First, Truman has to deal with Tom Neville putting another bug in his ear about killing Doyle, who is a truly awful excuse for a human being. Truman puts Neville off. Truman definitely hates Doyle too, but he got in trouble big-time following Neville before. And he's not going to kill anyone to please Neville. And besides, Doyle isn't even in town.
Monroe and Miles watch as freed kid Kyle leads the Doyle and the Patriots right to their last safe house. Monroe blames Miles, as he let Kyle go in the first place. Monroe should remember that Miles' inability to kill everyone is the only reason Monroe is still alive. But I digress.
It was a crappy safe house anyway
Monroe wants to take Duncan Blake's mercenaries and start fighting. No one's in a hurry to fight again, considering all they could do was retreat the last time. Miles, especially, won't do anything to help Monroe think he can get his Republic back, and now everyone, even Charlie, knows what Monroe's big top secret plan was.
Dr. Rachel's Dad decides that he will return to Willoughby secretly and start getting the support of the actual residents of Willoughby. Duh. They have really been wandering the Texas scrub outside town for months, without actually checking on whether the people of Willoughby even want to be fought over. Miles decides to go with, which was his stupid mistake. Monroe needs a baby sitter who can actually keep him in line, and Rachel ain't it.
Neville leaves Truman's office to be confronted by Doyle's guys. Who knock him out and kidnap him. Should be interesting.
Charlie makes fun of Connor for going along with Monroe's crazy plan, telling him their matching thrones will be totally adorable. Connor insists he's finally doing what he wants. Charlie, her mercenaries, and Connor spot some trouble ahead. The mercenaries march forward despite Charlie calling them back, because it's their own. Monroe questions their leader, to find out that they are the remains of Duncan Blake's forces, newly driven from New Vegas by the Patriots. A guy named Scanlon fills Monroe in, claiming that the Patriots have been killing war clans throughout the Plains. Oh, darn. Those war clans were, I'm sure, filled with great law-abiding people. Duncan Blake is dead, leaving no one in charge of her former mercenaries. Scanlon and his men are ready for a fight, but Scanlon doesn't want to be in charge, literally giving leadership of his fighters to Monroe. Who does his best to not look like a kid on Christmas morning.
Fire and dead bodies always lead to interesting new plot points
Dr. Rachel's Dad and Miles make it back to Willoughby completely unseen. For like, the twentieth time. How can the Patriots still be holding this town? Dr. Rachel's Dad and Miles stop at the local bar, run by Local Woman Marion. Who is closing earlier than Miles remembers. He would know; he was the town drunk, which Marion reminds him of by sarcastically calling him by his old name, Stu Redman. So they've already got an uphill battle with her. They try. Since Team Miles has been hanging outside town, the Patriots have had free rein to tell the locals whatever they want about Miles, Rachel, and everything they've done. Marion may have drunk some Kool Aid, but she probably had no way of knowing anything else. So Dr. Rachel's Dad must try to break through, find some way to prove that the Patriots have been lying, and that Team Miles wants the Patriots to leave for Willoughby's sake. Marion really isn't buying it. Dr. Rachel's Dad brings up the man who died last week after reading the number tattooed on his daughter's eyelid. Since he hasn't been seen in town for a while, there's a chance Marion could decide he's telling the truth.
Totally not a wanted fugitive
Marion is still trying to decide when we hear people coming in. Turns out, Marion closes early every night now so she can serve dinner to her new man... Truman! I always knew he was a romantic at heart. And they're engaged! Truman, unlike the other Patriot head honchos, seems honestly interested in making a go of it in Willoughby. Sure, he's got people in Washington to please, and who will shoot him in the head if he doesn't. But there's no email, not even a telegraph. He can pretty much control what Washington knows about and should think of his work. In the meantime, he's got villagers he made a bunch of crazy promises about restoring the old life to.
Monroe and Scanlon, now closest buddies ever, march their soldiers off to the re-ed camp. Rachel thinks the whole thing is a terrible idea, but has no power to stop them. Connor is going because his dad is going. Charlie is going because her mercenaries are going, which horrifies Rachel. Rachel, who dragged Charlie into her war in the first place. Now, she doesn't want Charlie fighting.
Neville wakes up in Doyle's office at the re-ed camp. Doyle has figured out that Neville is encouraging Truman to kill him at first tries to sweet talk his way out of it, trying to blame Truman for it all, but Doyle shuts that down so Neville goes into full anger mode, lobbing insult after insult at Doyle. Who decides he'll finally indulge his wish to have Julia killed, and strangle Neville with his own belt. He even takes his belt off (what if his pants fall down while he's strangling Neville? Why don't guys think about these things?) Boyband will survive, but only to be Doyle's drone and drudge. Doyle wants to kill Neville personally, to see the look on Neville's face when he realizes Doyle is about to get everything he's wanted, including Neville's son.
Truman and Marion have a lovely, though tense dinner, while Miles and Dr. Dad hide in the basement. Dr. Dad thinks they got through to Marion, and that she could help them. Miles is sure Marion will screw them over. Why? Because Miles has a theory about human behavior: people will always do the stupid and selfish thing. It's the only thing Miles will ever count on. Poor Miles. People are always letting him down and he's always giving them more chances to do it again. Dr. Dad wants to know why Miles is even bothering to fight the Patriots instead of booking. Miles is just there to save the people he cares about. Because things will get worse. Things always do. Miles can't solve the world's problems- he and Monroe tried that, and only made life for millions worse. Now, Miles is just fighting to keep the world's problems from engulfing his own.
Marion tries to see if Truman knows what happened to her newly missing neighbor, but gets nowhere. When Marion comes down to help Miles and Dr. Dad avoid getting caught, she tells them she'll give them a chance to escape. The chance turns out to be Marion getting Truman to take her out on a walk.
While Truman, Marion enjoy dinner, Doyle is strangling Neville. Sadly for Doyle, Neville has been working the ropes holding him to the chair, and he struggles with Doyle. They're interrupted by Monroe and his mercenaries attacking the re-ed camp. Doyle is distracted by the chaos long enough for Neville to grab the belt and slowly choke Doyle. Neville must enjoy getting the better of his enemy. He and Boyband escape into the woods, avoiding the slaughter of cadets and drill seargents at the camp.
Here he is... fucking over Miles
As the battle winds down, Charlie and Connor see Monroe shooting Patriot soldiers injured and laying around the camp. Charlie's disgusted, but does nothing to stop him. Connor's a bit concerned, but Monroe makes it all better with a creepy, Godfather-esque gesture of affection. Monroe always gets a little sentimental after killing.
Truman and Marion make it outside to the streets of Willoughby, only to be confronted with the aftermath of the battle at the re-ed camp: the few cadets and Patriot soldiers who made it out retreated back to Willoughby. Lots of the town's teenagers are now dead, and Marion takes one look at the destruction and spills the beans to Truman, who storms her basement. But not before Marion confronts Dr. Dad and Miles with what Monroe has done, insisting that the Patriots were right about them all along. Once Truman misses his chance to capture Miles and Dr. Dad, he goes right to the re-ed camp, empty since Monroe left it right after the slaughter and pillaging.
Truman is examining Doyle's body when Neville appears. Neville tells Truman it must have been Team Miles attacking the re-ed camp. Truman points out the guy was strangled with his own belt after having held two prisoners who appear to have escaped. Neville tells Truman that if he writes the report Neville's way he can make it look like Doyle was killed for being sloppy, discrediting Doyle and getting his command back.
Monroe and his mercenaries have retreated back to yet another undisclosed location, and are celebrating their victory when Dr. Dad and Miles find them. When he realizes what Monroe has done and how it has screwed him, he punches Monroe in the face. Monroe is knocked down, but gets right back up. Miles asks how Monroe could have screwed him. Monroe reminds Miles of his years-old theory: people always do the stupid, selfish thing.
Rachel tries parenting Charlie, who is cleaning up after the fight. Rachel tries to get some deeper reason why Charlie would go and slaughter the town's kids at the re-ed camp. Charlie reminds her that men she's supposed to be commanding went, so she couldn't possibly stay behind. Charlie then levels with her mom; Team Miles is a suicide pact. Charlie's just here until she can't fight anymore. So what is Mom fighting for, Charlie wants to know. What has Mom dragged them into this mess for? For you, Rachel says.
Geez, Mom, can't you see war is messy?
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