The Shelter - Recap

At a suburban home, Jerry Harlowe calls a toast for his friend Dr. William Stockton at the end of their surprise party. They joke about Stockton's construction of a bomb shelter and the noise keeping them up and the concrete trucks coming through. Stockton's son Paul comes in to announce that the TV has gone out and the announcer has told people to turn to the radio station. The radio broadcast announces that incoming unidentified flying objects have been picked up and everyone is advised to go to their shelter or store up provisions. The Harlowe, Henderson, and Weiss couples run to their homes as air sirens go off.



Stockton has his wife Grace and son Paul take as much food and water as possible down to the shelter. The water cuts out and Stockton gets Grace down to the shelter while he gets the rest of the water and he sends Paul to get his tool kit. Grace is barely able to hold it together and Stockton assures her the bomb might not even land near them. She notes they're only 40 miles from New York City but he assures her they have enough food and water for at least two weeks. She doesn't believe there'll be anything left to emerge to but Stockton believes they need to survive for Paul's sake. Paul comes down as the radio repeats its warnings. Stockton goes up to get the remaining water as Jerry knocks on the door. Stockton tells him to go to his basement but Jerry wants to share his shelter because they don't have a basement. Stockton offers to let them use his basement but Stockton warns the shelter will only hold three people. They struggle over the water and Stockton notes that he tried to warn them but they didn't listen. He locks himself in the shelter as the Weiss family arrives. Marty Weiss begs for Stockton to let him in and the doctor again repeats there's nothing he can do and he needs to go away.



Jerry's wife brings their family over while Frank Henderson brings his family over as well. Harlowe suggests they find one basement and pool all their supplies but the others refuse to hear of it. Marty suggests they draw lots and force Stockton to take in one family, but Frank snaps at him, accusing him of being a pushy foreigner. They go outside to check the planes and more neighbors arrive. They go downstairs and threaten to bust the door down if Stockton doesn't let them in. They start to look for a battering ram, claiming the shelter is "theirs" and they can't let the next street over know about it. Jerry warns they're turning into a mob and Marty tries to calm everything down, but Frank lashes out at him and goes with the others to get an improvised battering ram.



Stockton and his family barricade the door as best they can as Frank and the others come back with a length of pipe and start battering the door down as the sirens go out. They break down the door... and the radio announces that the flying objects have been identified as satellites and there's no enemy attack. Frank apologizes to Marty who accepts. Jerry offers to get a collection together to repair the damage done to the shelter and Marty suggests they have a block party. Stockton staggers out and wonders what kind of damage they've done to each other and if what they've seen is their "normal" selves.



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