In The Flesh S1E2 - "Episode 2" Recap

Kieren tries to thank Jem for helping him but she insists it was for their parents and not for him before throwing him out of her room. He goes downstairs to speak with his parents, who avoid discussing last night's events. They want him to stay home for the foreseeable future for his safety. Jem comes in and asks if they're coming to the ceremony and the parents try to hush her up but she declares that it's to honour the victims of The Rising. Kieren is uncomfortable and Jem storms out.

Shirley visits Janet and Bill to brief them before they are reunited with their un-dead son Rick. She offers them the opportunity to meet with a therapist but Bill becomes angry and goes upstairs to Rick's room. He goes in, begins taking down Rick's sports awards and later takes the shrine down with Janet.

Kieren looks over a postcard Rick had sent him promising they'd be together and that he would sort things out with his (implied to be homophobic) father. Steve comes in and invites him to watch some DVDs while he gives him his injection. Immediately after, the doorbell rings and Steve hurries to hide Kieren into a closet. Kieren's flashlight goes out and he begins to have flashbacks, brought on by the injection. He remembers being in his coffin and clawing his way out. Kieren stumble out of the closet in a panic but Steve holds him and tells him it's okay and that the visitors have gone. Kieren asks why they buried him but Steve gets a call before he can answer. It's his co-worker Clive, calling him into work. He tries to stay with Kieren but Kieren insists he'll be fine and Steve agrees to leave him. Kieren then grabs a hoodie and heads out.

He passes Ken's house, where Shirley is inside counselling him. He then passes by the anniversary ceremony where the dead are being honoured. Oddie gives a speech for the HVF fighters who died while protecting Roarton. Bill and Janet arrive and the crowd applauds him. He gets up and announces that Rick is coming home and they expect everyone's full support. The crowd rumbles, knowing instantly what he is implying and Bill and Janet immediately leave.

Kieren climbs into the quarantined cemetery and visits his grave, remembering when he first climbed out of it with the others around him doing the same. When he hears a girl's voice, he attempts to hide behind his tombstone. She comes over and cheerfully says she knows him. He tries to fend her off with a metal pole but then she impales herself before laughing and declaring she is already dead. She introduces herself as Amy Dyer.

Amy shows Kieren her own tombstone and says she had prepared a very thorough will. Kieren says he had wanted to be cremated but his parents went against his wishes. Kieren attempts to leave but then Amy rightfully says that Kieren is moping over his old life. She says she used to do the same and that the way to stop doing it is to go on day trips. The duo head to a bus stop and Amy promises that things will be alright.

Bill and Janet are waiting for their son to arrive while Oddie and other townsfolk are standing around outside. The military transport pulls up and Janet and Bill head outside to greet Rick, who steps out with a slight limp and his head sewn back together. Bill hesitates before shaking his hand and Rick gives his mother a kiss.

Amy takes Kieren to a fun fair and he's anxious about there being so many people. She tells him things will be fine and adds that she's thinking of stopping using the mousse.

Bill and Rick bond while target-shooting and discuss the Rick's valour medal. Janet calls the PDS therapist but hangs up when put on hold and takes some pills instead. Sue and Jem are walking home and Jem wonders if Bill is now okay with PDS sufferers but Sue remains skeptical.  Jem wonders if they'll tell Kieren that Rick is back but Sue doesn't answer.

Amy and Kieren get on various rides and she talks about people's fear of death and how crazy it makes them. He warns her that the man in charge of the Undead Liberation Army is dangerous after she recites their mantra but she assumes that those people were simply in survival mode. Kieren has a vision of Lisa Lancaster while riding the haunted house ride.

Janet comes outside to see Bill and Rick and Rick notes how Jem was present amongst the crowd when he returned home. Bill speaks highly of her while denouncing her family, calling Kieren selfish. Rick asks what happened and Janet tries to keep it quiet but at Rick's pushing, Bill declares that Kieren killed himself because he was weak. Janet says he shouldn't speak ill of the dead and Rick fires a full flip, seemingly upset by the news.

Kieren is spotted at the fair while Amy is riding one of the rides and the man who recognises him says that he went to his funeral and calls him a Rotter. Kieren runs off into the woods and spots another PDS sufferer. He follows after them and watches and they go into a cave. He heads back to town and observes missing person fliers, including one for Lisa. He takes it down and leaves with it.

Dean and Gary visit Oddie and ask for wages to patrol the woods since it's taking so much time. The vicar is angry about this and Gary also says he assumes Bill won't be doing his shifts now that he has his family back. Oddie's clerk, Philip, says that though the budget is tight, they can manage it. The vicar stiffly states that they'll get their money and sends them off.

Sue and Jem meet Steve on the curb when he arrives home to tell him how Rick is back. Jem says they should tell him right away but her parents want to put it off as long as possible. When Kieren sneaks in, he sees them talking but can't hear the specifics of what they're discussing. He goes inside and hides the flyer before turning on the computer. His family comes inside and when Steve notices Kieren's wearing the hoodie, Kieren pretends he was cold. Steve then drags Jem with him to go turn the furnace on.

Bill brings Rick a beer and tells him he should always wear his medal and be proud of it. Bill then says he'll be heading off to the legion hall once he's checked on Janet. At the legion hall, Pearl is taking down photos of the members with HVF kills. Gary is annoyed but Pearl insists they might offend people. Philip prepares a separate section for PDS sufferers and everyone goes quiet when Bill, Rick, and Janet come in. Bill asks who's going to buy the first round for his son but no one responds.

Kieren is pretending to eat for his parent's benefit, while Jem is appalled by the whole display. She is eating in the living room instead of at the table. Steve tells her she needs to put her revolver in the shed but she refuses. The doorbell rings and after Sue answers it, she tells Kieren it's for him. He goes and finds Amy not wearing her mousse. She's not angry but does want to know why he ran off from the fair. He hurries her inside where she cheerfully greets Kieren's family. Jem storms out yet again before Kieren offers to show Amy his room. Kieren asks Amy to not talk the way she just had been because his parents don't like acting as if he is (un)dead. Amy replies that they should start getting used to it.

Jem tries to join Dean on patrol but tells her she can't come, under Bill's orders, because Kieren is in town and was spotted in town. Bill says it's a betrayal of trust and Dean says it's different than his having a Rotter for a son. Jem angrily goes back inside.

Rick is discussing military weaponry and the subject of body armour comes up, Gary asks if he was wearing body armour when he died. Rick answers that body armour doesn't protect against an IED. Philip asks if he regrets enlisting and Rick says it was the best time of his life because his unit was like family.

Amy asks Kieren how he died and when he doesn't answer, she unbottons her blouse to show him her leukemia scars. She felt it was unfair to die so young and then asks what his last thought was. Kieren says he felt relief and shows her the scars where he slit his wrists. Amy hugs him while he looks at paintings of Rick. Jem opens his bedroom and Kieren jumps back from Amy. Kieren comes down into the living room, grabs his hoodie, and furiously walks out with Amy. When Steve tries to stop him, Kieren says he knows that Rick is back.

At the legion hall, Bill brings Rick another drink and says that Gary had been making the moves on Rick's girlfriend while he was in the Army. Rick isn't bothered and drinks the whiskey, after which he goes to the bathroom and begins vomiting black bile.

Kieren arrives at the legion hall and warns Amy that he's not allowed in because the townspeople already hated him for being different before he was dead. Amy walks in with Kieren right behind her and everyone stares. The bartender demands that they order something if they want to stay and Amy orders two lemonades. Bill objects to them being served to and Philip escorts them to the Rotters section, a back hallway, and it's then that Rick comes out of the bathroom and stares in awe of Kieren. He then shakes his hand and says it's good to see him. Kieren says he can't go out in the main area because of Philip, Rick loudly objects to this, and then Philip awkwardly lets them out.

Dean is playing a video on patrol and then spots a PDS sufferer hauling dead sheep through the forest. He trips, rolls down into a stream and looks up to find a Rotter standing over him, after which he runs off screaming.

Kieren and Rick are chatting and then Gary rudely assumes that Amy is a lesbian. When Rick continues drinking, she says PDS sufferers can't drink but he stubbornly insists that he can. She makes a point of asking when his stitching is coming out and Rick says it depends. Dean then comes running in to say that he's spotted a rabid Rotter in the woods. Bill leads his men out and asks Rick to go along, warning him that the Rotter won't be a soft one like Kieren.

The men reach the woods and head out while Kieren and Rick stay in the car. Rick asks Kieren what happened and he shares how life didn't mean anything to him anymore and that he killed himself. Rick throws a fit and says he shouldn't have, as he had gotten into art school on a full scholarship and was almost out of there. Kieren says life didn't mean anything without Rick, noting how he had joined the Army and left without saying goodbye. Kieren says he wrote letters and Rick insists he didn't get any. Bill radios for Rick and tells them to get moving. Kieren tells Rick he doesn't have to do what he tells him anymore, but Rick says it is his father and heads out.

Rick has gone after Billy, Gary, and Dean but loses track of Kieren. Kieren finds the cave and calls Rick over. The two Rotters are shown to bring a dead sheep over and begin feeding a child Rotter that has just come out. Rick calls the location in, much to Kieren's objection. The two Rotters head out and when the men arrive, Dean tases the child. The adult male bites Dean before he can tase him, after which Dean dramatically prepares to shoot himself. Kieren tells him that the infection isn't spread by bite.

Bill offers Rick the opportunity to shoot them but Kieren talks him down, insisting they can be cured if taken to the hospital, adding that they are just like them. Kieren even takes out one of his contacts to emphasise his point. Kieren asks if he's going to shoot him too. Rick lowers the rifle and walks away. Bill tries to shoot but his rifle jams. Kieren tells Dean and Gary that the authorities will pay approximately £900 if they are turned in and has them vote for whether to turn them in or kill them. Kieren, Dean, and Gary vote to keep them alive. Bill walks away angrily and Rick follows.

In The Flesh airs on BBC Three on Sundays at 10PM.