Burning Man - Recap

A man is refueling and tells another man on a cell phone to be careful. The man on the phone ignores him. The first man starts fueling his car, takes out a handkerchief, and finds a red wax figurine. He touches his forehead and finds blood, and realizes that his blood is starting to boil, leaving blisters. He falls to the ground, yanking the gas hose loose. The man on the phone sees him and looks on in horror as the man becomes hot enough to ignite the gasoline, causing the car and the gas pump to explode.



The next morning, Jain is taking photos of the scene when Carl and Perri arrive. Jain explains what the witness saw but Perri is skeptical. Carl notes that a year ago a Unibomber type, the TerrorMaker set people on fire by summoning "hellfire," but died a year ago. They talk to Howard Gorn, a Beacon reporter who did the original TerrorMaker story and wrote a book, and Carl doesn't want him to take it away from them this time. They talk to Gorn who insists that the suspect, Guttman, was the TerrorMaker but he died in a FBI raid and they never confirmed whatever biological agent he used. Gorn dismisses Carl's thoughts that Guttman used real hellfire, who asks about FBI profiler Doug Panero. Panero isn't talking to anyone and Gorn begins to wonder why they're asking so many questions.

They go to talk to Panero's wife Lisa and ask him to look at photos oft he victim and whether it fits the TerrorMaker profile. Lisa reluctantly takes the photos but tosses them away once they go. Panero comes downstairs and takes the photos after she leaves the room.



That night, Carl and Perri go over the files but Gorn has most of the information in his office. Perri is skeptical of Carl's theory despite the fact no trace of biological agents were ever found. They hear a noise and go to find a figurine wrapped in paper lying by the elevator, with a note saying "I'm back."

The enxt day, they take the figurine to Vincenzo who "suggests" they don't have enough to turn it over to Gorn even though he outranks them. They talk to Agent Houck of the FBI, Panero's old boss, who says they believe it's a copycat killing but agrees to have Quantico check it out.

In a shadowy lab, a gloved figure makes more chemically-saturated figurines.



Back at the Beacon, Panero comes in to talk to Carl and Perri and confirm that the victim fit the TerrorMaker's profile as someone involved with biological warfare. Panero admits its possible that the TerrorMaker would have sent one of his "Burning Mark" to the press to gain attention, and that he's currently not popular at the FBI and they don't want to reopen the TerrorMaker case in case they killed the wrong man.

That night, Susan Reynolds collects some Chinese food from a delivery man and takes it to the hot tub where her husband Gary is waiting. The man finds a figurine in the package but doesn't know what to make of it. They end up in the pool but the man's body starts to burn internally and he explodes into flame as his wife looks on in horror.



Carl and Perri get word of the death and the presence of a Burning Man figurine at the crime scene. They start to work on the story until Gorn takes their notes and their story. Vincenzo goes to bat for them but Howard insists on keeping the story and going with the copycat story the FBI support. Gorn notes the FBI have shown the new figurine is a different wax then the previously one and a copy cat is responsible.

Lisa Panero reads Gorn's story the next day and Carl comes to see her husband. Panero shows Carl his study with pictures of the TerrorMaker's murders, and admits his life ended they day the TerrorMaker died since the FBI doesn't want him any more. Carl wonders how the copycat got the same biological agents and if Guttman was the killer, and asks for Panero's help to put it behind him once and for all.

Back at the office, Perri informs Carl that they'll all be fired if they interfere with Gorn again, and Vincenzo is being held personally responsible. Carl refuses to back down but Perri warns him Carl's pursuit of the truth could cost his friend his job.



In a shadowy lab, the killer is making more figurines and cutting out newspaper clippings of the new murders.

That night, the police arrest a suspect as Gorn looks on: a driver, Overton, who transported biological weapons for the government. The suspect had the figurines and the FBI figures it's the copycat. Panero calls Carl and insists that he knows the real guy is still out there and more people will die. Carl goes off and refuses to tell Perri where he's going, then slips away while Gorn comes on to Perri and warns her against Kolchak's fanaticism. She offers to help him with research and calls and he agrees to think about it.

Panero shows Carl his file on Overton and insists the real TerrorMaker is still at large, and that it isn't over. Perri organizes Gorn's office and notices a locked drawer, and after he leaves she finds a hidden key and goes through his files on the TerrorMaker case. She goes to Jain and points out there were several cases of people burning up without a figurine, and another man who toiuched a figurine and didn't burn up. They figure Gorn is going along with the FBI story, and Panero is wrong as well and hellfire really is involved.

Carl and Panero track Guttman's route and find he followed a particular route each month near Bellflower. Carl tracks the shipping records while Panero notes his wife isn't happy he's back investigating the TerrorMaker. Panero just hopes to resolve the situation so he can put everything behind him, and Carl understands the feeling. Carl tracks down a storage locker in Bellflower where someone has been paying to keep it open for the last year. Panero and Carl go to Bellflower and check out the storage facility, and find an unlocked facility containing Burning Man figurines, molds, paraffin, and chemicals. They also find a case marked for dangerous biohazardous material.



They go back to Panero's study where Carl reveals that he's figured out that Panero's marker matches the one on the note the TerrorMaker left at the Beacon. Carl figures that Panero is the new TerrorMaker and he set up the locker so he could keep the case going. Panero draws a gun but his wife comes in and realizes it's true. He drops the gun, apologizes, then takes ouit a figurine and touches it. As Carl and Lois look on, Panero bursts into flame and dies a horrible death.

Later, Vincenzo meets with his reporters over the fact that Gorn is publishing the fake story based on the FBI's final report. Vincenzo stands by the story and Carl agrees, noting that it was Panero's obsession that killed him. As he leaves, Carl wonders what will happen if he ever catches up to the monster he's chasing.



Share this article with your friends