suspenseful music continues]
Hey, Mom, what is it? What's wrong?
- [shushing] - What's wrong?
[whispers] You have to come with me right now.
[whispers] No, I can't. I have to stay here.
No, you don't. Not anymore.
- Why not? - Because...
I know who Assassin is.
[dramatic music]
[Meryl] Wait a second.
It fits!
[Meryl] That's us.
Belknap Mountain.
This has to be it.
We've got to show Nicholas.
[suspenseful music]
Nicholas?
[door slams]
[intense music]
I didn't want anyone else to hear.
Or... see.
See what?
- I-- - Mom, careful!
It's fine, it's fine.
[sighs] Okay.
No. What are those?
They're for sedating Arlo.
For capturing Harbinger. I found them in Ellen's room.
Yeah, so she was lying. She's still Assassin.
No, no. No, no, she's not Assassin.
So who is?
You are.
[dramatic music]
[hissing]
[music fades]
Nicholas?
What are we...
What are we doing out here?
[screams]
[viscera squelching]
[squelching sounds continue]
[organs popping, bones snapping]
[dark electronic music]
[soft, dark music]
[music ends]