Superian wakes from his sickness when he hears people calling for him to help with the VLM. Arthur flies towards the VLM's face to activate the catalyser but is thrown by Superian's arrival. Arthur tries to warn him to leave but his suit goes off, while Terror watches stunned since he wasn't the one to set off the explosion. Tick looks on from the ground and is overjoyed when the device works and the VLM begins to shrink back to his normal size. Superian falls to the ground somewhat disoriented but relatively unharmed.

Dot calls Arthur to say that she and Overkill know where the Terror's hidden. This is their one chance to go after him because now that his plan has been foiled he will likely move to somewhere else. Terror and Lint have an argument since she has lost faith in his madness while he knows that she tried to sell him out to Overkill. Terror decides to attack the Flag Five memorial ceremony where Arthur's mother and step-father will be, as he wants to get revenge on Arthur for his interference in his plan to kill Superian.

Overkill's ship calls Arthur to inform him of the impending attack on the ceremony. Lint is dismayed to learn that the bracelets Terror gave her have been little more than a way to keep her under his control. Terror's minions capture Arthur's mother and step-father, prompting Tick to attack Terror's ship while Arthur uses his suit to fight off the many henchmen.

Once Tick manages to tear through the ship's hull, the Terror tries to abandon the ship but Lint gets away in the escape pod before he can use it. The ship fully crashes and the Terror emerges. Arthur confronts him for all his crimes but the Terror gets the upper hand and prepares to kill Arthur. But Superman arrives and saves Arthur by using his frost breath power to subdue the Terror.

Superian is revered by the public for stopping the Terror once again, while Arthur and Dot celebrate still being alive and reuniting with the rest of their family. Overkill is upset that he was not the one to stop the Terror but Dot reminds him that the Terror will likely escape. Overkill is appreciative of Dot making him feel better.

Arthur and Tick meet with Midnight, who warns them to be careful in the public eye, as Big Brother is watching. But Midnight leaves before Arthur can ask for clarification on this warning. While Arthur and Tick walk away, and AEGIS drone is shown to be behind them monitoring their actions before flying up and meeting with more drones.

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Karamazov tells Arthur that with the VLM approaching the city, the Terror is planning to detonate the VLM because the big bismuth within him will kill Superian since it is his weakness. Arthur's suit is crucial to all of this because it is the detonator to the explosion.

Lint has Overkill in her captivity and interrogates him, revealing to the audience in the process that they used to have a relationship beyond that of hero and villain. But their entanglement ended with her using him in the Terror's plan to kill the Flag Five. She offers to help Overkill finally take out Terror by revealing the location of his tower. However, Overkill rejects her offer of aligning since he cannot trust her after all she's done. Dot disconnects the power in order to rescue Overkill and tells both him and Lint that they need some therapy to work out their respective issues.

Karamazov alters the catalyser in the suit which disables Terror's remote detonation capabilities. Instead the detonation should shrink the VLM back to his normal size but only with a 20% chance of it working. Arthur and Tick head to the military blockade and share a pep-talk before they will take on the VLM.

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Karamazov is now functioning by using a robot suit designed by Kevin. He being to tell Arthur and Tick his story while they tend to Superian, who is burning up in temperature and still unconscious. Throughout all of this, Tick is also operating under the theory that he is actually a robot but Arthur tells him that he isn't one since he still has free will to do the right thing.

Karamazov shares how he discovered a supply of "big bismuth" in the mountains of his home country. He used it to create a growth ray and tested it out while Superian was in in attendance. But the machine malfunctioned and Karamazov was shrunken to a small size. The government seized Karamazov's weapons in the hopes of using them to fight Superian but the Terror intervened and seized the weapons for himself. Karamazov continues on and shares that the entire supply of weapons and supply of big bismuth was destroyed by the Tick.

Karamazov states that the big bismuth is responsible for Superian's sickness as well as the growth of the VLM. The Terror is planning to use the big bismuth inside of the VLM to kill Superian once and for all.

While all of this is going on, Dot is following a lead on a mission the Pyramid Gang are going on. She decides to go after it and Overkill follows to help her out. Overkill ends up in a confrontation with Lint, who is able to overpower him with some gas. Dot shuts off the power to the building but Lint uses her powers to restore it, which triggers a ray which hits the VLM. This causes him to begin moving towards the city. Karamazov declares that this is the beginning of the finals stage of the Terror's plan.

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Midnight passes on the message to Superian about the return of the Terror and his plans to kill Superian, but Superian doesn't believe or take the threat seriously. Further proof will be needed to convince him of its validity.

The Terror invades the main office of Brown Tingle Cola, a soda company he founded many years ago, with many henchmen. He resumes control and decides to use the office as his new headquarters. Arthur and the Tick decide to leave Overkill's lair to stay elsewhere but are approached by two diplomats, a woman and a robot, who are from Karamazov's home country. They are searching for Karamazov after receiving a tip from the Terror since Karamazov had defected from the country. The woman leaves them a card to get in contact with them if they hear from Karamazov. Arthur wants to find a tower to amplify the signal from the helmet that he believes is Karamazov trying to contact him.

Superian ponders the possibility of the Terror being alive when he has a revelation about teeth when staring at the large naked man.

Arthur and Tick return to Arthur's apartment and find that Kevin has tidied up the place. Kevin also helps them to amplify the signal of the helmet. This allows Karamazov to speak with Arthur, asking for help and to meet since now his own countrymen are after him due to the Terror framing him for the destruction of the lab.

Dot visits Overkill and returns his gun. He determines that she has shot it 53 times and she admits to bringing it to a shooting range to try to learn how to protect herself. He gifts her with a gun better suited to her and begins teaching her how to use it.

Arthur and Tick meet with Karamazov to try to learn more about the weapon that is supposed to kill Superman. Karamazov's head has shrunk even more but his head is now normal-sized. They must go on the run when the diplomats emerge, having bugged Tick's car to follow them to find Karamazov. Tick fights the robot and finds they are at a bit of an impasse in their fight moves and strategies. Tick wonders if he is a later model of the old, nearly out-of-comission robot. Arthur flees out back with the stroller Karamazov is hiding in. The female diplomat uses an explosive device to blow up the stroller but after she leaves, it's revealed that Arthur swapped it out with a frozen turkey Kevin gifted him.

Sueprian discovers that Richter, the giant naked man, was the man who found the Terror's teeth on the day that Superian had apparently killed Terror. Superian realises that Richter is part of a larger plan and flies off.

Arthur and Tick bring Karamazov to Kevin's 'office', hidden in an old robot head, with the intent that they will nurse him back to health. When Arthur and Tick return to Arthur's apartment, they find Superian waiting there, delirious and rambling about the plot to kill him before fainting.

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The origins story of the giant naked man is revealed. Clifford was a regular man with a wife and family but on his way to work, some masked men kidnapped him, pulled him into a van, and used a strange machine to make him giant.

Arthur is reunited with The Tick, who has made it out of the lair explosion alive along with Overkill who only has some injuries. Overkill is furious that they lost the Terror and blames Arthur, and is ready to abandon them until Arthur mentions he met Karamazov. Once Arthur reveals how Lint helped him escape he realises that the escape was part of a larger scheme. Overkill wants to go into hiding and Dot tries to stop him but to no avail.

Arthur decides the safest course of action is to go on the run with the Tick to try to stay out of danger due to the Terror being on the loose. Before leaving, Arthur asks Tinfoil Kevin to keep an eye on the apartment.

Lint takes over Rameses' crew, the Pyramid Gang, and orders his henchmen to now do her bidding.

Arthur and Tick go to a book signing event of Midnight, a talking dog who was once a member of the Flag Five. The Flag Five was a superhero group that Arthur idolised as a child and the Terror killed the majority of. Arthur and Tick want to tell Midnight that the Terror is plotting to kill Superian and hopes that Midnight will pass on the message. While Arthur is being escorted out by security, he deduces that Overkill is actually a former member of the Flag Five who managed to survive the Terror's onslaught but ended up losing his eyes and hands in the process, which have now been replaced by robotic enhancements. Overkill was once 'Straight Shooter'. Arthur implores Overkill to tell Midnight about the Terror's plans to kill Superian.

Eventually, Overkill agrees to confront Midnight. Despite his insistence, Overkill is unable to convince Midnight of the Terror still being alive so the two get into an altercation.

Meanwhile, a mysterious car is shown to be following Arthur all over the city. Dot also begins to start practicing how to shoot a gun.

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The Tick is searching all over the city for Arthur, who was kidnapped at the end of the mid-season finale. Arthur is being held prisoner in a cell in the Terror's lair. In the next cell over, a Dr. Karamazov is also being held against his will. Karamazov was the man who designed Arthur's suit.

Dot is also searching for Arthur and arrives at his apartment to find the door broken and all the wreckage on the walls from his being taken. She also finds Overkill hiding in a corner, not long after which The Tick also arrives since he hadn't yet checked Arthur's apartment yet. Dot informs them of how she overheard that Rameses has been killed, while Overkill shares how he heard Arthur being kidnapped. They decide to form a plan together to rescue Arthur from the Terror's lair.

Ms. Lint gives Arthur access to his suit so he can use it to escape. As he makes his attempt, it's revealed that this is all part of a larger scheme orchestrated by Lint and Terror. Arthur puts on the suit and visits Karamazov to rescue him too. Karamazov has been shrunk and is half of Arthur's size. As they make their escape together, Karamazov turns on Arthur by punching him in the groin and making his own escape.

Meanwhile, The Tick, Overkill, and Dot have teamed up and tracked down Terror's lair. The Tick and Overkill storm the lair while Dot stands guard just outside. The alarms have been set off, so once Terror and Lint get away they proceed to bomb the lair.

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Superian signals to the giant AVM, a man named Clifford Richter, informing him he is too big. He then scolds the general that's leading the defensive strategy against Clifford, saying Clifford is still a civilian under his protection. Superian is also shown to be suffering from headaches, something atypical to his super state of being.

Overkill prepares to interrogate Ramses to get the answers they're after. Tick and Arthur don't want Overkill to kill him but Overkill actually interrogates him with a serum that's supposed to cause him to reveal the truth but he begins to act strangely after injected, due to his being on other medication. Arthur insists on bringing Ramses to AEGIS, the organisation in charge of all things superhero-related, but they find that the office is killed. Without any superheroes in town following the reign of Terror, there was no longer any need for them to maintain an office.

Lint is still dealing with the shock of Terror still being alive, having pulled out his own teeth as part of the elaborate plan to fake his death and most importantly, fool Superian. Lint needed to be mourning him to make it truly believable. Terror says he has been watching Lint, but the conversation is briefly interrupted by Derek, whom he knocks out with some platypus venom. He is surprised that Lint married Derek, as he had been the one to set up the wifi for his lair many years ago. The two sit down for a meal and Terror reveals that he only originally intended for her to think he was dead for a little while. Based on her character, he had presumed that after a bit of time, she would kill Ramses and take control of the operation. Once she had done that, he would have revealed himself to her.

Arthur and Tick are interrupted by the arrive of Ramses' men, who spotted him out and about and called in backup. They shoot Tick with a large weapon that doesn't harm him but does give the necessary opportunity for Ramses to get away and return to his men. Ramses uses the weapon to shoot at a bus of civilians instead, knowing that Tick and Arthur will focus on helping them over trying to stop Ramses from getting away. The bus is perched on the edge of a large overpass so Tick holds onto it to try to keep it from falling while Arthur begins helping people get out of the bus. Tick prepares to let the bus drop, believing that everyone is off and beginning to struggle to keep the bus from falling, but a woman cries out that her baby is still on board. Arthur actives his suit and runs back into the bus finding the baby carrier. Tick is no longer able to keep the bus from falling and is momentarily distraught that Arthur has been harmed but Arthur instead flies up, safe, still holding the baby carrier. The baby turns out to be a dog, but the crowd of people watching are all filming the incident with their phones and cheer for Tick and Arthur's heroism.

The other characters of the show are shown to be watching the news and learning of what has transpired, while Lint arrives at Ramses' lair and kills him. Tick and Arthur are greeted by all the different people in the city who congraulate them for their good deed. Dot is still helping to patch up injured criminals, prioritising her medical oath. Tick and Arthur return to the local corner shop but Arthur goes back outside to take a call from Overkill, who scolds him for putting himself out in the public eye since doing so will put him at risk. Overkill also reveals that the true translation of the video files on the suit's system is that it's part of a larger weapons system designed to kill Superian. That is the true target of Terror's evil plot. Arthur cries out that they need to warn Superian but he's kidnapped by some anonymous threat. Tick runs outside and finds Arthur missing, with only the glove of his suit left behind. Arthur is shown to be captive and tied to a chair, no longer in the suit. When the bag is removed from his head, Terror reveals himself to Arthur who screams in response.

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Superian gets an alert on his phone about a giant, naked V-L-M that's already reached two hundred feet tall and is continuing to grow. He then flies off, seemingly to help stop the problem.

Miss Lint sneaks out of the party after her embarrassing encounter with Walter, while Tick and the rest of the guests watch the story about the V-L-M on the news. Meanwhile, Ramses and his men drive by the house without disturbing it since they're still tracking the location of Arthur's suit. Arthur is flying through the air but is struggling to figure out how to control or steer the suit.

Overkill gets an alert that the suit is active again so he sets off after it. Arthur is still trying to figure out how to work the suit but he's able to figure out how to use it call Dot. He then asks to talk to Tick. He asks Tick for help but insists he doesn't tell Dot anything but Dot still insists on coming with Tick. She's driving while Tick sits shotgun and sticks his head through the sunroof, spotting Arthur flying in the sky. They help to guide him to head towards a field near a water tower. His landing is aided by Overkill, who uses his equipment to pull him down to the ground.

Overkill confronts Arthur about previously claiming to have not had the suit. Arthur says he only just got it back from Miss Lint, prompting to Overkill to ask if she had said anything about him. This echoes an earlier case of Miss Lint asking Arthur something similar when Overkill had been mentioned. Overkill reveals that the reason he was convinced that Terror was still alive was that he read Arthur's Reddit thread, identifying himself as the username "Gunskull17".

Dot and Tick arrive at the field and interrupt their conversation. Arthur reminds Overkill that he will need Arthur alive to help solve the mystery of Terror being alive. Overkill wants to fight Tick but their moment is interrupted by Dot chiding Arthur for lying to her and putting himself in danger by playing superhero. The group is further interrupted by the arrival of Ramses and his men who demand the return of the suit. Arthur refuses to give it back, to Tick's delight and Dot's disbelief. Arthur declares that Overkill is still alive and Ramses appears guilty, while Dot is shocked at the prospect of this being true. Ramses orders his men to kill them all but Overkill sneaks out from behind and blows up one of Ramses' trucks and begins fighting/killing the men. Arthur and Dot hide behind a car and Dot expresses her belief that Overkill is indeed alive based on the look in Ramses' eyes.

Ramses tries to run away but Tick tosses a tire at him and knocks him unconscious. Overkill reluctant agrees to let Arthur and Tick tag along, as he drags Ramses back to his lair. Tick doesn't want Arthur to work with a murderer but Arthur believes it's necessary to get to the truth about Overkill. Dot doesn't want Arthur to go, lest he become another casualty in her life but Arthur is determined to see this through.

Overkill uses the AI feature of his boat to translate the videos in the suit. They determine that Project Achilles is a weapons system and the suit is part of that. This is why the Terror is after the suit and now they must question Ramses on how to find the Terror.

Finally, Lint is shown to be cleaning up after her encounter with Arthur and when she exits the bathroom, she finds a very alive Terror waiting for her, laughing and asking if she missed him.

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Tick falls out of the building to the ground but survives with little to no energy due to his superhero level of invulnerability. Overkill takes Arthur's files from him to carry on his search for the Terror. Tick accompanies Arthur home. When Arthur realises that Tick doesn't remember where it is that he stays, he invites him upstairs to stay for the night so he won't be left out on the street.

Overkill returns to his base, where he tasks the artificial intelligence program 'danger-mode' scan archives to try to find out the secret identity of Tick.

Dot calls Arthur and asks him to pick up the cake for their stepfather Walter's birthday party. Walter insists that Tick stay home and not come to the party with him. Tick appears to stay behind with Kevin, a homeless man that Tick had invited to stay at Walter's place too. When Walter arrives at the party, his mother expresses concern for Walter's health and says that his old therapist Dr. Paul is at the party in case he needs anyone to talk to.

Miss Lint tries to activate the winged suit but with no success. Her ex-husband Derek is shown too be living in the other half of the condo/lair. He interrupts her work to say that she needs to buy a new wheel for his bike that she broke. He is able to help her determine that the suit is retina-encrypted and won't come out of sleep-mode for anyone except for the person it imprinted on. This means that Miss Lint needs to go find Walter.

Tick shows up at the party and Walter promptly invites him in, thinking it cool to meet a superhero. He even later asks Tick if he is wearing a suit or if that is what he naturally looks like and Tick appears to have his mind blown by the question. Walter is cornered by Miss Lint, who found out about the party by questioning Kevin. Walter tries to discretely ask Tick for help, since Walter's mother and sister are standing right there, but Tick doesn't recognise her when she's dressed to look normal. Lint threatens to kill Arthur's family if he doesn't come quietly with her. Upstairs, she orders him to put the suit on so she can unlock it. Arthur deduces that Lint believes he is right about Terror still being alive. Lint talks Walter through trying to transfer control of the suit over to her using a manual of notes on it. Walter's use of the suit alerts Ramses of its location so he orders his men to get up and going so they can all go after the suit together. But just as they are nearing the suit, Arthur becomes brave and decides to not give the suit over to Miss Lint. He runs away from her and jumps off the second-story balcony, activating the suit's wings so he can fly away.

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In a flashback, we learn about how the 28th amendment was enacted to protect the anonymity of superheroes due to an unfortunate incident in which a superhero was forcibly unmasked and his real identity was revealed to the public. Afterwards, the Terror and his men broke into the man's home and killed his loved ones and destroyed his home and livelihood.

Arthur attempts to make up a serial number to confirm his being a superhero but the officers are called out to observe some surveillance footage that confirms Arthur's story about a masked man being the one to kill the men in the alley. The officers identity the man as Overkill, a notorious super villain. This revelation terrifies Arthur even further but he is released from custody.

Tick meets up with Arthur and tells him he thinks he took too murderous of an approach to dealing with the henchmen but Arthur informs him that he wasn't the one who killed those men and that Overkill was the one who did it. Arthur also tells him he's done trying to convince the world that the Terror is still alive and that he just wants to go back to having a normal life. Arthur goes back into his damaged apartment alone and is confronted by Miss Lint, who was lying in wait for him. She confronts him about a particular news clipping that connected an old explosion in a lab sixteen years ago with another more recent one. Arthur admits his theory of The Terror still being alive but Miss Lint is certain that if that were true, she would be the first to know. Miss Lint tries to get Arthur to take the suit off and shocks him unconscious. He has a nightmare of his father being killed by The Terror and then wakes to find that Miss Lint is gone as is the suit. Overkill is shown to be watching him but does nothing when he sees that Arthur isn't wearing the suit anymore.

Arthur heads out but stops at his local corner shop on the way. He tries to pay back the money for the poncho he took but the man instead asks him to deal with Tick, who has refused to leave and begun making friends with the man's mother, who is cooking him food. He tells Tick he was right about Overkill but still doesn't want to be the one fighting against evil. He encourages Tick to do it himself.

Dot drives Arthur to work and reminds him that their stepfather Walter is having a birthday party that they must attend.

Some of Ramses' men come into the corner shop to get an extorted payment but Tick stops them and orders that they leave, despite the shop-owners repeated attempts to give them the payment. This doesn't go over well with Ramses, who has Miss Lint come in again. He reminds her that she needs to get the suit back per his orders. Lint mentions how there is a theory floating around that Terror is still alive but Ramses dismisses this, as there were remains found that were matched to his identity.

Tick visits Arthur at work and reveals that he has been suffering some sort of head trauma and thus only been able to recall that he is Tick and a superhero but he's not able to do this investigation to find Overkill without Arthur's intelligence. Arthur sends him away so he can finish the rest of his work day but will help him later. However, the work day is interrupted by the arrival of Overkill, who corners Arthur and once again demands the suit but reveals that he wants it to go after the Terror. Tick then shows up to save Arthur. Overkill attempt to attack him but inflicts little to no damage on Tick until he grabs one of Tick's antennae which are shown to be a sensitive nerve point for him. Overkill then further exploits this weakness to throw Tick out of the building.

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Miss Lint and her henchman storm into Arthur's apartment. One gunman shoots at him but he's protected by the supersuit that The Tick gave him. Tick crashes back into Arthur's apartment and faces off against Miss Lint, who shoots mass amounts of electricity at him but Tick remains alive despite her best efforts. The blowback ends up shooting the electricity into her henchmen and her glass eye even pops out into a glass of water. In the scuffle, Arthur gets flung out a window but he is able to activate the suit to help his fall before running off into a nearby alley. Tick flies out to meet Arthur.

Miss Lint looks over the many newspaper clippings Arthur had compiled onto his wall. One remaining henchman comes in to say that Ramses wants to see her, and that he himself is quitting working for her.

Dot is practicing with her roller derby team but takes a break as she's concerned by the fact that Arthur isn't responding to her calls or texts. Later, she helps out a man with some injured bikers.

Arthur is frantic at the prospect of being in danger. He heads into the back of a corner store to steal a poncho to hide the suit from prying eyes, something Tick chides him for. He runs back outside and is observed from afar by a masked sniper.

Ramses meets with Miss Lint and reminds her that she works for him and needs to fulfill her obligations.

Tick doesn't understand why Arthur wants to give back the suit and run away from being a hero. He correctly deduces that The Terror took something away from Arthur. Arthur opens up about how The Terror killed his father when Arthur was a child. Tick responds by forcing an awkward hug onto Arthur, who admittedly feels a bit better as a result. When Arthur spots some henchmen driving by, she runs up and offers to give back the suit but Tick interferes by slipping the car on it's side and shoving it down the road. The car tips back upright and the men drive off. Arthur then begins to grow suspicious that Tick might not actually be real, but merely a hallucination of his own mental illness. He walks off towards his apartment and finds Dot waiting for him. She expresses concern for his well-being and Arthur panics about him hallucinating Tick, who then walks up but Dot can see him, confirming him to be real.

Miss Lint goes back to her apartment and puts in a new glass eye. She then has a flashback of her when she was working for The Terror. Their conversations reveals that "Miss Lint" was originally a nickname some of Terror's henchmen had come up with to make fun of Miss Lint. Terror advises her to use the nickname and make it a strength, as well as to not kill his men for these insults but to kill people because it's fun. He also gives her bracelets specially designed to help stabilize her electric powers without diminishing her strength. Those same bracelets were damaged during her attempts to electrocute the Tick.

Tick advises Arthur to not let Dot push him towards a life of simple normalcy. Arthur says that Tick is the crazy one and should just leave him alone. Arthur walks off alone and is cornered by the henchmen that want the suit back. However, those men are brutally attacked and killed by the masked sniper that had been watching Arthur from afar. Arthur activates the suit and the man tells him to take it off. Arthur tries to do so but they're interrupted by the arrival of some police officers. The masked man gets away, leaving Arthur to be blamed for the brutal murders. Arthur invokes "The 28th", which causes the police officers to call in to the station that they're dealing with a superhero.

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Arthur Everest is a quiet man. He carries around the weight of the trauma of his father's death that happened when Arthur was just a child. They were out for lunch together when a super villain known as The Terror crashed his ship directly onto Arthur's father. Now as an adult, his sister Dot is his legal guardian as it's said that Arthur has suffered from mental illnesses and been committed to psychiatric facilities before. Arthur obsessively tracks villainous activities in the city and Dot becomes concerned when police bring him in for questioning when he is caught snooping around private property. She worries that moving him back into the city means exposing him to too many triggers but he does his best to assure her that he'll be fine.

Arthur also is visited by a blue-suited superhero known as The Tick but sometimes it's unclear whether or not The Tick is truly there or simply a product of Arthur's mental illness. Arthur remains determined to prove that The Terror is alive, as many believe him to be dead at the hands of the superhero Superian. The Tick confronts a group of super villains lead by the villainess Miss Lint and steals a suit for Arthur to wear and use when pursuing his own heroic endeavors. The episode closes with the villain henchmen barging into Arthur's apartment with guns intent on retrieving the suit.

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Photo: Jenevia Kagawa Darcy

Brendan Hines (Superian) and Valorie Curry (Dot Everest) co-star on Amazon's latest series, The Tick, a fresh comedic take to the superhero genre. When we begin our sit-down by finding out what drew them to the project, Curry offers some refreshing truths.

Curry: I think the truth always has to be said before everything else which is, actors like to work on things that pay them so there's always that, 'Yeah, that's a job! I'm drawn to that, I have rent to pay.' But for me, part of why I was excited to do this was, apart from the story and the property that it is, because I wasn't really familiar with The Tick beforehand, I was really excited to work on a comedy. I've spent most of my career doing some really dark, intense stuff, which I love but partly just for my own edification having the opportunity to work with these amazing comedians but also just having a nice normal character that wears jeans and gets a blowout and that's her prep, and is empathetic, and grounded and loving, that was really exciting to me.
Hines: Same, about the comedy. I was very excited to do a comedy and had been trying to do one for a bit. This coincided really nicely because I'm also a fan of this. I was a big fan of the cartoon and I'm also a big fan of getting to say very cleverly constructed linguistically stylised word salads that end in punchlines. I just love that and Ben's brain does that very well. It's so fun to be able to not just be in a comedy, but be in a really smart comedy that also is a pretty kind-hearted comedy. Those are all things that were very exciting for me and also I think I'm approaching the time where I was about to start aging out of being able to play a superhero so I think I made it in just under the wire.

Dot Everest is one of the most 'normal' characters on the series, as her character provides heart and family support to one of the two main leads, Arthur. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Superian borderlines on a caricature of the most old-timey versions of superheroes. His first introduction comes with not only heroic monologuing, but an opportunity for his character to be interviewed by Whoopi Goldberg (who portrays herself).

Hines: Whoopi was really good, so easy to work with her. That was the easiest scene I've probably ever shot. It was a very brief scene but, as written it's a three-page scene, but Whoopi and I just ad-libbed for about an hour and it was so easy and effortless. I love people who are great improvisers and really accepting and agree and heighten. She was a delight.
Curry: My relationship with Griffin is much like Brendan's relationship with Whoopi. It's really a similar dynamic. In terms of Griffin and I, we have just sort of, from day one fallen into a really easy chemistry for whatever reason. Having the intimacy and history established was just sort of there and that's just one of those luck of the draw things you get with actors. But in terms of Dot and Arthur, I think their relationship and sort of the divergent ways in which they dealt with the trauma of losing their father is really the heart and the nexus point of the show and the story. As we know, he sort of broke from it and has been dealing with the subsequent mental illness for his whole adult life. Dot, because he broke, didn't really have the luxury of doing so. Dot had to stop in where her mother couldn't and take on a parental role with him. She had to put aside her grief, her ambitions in life, to always put her brother first and to take care of her brother. So when she's faced with the possibility that maybe he doesn't need her or maybe he's not as sick as we thought or in the way that we thought, she has to then face what she was maybe avoiding or also what lingering resentment might be there and I think that's part of what informs the tension that they have. There's so much love and that's the default between them is this love and protectiveness. But they also both have these un-adressed resentments. On his part, because of her role in his treatment, institutionalising, things like that. On her part, the whole life she didn't get to have because she was busy doing his.

With such a heavy emotional component to the backstory of Arthur and Dot, Curry approached the material with an understanding that mental illness and trauma is not always played well in fictionalised content. We mention the stigmas that can often be perpetuated with misinformed writing and she is quick to jump in and share her perspective.

Curry: I completely agree, it's really not dealt with very well and it's something that I'm really sensitive to because, without going into a lot of detail, it's something that I have a history with in my relationships. It's part of what did draw me to the character and part of what informed the way that I play Dot, is treating that mental illness with the utmost seriousness. That is never the joke on this show. It's never the butt of the joke. It's always treated with compassion, with seriousness, in a way that I've never seen it dealt with, at least on a comedy. Also, one of the things we don't see a lot is, you don't see the effect I think necessarily that that has on the other people in the family. You don't see the person that's the caretaker and how any kind of illness but mental illness as well is sort of a shared experience. That's a really fascinating thing to get to investigate with her. Looking at trauma, looking at what happens with adults that end up as these sort of parentified children, not just with Arthur but also with their mom, and it's something that you see throughout the relationships as the world expands and the characters expand in the series.

Superian presents a unique concept for Hines to play, as the style of his dialogue and mannerisms holds a cheesy style associated with older versions of superheroes, but the approach to such material must be done in a purposeful way so as to fit in a modern series.

Hines: That was the thing that I was most challenged by when we were starting because I wanted to find the right tone. I feel like we've seen a lot of the hyper-stylised, very broad, cheesy versions of this character and I felt that I needed to ground him more and make him a person. He's not from this planet but he has been around people for a hundred years and surely has taken on some of their attributes and learned about their behaviors even if he doesn't necessarily default to them all the time. I approached him as somebody who, me personally, I am not a beloved and revered, God-like individual. For me, I had to start from a place of, I thought about who could be around for hundreds of years and have this love, this reverence that humanity would have for him. I thought of old movie stars, Gary Cooper types, old sports stars, quarterbacks, even old Presidents, back in the day when we revered Presidents. Those are the people that I thought about and even on a less grandiose but still really heroic level, firefighters, astronauts, that kind of thing. I wanted him grounded. I wanted him to be aloof and arrogant but also that come from a real place.

The actors also found that despite not being present for as many scenes as The Tick himself or even Arthur, they still enjoyed following the content, thus avoiding the stereotype of actors only reading through the scripts for the parts in which they are present.

Hines: We call that 'Bullshit, bullshit, my line!' I think there is always that temptation to do that, to do that 'Bullshit, bullshit, my line' thing. But one thing I was mentioning earlier is it's just nice to be on a show that you actually really love all of the jokes and really love all the characters and love where the story is going. I read it the way I do a comic book that I'm really enjoying and a story that I'm really loving seeing how it's unfolding so I read all of that. Plus they talk about my character a lot!
Curry: We're invested in scenes we're not necessarily in for other reasons. Of course I read the whole script and a lot of that is because I do just want to know what happens and also because it's just so funny. I want to hear the jokes before I watch the episode. But at the same time, I kind of have to read it and then let it go because Dot exists in a different place in this world and it is kind of compartmentalised. That shifts and that changes to a degree over the season but she's not privy to what's always going on and that does become a bit of a joke at times, that she doesn't know what's going on. Sometimes I have to remind myself, 'Does Dot know that? Have I heard this name?' It's like our little weekly serial strip comic that we get to keep up on every time we watch it or every time we read it. But then I love getting to see it come together as well. I love seeing the episodes.
Hines: That's the thing, it's a completely different thing when you're reading a script, a blueprint essentially, for something that is really novel and really tough to pull off and the tone of this, making it look cool is tough. I was really excited to see the first half of the season and see it finally come together, the stuff that I wasn't there for and the stuff that I was there for but that the effects needed to be added later and all that.
Curry: And to see which improv bits make it in and which don't because there's a lot of comedians on this show. There's a lot of improv that goes on, a bit to our show-runner's chagrin at times, and seeing how the actors' interpretations of a scene does inform how they end up. But at the end of the day, they're always sort of begging us to stay on script. [But] for me, any scene I'm in end ends when I break. That's kind of standard. There's one actor who will go unnamed that always has to have the last word and he'll keep on and keep on until I just lose it.

Hines and Curry were also operating on a fast-paced weekend, having just flown back into New York from a promotional trip to San Diego Comic Con. The experience was a positive one, as many fans of the property turned out to show their appreciation.

Hines: It was great. We did an autograph signing and then we did the panel. I was overwhelmed. I knew there [were] tons of Tick fans but it's just great when you see in person, the actual physical manifestation of how many people are excited about the show and feel passionately about it. I can't wait for them to see it. It was great to sit and watch them watch it for the first time too.
Curry: I love Comic Con. I love it because even though we're running around and we're doing press all day and that's what we're there for, at the same time that's not what Comic Con is at all. This is the space for the fans. It is about unbridled enthusiasm and love and they are the cool people and this is their party and we're the guests, absolutely. Especially with something like this where people do love it so much and they've grown up with it, I don't know about you but I felt very much like I'm just the caretaker for a character that they love. I'm just getting to babysit somebody that they have a very deep investment with. So I love getting to engage with them and see how we live up to those expectations.
Hines: That's a great point. They're the ones giving it the power. It is interesting to see what the response is like.

The Tick will be available for streaming on Amazon on August 25.

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Ryan is less than pleased over Claire's using Carrie to lure Joe out by reciting a poem. He wants her to stay hidden and stay safe, but what Claire deliberately keeps quiet from him is the fact that the poem is a way of signalling a meet at the place where he proposed to her. Emma is angry with Joe for wanting to meet Claire, saying it may very well be a trap. However, Claire was right about Joe; his ego wouldn't allow him to simply not go after her.

A woman sets herself on fire near Tanner's home and it serves as a signal to him to go and meet Joe, who had secretly called him. Tanner kept it from Ryan and the other agents, choosing to go after his son alone. He is taken by some followers in a van while Tanner's security look on in horror. His head of security tells Ryan that although he obeyed his employer, he also put a tracker on Tanner.

Ryan and the other agents track Tanner to a catholic church where the followers hold a service captive at gunpoint. The followers also rig the place with explosives in case anyone tries to enter. However, Ryan and Mike are able to get inside before it gets locked down. Joe shows Tanner how he was able to get his son to kill. He begins broadcasting to the Internet and forces Tanner to say there is no God and "praise Joe." He then places a knife in front of both Tanner and Preston, stating that one must kill the other or they will both die. After a tearful speech, Tanner slits his own throat.

Mike wants him and Ryan to storm in so Ryan can deliver a kill shot to Joe and end things but Ryan is against this course of action as it would trigger the explosives and kill at least a hundred hostages.

Claire arrives at the hotel where she was set to meet Joe but is instead met by Emma and Robert, whom Joe had sent ahead of him. Emma wants to kill Claire and even kills Robert as a way of building a false story to tell Joe: that she had no choice but to defend herself. Claire is able to kill Emma but is discovered by the twins. Mark is especially distraught by her killing Emma, as he still had feelings for her. Luke and Mark take her hostage to get revenge on Joe and Ryan.

Mike is forced to come out of hiding when spotted by one of Joe's followers. Joe tries to threaten Mike in order to draw Ryan out but Mike is willing to die if it means Ryan will be able to kill Joe. Ryan is sneaking around trying to determine the best tactical manoeuvre and we're left with the cliffhanger of Joe counting down and firing a shot. We're left to wonder whether or not Joe has just shot Mike.

The Following airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.

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Following the events of last week's episode, Ryan is still on Joe's compound and is discovered by one of the guards. He kills the guards and continues forward. Claire wants Carrie to put her on TV to lure Joe out but Carrie says she refuses to do anything until she hears from Ryan. Max and Mike want to continue searching for him. Mike gets a call, summoning him to Kingston Tanner's house, where he watches a video message from Joe of the murder of Tanner's girlfriend, as well as a greeting saying he has captured Tanner. Kingston wants to respond quickly but he is advised against doing so.

Ryan continues to sneak around the compound and takes down another follower that locates him. He dons a mask to get closer, where he hears Emma telling Tilda that many of them will be leaving after the ceremony for the final mission. Joe comes on stage and addresses his followers. He has a follower named Courtney and Preston on the stage. He says that Preston will deliver Courtney from suffering and send her home. He pulls out a knife, intending for Preston to kill Courtney to show them that his father's words are a "web of lies," and "far from godly." Ryan slowly makes his way forward, still wearing his mask. Joe leads a chant, "No redemption without blood," but then Ryan shoots at him. Chaos ensues, as no one can figure out where the shot came from.

Lily is having some of her followers track down the location of Joe's compound. Mark would rather they leave and flee to safety but Lily tells him that Joe must pay for what he has done. Luke tells Joe that Ryan Hardy might have followed them following the confrontation when getting Preston. Emma wants them to leave, saying if Ryan is there then the FBI can't be far behind. Joe insists that Luke and others find Ryan and bring him to him.

Max tells Mike it's weird that he's not grieving the death of his father properly. She thinks he is trying to get revenge on Lily Gray. They get a call letting them know that Lily has been located and promptly head out to the location. Ryan is caught up to by some of the followers and surrenders in order to be brought to Joe. Mike, Max, and other FBI agents arrive at Lily's place but everyone is gone, except for Mandy's body. They're able to follow a trail of one of Lily's guards' credit cards and trace his recent usage for a rental car.

Luke is frustrated by Joe's behaviour and Emma tells him that he tends to think less clearly where Ryan is concerned. Luke wants them to head to New York for the mission. Joe has been tied up and left in a room. Joe comes in and tells Ryan he has missed him and knows that he missed him, too. Ryan tries to get Joe to let some detail slip about his plans but Joe will only say that he thinks Ryan will enjoy his next trick.

Kingston goes against the FBI's wishes and holds a press conference on which he prays and taunts Joe by telling him he will not be victorious. Joe has his followers bring Courtney and Preston in front of Ryan to continue from where they were interrupted when Ryan shot at them. He commands Preston to kill Courtney and puts a knife against his throat. Ryan tells Preston that Joe won't kill him since he doesn't have leverage if he is dead. Preston submits to fear and kills Courtney after asking god to forgive him.

Max and Mike figure out that Lily is going after Joe. Lily is headed to the compound with the twins and her followers. Emma panics when seeing the cars, thinking that it's the FBI. Joe refuses to kill Joe and leaves him tied up. Lily and her men arrive and begin shooting the followers with machine guns. Joe, Emma, and some others have already gotten away. The FBI arrive and Max tells Ryan, who has gotten free from his restraints that Mike has run off to go after Lily.

Carrie goes on the news and reads a cryptic poem for Joe. He watches and from it, is able to deduce that Claire is actually alive. Mike tracks Lily down and holds her at gunpoint. She tells him the twins did not come with her. Ryan and Max catch up and tell Ryan not to shoot her. He pauses for a while, says, "I know this isn't going to fix anything for me, but it will fix you," and shoots Lily Gray dead.


The Following airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.

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Ryan is understandably shocked to see Claire alive. She sends her agents out and he orders Mike to leave. She apologises for not telling him about her faking her own death and she says she did it to protect her son. She tells him she has returned because she wants to kill Joe. He tells her she should go back to hiding where she will be safe but she says she won't be safe until Joe is dead.

Kingston Tanner, a religious (nutjob) pastor, is being interviewed by Carrie. He has declared that Joe Carroll is the anti-christ and he plans to defeat this evil. Joe watches the interview and laughs at him, saying that religion is a business and that he is helping him to sell tickets. He tells Emma he hates religion and the hypocrisy of it. He decides that Tanner is his next target. Emma asks if he has seen Mandy and he says "she is probably around here somewhere." In actuality, Mandy is meeting up with Mark. He asks where Joe is and she says she can't tell him, since he doesn't want anyone to know. Regardless, he agrees to take her back to Luke and his mother.

Carrie is attacked in a traffic jam by people wielding tire irons and spray paint. A woman gets in her car and gives her a phone. Joe is on the other line and tells her that he has a video message that she will air or else she and her family will be killed. The woman gives her a flash-drive and heads off with the other followers. Carrie gives Ryan a copy of the video and asks if she can spend the night at his house so he can protect her. He gets out of it, failing to mention that Claire is already staying there.

Mandy is brought to meet Lily, who greets her with a smile and a hug. Mark tells her that she won't tell him where Joe is and she says it's fine, before giving him a knowing look. Ryan watched the video message with Claire. He quotes the Bible and Ryan realises that Joe has declared war against religion and God. They realise he might be going after Kingston Tanner and his family. Ryan refuses to let Claire accompany him to check on Kingston's son in Connecticut. He choose to go with Mike and sends Max up to keep Claire busy.

Joe's followers are at the campus and murder a security guard. Mike apologises again to Ryan, who says he understands. Emma shows Joe surveillance footage of Mandy escaping. Lily guilt trips Mandy for leaving with Joe and Mandy insists that she is loyal to her but can't betray Joe either. When Mandy remains set on not telling her, Lily strikes her.

Claire finds lipstick in Ryan's bathroom and realises he has been seeing someone. Max shows Claire Ryan's office with all the maps and diagrams relating to Joe. Joe's followers arrive at Preston Tanner's frat house and his frat brothers tell him his room is upstairs. Since he's not currently in, they hide and wait after killing the couple already in there.

Luke and Mark are forcing Mandy to play truth or dare with them. She's frightened by their crazed rambling. Luke asks Mandy where Joe is and she still refuses to tell them. They then begin burning her arm with a candle.

Joe's followers capture Preston Tanner and videotape his reaction to their torturing and killing his girlfriend. Ryan and Mike arrive and find blood downstairs but no people. They head upstairs and find a room full of masked people. They then realise that it's mostly college students with masks glued to their faces. Joe's followers run out with Preston, load into the van and drive off. Ryan follows them in his car.

Joe calls Lily, thinking that Mandy went to see her and will likely give up their location. She puts Joe on speaker phone and has Mandy talk to him. Lily tells Joe that they have brutally beat Mandy and will kill her if he doesn't come to get her. He says, "I love you mouse," and then hangs up. It doesn't looks like he'll be coming after her.

EMTs and police arrive at the frat house and Mike calls Ryan, who says he is still on the trail of the van. He won't tell Mike where he is and says he doesn't want back-up. Joe is still upset about Mandy. Emma comes in and tells him that Lucas was killed but everyone else is headed back with Preston. Joe loses his temper and blames Emma for Mandy running away. Carrie then plays Joe's video on air.

Mike returns to Ryan's apartment and tells Max and Claire what has happened along with Ryan's going rogue. Ryan dumped his phone so they can't trace him. Carrie storms in demanding to see Ryan. She is amazed to find that Claire is still alive. The twins and Lily gather round for dinner with a dead Mandy sitting at the table with them. The followers arrive at the compound and Joe greets them, telling Preston it is time to pay for his father's sins. Ryan watches from behind a tree.

The Following airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.

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Joe preaches to new cult members and a woman named Angela volunteers to "be first." He has her kill a woman named Carla, who is tied to a table. He tells her he is giving her the gift of happiness and afterwards, Angela cries tears of joy. Ryan watched the news while Carrie gets dressed for work. She tells him someone online posted a story of a Lily Gray sighting in Europe. Ryan shrugs it off, since false reports have been popping up everywhere. Carrie leaves for work and Mike arrives to tell him he and Max were up all night researching cults. They've narrowed it down to 73 that Joe might have taken control of.

FBI agents check in on Claire. She's determined to go see Ryan to help him take Joe down so her son will be safe. They eventually agree but will escort her, along with moving her mother and son to an undisclosed location. She won't be able to see them again until she returns to witness protection.

Men in white masks walk into a cafe and murder the people inside. Ryan and his team investigate the scene. Ryan doesn't understand why there wasn't a message left, as is customary by Joe and his followers.

One of Joe's followers, Robert, visits Joe and expresses displeasure at Carla being killed as she was his friend. He says she was a special woman and was "chosen" to "go home." He tells Joe that there is doubt amongst some of the followers and Joe works his magic to get him back on track. Robert apologises for bringing it up, saying he was just hit hard by Carla's death. Joe tells Emma that the others  trust him and they need to hold him close. He sends Emma to talk to him and she gets him to believe in Joe before sleeping with him. Meanwhile, Mandy secretly looks up a phone number and hurries off before anyone can find her.

A woman named Serena who had killed another woman for her hospital ID badge poses as a doctor to smuggle guns into the hospital. The men who did the stabbing are in the hospital being treated for superficial, self-inflicted wounds. With Serena's help, they pose as hospital workers and together, the three of them infiltrate the security wing of the hospital and break out Lily Gray's son Lucas. Ryan realises there were more employees taken to the hospital than there were workers on the bakery's schedule. Ryan realises that the hit was not orchestrated by Joe, but Lily.

Ryan, Mike, and the others arrive at the hospital and secure it. Lily's team are still there but they need to find them. Ryan heads to the basement and Mike corners Serena. She refuses to give up any information on Lily and charges Mike with a knife so the cops will shoot her.

Joe and Emma watch as a televangelist speaks on television against him. Emma warns him that Robert is right about the people looking to him for guidance. He needs to come up with a plan. He then tells her religion is a good way to spread violence, having been the cause for more bloodshed than anything else. While Joe is talking with some followers, he and Mandy exchange glances. I'd wager he can tell something is off. She leaves, packs a bag, and heads out.

Ryan is searching the hospital's underground tunnels. He encounters Lucas and one of the men. They hold him at gunpoint and confiscate his weapon. A fight breaks out in which Ryan shoots the henchman and Lucas runs away. Ryan follows the tunnel after Lucas and ends up in a market place. Lucas successfully escapes and reunites with Lily and and his brother in a motel room.

Joe learns from the news about Lily's impersonating him in order to get her son back. He is less than pleased. Mike confesses to Ryan that he is scared of Lily Gray's being more calculating than Joe as well as having more resources. Ryan assures him that they will find both Joe and Lily.

Mandy hitches a ride from a hitchhiker and asks to use the person's phone. It's then revealed that she has called Mark. The FBI arrive at Ryan's place. Mike tries to apologise to Ryan, saying he can explain this, and it's then that Claire reveals herself.

The Following airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.

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Claire asks Mike how it's possible for Joe to still be alive and we also see a flashback of her being visited by Mike and another member of the FBI, telling her she needs to join Witness Protection and cannot tell Ryan. She's struggling with the idea of giving up her life but Mike tells her Ryan would want her to be safe. She cries, saying she can't do this to Ryan, and then we see Mike go in to Ryan's room to tell him that Claire didn't make it.

Following Carrie and Ryan's "post-traumatic sex," she tells him that he can trust her after she catches him coming out of his "secret room." She wants the story but also wants to help him. Emma is annoyed when Mandy interrupts her post-coital bliss with Joe but he tells her that she is simply a girl wh ois still coping with the loss of her mother. Mandy stands outside listening in on the conversation. Emma also wants to be included in the decision making.

Mike fills Claire in on who Lily is and the fact that Ryan is doing okay. Claire is apparently being relocated again and she tells Mike that her son won't be safe until this is over. She doesn't want to find Joe; she wants to kill him. Meanwhile, Joe and Emma are getting the down-low on the members of the cult and who will have skills useful to them and their murderous needs.

Ryan questions Strauss to try to get information that will help him track Joe down and Strauss is informed of Joe's theatrical declaration to the world. He also taunts Ryan about his obsession with Joe mimicking the devotion of Joe's followers. Meanwhile, Mike tells Claire that she needs to stay hidden and take care of herself and her son. Ryan tells Carrie that he wants to officially go on the record and Joe begins priming his new followers to believe that new blood must be spilt in order to achieve redemption. Mandy appears uneasy and it's unclear where her head and loyalties are.

The team watches as Carrie announces on the news that Dr. Strauss has been taken into custody. Of course, this is all part of their strategy. Emma calls Joe in to watch the story, as it's announced that Dr. Strauss is "cooperating fully" with the FBI. Flashback to 1982 as a young Joe is called in to Strauss's office. Strauss tells him that test results show him to be a psychopath.

Just as predicted, Joe calls Jana, but it's Ryan that picks up the phone. Joe is shocked but decides to continue the conversation while the call is traced. Ryan informs him that Jana is dead and they taunt each other. Emma tries to get Joe to hang up but Joe continues talking about Dr. Strauss. Joe tells Ryan he has a holy army ready to rain down on them. Joe is cryptic and poetic, claiming he's going to save the world, one soul at a time, before hanging up. They're not able to trace the call's location. Joe angrily smashes the phone at the wall, and sends Emma and Mandy out.

Some of Joe's disciples are skulking out and about. One of the girls spots a bloke on the street that reminds her of an old school bully and one of the followers admits that he used to pick on "fat" girls so to make it up to her, he goes over and kills the man, telling him "No redemption without blood" (Joe's new mantra) and puts a note inside his jacket pocket. No one notices him commit the murder and when he returns to the van, the girl Tilda wipes the blood from his knife. He tells her that no one should ever make her feel anything less than beautiful. It would be a cute moment, were it not for the murder.

Mike returns from seeing Claire and claims to have been visiting his mother. Max tells him, after Ryan is out of the room that he doesn't have to lie to them. She had gotten worried and had called his mother to check in and he wasn't there. The two exchange flirty glances.

Joe kills a cat to teach some sort of lesson that I didn't hear since I was cringing and shouting "no" at the screen. Young Joe is shown a fresh corpse by Strauss after she died in surgery. Strauss is coaching and priming him to be a murderer. Strauss says that they are the chosen ones. One of the followers tells Joe that she can't do this but Joe is able to twist it around and keep her and everyone else on track. Also, Emma is eying Mandy with suspicion. Joe sends her and everyone else out that isn't feeling right and we're left to assume that the security that followed was tasked with killing them. Also, Mandy steps out through a separate exit with tears in her eyes.

The followers go attack and kill a family in their home and the message "No redemption without blood" is written on the wall in blood. The previous body has also been found with the note reading the same message. Emma tells Mandy that she failed today and that those that came out were put in the hole. Mandy would have been put in there, too, but Joe instructed her to give Mandy another chance.  The two have a stand-off and it's clear that Emma has a more formidable opponent than she originally thought.

The FBI track down the followers after using facial recognition on one of them. She fails to kill her target in the restroom of a restaurant and a stand-off ensues between the followers and the FBI. One of the followers slits the girl's throat when she's about to reveal Joe's location. The FBI are researching cults that Joe might have taken over.

Joe performs a ritual to celebrate the return of two of the followers, Tilda and Lucas. He nicks his arm and puts blood on each of their foreheads. He whips them all into a frenzy. Carrie returns to Ryan's place. He tells her that it didn't work and that he would have told them the truth. He's disappointed but she commends him for saving all those people in the restaurant. She's also feeling frisky now that he's begun to show her some trust.

Claire is in her motel and tells the FBI person that she's not going back to Arizona and insists on seeing Ryan. Looks like Claire is headed back to New York!

The Following airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.

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Joe and Micah watch Carrie speak on the news about Joe and Lily Gray. She talks about how Lily's psychopathy is more complex than Joe's and Micah says that he wants to make a splash like Lily is and Joe did. Joe asks to use a phone to call in help for her plans and he calls Janna to tell her he might be needing her help again.

Ryan meets with Carrie and tells her he still hasn't found Joe. He will feed her information in exchange for her keeping her mouth shut. She invites him to dinner, but he refuses. Max and Mike are also investigating the leak.

Joe has Micah film a video about his mission and he's wearing a Halloween mask. Robert and Emma show up, having been tasked to be Micah's first messengers. Micah wants to add Lance to his messengers. Lance is a killer that has been in the cage after slicing a girl's ear off because he didn't like the way she looked. Joe speaks with Emma in private about his getting sick of Micah and not being happy about the last-minute change in plans. He asks Emma if she's ready and when he points out that the mission will be dangerous, Emma says, "So am I."

Max and Mike tell Ryan that they're looking at Gina for the leak. she accessed Debra Parker's e-mail six times in the previous year and when they discuss her background, they also mention Janna, her partner from whom she recently separated. Ryan believes she is innocent and Mike tells him that they should prove it. Ryan visits her and questions her about Debra Parker's e-mail. She says she didn't do it and she is furious at his accusation of her being the leak. Gina becomes paranoid and Max watches her, while Mike and Ryan trace her from the tracker Max planted on her. She skips using her car and hops in a taxi. Ryan and Mike follow. Gina heads to a house in the suburbs where she tells Janna she needs to talk to her. She insists on speaking with her alone.

Joe goes to the cabin after the trio of messengers has departed. He finds Micah praying about Julia. He says he was seeking guidance from god. He doesn't know what to do and says that since he indirectly killed his wife, he's not the best person to seek advice from. Micah says he could never harm Julia and Joe says he understands but... I'd still wager that Julia is in danger.

Gina talks to Janna in the garage, bringing up Janna's episode after her baby was born. Janna insists it was post-partum depression but Gina says that they only said that because of work and it was actually a psychotic break. She even killed the neighbour's dog. Gina realises that Janna is still crazy and has gotten involved with Joe Carroll and used her security clearance. Janna snaps and stabs Gina, kicking her, spitting on her, stealing her gun, and fluffing her hair before walking back out to offer her guests more pizza.

Ryan and Mike get to the house. Janna tells her guests that Gina is in the garage after a spat they had and then says she has to run upstairs, asking them to watch her baby. She goes up and begins packing a bag with a secret stash of cash. The doorbell rings and Ryan and Mike ask to see Gina. One of the guests lets them in and they head towards the garage where they find Gina bleeding on the ground. The woman calls the police and Ryan tells the other mother present to grab the children and get them outside. Janna comes downstairs and pulls out her gun while Mike and Ryan point theirs at her. They ask where Joe Carroll is. She admits to knowing where he is and after taunting Ryan, she shoots herself in the head.

Micah has his guards bring Julia to him from the cabin he had her locked in. She asks him why he has turned everyone against her and says that Joe is manipulating him. She says that they are not killers nor monsters. He tells her that he and his faith are evolving and she should too. She says that she will support him but then she grabs his gun which he put on the table and when she goes to fire it, she finds that it is empty. He is saddened by her betrayal and then Joe comes in with a wire which he uses to kill her. Micah thanks him for doing what he could not.

Local law enforcement and an ambulance arrive at the house and Gina is taken to the hospital. Mike sends the files from the computer to Max before wiping them and swipes Janna's mobile so they can search for clues. The trio of messengers arrive at their destination, a book store where Carrie Cook will be having a book signing.

Max breaks the encryption on Janna's phone and find that her history is flooded with Carrie Cooke. They realise that she is a target. Cooke arrives at her book signing while Max tells Mike and Ryan about the book signing. At the signing, Emma is disguised and in the queue while Robert and Lance are on the upper level. Emma reaches the front and tells Carrie that the autograph is for a friend. When Carrie asks for the friend's name, Emma says, "Joe Carroll." Carrie looks up and recognises Emma, despite the disguise. Robert and Lance begin hacking at the people in the bookstores, slitting throats and stabbing them wherever. Emma swaps her disguise for a mask to match Robert and Lance's. Emma and Robert corner Carrie and give her a flash drive, warning her that if she doesn't share it with the world, they will come for her and everyone she loves. The police are coming and Emma and Robert leave without Lance. Luke removes his mask and pretends to be another victim in the bookstore. You can't deny that that's clever.

Ryan, Mike, and Max arrive on the scene and Carrie hugs Ryan. She leaves and when Luke tries to leave, Ryan realises he is one of the killers by the blood on his face. He takes an officer hostage but ends up being shot dead. Emma and Robert have returned to the base and Micah prepares to watch his video message be broadcast to the world. Joe serves the group wine and they toast. Carrie comes on the news and reveals that she was forced to show the message. Ryan also watches the live broadcast. The message is not from Micah but Joe, revealing that he is very much alive. Micah dies watching the broadcast, having been poisoned by Joe. Joe's message states that more blood will be spilt, nowhere will be safe, and "this is the age of Joe Carroll."

Ryan is angry that Carrie didn't tell him about the video but Max, yet again acting as the voice of reason, points out that she was likely threatened into showing the video. Mike receives a phone call and heads out with Max, saying he has something to do.

Joe tells Robert that Micah has gone come and that what he did freed Micah, who has now received life's greatest reward. Joe is tremendously skilled at using Micah's mythology but twisting it to fit his own purposes. He tells Robert to deliver the glorious news to the others and has Emma go after him to ensure he doesn't waver.

Robert has a funeral for Micah and Julia and tells the room, "All hail the prophet Joe," and the group begins to chant, "Praise Joe."

Carrie visits Ryan at his apartment and is prepared to discuss Joe's video. She apologises for lying but he echoes Max's sentiment about her being threatened. He has food for her - they will have the dinner that he had previously turned down. Afterwards, right as they are about to say good night, Ryan shuts the door and kisses Carrie.


Mike gets into an unmarked SUV in a parking garage. He is given a bag to put over his head and driven to an undisclosed location. He is brought inside and led to a room where Claire, Joe's not dead but now brunette ex-wife, is waiting for him. Did he know about this the whole time?

The Following airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.

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Ryan and Max attend Mike's father's funeral.

At the new cult base, Emma is still angry about her wrists getting slashed in the crazy ritual. She tells him they need to get out of there. Joe tells her to stay calm and that for now, it's in their best interest to stay put. He thinks that with a bit of manoeuvring, the place could belong to them. Additionally, Mandy becomes smitten with one of the cult members, Eric.

At Mike's father's funeral, Ryan is visited by a tabloid reporter named Carrie Cook. Throughout this episode, we learn about their history. While drunk, Ryan had spilled a significant amount of information to her. She used it to write The Havenport Tragedy, and she's back with a strong suspicion that Joe is still alive. She even questioned the pilot that almost flew him, Emma, and Mandy.

Micah's wife, Julia, brings Joe to visit him. In private, Micha reveals that he wants Joe's help - he wants to be able to use his cult to kill people, the way Joe did.

Ryan is visited by the director of the FBI, Tom Franklin, who believes that Joe is still alive. He sanctions Ryan to allow him to continue his private investigation. Ryan must keep it quiet, with the FBI mole still being unidentified. Ryan and Max follow a lead to a Dr. Strauss, who was once a professor of Joe's. Ryan goes to question him at his place of residence on Long Island. He doesn't get anything but does place a bug at his place. Shortly after leaving, he hears Carrie show up and question Strauss, too. Strauss captures her. Ryan runs back and finds himself captured, too. Ryan wakes up and learns that Strauss mentored Joe in the ways of killing. Strauss tells him that killing was always in Joe's DNA but Strauss simply let him know that it was okay. Mike visits Max and she decides to let him in on what's going on.

Joe continues to mentor Micah. When he asks him if there are any doubters to Micah's killing plan, he says there is only a small group. Julia is not too pleased about Micah's growing closer to Joe. She is (rightly) suspicious of him. It's as if she can see that her husband is being pulled away from her and manipulated but there will be little she can do to stop it, though that won't stop her from trying.

Strauss admits that Joe came to him following the lighthouse accident, injured, and he patched him up. Joe stayed a month before leaving, not revealing where he planned to go. Strauss prepares to operate on  Carrie, along with a new student of his. Mike and Max show up, ready to save the day. They torture Strauss into revealing that he helped to get the body Joe used to fake his death and that the mole in the FBI is a woman, which is all Strauss knows.

Joe manages to manipulate Micah into poisoning his doubters, one of which is Eric, the boy Mandy is smitten with. At first, the followers are distraught at seeing their peers die. But Micah is able to send them into a cheerful chant and it's very creepy. Joe joins the chant, and you can tell he's internally laughing at his handiwork, and Emma claps along, smiling at seeing how Joe has turned things around. Mandy claps along, but it would appear that her faith has possibly been shaken.

Julia arrives when the bodies are being buried and she is horrified at seeing how Joe has "caused" him to become murderous. When she blames Joe, Micah angrily says that it is his own doing, and not Joe's. He has his guards escort Julia away while she screams at him.

Mike decides to crash on Ryan's couch. Max asks if he is okay and he admits that he's not. She asks if he wants to talk and he says that he doesn't. She is find with and tells him they will just sit there. He is visibly thankful for her understanding.

Emma tells Joe she doesn't know how he did it but she is clearly impressed. She asks if he can really control Micah and he says that Micah is a narcissist and he knows a thing or two about that. Joe then reveals that the next step is to reveal to the world that he is alive.

That's right, folks, we're back on track! Ryan is officially (albeit secretly) an FBI agent again and soon, Joe will be unleashing his followers on murderous rampages throughout the country again. The detour was a nice change of pace, but it will be good to return to the formula that made this show so addicting in the first place.

The Following airs on Mondays on FOX at 9PM.

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