The Following – Sacrifice S2 Ep 7

Tense episode! It starts out at the Korban Community, the place Robert told Roderick about. Joe admits to Emma that he doesn’t really know Robert, but Roderick had reported that they were a vulnerable group. But who’s that lady who forced them to kneel? She’s obviously in charge of the group she has with her, guns and all. Quite the “take charge” type, isn’t she?

 

Ryan Hardy shows up as he forces his way through a group of reporters. Inside, Gina Mendez wants his help. She inclined to believe Ryan that Joe Carroll is alive. Ryan still puts her off. He doesn’t trust anyone in the FBI, and she’s no exception.

Mike says he’s leaving. He wants to go home, says he’s done. I don’t blame him, either. He had been on the roller coaster ride from hell by the end of season one.

Back at the compound, Joe, Emma and Mandy are all still in hoods as they are taken out of the van. Julia tells them to strip, then shower and “cleanse themselves”.

Mike explains to Ryan that he’s leaving because he can’t handle the pressure. Too much has happened and he just can’t handle it all. He figures it’s a better thing for him to walk away rather than try to stay.

Max tells Ryan that she has been suspended for six months, or until the case is over.  She wants Ryan to go back to teaching. Of course, Ryan says he can’t give up. He’s obsessed with Carroll, has to be the one to find him, and means to kill him. Max still wants him to think about giving it up and go back to teaching. I don’t see that happening though, do you?

Julia, whom we discover is Micah’s wife, has the trio dressed in white, with white masks. Mandy asks about the masks and Julia explains that they haven’t earned an identity yet. Just then, Robert returns, and whispers to Julia that Micah has asked to see Joe. Off they go, and Julia offers to show the girls around.

Totally believable scene as Max gets kidnapped. The man and boy really are father and son, not that Max knows that, but they do a good job of convincing her that the dad is abusing his son to get her to come close enough for them to grab her. Who the heck are these two?

Back in Ryan’s “special” room, he gets a call from Lily. She shows him a video of Max being kidnapped. I’m guessing it’s not meant to be a secret. I think Lily just wants to see Ryan go crazy trying to save his niece, and then watch him go really crazy when he fails to save Max.

At base camp, Robert takes Joe to see Micah. There are two naked girls finger painting on each other in front of Micah, who then sends everyone away (Robert included) so he can “bond” with their new friend. He asks, why should I help you Joe? Joe believes he can be of great help, and has $30,000 in his car. Micah tells him they had noticed this, and thanks for the donation. Yikes. That’s some donation.

Micah isn’t sure he can trust Joe, so Joe kneels, and asks for Micah’s help. He offers his humble help in return. I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees through that ruse.

Ryan at HQ – Mike returns to help find Max. Ryan asks Gina to get him in to see Luke.

The father has Max tied up, hanging from the ceiling by her wrists. This guy collects tattoos by cutting off people’s skin. Ugh. Max has a tattoo on the side of her abdomen, and he wants to know if she has more. Scary.

Ryan gets in to talk to Luke. I’m not surprised to see the US Marshall secure Ryan to the wall. Luke says this guy is a “toad”. Luke’s mom knows him, she’s been looking for someone (special) for a long time. This guy is hot for his mom, Luke laughs. The guy’s name is “Kurt” something, but they all know his as “The Huntsman.”

Meanwhile, back at the camp, Julia straps Joe into a chair for “the reckoning”. She opens his shirt and places puts on electrodes. He warns her that these machines are not as accurate on people with his personality type. She guesses that he’s a sociopath? Maybe a psychopath? She tell’s Joe that she is very good at this. Joe seems to figure out the machine anyway.

Ryan and the SWAT team break into a house, and scare a woman half to death. The boy from the kidnapping is also in the house, though they don’t know that the kid was part of the kidnapping. Until… Ryan figures out that the boy shot the video. He and Mike get the address his father’s cabin from the boy.

Joe finishes the lie detector test with Julia; he’s obviously unsure of how he did, which would indicate that maybe he was trying to slip some lies past her. But Julia then tells Micah that Joe is “all truth.” Does she mean it? Why would she lie about it? So many questions!

Back to Max and The Huntsman, she tries to get him to hunt her so she can get loose, but he says no deal. She wraps her legs around his neck, manages to get down from the ceiling, and then runs out of the cabin. What happened to the duct tape that was around her ankles? In any event, I guess he’s going on the hunt after all.

Then police cars, lights and sirens blaring, arrive at the cabin. Ryan discovers it’s empty and sends the K9 unit out to find Max. In the woods, Max breaks off the rest of the tape. The  Huntsman spots her running, but can’t get a shot off. Very tense sequence as Max tries to run away from The Huntsman, and everyone else is trying to catch up to him.

At the compound, Joe, Emma and Mandy are taken to front seats in an amphitheatre. Micah announces that they’re celebrating the new recruits. They are having some kind of ritual. There are lots of “followers’ in black robes and full white masks, hiding their faces. This doesn’t look good for our trio. I found it more amazing that I was actually concerned for Joe and the girls. Micah and his group had them right where they wanted them and could have killed them all at any time. But hey, that would have been too easy and a very quick end to the whole show, right?

Next, we see the K9 dogs on the run, and Max on the run. She slides under something to hide. The dogs and Ryan are still looking. The Huntsman is still looking. She’s hiding, until she spots Mike. She yells, which alerts the Huntsman to her location, and he gets off some shots. Mike takes off after him as Ryan comforts Max. The chase ends when the dogs and cops catch up with Mike and The Huntsman, who is dead from obvious bullet wounds to the chest. Did Mike shoot him? Wouldn’t blame him, but I hope he doesn’t end up in trouble for it.

Micah announces to the assembled group that “with the blood of one, we can wash away the sins of many.” He calls for a volunteer, and multiple members cry out to be chosen. God’s choice will find the sacrifice, he says. A divining rod pulls Julia along, and she ends up pointing at Emma. Joe begs Micah not to do it, but Micah says they have to trust each other. There’s little Joe can do about it with three or four followers holding him back. Emma is tied to the altar, she’s still calling to Joe for help. Micah flashes a knife, then slits Emma’s wrists. Blood runs into the bowl, then down to a cup, and he seems to drink it as Emma passes out. Is she alive or will they let her bleed out?

Afterward, we find Joe pacing and Mandy crying. Julia arrives and admits to choosing Emma on purpose. She says it was a necessary introduction to their ways, and that Emma’s alive, they’ll see her soon.

At HQ, Lily has sent a video herself and Mark killing Mike’s dad. Mike breaks down and runs out. Ryan catches up and sits next to him, then tries to comfort him by holding Mike while he cries it out. Touching moment between the two. It looks like they’re both back and maybe even a team again. This is a good thing. I’m glad they’re resolving that issue.