Home Before Dark

Can we take a break?

Sweet, sweet freedom.

Do you think he followed us?

I don't think anyone saw us get in the dumbwaiter,

much less come out of the mansion.

I think I might not be agoraphobic.

Is it weird that I'm disappointed?

Guys, we left our backpacks.

What are we gonna do about this?

I know someone we can talk to.

Oh, boy.

What is it this time?

It's an old flight recorder,

but we need your help to figure out what's on it.

Please. It's urgent.

All right.

Come on.

How did you get this?

We're very entrepreneurial.

Uh-huh. You're not gonna tell me, are you?

Look, we think someone might be trying to cover up a plane crash.

Can you help us... unofficially?

Please?

Fine. My dad has a friend at NTSB.

But keep this on the DL for now.

And if it turns out that there is anything crazy on this,

you gotta tell me where you found it, okay?

Dad. Dad. Dad, you're never going to believe--

Oh, just dial it down a little bit, all right.

-Pop-Pop's trying to sleep. -Okay.

Well, you know, I went back to Woodruff Mansion.

You know, the place with the creepy marked door?

Here, come sit down. I wanna show you something.

Yeah, sit.

-All right, check this out. -Mm-hmm.

All right, you see these guys?

These are all Pop-Pop's friends from back in the day.

Yeah, you know, I tried to track some of them down

and see if maybe they would come visit Pop-Pop.

-You know, maybe cheer him up. -Mm-hmm.

Yeah, but they've all gone. All of 'em.

Yeah, everyone except Junior.

Gone?

Yeah. They all died, honey.

Now, I think you were right about Pop-Pop. I do.

These men, they were all sick way too young.

All right, I don't think that's a coincidence.

You know, I can't help thinking that something happened, you know.

Something in this town affected 'em. Maybe even hurt some of 'em.

Yeah. There's a story here. Yeah, I think you should dig into it.

Maybe it'll help Pop-Pop.

I will.

I can fix this.

I know I can.

Oh, wait. Wait, wait, wait.

What were you trying to say when you came in?

Yeah. So Donny and Spoon and I went back to the mansion,

took a dumbwaiter into the basement.

Then there was an airplane there, so we took the black box,

but somebody almost caught us and then I lost my backpack.

Wait, what?

I still can't believe you're here.

I mean, is it really you?

Quick, tell me something only the real Ethan would know.

I once showed you a cat video

that made you laugh so hard you couldn't breathe,

so then you started crying for 20 minutes straight.

Super embarrassing for you.

Well, is it weird to be back?

A little. It's mostly awesome though.

I mean, things aren't great with my mom and dad.

Yeah. I'm sorry.

It's okay. I'm just happy to be sitting here with you.

All right.

Well, just let me know if they recover anything from the recorder.

Yeah.

And thanks, Dad.

I appreciate it.

You know, for a cop, you really suck at tailing people.

I'm sorry.

And I'm sorry for losing my temper.

You jumped to the worst possible conclusion so quickly, Frank.

I would never cheat on you.

Yeah, but you'd leave Erie Harbor without talking to me about it.

I would've talked to you about it.

What would you have said?

For the right job? Yes.

Cool.

Look, if you have something to say--

-Frank, just tell me how you feel. -How I feel?

I feel like I wish I hadn't been carrying a ring around this entire time

waiting for the right time to propose to you.

What?

Frank.

Wait, don't--

Are you gonna drive off? Are you seriously gonna just--

How's your report going?

Can we give you access to anything else you may need?

Well, I'm nearly done with it, actually.

But I'm afraid you might not like some of the conclusions

that I'm gonna draw in it.

I do think we're making progress here.

I mean, it's slow going, but things move a little slower in small towns.

I think you did the right thing, firing those deputies.

Well, it seemed important to send a message.

Yeah, there is no place for racist behavior like that.

-Not even in small towns, as you say. -Mm-hmm.

But... the fact that it happened at all

speaks to a lack of respect for your leadership,

which is perhaps bigger than you. Bigger than all this.

-Well, racism, it's pretty big. -Don't take this the wrong way,

but maybe this town isn't ready for you.

Is something funny?

I'm sorry. I just-- I thought we were gonna keep talking in coded language.

You're good at what you do. I was just trying to help.

What? Help me quit?

See, you haven't been here long enough...

to know I don't do that.

Mm-hmm.

There has to be a connection between these men. Something that made them sick.

Did they all touch the photograph?

I'm just saying, maybe we should sanitize it just to be safe.

Each of us should pick three names. Try to do a deep dive into their lives.

Try to figure out what the missing link is.

Did someone steal all your clothes or something?

What?

Sometimes I'm just not in the mood, okay?

-Hey, what's up? -Hey, I just started reading this,

like, yesterday and I'm already halfway done with it. It's so good.

Yay. You know, when you finish that

we should read Pride and Prejudice together and do awful British accents.

"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

What?

You know, Mr. Darcy.

Oh, is he, like, one of the new history teachers?

Okay. Bye.

Wait. Are you busy later?

I was wondering if maybe we could watch a movie or something.

It's all right.

'Kay.

Just trying to find out more about Pop-Pop and his friends,

but I feel like I'm just going in circles.

Dad, did you get anything new?

Uh-uh. Nope, nothing.

No, but I am still waiting to hear back from some people.

I feel like he's shaking more.

Me too.

I meant Walter.

Hey, girls. Can you tell Principal Collins that I got her message,

and I'm gonna run a quick errand? I'll come back and talk to her.

My God, Mom. It's called a text message. Why don't you just text her yourself

so we don't have to walk all the way across Earth

and, like, talk to Principal Collins and walk all the way back across Earth?

I'm sorry if I enjoy real human connection.

Are you okay, Iz?

You're doing that thing you do when you're nervous.

What thing? Yeah, I'm fine.

Yeah, I swear I'm not nervous.

I feel like I'm gonna throw up.

Like, I thought Emma and I were, like, friends now,

but I feel like she's been acting weird lately.

I don't know. Do you think maybe she likes you?

I don't think so.

Okay, so you're not, like, getting a vibe off her or anything?

Well, how would I know if there was a vibe?

Okay, what did she say that made you think she was mad at you?

Nothing. She's just so hot and cold.

You know, like, one minute we're talking and the next minute she ghosts me.

-So she is talking to you? -God, no.

You're focusing on all the wrong things here, Ethan.

It's not what she's saying, it's how she's saying it.

-Okay. -Don't patronize me.

I'm not. I'm just wondering if maybe--

if it's possible that you might just be imagining it?

Like, the worst-case scenario? Because sometimes you do that.

-Hi. -Hey.

-See? -Sort of.

Come on, dude, look at this kid.

You're telling me this isn't the funniest thing you've seen this year?

Like, these earmuffs too, yo?

Nothing else I can say, bro. Get out.

Let's go.

-Girls' section. -Like his earrings.

You okay?

Never better.

If this were an interview, I'd say the source appeared to be lying.

Not everything is about The Magic Hour Chronicle

-or journalism or whatever. -Spoon, wait.

You know you can talk to me, right? Off the record.

Afternoon, comrades.

-I'll catch up with you guys later. -Dude, what?

Is it because I said comrades?

I think one of the older kids was being mean to Spoon.

I want a name and an address. I'm gonna send a strongly-worded letter.

Found nothing on Bob or Theo, and only a few articles on Kenny.

It's like none of these guys were ever on the Internet.

Okay, so let's start small.

I've realized I barely know anything about my own Pop-Pop.

People are vast, Hilde. They contain multitudes.

Or at least that's what the documentary said.