The Garden of Forking Paths - Recap
It's March 15, 2010, and Demetri wakes up strapped into a chair, with a laser sight pointed at his chest. Mark's gun is mounted on a stand and pointing directly at him, and one interior wall of the building he's in is covered with timeline permutations.
At FBI headquarters, Mark and Janis interview Charlie to get her description of Dyson Frost, who approached her at the carnival. With some help from Stan, Charlie describes how Frost claimed he worked with Mark. They discussed Dr. Seuss' One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and then Frost gave her a photograph of a painting and asked her to give it to Mark. On the back is a note from Frost saying for Mark to meet him at Union Station at noon that day. Mark hugs Charlie and tells Olivia that it's good to see her again. Stan gets Charlie away for a few minutes and Mark suggests that they get Olivia some therapy. Olivia refuses, insisting that their daughter needs stability and the knowledge that men from Mark's investigation won't becoming after her, especially after she's seen Mark die in her flashforward. Charlie returns before they can argue further.
Zoey goes to see Alda in prison and reminds her that it's the day that Demetri is supposed to die. Alda insists that she's told Zoey everything she knows, but the lawyer doesn't believe her. The terrorist agrees to say more in return for Zoey expediting her hearing, even though Zoey insists it's impossible.
Stan has a team prepare to go with Mark, while Vreede identifies the painting as Oedipus and the Sphinx, by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Mark notes that Oedipus tried to avoid killing his mother, and his actions resulted in her death. They wonder if Demetri somehow walked right into Frost's trap by trying to avoid it. They wonder if their current plan could get Demetri killed, but Mark insists on fulfilling his promise to keep Demetri safe.
Demetri notices that the gun-triggering mechanism is on a six-hour countdown, and the laser sight will set it off if he moves too much.
Six months before the blackout, Lucas Hellinger brings Alda to see Frost at his warehouse. He admits they're keeping Frost alive only because he understands the physics, and they may ask her to take care of Frost if he becomes unmanageable. Alda readily agrees. Inside, they find the floor covered with lines of dominoes, with one line in white and the rest in black. Lucas introduces Alda and explains that Frost engineered the Raven River experiments, and he's one of the few participants still alive. Frost assures Lucas that the Blackout is still on schedule for October 6. He confirms that the QED protection device is ready and shows Lucas the first one, inside of a ring. He then plays a tape of Lucas and Alda discussing his possible demise, warns he'll always be six steps ahead, and dismisses them. As they go, Alda asks about the dominoes and Frost says the white ones are his escape path. He knocks them over and they watch the white line move through the black ones.
In the present, Frost arrives and warns Demetri not to move. He points to his board of timelines and explains it's his Garden of Forking Paths. Each one is a future branching off of a critical decision he makes, and he's charted them since the 1980s when he was at Raven River. They engineered thousands of flashforwards, each one showing a different possible future. Now they're at the point where they are supposed to die. Frost explains that there's a 78% chance that Demetri kills him, When Demetri asks why Frost doesn't kill him now, the physicist explains that he's trying to conform to the predicted future while allowing for the possibility that they both live. Demetri is his insurance when he comes in from the cold. Demetri wonders why he just doesn't do that now, but Frost simply says that by the end of the day, one of them will probably be dead.
Mark arrives at the station at noon, but there's no sign of Frost. Janis and her team tap into the CCTVs but can't spot the physicist.
At the hospital, Olivia and Bryce finish an operation and she asks about halothane. After she confirms that it's an older anesthetic that is rarely used any more, Bryce asks why she's interested. She brings up Lloyd and Bryce is interested to learn she's talking to him again. Olivia claims that she's just talking to Lloyd about the halothane and quickly drops the subject.
Zoey gets Alda her hearing. As they go to the courtroom, Alda gloats and notices that the men washing the windows are her people.
Vreede comes to see Olivia about the murder of the homeless man at the shelter. The victim had a disposable cell phone with a text message addressed to Olivia and concerning Mark's drinking. Vreede asks her to take a look at the body in the hope she might recognize the victim, and Olivia agrees.
At the station, a young boy approaches Mark and says a man paid him $50 to give him a backpack. Inside is a photo of Demetri marked with the number 423, and a cell phone. The phone rings and Frost tells Mark to just listen. He explains that he knows when and why the next Blackout will occur, but his former associates will do anything to stop him. When Mark interrupts, Frost warns that if he talks again, Demetri will die. He then has him say a street name to misdirect the agents and gives him the real directions so they can meet face-to-face. After having Mark give another incorrect street name, Frost tells him to set his watch to 4:23, as that's how long Demetri has to live.
Mark then follows Frost's instructions. He runs into the restroom, gets rid of the cell phone and his weapons, He then grabs a zoomcar access pass, escape through a vent into the steam tunnels, and finds the zoomcar outside. There's another cell phone and Frost calls to give him directions as he heads north.
In court, Zoey makes a motion for Judge Sandoz to order a CAT scan for the appendicitis that Alda supposedly has. The judge dismisses her motion as frivolous. Alda is satisfied and tells Zoey that all she knows from her flashforward is that Demetri is found dead in building seven. As they go back out into the hallway, the fake window washers blast the window open and Alda leaps outside to make her escape.
With 2:17 remaining, Mark follows Frost's directions and drives out into the countryside. He gets out and walks one mile north into the mountains.
At the morgue, Dewey the coroner explains that all identifying marks were taken from the body, including fingerprints. The development of the brain indicates that the dead man was a savant. Olivia doesn't recognize the man, and Vreede suggests they look at an address book among the victim's possessions. When Olivia insists there's no point because she's connected to the man, Vreede says there must be a connection she doesn't know.
With 1:31 left, Mark arrives on a hillside and an armed Frost approaches him. He says it's time to save the world and points the gun at Mark. Frost then explains that his former associates wanted Mark dead, but Frost wanted him kept alive to get to March 15. He doesn't trust the FBI and doesn't believe they're safe just because they found the mole. Frost then has Mark put on a pair of handcuffs, but the agent takes a drink of water first. He then spits it in Frost's eyes, revealing that it's gasoline. Mark demands to know where Demetri is, and the physicist insists that it wasn't the way it was supposed to play out.
Zoey tells Stan and Janis what she learned. Janis begins a search while Stan assures Zoey that they'll find Demetri in time.
Frost tells Mark that he gave Charlie everything he needs to find Demetri. He then says that Mark will be saved by the lady he sees every day. Frost starts to say more but spots a parked motorcycle in the distance and realizes that Mark was followed. Alda opens fire with a sniper rifle and hits Frost, and then walks away. Mark demands answers from the dying Frost, who says that he did what he did for a reason and then dies without saying anything more. Searching Frost's carry case, Mark finds photos of men in diving suits and blueprints for some vast engine, all items on his Mosaic board in his flashforward. With 1:18 left, Mark takes the access card for Frost's car and runs off.
With 43 minutes remaining, Mark finds Frost's SUV but there's no sign of Demetri. He's out of range of cell phone towers, and running out of time. Checking Frost's GPS, Mark realizes that the name of the artist, Ingres, indicates a street address. He finds 423 Ingres in the GPS database and follows the route.
Olivia and Vreede meet with the man the victim stole the address book from, a Dr. Julian Ebbing who works at a neuroscience center and deals with savants. Ebbing doesn't recognize the dead man and has no idea who might be connected to the theft of his address book. He notes that Olivia is a trauma surgeon and is surprised to see her investigating a murder.
With four minutes left, Mark arrives at the abandoned arms depot where Demetri is located. He runs inside, yelling his friend's name.
Janis gets a report on Mark's GPS request but is unable to track it. Mark finally gets a signal and calls in, and tells them where he is. They tell him about building seven and realize the numbers are on the roof. Janis taps into a satellite feed and directs him to Demetri's building. Mark shoots the door open and goes inside. He tries to move the gun without setting off the trigger mechanism, and Demetri realizes that this is it for him: he'll die with Mark holding his own gun as it kills Demetri. However, Mark figures out that Frost telling Charlie about One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is the final clue. As he prepares to pull the wires in the indicated sequence, Demetri tells him to do it, with no regrets. Mark disarms the sensors and shifts the gun just enough to miss Demetri. He pulls Demetri free, and an acid bath wipes the board of Frost's timeline permutations.
As Vreede and Olivia stop for coffee, a man comes up behind them and recites Olivia's coffee order. He explains that he's stood behind her many times when she's ordered coffee. When Olivia says she's never been to that cart before, the man introduces himself as Gabriel McDow and insists he's been with her there on that day many times. Gabriel mentions the Raven River experiments and that his dead friend wanted to talk to her about them. He finally explains that his dead friend is the homeless man. When Vreede tries to take him in, Gabriel warns Olivia that the dominoes are falling and runs off.
Zoey and the FBI arrive at the warehouse, and the happy couple is reunited. Meanwhile, Mark explains to Janis and Stan what Frost's board represented. He remembers that one date stood out: December 12, 2016. The only thing it said was, "The end." They're left to wonder the end of what.
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At FBI headquarters, Mark and Janis interview Charlie to get her description of Dyson Frost, who approached her at the carnival. With some help from Stan, Charlie describes how Frost claimed he worked with Mark. They discussed Dr. Seuss' One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, and then Frost gave her a photograph of a painting and asked her to give it to Mark. On the back is a note from Frost saying for Mark to meet him at Union Station at noon that day. Mark hugs Charlie and tells Olivia that it's good to see her again. Stan gets Charlie away for a few minutes and Mark suggests that they get Olivia some therapy. Olivia refuses, insisting that their daughter needs stability and the knowledge that men from Mark's investigation won't becoming after her, especially after she's seen Mark die in her flashforward. Charlie returns before they can argue further.
Zoey goes to see Alda in prison and reminds her that it's the day that Demetri is supposed to die. Alda insists that she's told Zoey everything she knows, but the lawyer doesn't believe her. The terrorist agrees to say more in return for Zoey expediting her hearing, even though Zoey insists it's impossible.
Stan has a team prepare to go with Mark, while Vreede identifies the painting as Oedipus and the Sphinx, by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Mark notes that Oedipus tried to avoid killing his mother, and his actions resulted in her death. They wonder if Demetri somehow walked right into Frost's trap by trying to avoid it. They wonder if their current plan could get Demetri killed, but Mark insists on fulfilling his promise to keep Demetri safe.
Demetri notices that the gun-triggering mechanism is on a six-hour countdown, and the laser sight will set it off if he moves too much.
Six months before the blackout, Lucas Hellinger brings Alda to see Frost at his warehouse. He admits they're keeping Frost alive only because he understands the physics, and they may ask her to take care of Frost if he becomes unmanageable. Alda readily agrees. Inside, they find the floor covered with lines of dominoes, with one line in white and the rest in black. Lucas introduces Alda and explains that Frost engineered the Raven River experiments, and he's one of the few participants still alive. Frost assures Lucas that the Blackout is still on schedule for October 6. He confirms that the QED protection device is ready and shows Lucas the first one, inside of a ring. He then plays a tape of Lucas and Alda discussing his possible demise, warns he'll always be six steps ahead, and dismisses them. As they go, Alda asks about the dominoes and Frost says the white ones are his escape path. He knocks them over and they watch the white line move through the black ones.
In the present, Frost arrives and warns Demetri not to move. He points to his board of timelines and explains it's his Garden of Forking Paths. Each one is a future branching off of a critical decision he makes, and he's charted them since the 1980s when he was at Raven River. They engineered thousands of flashforwards, each one showing a different possible future. Now they're at the point where they are supposed to die. Frost explains that there's a 78% chance that Demetri kills him, When Demetri asks why Frost doesn't kill him now, the physicist explains that he's trying to conform to the predicted future while allowing for the possibility that they both live. Demetri is his insurance when he comes in from the cold. Demetri wonders why he just doesn't do that now, but Frost simply says that by the end of the day, one of them will probably be dead.
Mark arrives at the station at noon, but there's no sign of Frost. Janis and her team tap into the CCTVs but can't spot the physicist.
At the hospital, Olivia and Bryce finish an operation and she asks about halothane. After she confirms that it's an older anesthetic that is rarely used any more, Bryce asks why she's interested. She brings up Lloyd and Bryce is interested to learn she's talking to him again. Olivia claims that she's just talking to Lloyd about the halothane and quickly drops the subject.
Zoey gets Alda her hearing. As they go to the courtroom, Alda gloats and notices that the men washing the windows are her people.
Vreede comes to see Olivia about the murder of the homeless man at the shelter. The victim had a disposable cell phone with a text message addressed to Olivia and concerning Mark's drinking. Vreede asks her to take a look at the body in the hope she might recognize the victim, and Olivia agrees.
At the station, a young boy approaches Mark and says a man paid him $50 to give him a backpack. Inside is a photo of Demetri marked with the number 423, and a cell phone. The phone rings and Frost tells Mark to just listen. He explains that he knows when and why the next Blackout will occur, but his former associates will do anything to stop him. When Mark interrupts, Frost warns that if he talks again, Demetri will die. He then has him say a street name to misdirect the agents and gives him the real directions so they can meet face-to-face. After having Mark give another incorrect street name, Frost tells him to set his watch to 4:23, as that's how long Demetri has to live.
Mark then follows Frost's instructions. He runs into the restroom, gets rid of the cell phone and his weapons, He then grabs a zoomcar access pass, escape through a vent into the steam tunnels, and finds the zoomcar outside. There's another cell phone and Frost calls to give him directions as he heads north.
In court, Zoey makes a motion for Judge Sandoz to order a CAT scan for the appendicitis that Alda supposedly has. The judge dismisses her motion as frivolous. Alda is satisfied and tells Zoey that all she knows from her flashforward is that Demetri is found dead in building seven. As they go back out into the hallway, the fake window washers blast the window open and Alda leaps outside to make her escape.
With 2:17 remaining, Mark follows Frost's directions and drives out into the countryside. He gets out and walks one mile north into the mountains.
At the morgue, Dewey the coroner explains that all identifying marks were taken from the body, including fingerprints. The development of the brain indicates that the dead man was a savant. Olivia doesn't recognize the man, and Vreede suggests they look at an address book among the victim's possessions. When Olivia insists there's no point because she's connected to the man, Vreede says there must be a connection she doesn't know.
With 1:31 left, Mark arrives on a hillside and an armed Frost approaches him. He says it's time to save the world and points the gun at Mark. Frost then explains that his former associates wanted Mark dead, but Frost wanted him kept alive to get to March 15. He doesn't trust the FBI and doesn't believe they're safe just because they found the mole. Frost then has Mark put on a pair of handcuffs, but the agent takes a drink of water first. He then spits it in Frost's eyes, revealing that it's gasoline. Mark demands to know where Demetri is, and the physicist insists that it wasn't the way it was supposed to play out.
Zoey tells Stan and Janis what she learned. Janis begins a search while Stan assures Zoey that they'll find Demetri in time.
Frost tells Mark that he gave Charlie everything he needs to find Demetri. He then says that Mark will be saved by the lady he sees every day. Frost starts to say more but spots a parked motorcycle in the distance and realizes that Mark was followed. Alda opens fire with a sniper rifle and hits Frost, and then walks away. Mark demands answers from the dying Frost, who says that he did what he did for a reason and then dies without saying anything more. Searching Frost's carry case, Mark finds photos of men in diving suits and blueprints for some vast engine, all items on his Mosaic board in his flashforward. With 1:18 left, Mark takes the access card for Frost's car and runs off.
With 43 minutes remaining, Mark finds Frost's SUV but there's no sign of Demetri. He's out of range of cell phone towers, and running out of time. Checking Frost's GPS, Mark realizes that the name of the artist, Ingres, indicates a street address. He finds 423 Ingres in the GPS database and follows the route.
Olivia and Vreede meet with the man the victim stole the address book from, a Dr. Julian Ebbing who works at a neuroscience center and deals with savants. Ebbing doesn't recognize the dead man and has no idea who might be connected to the theft of his address book. He notes that Olivia is a trauma surgeon and is surprised to see her investigating a murder.
With four minutes left, Mark arrives at the abandoned arms depot where Demetri is located. He runs inside, yelling his friend's name.
Janis gets a report on Mark's GPS request but is unable to track it. Mark finally gets a signal and calls in, and tells them where he is. They tell him about building seven and realize the numbers are on the roof. Janis taps into a satellite feed and directs him to Demetri's building. Mark shoots the door open and goes inside. He tries to move the gun without setting off the trigger mechanism, and Demetri realizes that this is it for him: he'll die with Mark holding his own gun as it kills Demetri. However, Mark figures out that Frost telling Charlie about One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is the final clue. As he prepares to pull the wires in the indicated sequence, Demetri tells him to do it, with no regrets. Mark disarms the sensors and shifts the gun just enough to miss Demetri. He pulls Demetri free, and an acid bath wipes the board of Frost's timeline permutations.
As Vreede and Olivia stop for coffee, a man comes up behind them and recites Olivia's coffee order. He explains that he's stood behind her many times when she's ordered coffee. When Olivia says she's never been to that cart before, the man introduces himself as Gabriel McDow and insists he's been with her there on that day many times. Gabriel mentions the Raven River experiments and that his dead friend wanted to talk to her about them. He finally explains that his dead friend is the homeless man. When Vreede tries to take him in, Gabriel warns Olivia that the dominoes are falling and runs off.
Zoey and the FBI arrive at the warehouse, and the happy couple is reunited. Meanwhile, Mark explains to Janis and Stan what Frost's board represented. He remembers that one date stood out: December 12, 2016. The only thing it said was, "The end." They're left to wonder the end of what.
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