Original subtitles

Just tell me what the problem is, nate.

I made contact with them last night

And I think they're after me now.

You made contact with who?

Uh, the tv show; it's called cult.

But it's not just a tv show, it goes beyond that.

You have no idea how much I don't want

To get you mixed up in this.

Nate!

So, what, are the survivors of the moon hill cult

Just using true believers to manipulate them?

You know how much the show cult resembles moon hill.

Why are you so interested in this?

We're trying to figure out who this man is.

His name was phillip kellian.

Phillip was its founder.

He was becoming more and more a cult leader.

St. Clare's church.

On highway one in ojai.

Your father must've made the connection

While researching the moon hill cult.

Look at that.

Nate: There's messages here.

But not like in the show; they're different.

Stuart: These messages can lead us to something

Here in the church: A book.

You know what this is, don't ya?

It's what we were looking for at st. Clare's church.

My father's notebook.

Remember, your brother jeff's good health

Depends on you doing precisely as I wish.

Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go!

(engine roaring, tires screeching)

Ah! They've never shot at us before.

We know who stuart reynolds is.

So what, they're going to kill us?

Not if they can't find us.

I understand you, henry; I do.

You're sick, you know that?

Just a man in love.

You gonna bring her in here? Make her hurt me?

Meadow? I'm not making meadow do anything, henry.

I'm letting her hurt you.

You know what that feels like,

To hurt someone.

You like it.

That's why you killed all those innocent people.

The reason you killed meadow's parents,

My kelly's parents.

There's no reason for the things I done,

I just done 'em.

There's always a reason.

(plays tinny, discordant glissando)

I do understand you, henry.

What it's like to need something so badly.

To love something so much.

(sigh)

And you shall have what you want.

(muffled): Help, please help.

My gift...

(muffled): Oh... Oh... Please help.

(muffled): Help me... Help...

(man screaming)

You jeff?

Yeah.

That it?

No, man, it's my lunch.

You're not gonna count it?

Omar says you're cool, you're cool.

♪ I thought I just needed holiday ♪

♪ I just needed air, and to get away... ♪

(muffled): Help... Please help me... Help!

My gift...

♪ I was drifting in and out of laze... ♪

Billy or kelly?

Sorry...?

Cult. Are you a billy or a kelly fan?

I don't watch.

Like hell. I saw your face.

Billy's seriously hot.

(door opening)

Fridge was busted, I had to use the sink.

(sighs) jeff...

The true believers shot at us, skye.

We know who stuart reynolds is,

Nate can't protect us anymore-- in fact, he's probably

In more in danger, now that we know who he is.

I know, it's just...

Scary, yeah.

Well, look, we have a plan.

To find nate and allegra.

It's like my dad always said:

Plan the play, play the plan.

I like that.

Your father's manuscript isn't yielding anything.

(scoffs) give nate some time.

He's only just gotten his hands on it.

I know all this; everything we've done.

What if it never tells us what happened to our parents?

My father poured his heart and soul

Into that manuscript.

The messages in the show are hidden, coded,

Identical to what's in that book.

The show and the manuscript together hold the key.

The answer to what happened the night our parents disappeared,

The secrets of my father's work-- all of it.

How can you have so much faith?

(chuckles)

How can you have so little?

Well, what about nate's brother?

He knows who you are, and the girl with him,

She's the one who crashed the steven rae meeting.

They're being dealt with.

We'll have a beat on them soon enough.

They can try to make themselves invisible,

But... There's always a way.

And what about her?

Dog boy...

Got a gift for you.

Her name's allegra.

Play nice with her.

She has insights into my father's work.

Perhaps she can be of help to nate.

And if not, well...

(sighs)

I haven't seen you before.

You're not one of the others.

Name's nate.

You're him.

You're jeff's brother.

You know jeff?

Yeah.

When you disappear yourself you don't hold back.

Is all this really necessary?

E.J. Hey.

You didn't touch anything in there, did you?

It's not that bad.

Right.

So, can you help us?

In an hour, even I won't be able to find you.

Jeff: And what about the collars?

Took me a bit to find a pet store open this late.

This is amazing.

Bizarre...

All of this is cult?

Why? What does this mean?

You don't know the show?

Why are you here?

(scoffs)

Wish I knew.

It all, apparently, has something to do with my work

In cognitive science--

My boss's work-- dr. Kimball at ucla.

Dr. Robert kimball?

Yeah.

Neural fusion. And coherent consciousness.

You know about them?

They were the basis for the theories

Of phillip kellian, the leader of the

Real-world cult that inspired the show.

So, what, there are actually

Hidden messages in the show, like your brother said?

Yes, there are.

There definitely are.

But... They aren't exactly what he thinks they are.

So, what are the messages?

Come closer, pretend we're talking

About the show.

Nate: If you get out...

Somehow...

You can get to jeff...

You gotta tell him something very important;

Something stuart cannot find out.

Understand? Okay.

You swear?

Yeah.

(whispering)

Hovering...

Well, is it working?

Yeah.

So, skye's computer is plugged into

The cult production network.

You'll be able to see what anybody else there is doing.

And if reynolds is monitoring the network?

I got you cloaked for now, but...

Depends on how sophisticated this reynolds guy is.

Might not be long before he'll be able to see

Your computer on the network and know exactly where you are.

(knocking on door)

You got to check this.

You're sure?

It came in over the network at the studio.

Traces right back to this place.

Take as many true believers as you need

And get it done.

30 seconds.

What do you mean?

Oh, that day at the studio when we met...

I was in the process of getting thrown out

By the security when you helped me hide.

If either one of us had been a moment

Earlier or later...

We wouldn't have met.

And we wouldn't be here.

I bet you're regretting it now.

Getting nate back...

And finding out what happened to my father...

There's no regrets.

(sighs)

Plan the play.

Play the plan.

(vehicles approaching, engines roaring)

That room.

138.

Jeff...

(phone line ringing)

It's dustin; let me talk to him.

Just put me through.

We're here, but there's no sign of anyone.

(sighs)

Yeah, okay.

(engines starting)

I still don't know what made you finally

Want to come visit me on set, mom.

You've been playing meadow since the show first started,

So I just thought it was about time I came by.

And I know how much this job means to you.

Oh... I've never gotten close to a regular role

On a network show before.

And, I was amazed when the show's creator

Chose me personally.

Let me take you over to stage six.

That's where billy's room is.

And the police station sets.

Oh, here, mom, here's somebody I want you to meet.

Marty. Hey.

Do you have a minute? Yeah.

I'd like you to meet my mom.

Oh, yeah, of course-- mrs. Mcdonald, right?

Yes, yes, that's right.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

And you.

Your daughter's a dream to work with. Oh...

I love having her as my older sister.

You should be very, very proud.

You know, you two have something in common. Really?

Well, not you, but your character.

Mom used to be a police detective.

Just like kelly. Are you serious? Really?

Just like kelly.

Well, I would love to sit down and talk to you sometime.

Maybe you can give me some pointers on playing kelly.

Uh, I gotta go. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It was good to meet you. Yes.

Come on.

Jeff: They haven't moved in a while.

You think they've stopped?

I don't know.

Let's give it it a minute, just to make sure.

(sighs)

Last night, when they shot at us,

You were pretty amazing.

(laughs)

Well... I don't know about amazing.

I was just trying to get us the hell out of there.

Yeah, but, the way you kept your cool like that...

Well, I've been shot at before.

Really?

Sure.

"sure."

Well, I used to work a crime desk down in philly.

You're so casual about it.

I mean, I think the closest I've come

To being shot at is paintball.

Until last night.

Until last night.

Thank you for reminding me.

(laughs quietly)

Have they moved?

No, let me see what's at that location.

It's an old juvenile detention center.

Shut down about ten years ago.

Oh, reynolds could be using it for a cover.

Let's go.

(thudding)

Cameron: I thought you said the two of them

Were at that hotel.

Stuart: Well, they weren't.

We are getting nowhere.

None of these readers of yours are panning out.

Even nate isn't making anymore progress

Finding hidden messages,

And that allegra girl is no help.

And after all this...

The answers we're looking for

May not be in the show.

And maybe steven rae just used the superficial

Trappings of our moon hill family.

Maybe everything you've led us to believe

The show is about is... (sighs)

Isn't true.

Stuart, we need to shut it down.

All of it.

Before we get caught.

Very good. Thank you.

Nate's asking for me.

Has he found something?

Apparently he has.

You asked for me.

Nate: Thirty-two.

Which means what?

The number of your father's followers

The night they all disappeared.

It's in there.

You deciphered it.

It'll take time to crack the entire manuscript,

But I started from the end.

I figured whatever came at the end

Might tell us...

Tell you...

The most.

It's all in the patterns.

See?

How the patterns in different scenes come together.

It's a convolved fibonacci sequence.

It's brilliant.

It's what your father used to encode his book.

Why is steven rae using your father's code?

How does he know?

What did you find?

What happened to my father?

What happened the night all our parents disappeared?

I don't know that.

The manuscript ends before there's any indication--

Shh!

(book thunks onto floor)

Are you telling me you failed?

No, there's something in there.

A reference that's repeated often

Near the end of his writings.

I believe it's a reference to a person. Who?

It's another one of his secrets.

There is no name.

Only the initial: C.

C...

What are these numbers?

I'm not sure.

They're often associated with the initial c.

Ten digits.

I think it might be a phone number.

(dialing phone, keypad beeping)

(laughing)

A medical marijuana clinic.

But don't you see, if it is a phone number...

It's got to be 25 years old.

25 years ago, it had to belong to somebody else.

Shut it down.

Move everything we need and burn the rest.

Well, what about our guests?

We don't need them anymore.

Happy birthday.

I hope this is all right.

All right?

It's wonderful.

I knew you wouldn't like all the fuss,

But I wanted to be the one you celebrate with.

There's no one else I'd rather be with today.

I thought we could spend the day together.

And I'm going to make you the most fantastic dinner.

(phone ringing)

(beep)

Who was it? Nobody.

Your father? (phone ringing)

(beep)

You know what I want for my birthday?

To get out of here.

(sighs)

Get in the car, and just drive up the coast,

Into the mountains, whatever.

And turn off our phone... (phone ringing)

(beep)

You've reached the voicemail of kirstie nelson.

She's not available to take your call right now,

Since she's a little conflicted by the sick games

Her lunatic father made her play.

But, she'll be happy to return your call,

When hell freezes over.

Beep!

(sighs) he's gonna be so pissed.

So...?

(laughs)

You know what?

Let's not go for a drive.

Let's stay in.

All day.

Skye: Those are the cars you tagged.

Yeah.

Looks like they're clearing out.

It's all quiet.

Let's go this way.

(footsteps approaching)

(door opens)

What is this-- a fire accelerant?

With a cell phone trigger.

They're gonna burn the place down.

(gasps)

Jeff.

Is it nate?

No.

Looks like the true believers

Are clearing out, getting rid of the evidence.

What about nate?

What the hell is this?

Surrounded by video projectors.

This is nate's handwriting.

He's been here.

(explosions nearby)

They've started it.

(gasps)

It's allegra.

Come on... (coughs)

(beeping steadily)

Okay, we're coming up to the end of the alley--

You're gonna turn right.

They're coming up on the left, on the left.

(horn honks)

Don't move!

Are you okay? Okay. Yeah.

Hurry up, skye-- get her in the car. Skye: I got her.

(screams)

(gasps)

(footsteps approaching)

The family that lives here is out of town.

On vacation.

The neighbors didn't see or...

Or hear anything.

Housekeeper found the room just like this.

Anything taken?

Not that we can tell.

And the victim?

Local private security guard, multiple stab wounds.

Looks like more than multiple stab wounds.

Man was sliced and diced.

So, why are we here, paz?

This isn't our case.

What aren't you telling me?

Jacob and ramirez called me.

They knew you'd want to see it.

Why?

They got a solid dna hit on a perpetrator.

Okay, that's good.

Matches up with an old cold case.

Yeah, and...?

The cold case-- double homicide.

Your mother and father.

20 years and out of the blue,

We get a hot lead on the john doe who killed your parents.

(exhales)

You were right.

The phone number connected

To the initial c.

It belonged to someone else 25 years ago.

And?

And it's someone I remember from my childhood.

At moon hill.

I don't think he completely trusted me.

He only gave me pieces of the message.

He said that he hoped you'd understand.

And you have no idea where they've taken nate?

No.

Nate said we should look at episode 12?

Yeah, and then he said 8:51.

Eight minutes, 51 seconds in.

(grunting)

Jeff: It's where kelly finds meadow's husband.

Skye: And douglas.

What is it about this scene?

I don't know, um...

But he did say one more thing.

St. Clare.

St. Clare's church?

Allegra, did nate say anything else?

No.

I think he had more of the manuscript decoded,

But that's all that he told me.

He didn't say if stuart reynolds was headed to st. Clare's?

With nate? No.

Okay, don't worry, we'll get you somewhere safe.

Well, what are you two gonna do?

(crickets chirping)

(screams)

(grunts)

Let go!

Stuart: Cathy.

It's okay, I-I don't mean you any harm.

Not surprised you don't recognize me.

It's been many years.

It's me.

Stuart.

Phillip's son.

Stuart kellian?

Please.

How did you find me?

(sighs)

You couldn't have been more than 15, 16...

When you last saw me?

Fifteen.

I would come up to moon hill desperate to talk sense

Into your father, but phillip could be so stubborn.

(laughs) that's one word for it.

You asked how I found you.

This young man, nate sefton.

He managed to decipher a manuscript

My father left behind.

Phillip wrote about me?

He did.

In particular, about a time in 1987.

October, to be specific.

1987.

You remember it?

I haven't let myself think about those days until recently.

A young man... A reporter came to see me.

He and a young lady friend.

They knew about my involvement. Cathy...

I've spent the past 25 years hunting for answers,

For understanding.

My father, uh,

And the other adults, when we were children,

They left us.

Disappeared.

If you know anything, please...

I do.

I remember...

October, I remember the rain.

Yes.

It was raining that night.

True believers messed everything up

Looking for kellian's manuscript.

Ah, start checking the walls.

I was on my way to bed when phillip came over.

I hadn't seen him in many months.

Last time I saw him, he was very distressed.

He looked like was on the brink of a nervous breakdown.

But on that night, he was...

He was different.

He was excited, euphoric.

And he had the others with him from moon hill.

The other parents?

Jeff, over here.

There's a ridge in the plaster along here.

Ah. Okay.

Phillip came to see me because we had once been so close and...

He wanted to share with me...

What did he tell you?

Why did they leave moon hill that night?

He said he'd been wrong; horribly wrong.

For so long he thought that

Television was something to be feared,

That it was somehow dangerous,

But instead, he recently uncovered something wonderful.

Oh, my god.

Jeff: This is what nate wanted us to find.

Just like in the show.

From a long time ago.

About 25 years.

What do you mean,

He discovered something wonderful?

It was as if the very thing that frightened him before;

That the power of television, its influence,

There was something new that he had uncovered,

And he was going to share it that night, with the others.

Reynolds: Where did they go?

Why didn't they ever come back?

I don't know.

Oh, my god.

Cathy: It was months later

That I heard phillip and the others disappeared

And that their children had been abandoned.

You never told anyone about what you knew?

There was nothing I could contribute.

I didn't really know anything.

And by then, the children were being taken care of and...

I was a police detective.

I had a young daughter.

The department had no idea about

My past association with moon hill;

With the cult.

If they found out, I could have lost everything.

Stuart...

Oh, stuart, I am so sorry.

(crying): I'm so sorry.

This whole place is a tomb.

The missing adults from moon hill...

The answer stuart reynolds is desperate to find.

And nate handed it to us.

(running footsteps approach)

Stop!

Let him go.

Or what, super cop?

Or what?

Step away from the child.

Take your shot, detective. Take it.

Shoot me.

You know you want to.

Shoot me.

(shouts, gasps)

(moaning)

Andy, I thought you were fast asleep.

What's wrong with auntie kelly?

(moans)

She's just dreaming, that's all.

It looked like a nightmare.

Aunt kelly's going to be just fine.

Come on.

Let's get you back into your bed.

(knocking on door)

Hey, I'm supposed to deliver this to mr. Reeves.

It's from the production office.

I'll take it.

Thank you.

Who was it?

A messenger from the studio.

It's an envelope for you.

Open it.

It's...

Another envelope, addressed to you.

Just open it.

Who's it from?

Steven rae.

"remarkable work, enthusiastic response...

"reward our fans...

"with something completely original.

"absolute secrecy.

A live scene."

What?

The final episode of the season... The cliffhanger.

"we're gonna present an extra last scene online,

"only it's gonna be live.

"no one's gonna see any of the script until

"moments before we do it, not even the actors...

"steven plans to be there, in person, on the set,

To give us the pages himself."

No one can know.

No one will.

Cross your heart.

Hope to die.

You sure?

Yeah.

(dials phone, keypad beeps)

(line rings)

Woman: Reynolds coutellerie.

How may I direct your call?

Stuart reynolds' office, please.

Please hold.

If my father found something so wonderful,

Why didn't he and the other parents come back for us?

I still don't have an answer for the others.

The answer... It's still in here.

It must be.

What my father found, where it led him,

All of them that night...

Why are we here now?

You've done something with the others, haven't you?

Why did you spare me?

Because you're unique.

Certainly, you know that by now.

And your work isn't finished, not until you unlock

Every secret in that book.

(phone rings)

What?

Woman: Mr. Reynolds, I have a jeff sefton on the line for you.

Put him through.

My brother better still be alive.

What do you want, mr. Sefton?

You know.

And I'm ready to make a trade.

What could you possibly have to trade?

The whereabouts of your parents.

You know where... Everyone is?

After all these years?

I do.

And you know this because...?

You never would have been able to find

Your coveted st. Clare's church, if we hadn't led you there.

We have resources you don't.

I know how to find your parents.

Are you ready to trade?

Captioned by media access group at wgbh access.Wgbh.Org