The Whispers S01E01 Recap: X Marks the Spot

The Whispers has probably one of the scariest teasers, especially if you have children. What if your child's imaginary friends weren't so imaginary, what if they were deadly? The series is finally here, and its goosebump inducing to say the least.

The first little girl that we're introduced to is Harper. She's young and cute as a button, and she's got an imaginary friend named Drill. She complains that her mother never listens, that she's always on the phone, and her father is a scientist, away on a trip. Drill wants to play a game, and Harper is all for it. Harper goes out to the tree house and calls her mother over. Her mother doesn't like that Harper is so high up, and has no choice but to go up after the girl. Harper tells her mother that she won't go down until the game is done, and to step on the X. She does, and falls through the floor. She did what Drill had asked, but it seems that Drill is no longer there. Harper looks into hole at her fallen Mommy, pleading for her to wake up not that the game is over.

Claire cheers on her son during his baseball game when she gets called into work. She hasn't been there for months, but agrees to come in. After running across home base Claire tells her son, and he thinks that she should go in. It's been months since a tragedy hit their family, and its time for her to go back.

Back at work Claire turns heads, but heads straight to her director's office. Her reputation proceeds her Rollins says. Claire looks over the pictures from the crime scene. Claire isn't sure that a small child could have done it. Their time is short, the grandmother has given permission to question Harper, but her father will return from his trip soon. Claire heads out, and Rollins gets called back for a moment. The Director knows that there has been talk about Claire, but its the people talking about him. She just lost her husband, but she'll rise to the occasion, and he hopes he will too. Rollins understands loud and clear.

At the park, a little girl, Minx, shows off for her mother, Lena, as she chats with a friend on a park bench. Gymnastics has been paying off for Minx, but the piano lessons haven't for her friend's son, Noah. The friend asks about her relationship. Lena's husband is away on a new job, he's a defense contractor. She's not really sure what he does, but at least he's not around their daughter anymore. The friend is surprised that she stayed, but Lena still loves him.

In Africa, a group of men meet with an African General. It's a pretty hostile situation, but their questions will soon be answered.

Claire sits down with Harper, to find out about her game. Harper isn't suppose to say. Claire tells her that its a safe room, and she's allowed to say anything. Harper tells her that Drill told her that adults wouldn't understand. Harper can't see Drill either, but he speaks through the lights. He said that they would have a domination. Harper struggles with Drill's big words. She thinks that he told her the answers to the questions but she doesn't remember the answers. Drill has left her for now, the game isn't over, and he's out looking for a new friend.

Minx on the playground has become Drill's new playmate. He talks to her in the wind, asking if she would like to play, and she does.

Rollins asks what Claire thinks, if they should turn her back over to the locals. Claire thinks that things feel off. The little girl has obviously been coached. The father arrives to pick up Harper. Claire wants more time, but Rollins doesn't think that there is a case. The Director wants clarification. Claire runs after Harper, taking a drawing asking if the picture is Drill. It isn't. She believes Harper that Drill is real. Harper tells her that there was another boy, but he couldn't win the game. Claire looks in the FBI database for anything that links it to another crime. Rollins thinks that she's wasting her time, it was a crime of a disturbed mind. Claire doesn't think that Harper fits that bill. She finds a similar case where a little boy detonated a bomb and killed himself, the mother survived. It was believed that he was under the influence of an entity named Drill and they were playing a game. Rollins thinks this may be a copycat, but Claire knows more than a little about kids, and it doesn't work that way for ones so young. Their connections are sacred. Most kids know that imaginary friends aren't real, but not Harper. She's sure of the opposite. She's not sure how, but someone is getting these kids to do these acts,

Minx plays in a tube, and a boy asks if he can play. She confers with her imaginary friend and agrees to let him. He runs out of the tube screaming, wanting to leave immediately. Lena goes to find out what happened, but Minx won't talk.

The man that was outside of Harper's house struggles to write a note, on it is Minx's name. He collapses.

The men get questioned about the property that the African General has seized. They can't talk about it. The wind whips up, something is happening. A geologist is outside, they have to show them something. The storm knocks out the lights outside, as they suit up and to take a look at something. The general brings them to see a ship that they've found. The men move to get a closer look. Wes goes to reach out an touch the thing, and gets a little shock. The lights come back on. The airplane is stuck inside of the rock, it looks like it was grabbed right out of the sky. Wes sees what looks like deep footsteps walking away.

Claire asks Rollins what the office is saying about her. He kneads him until he answers her. It's a little suspicious that she took a leave of absence right before her husband died, the same time that her sister did. She asks what he thinks, Marriage is complicated. She asks how long he's been divorced. His divorce isn't official yet. He asks about her son. He lost his hearing, and then his father. Claire and Rollins are brought to see Ms. Bellings. Claire tells her that a little girl thought she was playing a game with Drill and hurt her mother. Ms. Bellings says nothing. Claire sits down next to her, people say that it will get better, but what does that mean. She tells her what her mother told her about grief, and how to get through it. Her husband was killed 3 months ago in a plane crash, that brings Ms. Bellings out of it. She gives her condolences. Claire understands loss, but not what she's going through. She has her son and she can't imagine what she'd be like if she lost him. Ms. Bellings is what it would look like.

The man wakes up. He's labeled as John Doe. In his sleep he says something about time, about it being too late. They're searching for the lights. The Doctor has no clue what it means.

Claire asks what happened that day. She went to work, thought that Jackson went to school, but he was in the hall. Jackson told her that he thought that he was doing a bad thing, that it wasn't a game. He ran into the supply closet, and then.... He told her about Drill, but she just got mad. She thought that he was too old to be playing such games. Claire thinks that Drill is real, that someone is behind it. Ms. Bellings remembers that there was a man across the street, that he was watching. She describes out John Doe. He was covered in tattoos, weird ones, like a treehouse. Rollins calls for a sketch artist. Ms. Bellings tells Claire to hold onto her son, to not let him go.

John Doe wakes up as Dr. Maria is looking at his tattoos, and panics. She gets him calmed down, telling him that she wants to help, but the man can't even remember his name.

At home Lena asks Minx again what happened. Minx doesn't think that her mother would understand. The boy probably freaked out because he's turning. When kids get a certain age, they being to turn, to think too much about stuff. She'll never turn Drill has told her. Lena is impressed by her artwork, which looks like the White House, and a suspicious plane. Minx tells her that that is where the light comes from. Lena thinks that her father will like it, but not Minx. Drill has told her that her father doesn't care. He did something bad, but Lena is pretending it didn't happen. Lena wants to meet the friend, but Minx says no. Lena calls Wes and leaves him a message. She tells him that Minx knows what he did. Minx thinks its confirmation that Wes doesn't want to talk to Lena when he doesn't answer.

Wes goes to check his messages, but gets interrupted. Peter shows him what he's found about the plane. It was to find classified information, but it lost control around the artic circle. There is no way it should have made it to the desert, with how much fuel it carried. Wes looks further, he knows the pilot.

John Doe can't remember his name, all that information feels like its just out of reach. He's dreaming, but he doens't know what they mean, only that they're important. Dr. Maria tells him that when he was sleeping he was speaking in Arabic. John Doe doesn't speak Arabic. Dr. Maria tells him what he said, but it doesn't mean anything for him. She orders a CT scan. He looks at his tattoo, and then the clock and zones out. The Dr. snaps him out of it. He thinks something is about to happen. Little Harper stands watching. She's looking for her friend. The Dr. offers to have a nurse help her find him, but Harper knows she won't be able to help, but thinks John can. Creepy.

Claire returns home, and she's happy to see her son. It was kind of nice to be back at work, but she missed her son. They missed eachother, and they missed his father.

Lena gets ready for a bath, when the lights go out. She checks outside and the lights are on out there. Her lights come back on.

In Minx's room, her robot toy goes crazy, waking her. She doesn't want to play right now, but the game never stops. She heads down the night lighted hall, and follows a light up truck. When it stops she heads upstairs to the office. She goes on her father's computer, and she knows his password to log into his military account. She waits for more instructions from Drill.

Dr. Maria goes to check on John Doe. He's not at his tests, she calls for security to find him.

Harper and her father sits by her mother's bedside.

Claire looks over her case when she receives a sketch from Rollins. While she waits for it to open she notices one of Harper's drawings. Claire cannot believe her eyes. She grabs a magazine, and the picture is similar to the magazine spread. She gets a call, and thinks that its Rollins. It isn't. It's Wes. He has something to say about Shawn, but Claire doesn't want him to even say his name. Wes wants the past behind him as much as she does. They found Shawn's plane, which Claire thinks is impossible. Wes has more news, Shawn's body isn't inside, he may not be dead. He should be considered missing. Wes has to go, but Claire needs more information, her mind reeling. She sees the sketch that was sent over by Rollins, its her husband, its Shawn, its Mr. John Doe.

Shawn runs the halls of the hospital.

Wes gives the president an update. He talks about the rock they found, the petrified lightening, and shows him what a typical formation looks like, and then theirs. The heat from the plane did not cause it. No one is talking, no one is saying anything. It could have been weapons testing. The president doesn't understand how anyone could have survived. Wes isn't sure, but he wants to stay to investigate further. The president calls him home, there is something he needs to know.

Henry sits looking out his window. He can't believe it he says, that this is the best present. He thanks Drill for fixing him. Drill wants him to keep it a secret and he will. He tells Drill that he loves him and goodnight.