Detailed summary:
A blissfully happy Priscilla is making French toast for her daughters when a violent electrical storm starts raging outside. Cutting back to reality, Priscilla is lying in a puddle of water in the farmhouse after Aaron and Rachel have tried to electrocute her. Aaron begs the real Priscilla to come back, but the nano is too strong - and now it's really angry. Nano Priscilla grabs a poker and brandishes it menacingly at Aaron, so he shouts, hoping the real Priscilla will hear him; she's the love of his life. In tears, the real Priscilla tells her children they're not real and forces herself to return to reality, knocking the nano out of her body.
The Memorial Day concert continues in Willoughby's Town Hall, where the Patriots have just chained the doors. After clipping the chains, Miles strides into the hall shooting in the air and ordering people to run, while Monroe, Porter and Charlie find Marion dead in the attic next to the gas tanks. President Davis, Truman and General Carver head to their stronghold in the basement of Marion's bar. Davis is just starting to yell when Truman shoots Carver, his Rangers and all the other Patriots in the room. His Plan B includes shooting himself and Davis in the arm, then blaming the whole mess on Miles and Monroe. At the next day's town meeting, Davis announces that Texas has declared war on California, and that Truman is leaving for the front to advise Texas. Joe and Heather bring the news back to the 7-Eleven where the whole gang is holed up. Monroe is furious - he abandoned Connor for nothing - California and Texas are going to war anyway?! Monroe has a Plan B too: he wants to kill President Davis right now. Miles calmly corrects him. They're not going to kill the President; they're going to kidnap him and force him to confess his transgressions in public. Porter will ride ahead to Austin to tell General Blanchard to expect them.
Little do both men know, Neville intends to kill Davis and has enlisted Connor and Scanlon to help. They lie in wait for the President's convoy out of Willoughby, but Miles and Monroe kidnap Davis first. They're on foot when a squad of Patriots on horseback start firing on them. Pinned down, Miles tells Monroe to take Davis and run - they'll meet up later at the rendezvous. Rachel and Charlie can't believe Miles' decision to trust Monroe, with good reason. When Monroe stops to get water, stashing Davis in a building, Connor sneaks up on him, claiming Neville and Scanlon have their guns ready to kill. Connor wants Monroe to do the right thing: kill Davis and let California and Texas go to war so they can regain the Republic. Monroe is conflicted. He tells Connor that he's right, but he can't kill Davis because he made a promise to Miles. Unable to understand why his father will trust a friend over his blood, Connor gives Neville the signal to fire. In the ensuing melee, Monroe kills Scanlon and escapes with Davis, making it to the rendezvous point late that night.
Rachel is just laying into the President - her former boss - for screwing her entire life and the country when a band of Patriots rush in to rescue him and zip tie our heroes. Rachel continues to berate Davis, claiming everyone will eventually see him for who he really is, a lying car salesman. But Davis knows Americans don't care about the truth; they just want to feel safe, which is why they'll thank him for raping and destroying California and Texas. He orders his men to kill the traitors, but they put down their weapons. General Blanchard walks in, having heard every word, and the "Patriots" reveal themselves to be Joe and his friends. Davis insists "It's not over," as the Rangers drag him away. Days later, Monroe and Blanchard invade Camp Riker, Texas' forward base in the war with California. Using a latrine, Truman catches wind of the slaughter around him and runs for it. Miles tells Charlie and Porter that Texas just declared war with the U.S.A. Outnumbered four to one, the Patriots should be wiped out by summer's end. Charlie has some advice for her uncle: he should try to make a happy life with Rachel.
Priscilla is finally feeling better after her ordeal with the nano, but she's spooked. She tells Aaron that she saw what the nano are thinking: millions of mindless people will swarm like fireflies. The nano wants to control the whole world, and if Aaron and Priscilla won't help it, it will find people who will. Indeed, fireflies swarm around three men at the lowest point in their lives: Truman, Davis and Neville. Ever cunning, the nano employ the dead to impress their message. Marion, Davis' father and Jason tell their loved ones to travel to Bradbury, Idaho; God has chosen them for a higher calling. Priscilla claims the nano will make the Patriots look like Boy Scouts, and it all starts with a grinning man. Priscilla can't describe it, but the lights are on in Bradbury, aka The Wasteland, where hundreds of people are honing in on a neon sign featuring a grinning clown. (c) nbc.com |