The Equation - Recap

Ben Stockton and his father are driving at night in the rain through Middletown, CT. Ben is in the back seat working on a piece of music. His father suggests he give it a rest as they agreed, but Ben asks him to slow down the windshield wipers as they're messing up his tempo. Mr. Stockton sees a woman with a broken down car on the side of the road and pulls over to help. He calls a tow truck and is informed that it'll take a while to get there. He goes to look at the engine while they wait and sees two flashing lights, red and green. He stares at them... and suddenly the car is gone, the rain has stopped, and the tow truck driver is standing behind him. Mr. Stockton realizes that Ben and the woman are gone.

Broyles briefs the team on the case, and informs them that similar abduction shave happened before. Three other abductions have taken place over the last three years and in each case the same one was the abductor. Each victim was an academic and was eventually recovered, but was found insane and has been ever since. Before Broyles can explain further, Walter says that red-green "Christmas lights" were responsible. Broyles admits he's right but Walter doesn't know how he came to that conclusion.

Olivia and Peter talk to Mr. Stockton and his sister. When they explain that gifted academics are part of the pattern but Ben doesn't qualify, Mr. Stockton explains that nine months ago, Ben was hit by the same car that ran over his mother Abby and killed her. When Ben came out of the coma, he had the ability to compose music. Since then he has been working on a single piece of music but has been unable to finish composing it.

The abductor comes to see Ben, who is locked up in a dungeon-like room somewhere underground. He demands to see his father but the woman says there's someone else he wants to see: is mother Abby, who comes into the room. Her face is scarred but she's alive and well.

Walter is at the laboratory humming Christmas carols and working with red/green light combinations. He insists that the carols have some significance beyond simply red and green lights, and explains that he experimented with light patterns that could put someone into a trance. Walter demonstrates on Peter, who ends up with "lost time" and cuts off his sleeves.

Charlie informs Olivia that they've used Mr. Stockton's description to identify the abductor as Joanna Ostler, a molecular biologist... who died ten years ago. However, the body was never recovered. Olivia goes to the lab where Walter finally remembers that he heard about the lights from a friend, Dashiell Kim... who was at St. Claire's Mental Institute. Walter associated "Jingle Bells" and "dashing through the snow" with Dash/Dashiell. They check and determine that Kim was kidnapped by the same woman, then bludgeoned his wife to death afterward and was committed. Olivia wants to get in to speak to him but Broyles warns that Dashiell did top-secret work for the government and it'll take them at least six weeks to go through channels.

Joanna escorts Ben to a room with a piano in it, as well as sheets of the music he's been composing. The sheets are in a new order which Ben seems to recognize. Abby is brought there as well and the two of them hug.

Olivia shows Walter a photo of the crime scene when Dashiell killed his wife. There's a mathematical equation written on the walls and Walter says he saw the equation at St. Claire's. Dashiell was trying to finish it there but attacked Walter when he offered to help. Peter notices a recurring pattern in the expression and, working with Walter, converts it into music. He plays it, and it matches the recording they have of Ben's song.

Ben wonders how his mother can be there but she tells him it doesn't matter and that what does matter is that he finishes the song. He goes to work.

Olivia visits the director of St. Claire's, Dr. Sumner. He identifies her as the one who got Walter released and warns that it's a mistake for Walter to be out with other people. Olivia explains that Walter has been helping the FBI in their investigations and needs to talk to Dashiell. Sumner refusing, saying a new face would upset his patient. Olivia explains that Ben's life is in danger and Sumner reluctantly agrees to let Dashiell's friend Walter talk to him and ask the questions. Olivia goes to the lab and discusses the matter with Peter, who is strongly against it. However, Walter interjects to say that it's his decision and that while he doesn't want to go back, Ben's life depends on it.

At St. Claire's an increasingly edgy Walter prepares to go in with Dr. Sumner. He talks with Dashiell in the common room but when he asks about the woman, Dashiell denies even being abducted. Walter draws the equation on the table and Dashiell screams at him. The other inmates go wild and the orderlies try to get Walter back. He fights back and Sumner has him sedated.

Olivia and Peter confront Sumner, who insists that Walter is a danger and he can't in good conscience release him. Sumner is aware that Walter has been investigating "fringe" activity and warns that seeming to humor his delusions has accelerated his mental collapse. Olivia warns him that she'll get a court order and Sumner tells her to go ahead.

That night, Walter is in a room when he hears the door open. He looks up to see a figure enter the room: himself.

Olivia checks in with Charlie, who is running a search for Ben without success. The FBI attorney calls to inform them they can't get Walter out until the next morning. Olivia apologizes to Peter, but Peter is more interested in figuring out where Ostler. He figures that she's using an alias derived from her last name, which is Middle English for "innkeeper." He runs a check of last names matching hotel names and comes up with a Joanne Ritz who owns a P.O. Box in Clarksburg, MD.

Ben is working on his song but starts to falter. Abby encourages him to continue and the cuts on her face start bleeding. Joanne tells Ben that he's the one who is hurting his mother and he needs to finish the song to stop her pain.

The next morning, Walter talks with Dashiell in the courtyard and apologizes for upsetting him. As the talk, Walter notices the same figure, seemingly himself, on the other side of the courtyard. Walter tries to get through to Dashiell, who explains that the woman who abducted him showed him everything he ever wanted. However, when he couldn't solve the equation she inflicted suffering on all the people he loved. Joanne used some kind of machine to project images into his mind, and the shock of losing his (imaginary) loved ones drove him and the others insane. She's doing the same thing to Ben. Walter insists that Dashiell needs to remember for Ben's sake, but all the mathematician can remember is a red castle and dungeons.

While Olivia joins the search in Maryland, Peter comes to get Walter. As he waits with Dr. Sumner, he accuses the psychiatrist of deliberately harming Walter. Sumner has reviewed Peter's history and says that he's not a fit guardian for Walter, and plans to petition the state to regain custody. Peter warns him that it's a dangerous thing to do but doesn't quite threaten him. Father and son are reunited and Walter says that he didn't accomplish anything. He talks about how Dashiell rambled about red castles and dungeons and wonders if that's what it's like for Peter to listen to him.

As they leave the institute, Peter calls Olivia and mentions Dashiell's ramblings. Across the street from her current location, Olivia notices a carousel with a red castle-like topping. She and Charlie go inside and find a passageway leading down. They split up to explore and Olivia finds Ben, now disconnected from the machine. As she frees him, Joanne attacks her and the two fight. Olivia manages to knock her back and Joanne runs down the hallway. Olivia orders her to stop but Joanne triggers a remote control device and red/green lights in the tunnel flash. The next thing Olivia knows, several minutes have passed and Charlie has caught up to her: Joanne is gone.

Peter and Walter return to their hotel. Walter thinks the room looks messy and says that he wants his own room. Peter agrees to have Olivia set up something on campus and says that Walter was extremely brave for going back to St. Claire's.

Joanne meets with the FBI traitor, Mitchell Loeb. She gives him the completed equation and he enters it into a machine attached to a large safe. He puts an apple inside, dons a rubber glove, and then... reaches through the side of the safe and pulls out the apple. He then turns to Joanne and shoots her dead, then makes a call and informs the person at the other end that the equation works.

Ben is reunited with his father and Broyles congratulates Olivia on saving him.


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