The Returned, “Lucy,” was directed by Jennifer Getzinger with the teleplay by Bronwyn Garrity. The episode opens with Lucy’s (Leah Gibson) backstory and we see her transformed through her own death, but the episode doesn’t focus solely on her. Gibson is excellent in the episode, however. We do start to get some hints as to why these people may have returned.
The flashback to one year ago shows that Lucy basically drifted into Caldwell after hitching a ride with a trucker. She starts waitressing and picks up Jack (Mark Pellegrino) who she clearly saw as an easy mark. Their first night together she tells him that Camille (India Ennenga) wanted him to know it was fast, she didn’t see it coming, and she wasn’t afraid – all the things that a parent would wish. We flash forward to the present and she’s flatlined. The Doctor (Hiro Kanagawa) calls time of death and shortly after, Lucy grabs his arm and gasps her way back to life.
Not only has she come back to life, but her stab wounds have miraculously disappeared. She also now hears the voices she said she did before the attack. Tommy (Kevin Alejandro) is ridiculously eager to pin her attack on Simon (Mat Vairo), but Lucy remembers nothing of the attack and won’t even give Tommy a maybe. There’s a terrific shot of him watching her through the long narrow window of her hospital room as she wolfs down what look like a yogurt. Is she hungry because she’s been in a coma, or is it the unnatural hunger we’ve seen in the others?
The final scene between Gibson and Pellegrino is one of the best in the series. Jack once again proves he’s one of the nice guys and it’s terrific to get to see Pellegrino who so often plays the villain get to show this side of himself. He tells Lucy he came to see her when she was unconscious, and he wanted to hate her for lying and taking his money, but really, he just wanted her to wake up. She confesses that she duped him, but she also leaves the door open that maybe she didn’t actually dupe him – she tells him that sometimes she even believed herself that Camille was talking to her. Maybe she was. Regardless, now the spirits are talking to her all the time and telling her horrible things she doesn’t want to hear. Apparently, she has a message for Jack from his father. He was supposed to be at Jack’s little league game, but told Jack’s mother he had to work when in reality he was at a bar getting drunk. Presumably, he then died in a car crash – caused by him being drunk. Gibson looks terrified. She finishes by saying that “He’s scared for you!” At which point, Pellegrino also looks afraid.
Jack began the day looking for Lena (Sophie Lowe), and apparently, Claire (Tandi Wright) doesn’t bother to tell him after Lena calls her. Camille doesn’t share her parents concern over Lena’s disappearance. She tells them, “It’s not like she’s dead or anything.” Which coming from her is pretty shocking. She then tells them she can feel Lena and goes on to tell them she could feel her the day of the accident. She tells them the truth that Lena wasn’t sick, she just stayed home to have sex with Ben (Keenan Tracey). Claire suddenly wants to know why Lena was running from her sister. Both Camille and Jack are shocked that Claire would suggest that Lena was afraid of her sister.
Claire goes to see one of Lena’s friends and finds out about Lena’s promiscuous tendencies. Claire confronts Jack about it, knowing they both hang out at the Dog Star. Jack defends Lena, saying at least she’s living her life, unlike Claire who has nothing now that she can’t be the grieving mother. This spurs Claire to “see what’s right in front of her.” She goes to Peter (Jeremy Sisto) and they, presumably, have sex.
That’s a pretty good end to what started out as a pretty crappy day for Peter. He takes Victor/Henry (Dylan Kingwell) to visit the grave of Richard Gregory Finch, Peter’s childhood friend who killed Henry. They had dropped out of school to drive across country, running out of money in Caldwell. Burgling the house was Richard’s idea. He said it would be easy and that no one would be home, and they he did the killing. Peter tells Victor that Richard died a horrible slow death from cancer. Peter tells Victor he’s spent the rest of his life trying to make up for it by doing good and helping people. Peter wonders if it’s not enough and that’s why Victor’s back – to punish him, to take his revenge. He tells Victor he’s asking for his forgiveness but understands if he can’t give it. He tries to give Victor a gun, but Richard comes out of the woods, takes the gun and shoots. It doesn’t fire, even though later we see it was fully loaded. More shocking, perhaps, is that it’s actually Peter who holds the gun to his head and pulls the trigger. It would seem that his guilt is doing a fine job of punishing Peter.
These themes are picked up in the other threads. Lena and Adam (Rhys Ward) both wonder about punishment as well, while Julie (Sandrine Holt) seems to have survivor’s guilt. Julie goes to see Helen (Michelle Forbes) in jail after Nikki (Agnes Bruckner) picks her up for skipping out on her bills at the diner – there’s that voracious appetite again. In fact, as soon as Helen sees Julie, she asks her for food.
Helen is thrilled that Julie believes she is who she says she is. Julie asks her is she remembers dying, and Helen describes it in detail. She particularly describes the water as black as tar, a stew of sludge – much like what we’ve seen coming out of the church sink. Julie wants to know how Helen knows Victor, and Helen tells her the story of his death. But Helen isn’t concerned with the how of people’s death. She tells Julie the more pertinent questions is why. Why are they back? There has to be a reason. Julie then asks how do you know if you’re dead? Helen tells her there’s only one way to find out. Nikki tries to reassure her that she’s alive. But Julie says, “It would be a relief. It would explain why I haven’t been able to feel my life.”
The next we see of Julie, she is standing at the edge of the roof of her building contemplating jumping – just as George committed suicide. Victor stops her, however, and tells her that she’s the fairy his mom told him about who would protect him. She denies she’s a fairy, but eventually agrees to be whatever he needs.
Lena wakes up with Adam with whom she seems to have a strange connection. Perhaps it’s finding her already wounded, but he brings her home and even mixes up his mother’s special recipe of herbs to put on her wound. When she wakes up, it does seem to have helped. Lena asks Adam if he lives there alone, and he tells her he used to live there with his mother – now dead – and brother – who did something unforgiveable. Lena tells him that she has a sister who she wasn’t good to. She tells him that she thinks that’s why this is happening to her – she’s being punished because she should be dead. Adam says he thinks he’s being punished too, but that maybe it’s not too late for them to be different – to be better. Peter’s theme of redemption then comes through – along with the punishment.
Tony (Aaron Douglas) comes by and to keep him out of the house, Adam cruelly tells him that their mother has come back from the dead and is angry with Tony for killing him. He tells Tony that their mother doesn’t want to see Tony, so he leaves. Lena realizes that Tony is Adam’s brother, and she says, “Tony’s your brother? Tony’s brother is dead. How long have you been back.” She’s not freaked out about it because of Camille. Her acceptance helps to keep him calm. She tells him that Tony told everyone he died because he was sick. Adam tells her that Tony lied but not how he died. He tells her that he’s a bad person, but she doesn’t believe it because he helped her. Adam tells her that she doesn’t know him – but we do!! They end up, presumably, having sex.
Camille calls Ben pretending to be Alice and asking him over. She’s determined to have sex with him, but he’s actually more interested in who she really is. She tells him that he knows who she is. When he finally admits that she’s Camille, he freaks out and runs away.
What did you think of the episode? Are you with Claire, Ben and Tommy in thinking the returned are dangerous and to be feared? Are they there to redeem the living or exact revenge? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
