(This article contains spoilers)
And here we are. This is the beginning of the end at Neverland and nothing can be done now to patch things up. Death is everywhere, and we didn’t expect anything less to happen, especially after the events from the previous episode.
Slightly (Adarsh Gourav) has successfully managed to get Arthur (David Rysdahl) out of the lab but not from the facility yet. Now he needs to find a way to get him out very discreetly. This won’t unfortunately happen for now as Smee (Jonathan Ajayi) (who finally has some significant screen time) comes once again looking for him so they can spend time together. Smee doesn’t have a proper storyline in this show, which is fine, not every single character needs a complete arc, especially in a show that short, so it’s nice to see him take part in the final events.
He immediately understands something is wrong with Slightly, who’s nervous after hiding Arthur under his bed (very much like a “monster under the bed”). Well, “hiding”, as an arm is poking out. Slightly has to be quick: either Smee is on his side or… he’s not. Luck is on his side, Smee becomes an unwilling help in this obvious act of disobedience.
Meanwhile, the lab is still a war zone: the flies, that actually eat minerals, are wreaking havoc, the egg container is still open, and Isaac is still dead. A team manages to contain the flies, everything is back under relative order, only the casualties remain. It’s surprising to see that the flies didn’t create more damage, they could have already escaped the lab, but this is also such a great place for them, all the food available effortlessly is appealing.
In the middle of the chaos, Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) shows a video to Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin), showing the way the Ocellus was an active part of Isaac’s (Kit Young) demise. Sure, the hybrid made a series of bad choices, but the Ocellus really put the nail in the coffin by startling him.
When Wendy (Sydney Chandler) also arrives at the lab and learns about Isaac and the current situation, she realizes how fragile hybrids can be when met with the right — or wrong — elements. After learning about Prodigy erasing their memories, she’s now facing the idea of death again. Hybrids are not immortal, they’re just more resistant than humans. A single, minor mistake and everything is gone. What happens when a child doesn’t feel safe is fear.
And as she tries to leave the lab, we understand that her connection with the Xenomorph, now a lot bigger, is stronger. A single “word” and the creature reacts, listens, and maybe obeys. Kavalier is scared. It looks like he didn’t anticipate this, which is pretty stupid.
Ready to leave the island with Joe (Alex Lawther), Wendy wants to bring the other children along. She finds Curly (Erana James) reassuring Nibs (Lily Newmark), after learning about her memory. Wendy breaks the news to them about Isaac, and about Kavalier’s real nature, but it doesn’t convince them. At first, Nibs refuses to really believe she has been altered and lost a part of her mind, and Curly seems to still be attached to this place that gave her what she lost before being transferred into a synthetic body and refuses to hear any criticism about Kavalier. Wendy finally says the long-awaited words: “He owns us.” Yes, you are property, and an unregulated one at that.
Surprisingly, Nibs ends up siding with Wendy while Curly decides to stay.
In a shocking move, Wendy frees the Xenomorph by manipulating the system through a screen. The lab is full of people assessing the equipment and the other creatures. Wendy knows there’s only one outcome and actively decides to kill all these people.
Back to Slightly and Smee, who are not so discreetly carrying Arthur throughout the facility. Things seem to become hopeless when they stumble upon Kirsh who, without a doubt, has been following everything on his tablet. What looks like the end for them takes a different turn: Kirsh helps them, giving them the best route to escape faster. Is it a trap? Because it looks like one. Is Kirsh really an ally, is he experimenting, or are there other hidden motivations? At this stage of the episode, we can only hope his help is genuine.
On their way to the beach, where they should be able to escape, the two boys hide from the island security, leaving Arthur unattended for a very short moment. And that’s enough for the Facehugger to fall off and for the scientist to wake up. Which can only mean one thing, and the process Alien fans know seems a lot shorter in this case.
They’re so close to making it when the inevitable happens: Arthur dies and the baby Xenomorph escapes. Slightly knows he just lost what Morrow wanted but decides to keep on moving, and they carry the body to their final point.
And for sure, Morrow (Babou Ceesay) is there, with two tactical teams that came by the sea, underwater. Morrow got his soldiers, and he’s now ready to collect his due. But there’s no due. Morrow, smart as he is, seems to also have planned this to fail. “Target one failed. Moving to target two.” Target two can only be the first Xenomorph, and to reach the place they think it’s being kept in, they’ll have to infiltrate the facility.
Back at the lab, Kavalier is totally clueless about his hybrids leaving and betraying him. This is what happens when you think you’re the smartest person on Earth and don’t pay attention to anyone else but you and those who directly benefit you.
If we already knew the eye creature was smart, it’s now proven she’s a being with knowledge of science, capable of reciting… Pi. How, you ask? Well, being trapped in a sheep is not the best way to recite a series of numbers, so taping a hoof will have to do. And it works. One. Five. Kavalier just found his new favorite. But communication is still a problem, so he decides to look for a human host to make it easier.
And just like that, Eins (Adrian Edmondson) goes on a hunt for the perfect candidate, no questions asked. Ethics? I don’t know her. At the last moment, Kavalier seemed to have picked his own candidate.
Speaking of Joe, him, Wendy, and Nibs are now far from the Prodigy buildings, on their way to the harbor where they’ll find the boat to leave the island. Their little trip doesn’t go unnoticed, and they eventually meet the second team that came with Morrow. But before they can even touch them, Wendy launches the Xenomorph on them. The creature doesn’t lose time and wipes the team fast and clean. Best ally ever.
Back at the Prodigy buildings, Morrow finally enters the premises in search of the other Xenomorph, not knowing he won’t find it. This is when Kirsh reveals his true intentions. Not only did he manage to capture the baby Xenomorph, but it’s also clear he followed everything through Slightly’s and Smee’s eyes. Him helping the hybrids was indeed a trap, but I’m still not putting aside something even deeper. I could see Kirsh being his own agent, using the hybrids and Kavalier for a bigger purpose.
Meanwhile, on the coast, Wendy, Joe, and Nibs reach the boat but are met with the island security, Joe’s friends Siberian (Diêm Camille) and Rashidi (Moe Bar-El) included. This is the final stand-off, and the outcome will decide which way they’ll take next.
Under their threat, but especially after a guard throws her plush into the water, Nibs becomes violent and starts to kill on sight. Wendy neutralizes Joe’s friends and calls the Xenomorph for help, but she’s cut short by Joe himself. Without a clear order, the creature remains hidden in the forest. What saves the children from being killed is that the guards have the order to not shoot. Hybrids are way too valuable, which leaves them in a position of power for a time. Until Joe neutralizes Nibs with an electric gun seconds before she kills Siberian.
Joe did everything he could to escape the island with his sister, but his own plan failed miserably. And now, even Wendy is pissed off. Though we know she would never hurt her brother, her being in this state is not good news, and the trust she had in her brother could be changed for a while, if not ever.
This episode marks the point of no return for everyone on this island, far from anyone’s sight.
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