01x03 - Graduation

[bunniefuu]

[Sigsby]
Previously on The Institute...

What about
Mr. Stackhouse's reporter?

[Stackhouse]
I got her the job three years ago

just for this kind
of eventuality.

But you do know,
in certain cases,

our subject's true value...
an infinitely higher value...

might lie elsewhere.

Uh...

Don't worry.

The microphones on this corridor

are experiencing
a temporary malfunction.

Find a kid with potential
for A PC development

and develop him.

Ellis, you mean.

Police!
Get down on the ground!

- Hey, hey, Mr. Dobira.
- [moaning]

Drew, ambulance, man!
You got this, bro.

Uh, uh, yeah.

Nice job, Drew.

Thank you, Chief.
[clearing throat]

What we really need
is a super powerful TP.

See inside the minds
of the staff,

even the stuff they're hiding.

[sobbing loudly]

[Kalisha]
This one's strong.

I've never felt one so strong.

Ask and ye shall receive.

["Shout" performed
by The Lumineers plays]

♪

♪ Shout, shout ♪

♪ Let it all out ♪

♪ These are the things
I can do without ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ I'm talking to you ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ In violent times ♪

♪ You shouldn't have
to sell your soul ♪

♪ In black and white ♪

♪ They really,
really ought to know ♪

♪ Shout, shout ♪

♪ Let it all out ♪

♪ These are the things
I can do without ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ I'm talking to you ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪

[beeping]

[door chiming]

Level B.

Early bird gets
the worm, huh, Tony?

Shut up.

[beeping]

Hello again, Luke.

Feeling ready
for some more tests?

Spry? Sprightly?

Uh, yeah, I feel... great.

Have a seat, please.
You've got another shot.

Just a quick prick.

Lots of shots,
just like the Army.

Because I'm a conscript, right?

Hop up.

[clears throat]

- Here we go.
- Do we really need these?

It's for your own safety, champ.

[machines beeping]

[Dr. Hendricks]
Now, hold still.

[beeping continues]

Yeah, I'll find a vein...

eventually.

- Ah. There.
- [groans]

[beeping continues]

[gasping]

What's that?

[beeping continues]

[distorted]
Ah, give him a few seconds.

[gurgling]

[rapid beeping]

[wheezing]

[gasping]

There.

See? All fine.

No need to intubate.

What did you just do to me?

Nothing. You're fine.

Do you wear corrective lenses?

- No.
- Must be nice.

[Tony]
Look straight ahead.

[voice distorted]
Look straight ahead.

[machines beeping]

[Dr. Hendricks]
Keep looking at the screen.

If you look away once,
Tony will slap you.

If you look away a second time,
he'll shock you.

It's low voltage but painful.

Eyes on the screen.

[Dr. Hendricks]
Tell us if you see the dots.

[groaning]

Eyes on the screen, pal.

[beeping]

[rapid beeping]

[groaning]

[groaning]

[beeping]

Okay. I'm shutting it down.

I didn't expect him
to see any dots today.

[beeping]

Oopsy-daisy.

Okay.

[machines beeping]

[rapid beeping]

[alarm ringing]

Night shift takes
its toll, huh, Bedelia?

You two have a good evening.

[Tony]
Wake up, pal.

There he is.

Are you with us, tiger?

Can I...

I'm gonna go back to my...

room.

Can I go and lie down? I'm sick.

The disorientation will pass,
although I would skip lunch.

I have another little test,
so pay attention.

A correct answer
will earn you tokens.

Ready?

What is it?

It's a card.

Please let me go back
to my room, please.

I'm... I'm tired.
I feel sick. Please.

f*cking boo-hoo.

What is this?

A dog taking a sh*t!
The Brooklyn Bridge!

A k*ller whale!
You're outta your f*cking...

- [electricity zapping]
- [screaming]

Next time,
try not to be such a p*ssy.

[sobbing]

[quiet whimpering]

[sniffling]

[door closes]

- You got a minute?
- Yeah.

You still owe an Incident Report
for the other night.

Yeah. What happens
if I don't write one?

Then we send
Drew's report by itself

to the Bangor DA's office.

Basically, it becomes
the official version.

Sounds like a plan.

Drew's report's a little fuzzy
on who did what.

"An improvised bandage
was fashioned

to address the victim's wound."

Drew and I had Mr. Stacey
for 11th grade English.

He'd be scandalized
to hear a former student

using the passive voice.

I'm not sure what
you want me to say.

If this is
the only report they get,

the geniuses in Bangor will
credit Drew with all of it,

think he's just too modest
to say it straight out.

They might even
take it upon themselves

to hand him a medal
for his trouble.

So?

It doesn't bother you

to see people treated as heroes
for sh*t they didn't do?

I guess not.

Anyway...
all's well that ends well.

Gunmen were taken alive
at a rest stop near the border,

and Guataale Dobira's
off life support,

expected to recover.

You know our closest ER
is in Acadia?

Took 'em almost two hours
to get him there.

Doc says no way he makes it
without that bandage.

So... guess Drew saved his life.

You're not a fugitive
or something, are you?

- [chuckles] What?
- I'm just trying to figure out

why you're so set
on staying out of this.

I spent a lotta years thinking

that I needed to involve myself
in everything.

You know, be the guy
to fix what was broken.

So, you came here
to not be involved?

Something like that.

But you still run
towards g*nf*re

even when you don't have a g*n.

Old habits, I guess.

And, hey, I know you didn't ask,

but you might want to try
cutting Drew some slack.

He's doing his best, you know.

I cut Drew plenty slack.

Okay. What about me?

What about you?

You might wanna try
cutting me some slack.

- Why would I do that?
- Because I'm a nice guy, Wendy.

Nice guys don't have
to tell you they're nice.

If you say so.

- How's he doing?
- How are any of us doing?

He's the real deal.
My TP is like...

listening to a podcast with
the volume all the way down

or people talking
in another room, at best,

and then it just
fades to nothing.

But Avery, he talks to me
like a voice in my head.

He's able to pick out names,

even ones that
I'm not thinking about.

You think being that strong a TP

might make you weird.

I mean, 'cause most kids
have to learn how to read cues

and judge
their parents' tone of voice

so they know what's
going on around them.

Avery... just knows.

You can trust me.

I can help. I wanna go home.

I hate it here,
just like you guys.

Hey, do you want
some milk in your cereal?

Yes, please. And a banana.

Sure thing, babe.
I'll get it.

You're so mad.
Just... ouchy mad all the time.

Thanks, Sha.

Luke likes you, you know.
He likes you a lot.

But she likes Nicky,
and Nicky doesn't even care.

He knows but doesn't care.

He's been hurt a lot of times...

when he was little.

That wasn't fair.

Okay. [chuckles nervously]

We're gonna have to put
this monkey on a leash.

- Monkeys love bananas.
- [Nicky] f*cking A, kid.

First rule of Fight Club, huh?

Huh? I don't know
what that means.

It means you need to learn
when to keep your mouth shut.

[knocking]

We have to make this quick.
It's sparkler night.

Anything to report?

Nothing you don't already know.
That Nicky's a pit bull.

He'll keep fighting
till he dies.

And the others?

Kalisha trusts me,
so they all do.

They all think they're smart,
but they all follow her lead.

Luke Ellis included?

He's the one to watch.

Checking our security
all the time.

You can tell he's got a little
recorder running in his head.

They all check security,

but when was the last time
you saw a kid actually test it?

You're wasting your time.

- And mine too.
- Don't you think our work here

is too important
for that kind of attitude?

Oh, spare me the rah-rah.
I've got real problems.

Opal turned a blank.

I'm waiting on answers
from Emerald.

We may have
to scramble this month.

Don't worry.

I've made Upstairs
well aware of all the problems

you're having
with the snatch team.

Keyhole's about to open.
Is there anything else?

I'll clean in here
while you're gone.

The new kid, Avery?

He's a particularly strong TP.
Watch out for him.

Saying he can read my mind?
Even if I'm guarded?

I'm saying it wouldn't hurt
to keep your distance.

And if his baseline's
really that high,

I can't imagine he'll be here
for long anyway.

[door opens, closes]

Dr. Hendricks.

I assume we're going
the same way?

Um, yes, of course.

Ramsey keyhole
opens in a few minutes.

So, you'll be joining us
in person?

Is that a problem?

Not at all. Just been a while.

Well, my schedule's
been a bear lately,

but you know I try
and get there when I can.

They work you too hard.

Well, I'm glad I ran into you.

I've got two more candidates
almost ready for Back Half.

Maybe one more session each
on the box,

and then that should be that.

Excellent.
I'll make sure we're prepared.

Any updates on the Dixon boy?

You're being...
You're being careful.

With a BDNF over 90? Yeah.

Yeah, minimal procedures,
no rough stuff.

Turns out he's actually
a little slower than expected,

but still on track.

Glad not to hear
any more talk about Luke Ellis.

No. No.
You're right about him.

His scores are so low,
it's not worth the bother.

So, you're not coming?

I'll catch up.

But if I don't,
good luck tonight.

And call me with
any questions about targeting.

Yeah, sure.

[suspenseful music]

[Dr. Hendricks] We'll be ready.
Couple more right behind Iles.

[Stackhouse]
What about the Ellis kid?

[Dr. Hendricks] His initial
tests indicate pretty low TP,

but we'll get him there.

[Stackhouse] Of course
it must have occurred to you

that even a moderate
BDNF score combined with...

[laptop beeps]

as*h*le.

♪

♪

You should just say it, Sha.

Say what?

I saw dots today
in the Dream Box.

What does that mean?

It means I'm going
to Back Half soon.

Is there any way to fight that?

The Dream Box?

It's the worst thing
they do here.

Way worse than anything else.

It's...

Hendricks says that you can
give yourself an embolism

if you try and fight it.

It feels like... a nail

is being hammered
into your forehead.

At least that's one step
closer to, uh, getting out,

going home, right?

Yeah.

[ethereal humming]

Avery?

Avery? Honey?

[tense music]

[ethereal humming]

[ethereal humming continues]

What are you doing?

[humming grows louder]

[humming continues]

[humming continues]

[humming continues]

What was that?

That was a strong one.

Really strong.

[Kalisha]
We feel it sometimes.

It's definitely something
coming from Back Half.

Weird.

[button clicks]

[rings]

[lisping man] Ms. Sigsby.

Sorry to bother you
so late at night, sir.

Is there a situation?

No, no, sir.

Tonight's operation
went smoothly.

[chuckles] Well, then...

Isn't this
an unexpected pleasure.

I have a...

a possible security risk.

I thought you'd want
to know immediately.

I don't imagine it's an accident
that the head of your security's

not on this conference call
with you.

No, sir.

I believe Mr. Stackhouse...

is the security risk.

And you have corroboration?

You know how careful he is.

Accusation without corroboration
is merely gossip.

Yes, sir, but if you'll just...

I don't credit Mr. Stackhouse's
gossip about you.

Hard to expect me
to credit yours about him.

About me?

Goodbye.

[dial tone droning]

- [button clicks]
- [dial tone stops]

[exhaling]

[haunting music]

♪

[coins clinking]

[muttering]

Hey, Annie.
How you doing tonight?

Oh. I'm great. Thanks.
I'm great.

What do we got going on here?

What does it look like?

[Tim] Right.

Oh.

The Dalai Lama,
he showed me this.

It...

keeps them
from reading your mind.

Did it wake you, too?

Did what wake me?

The hum.

- No, I must have missed it.
- Oh.

When were you born? The '80s?

Yes, Ma'am. '82.

Oh, you have brain damage.

In the '60s,

they started adding isotopes
to jet fuel,

aluminum dioxide.

They've been seeding the country
like crop dusters ever since.

It affects hormone growth,
particularly in infants.

Why you can't hear it.

I see. Well, makes sense.

The hum is getting worse.

Oh, I-I-I never
felt it so strong.

Oh. They k*lled him.

Who k*lled who?

The b*stards.

Pilot error.

They made the pilot
read the numbers wrong.

It's tele... It's telepathy.
They... They project it.

Shh, shh, shh.

[whispering] I can't say.

Well, it's okay. I understand.

[whispering]
You have to be careful.

You can't just talk about it.

Stay away from Route 10.

Route 10?

What, the research place?

The infectious-disease
whatever it is?

- Shh!
- Sorry.

Sorry.

Oh. You think I'm crazy.

Well, they thought
Copernicus was crazy.

They thought
the Unabomber was crazy.

[chuckles]

[sighs]

[muttering]

You ever talk to anybody, Annie?

Like a doctor?

No.

They put my mom on Haldol.

Made a big difference
for a while.

Whatever they're
prescribing now,

I'm sure it's even better.
It might make you...

You know, it might be soothing.

No, no, no, no, no.
I never touch drugs.

Booze either.

The last drink
was February 1, 2003.

Got it.

Well, I'm gonna finish up
my rounds, okay?

Keep your eyes open.

All of them.

Yes, ma'am.

I fell asleep at halftime.

- These games are on too late.
- Yeah, you didn't miss much.

Boring f*cking series.

As a Heat fan, I'm required
by law to despise the C's.

That Tony guy misses Florida.

He hates us.

He wanted to kick you
when he walked by.

And the other one, Fred?

He barely even sees us.
It's like we're not real.

Look, there must be
a weak link here, 'kay?

- [coin clinks]
- Hey, Luke.

Yeah.

Looking for licorice?

No, no. What? No.

Okay. I hate licorice.

Did you put this in my head?

Sometimes I can.

Avery, my friend,

you are a m*therf*cking
cabinet of curiosities.

Hi, Maureen.

Hey, what about, um... her?

Huh?

What?

[Avery] She's trying
to stay away from me.

Oh, she's got a secret.

She's got a lot of secrets.

Boy, is she sad.
She's real mixed up.

She hates it here,
almost like us.

- Is that right?
- But you can't trust her.

She tells Sigsby things,
what you talk about.

She hates that, too.

Okay. Bedtime.

[whispering]
And I know her big secret.

[tense music]

Hey.

What? I got cooties?

Oh, uh, no.

I didn't wanna be presumptuous.
Maybe you wanna be left alone.

"Presumptuous?" You're not
from around here, huh?

Um, no.

I did come here
to talk to a human being.

Who else am I gonna talk to?

That's fair.

Hi.

I'm Kate. Kate the great.

- Oh.
- What's your story?

Hi. Tim Jamieson.

New night-knocker.
Chief just hired me.

Oh, yeah.
Ed Whitlock's old job.

Good ol' Whittles.
Nay he rest in peace.

Cheers.

You want a shot?

Hmm.

Uh, no, thanks. I, uh...

I'm sorta on duty.

What do you do, Kate?

- Web designer.
- Oh.

Also, I run the local paper,

Dennison Weekly Standard.

A journalist.

The flame of journalism
is still alive in Dennison.

Does anything even, uh,
ever really happen here?

Oh, you heard about
the shootout at the Mini Mart?

Yeah, yeah, I heard about it.

More excitement than
we usually get in a century.

Sometimes,
a tourist flips a canoe

on the river and gets lost.

Oh, and then there's the Craft
Fair. That's a big one.

Folks come in
from as far as Portland

and we get traffic jams.

One day a year we get traffic.

Hey, um, could I turn up
the TV, the volume?

Why do I feel like you're
not listening to me?

Thanks.

Again, our top story:

North Dakota Senator
Gavin Ramsey feared dead

after a small plane crashed
during what should've been

a routine flight
to his family home in Minot.

A spokesman for the NTSB
said weather conditions

at the time of the accident
were challenging

- but not imposs...
- [TV clicks off]

What?

Oh. Uh...

Sorry.
Something somebody, uh...

You're from around here, right?

What can you tell me about

that big disease-research
place up on Route 10?

The Institute?

- Yeah. There you go.
- Aliens. Illuminati.

What do you mean?

Alien spacecraft.

Sasquatch breeding. Yikes.

No, I, uh...
No, I heard mind control,

telepathy or whatever.

Hm. Boring.

- Oh.
- So tame.

[laughing]

Most people say aliens.

Area 52.

I'm gonna write the big exposé,
win a Pulitzer.

Oh.

Who said mind control?

Oh, um, do you know Annie?

She lives in a tent
behind the freight depots.

Everyone knows Annie.

She's not even
the craziest person in town.

Maybe, like... third craziest.

Thing is, she, uh...

She didn't just say
"mind control." She, uh...

She said that they were gonna
use it to crash a plane,

make it look like pilot error.

You think this
is what she meant?

I mean, uh...

But... what is that place?

You know, what are they
actually doing there?

Far as I can tell,
they don't do sh*t.

It's some Cold w*r pork project,

like Antenna Array
in Winter Harbor.

Probably have anthrax
from 1952 locked in a freezer,

use that to justify 18 jobs.

No one's doing research.

But government waste
is old news.

Yeah. Sasquatch breeding
is better.

Definitely sexier.

[chuckles]

sh*t. Uh, it's that late?

Get me a decent photo
of Bigfoot?

We'll make hundreds.

Hand there. Yeah. Nice.

And release.

Amazing throw.
f*cking beautiful.

He doesn't really think
that was a good throw.

No sh*t.

Okay, so, no mics,

but do we think there might
be motion sensors out here?

They don't think they need them.

They don't care
what we do out here.

They probably don't
really believe

any kid will try
and make a serious attempt.

Well, we're not going out under.

- It's pretty solid here.
- [fence rattles]

But even if we could,
aren't you forgetting something?

What's that?

No, I'm not forgetting.

"The opportunity
for defeating the enemy

is provided by the enemy."

- The Rock say that?
- Yeah.

[suspenseful music]

They make that patrol
twice a day,

twice at night, six hours apart,



Always the same way, clockwise,

and I bet it's shift change.

After midnight, before 6 a.m.

I'd say 1:00 to 1:30.
That's the sweet spot.

I love dogs.

Could never get one.
Mom's allergic.

[gate clanking shut]

- Uh, Avery?
- [singsongy] Earth to Avery.

Dogs don't protect
their thoughts.

They let you ride with them.

[dog panting]

Uh...

can you see what the dog sees?

Sort of.

[guard] Okay.

[dog panting]

[Avery] There's another fence,
all old and rusted.

Grass is tall
and that fence is rusty, rusty.

Nobody goes there.

- So, you saw another fence?
- Yeah.

It's another playground,
all old.

Huh.

There's another playground?
Is it attached to Back Half?

Uh, I don't know.

Well, I mean,
the grass was high and yellow.

The fence all rusted.

Well, do you think...

that we could dig underneath it?

I think so.

The dog was digging under it.

[Nicky] Okay, but how do
we get back there?

I mean, besides the obvious.

Okay. Avery, did you see
any kids there?

Hm, no.

Looks like
no one's ever out there.

But... I don't wanna
go there, Back Half.

What's back there?
Can you feel it?

Sha!

Sha. No.

Sit down.

[breathing unsteadily]

Dream Box?

Wait. Was it bad?

I connected to the Hum.

I'm sorry, Sha.

[sniffling]

"You will see me no more."

[Nicky exhaling sharply]

Hey.

[kazoo playing]

♪ Goodbye Front Half for you ♪

♪ Goodbye Front Half
for you ♪

♪ Goodbye Front Half,
dear Kalisha ♪

♪ Goodbye Front Half for you ♪

[scattered applause]

Yay!

We're so proud of you, Kalisha.

You're ready
to serve your country.

You've worked so hard,
and it's much appreciated.

No one will know your sacrifice.

Not even you.

But... you're going home.

Congratulations!

[spits]

I should make you eat that.

I'm gonna stay
in touch, Sha, okay?

I'm getting stronger,
and you are too.

Okay, Avery. We'll try.

[utensils clink]

You really do have to try, Sha.

Can you read anything
off of her?

Mm-mmm.

Hey, bud,

Come with me for a sec.

- Mm-mmm. Why?
- Just come.

But why?

Stay strong.

I'll be there in a few days,

when they send me
back there, okay?

Is that supposed
to make me feel better?

That was the hope.

[Kalisha sniffling]

Thanks, hon.
Just put 'em down there.

Looking to take my job?

No one could take
your job, Maureen.

You're the best.

You are gonna end up
running this place.

It's too late for me.

You hate these graduations,
don't you?

You better get back.

It's not too late, Maureen.

We need to see
what's back there,

and maybe Sha can get
into that playground.

Okay, everyone,
give me your hands.

Give me your hand.

Everyone, give me your hands.

[suspenseful music]

♪

Okay, guys.

Time to go. Miss Benson!

Tony!

All right, enough!

- [gasping]
- Get your hands off her!

[Avery] No!

- [electricity zapping]
- [screaming]

[sobbing]

No, don't fight!
It's not the time!

It's not the time.

- So, when will be?
- Not now!

Not ever.

[sobbing]

Let go of me!

Stop!

[Kalisha crying hysterically]

- [Nicky] Sha!
- [sobbing]

Sha!

[breathing shakily]

♪

Stop!

[crickets chirping]

Annie?

♪

- [beeping]
- [lock clicking]

[lock clicking]

She's in a tunnel.
It's dark and scary.

♪

Annie, isn't it Allman hour?

Ugh. I'm having a hard time.

It's too far and all the stone.

Annie, you in there?

It's me. It's Tim.

[haunting music]

- [beeping]
- [lock clicks]

♪

I lost her. I lost her!

No, I'm not strong enough!
Sha! Sha!

It's okay. We'll find her.

We'll find her again.

♪