Jade Herrera

Jade Herrera is a wealthy software developer who becomes trapped in the Town the same day as the Matthews family. He has difficulty adjusting to his new situation, and his abrasive and arrogant personality strains his relationship with the other Townsfolk. However, he puts his intellect to work on trying to figure out the mysteries of the Town.

Biography[]

Background[]

Jade grew up with his grandmother in France but she died when he was 12, and he had to return to the States to live with his uncle because there was no one in France to take him in. Jade says he did not want to leave his grandmother alone, even though she was dead. As he was crying at the airport, a nice woman bought him a soda and after he explained the situation, she told Jade that “they come with you when you go”.^[1]

Season 1[]

While Jade and Tobey, his best friend, are out celebrating the sale of Jade's software company by driving from New York City to Miami while under the influence, the two enter the Town. As they speed down the road, they encounter an RV heading the opposite direction, and the two vehicles swerve to avoid each other. Tobey and Jade hit a tree while the RV careens down the hill. Tobey stumbles out of the car, and finds Boyd Stevens and Kenny Liu. Kenny takes Tobey back to Town, while Boyd goes to tend to Jade. However, Jade is high and responds incoherently, so Boyd cuffs him to the car door before going to help the Matthews.

Boyd, Kenny, Ellis, Kristi and Father Khatri help get most of the Matthews out safely, however the young Ethan's leg was impaled by a metal table leg, and the operation would take an hour. With only 40 minutes until darkness, Boyd decides to stay with Jim and Kristi while they help Ethan, planning to hang a talisman in the RV, while Kenny and Ellis take Tabitha, Julie, and the unconscious Jade back to Town. However, on their way back, their truck's tires are popped by the spike strip Kenny laid down earlier. With no other options and daylight quickly fading, the group heads to Colony House on foot, with Father Khatri carrying the unconscious Jade.^[2]

Meanwhile, Kenny leads his group to Colony House, and they struggle to make it through the rain. Father Khatri, who is carrying an unconscious Jade, falls, and Kenny helps him up. However, the people inside sound the alarm. Fatima tries to let them inside, but the guard doesn’t believe that it’s really them. As the Creatures approach, Donna arrives and grants them entry. Jade is deposited in a bed and restrained, as per protocol.^[3]

Jade wakes up and shouts for Tobey from the bed he is tied to, and Donna angrily tells him to shut up. Jade continues to demand to be released, asking Donna if she knows who he is, prompting Donna to bitterly remark that he’s “one of those.” Donna then begins to explain his situation. After they explain to him his new predicament and some of the laws and customs of the township, Jade believes that it is all an elaborate escape room-like ruse that Tobey is putting on for him and that Donna and Ellis are paid actors, leaving Donna and Ellis stunned, but Donna lets him wander. Jade runs outside, where he sees Clara passing by on a bicycle, which he takes.

Jade loudly makes an entrance at the Diner and asks where the clues are. Jade rudely cuts the line and begins taking food, prompting Tian Chen to hit him on the head with a whisk and yell at him in Cantonese. Jade eats with Kenny and continues to believe that this is all an elaborate escape room. Kenny asks if anyone has talked to him, and Jade says he got the whole “intro” from Donna, but feels that there are flaws in the logic. Jade points out that he is eating eggs in a diner, and that his nightmares do not usually serve breakfast, and jokes that they have chickens out in the forest. A tired Kenny replies that they don’t know where the chickens and cows come from. Jade then asks if he is supposed to get a clue from Kenny, but leaves on his own. Jade continues biking around and finds the doors to a root cellar. He descends inside and finds another wooden door. When he opens it, he sees a bloody corpse crushed by a boulder, whose face suddenly turns towards him and starts shrieking, frightening Jade and causing him to fall, where he sees a symbol painted on the ceiling above him. When he looks at the cabinet again, he sees nothing there. As he exits, he declares that Tobey is a genius, and continues on his way.

Khatri then holds the Choosing Ceremony, and explains that if the Matthews want to live in Town by their rules, working for the communal good until they can return home, they will choose a rock. If they prefer Colony House, where they will live for the present because the future is not guaranteed, they will choose the flower. Boyd then interrupts and begins to say that while he has them all gathered, he thought he would address the issue of Frank and the Box. As Boyd begins his speech, Frank asks to speak, and is given the floor. Frank says he used to be a good father, but let the horrors of the Township get to him, making him forget what really mattered and getting his family killed. He instructs his fellow townspeople not to let that be taken away from them, and to take care of each other. He expresses gratitude for Boyd's attempted intervention, but points out that the only two things that he loved in the world are gone, and he just wants to see them again. Jade, still believing that this is a performance, begins clapping and laughing. Boyd then restrains Jade and orders him to choose one and he picks a rock. As he begins threatening retribution at Boyd and the rest of them, Kenny offers to show him something and takes him away. Kenny takes Jade to the graveyard, and explains that no one is trying to be cruel to him, but he needs to understand what is going on. Jade continues ranting while Kenny approaches a grave that has yet to be filled in with a shrouded body inside. Kenny unwraps the shroud and shows Jade Tobey’s mutilated face, and Jade begins sobbing. Before sunset, Kenny brings Jade home with him to move into his and his mother's house.^[4]

The next day, Kenny finds Jade sitting by the entrance to the root cellar and Jade has him follow him downstairs. Jade explains that when he found it there was a strange Symbol on the ceiling and he found a dead body crushed by a boulder that began screaming in the cabinet. Jade gets angry when he sees Kenny’s face and promises that what he saw was real. Kenny explains that the first few days are really hard on everyone before Jade stops him and says he knows what hallucinations are like due to his drug use and that this was different. Jade admits he has a healthy imagination that helped him build a software company, but even his is incapable of imagining this. Jade says that there is an explanation but none of them seem to be looking for it. Kenny then tells Jade to follow him to the Sheriff’s Office.

At the Sheriff’s Office, Kenny shows Jade the map of all the locations the inhabitants of the Town were originally from before they became trapped. Jade was driving on the East Coast when he entered the Town, while the Matthews, who arrived on the same day, were driving in Arizona. Kenny lists several other examples, and explains that all the residents drove in from wildly different locations. Jade declares that impossible and begins laughing and says the difference between them is that he doesn’t accept the world as it is and won’t rest until he figures it out. Kenny tells him he’ll lose his mind that way, and that the people who don’t bend and adapt will break. Kenny adds that the hardest part isn’t the monsters, but it’s what it does psychologically. Jade then overhears the radio static and takes it with him as he leaves.^[5]

Jade wanders through Town muttering to himself while carrying a radio when he passes the Bar, where Trudy asks him what he’s doing. Jade explains that the radio helps him think. Trudy says that he’s even cuter when he’s awake, explaining that she had watched him while he slept. Trudy declares it’s too bad he chose Town, otherwise she would have “rode him like an alabaster dragon”. She then walks away, leaving Jade stunned. Jade then goes inside the Bar. Inside, Tom explains that he built it because he figured people need it. He asks Jade if he is okay, and he answers no and asks Tom if he is. Tom answers that he is great and pours Jade a glass of moonshine, saying it will help him feel better. Jade asks everyone how they are all just sitting there, and spits out his drink when he first tries it. Tom recalls that Jade was from one of the two cars and that he lost his friend, and tells him it gets easier. Jade replies that they’re all like rats in a maze, sitting content eating cheese. Jade continues to say the immediate problem is figuring out how to get home, but they don’t even know where they are. He likens it to throwing darts blind, and begins throwing darts around and shouting until Tom tells him to sit down and sits with him. Jade declares that he will be the one to figure out how to escape. He explains that he just sold a company for an obscene amount of money based on his algorithm, wistfully adding that he should be out celebrating. Jade then returns to the subject of escaping and says they need to understand their paradox and frame it to solve it. Tom compares it to Schrodinger’s Cat, with the people trapped in Town being the cat, and to the people they have at home they are both alive and dead. Tom then explains that he taught Intro to Philosophy at USC. He admits he knows nothing about computers, but if Jade is so smart, he should figure out how to get his radio to broadcast, glibly remarking that if the cat turns on a radio, people will at least know it’s still alive.^[6]

Jade goes through Town gathering equipment for the radio. Jade barges into the Matthews' home, and sees that they noticed the wires don't lead anywhere. Tabitha points out he nearly killed them when they arrived in Town. Jade points out that he wasn’t driving, and his best friend since fourth grade is now dead, so they should call it even. Jade reveals he has an idea, and asks if they want to participate. Jade leads Jim out to a tall tree in the middle of a field. Jim doesn’t think it’s tall enough and they won’t have the signal strength, but Jade says it’ll just be a test run. After Jade rudely says that he built a multimillion dollar company while Jim did safety tests on teacup rides, Jim walks away. Jade runs over to him and admits he is not great at talking to people, but needs Jim’s help. The antenna needs to go up high, but he can’t climb the tree because of his vertigo. Jade begs Jim to try to see if the radio will work. In the forest, Jim climbs the tree with the antenna, and asks Jade to shake the wire free after it gets snagged. As Jim continues upward, Jade checks on him, but hallucinates that his hand is covered in blood and that the tree is festooned with dismembered corpses dressed in Civil War uniforms, whose blood drips all over him and that a peculiar symbol is carved into the bark. Jade then turns around and notices a Civil War Soldier aiming at him and flees into the forest as the soldier fires. The soldier pursues him into the forest, and after Jade trips and falls, bayonets him. As Jade hyperventilates, Jim comes to his aid and helps him up, assuring him that whatever he saw as not real. Jade angrily pushes him away and leaves.

Jade is siting at the Diner, manically drawing the symbol he has been seeing on a piece of paper. Tian-Chen comes over and offers him some tea. When she sees Jade's drawings, she recognizes the symbol. Tian-Chen then leads Jade into the storage room, and shows him an old journal filled with someone else's drawings of the exact same symbol.^[7]

At night, Kenny finds Jade squirreled away in his room repeatedly drawing the mysterious symbol he saw in his hallucination. Kenny admonishes Jade for drawing in his book. Jade angrily shouts that he was out of paper and asks Kenny if he wants him to draw on the walls like a psychopath. Later, Kenny informs Jade that dinner is ready. Jade refuses to come down, and Kenny begins to argue with him when Tian-Chen arrives and begins yelling at him in Cantonese, prompting Jade to relent. Jade continues to stare at the journal with the symbols during dinner with the Lius before realizing that two of the pages are stuck together. He is able to pry them apart, and a polaroid photo falls out of the book. The picture is of a smiling man holding the journal in front of the diner. As the three look at it, Tian-Chen points out that a young Victor is in the corner of the picture, identifiable by his signature lunchbox, shocking Jade and Kenny.^[8]

The next day, Kenny settles Clara and some other Colony House people in his home while Colony House gets fixed up after the attack. Jade objects and asks how long they are staying. Clara recalls how Jade thought the Town was a giant escape room and asks how that is going for him. Jade insists that they don’t belong in Town. He then asks where Victor is, and Clara remembers seeing him run into the woods with Julie Matthews during the attack, and Jade leaves to find him. Jade barges into the Matthews' home and asks where Victor is. Jim furiously pushes him outside and tells him to stay away from his daughter. Jade acknowledges that Jim is being a protective father. Jim further scolds him for making him climb a tree and then running away before they can even try it. Jade apologizes before Jim tells him that he was able to get some static, and that he thinks if they get it above the tree line, it might get a signal. Jim and Jade go to Colony House and find Donna outside, loading the body parts of those killed the previous night in a wheelbarrow. Jim asks her if they can build a radio tower on the roof of the house, explaining that they think if they can get it high enough, they can broadcast a signal and ask for help. Donna is hesitant, but agrees. Jim asks if she is sure, and Donna replies that 14 of her people died the previous night, and the others are not likely to come back soon, so they might as well use the house for something.^[9]

While Jim focuses on getting the radio tower built, Jade tries to figure out how to power it. Later, they try to brainstorm solutions. The problem is that there is no way to charge the batteries without quickly draining other resources. Jade asks Jim if anyone has seen Victor, causing him to roll his eyes. Jade tells him to just open the book and look at the symbol. Jim scolds Jade for focusing on this instead of the radio and tells him to do what he wants while he figures out how to power the radio. Jade tells him that he isn’t going to figure this out, and Jim retorts that maybe Jade isn’t as smart as he thinks. After he returns to the Lius', Jade complains about having to try and figure out the power source and the pressure that is on him. Tian-Chen loses patience and scolds him for complaining so often. Tian-Chen asks if he needs electricity, and directs his attention to the lights. Jade says the problem is they can’t plug anything in, but realizes that they can still harness electricity through the lights.^[10]

The next morning, Jade goes to the Matthews' house and declares that he has figured out their electricity problem. He demonstrates how they can harness electricity through the lamps, which produce electricity despite having no discernible power source, thus solving their problem of how to power the radio tower. He and Jim Matthews then demonstrate at the Diner how they have figured out how to power the radio tower, and ask everyone to gather conducting wire. As he leaves, Julie scolds Jade for calling her father “Tea Cup”. Jade promises to stop calling him “Tea Cup”. but vows to begin calling her “Spark Plug”, before leaving.

The radio tower is hoisted onto the roof of Colony House. Jade begins to leave, and Jim asks him why. Jade first says that he is going to bring the rest of the wire, but when Jim says it has already been brought, says he is going to get his last rolling paper to get high and rides off. Jade goes to the Lius’ house, where he finds Tian-Chen kneeling in front of the memorial shrine to Bing-Qian. He tells her that they might be going home, and asks why she is not more excited. Jade tells her that he grew up with his grandmother in France but she died when he was 12, and he had to return to the States to live with his uncle because there was no one in France to take him in. Jade says he did not want to leave his grandmother alone, even though she was dead. As he was crying at the airport, a nice woman bought him a soda and after he explained the situation, she told Jade that “they come with you when you go”. Jade tells her not to feel sad or guilty, because Bing-Qian will be with her when she goes. Tian-Chen is touched, and asks Jade to pray with her, which he does. Jade and Tian-Chen arrive at Colony House with snacks. After the tower is erected, Jim Matthews turns it on and declares they have signal, and broadcasts a mayday while Ethan helps change the frequency. However, their joy is cut short when Clara points out the approaching storm clouds. Jim and Ethan continue to operate the radio, and Jim tries to broadcast a mayday as the storm draws closer. Donna warns that they have ten minutes before the wind blows the tower off the roof. Jim sends Ethan inside and Donna takes his place changing the frequency. However, something causes Jim to take off running. Inside the house, the lightbulbs powering the radio tower begin exploding, sending shards of glass everywhere and causing chaos.^[1]

Season 2[]

At Colony House, the chaos reigns. Jade leads people in moving the radio equipment inside and out of the rain. Indoors, the lightbulbs continue exploding. Jade then notices that the bus has arrived in Town, shocking him. The wind from the storm blows the winch through one of the house's windows. After Julie Matthews goes running after her father, with Ellis Stevens in pursuit, Jade informs Donna about the bus outside the Diner.

Clara, now sporting an eyepatch for her eye blinded by the glass, finds Jade and asks him if they made “it” angry. Clara explains to Jade that the storm emerged from nowhere and the lights exploded, almost as if they made the place angry, and asks what they do now. Jade replies that he has one rolling paper left, so he is going to get stoned. After she leaves, the symbol appears on the wall in front Jade in blood, and a ventriloquist’s dummy next to him shrieks at him, prompting him to shout back, but both quickly disappear. Jade goes downstairs, and Ethan follows him onto the porch, where he finds him smoking a joint. Ethan tells him that cigarettes are bad for him, and Jade tells him that it isn’t that kind of cigarette. Ethan asks Jade what is wrong with him, and Jade says it’s because he spent the last week thinking they might actually be able to escape only to have it literally come crashing down around them. Ethan says they will try again, and begins to talk about the Cromenockle, but Jade interrupts him and asks if he knows which room is Victor’s.

Jade rifles through Victor’s belongings, which Ethan says he shouldn’t do. Jade tells him that Victor is probably dead, and apologizes. Ethan says that he is wrong, and that Victor is doing his part of the quest, in which they all have a role to play. Ethan asks Jade why he is looking for Victor, and Jade answers that he has been having visions which include the symbols in the journal Tian-Chen gave him, where he found the photo, which he shows Ethan. Ethan realizes that the man in the photo has the journal, and in the background is a young Victor, therefore he might know the meaning of the symbol. Ethan agrees that symbols are important to a quest, but tells him he needs to figure out if they are good symbols or bad symbols, explaining that some symbols make people do bad things. Jade calls him creepy, and continues looking through Victor’s things.^[11]

At the Lius’ house, Jade plays the violin he got from Victor’s room. Victor arrives and demands the violin be returned to him. Jade apologizes and says he just thought he could play it for a bit, but Victor angrily repeats his demand. Jade returns the violin, and tells Jade not to go into his room. Jade apologizes again and asks Victor about the symbol in the journal with the picture of him in the background. Victor stops to look, and Jade tries to get him to explain it, believing it to be the key to escaping. Jade asks him if he wants to escape after all that time, but Victor merely tells him to stay away from him and leaves.^[12]

Jade enters the Lius' home and rudely asks if the Matthews are living with the Lius now. Ethan points out that their house collapsed, but Jade rudely complains about how they finally got rid of the Colony House people but now have to deal with them. Julie rolls her eyes at Jade and takes Ethan to see Victor.

Jade bursts into the Bar and finds Bakta drinking alone. Jade complains about how he can’t find anywhere to be alone before realizing that she is the bus driver, apologizing before sitting down. Bakta says that Elgin begged her to turn around and she didn’t listen, blaming herself for their predicament. Jade asks if he asked before or after they saw the Fallen Tree. Bakta answers after, and Jade tells her that they were already trapped then, so she shouldn’t blame herself for that. Bakta explains that the passengers got on her bus and it was her job to get them to their destination safely. Jade mocks her for being self-pitying, telling her that is not her fault and she is free to feel bad, but should not carry any extra guilt over things out of her control. Jade then jokes that the people were on a bus, so things could not have been that great for them. Bakta laughs after giving him a look, and reveals that she was not even supposed to be driving that day. She took the job to pay for her degree, and had just paid off her tuition but decided to stay on the job for a few more weeks so she could treat herself with the extra money. She had thought that she deserved a reward, and then asks if this is what she deserves. Jade replies that he had just sold his company, which he had worked for his whole life, before arriving in Town. The two then toast to getting what they deserve.^[13]

Jade moves into the Bar struggles to sleep and ponders the old picture of the man in the picture with Victor in the background. Jade then has a vision that the man is standing in front of him holding the journal open to a drawing of the symbol, which begins oozing blood, terrifying Jade. When the vision disappears, Jade screams in frustration. The next morning, Jade recreates the symbol using glass bottles on the floor. Victor walks in, and remarks that Jade doesn’t look good. Jade brusquely replies that Tom is dead and the Bar is closed. Jade then explains that he is trying to figure out what the symbol means, which Victor refuses to help with even though Jade knows that Victor knows something. Victor promises to share what he can, but Jade has to do something for him. Jade refuses at first, but then asks what he wants. Victor then asks him to play the violin, surprising Jade, who agrees to the deal. Victor then leads Jade outside.

Victor leads Jade through the Forest, who complains about having to follow Victor. Victor remarks that it’s strange that the trees are changing color, confusing Jade. The two then arrive at the Car Graveyard, which shocks Jade, who asks Victor if he moved all the cars. Victor explains that after everyone died, he didn’t want to look at the cars, so he put them where he couldn’t see them. He adds that there are more past the rocks, but those predated his arrival. Victor then apologizes for his behavior, explaining that he dislikes when people go through his things, and that sometimes he gets angry, apologizing again. Victor walks up to an old station wagon and climbs onto the roof, and asks Jade to play the song about the “twinkling star”. Victor explains that his mother used to play the song when he was afraid, and she would tell him to think about the twinkling stars at night when they heard the screams of the Creatures’ victims. Jade then dutifully plays “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on the violin while Victor reminisces.

In the Car Graveyard, Victor explains that the man in the photo is named Christopher, and then brings Jade over to Christopher’s car. Victor says that Christopher was nice and used to make everyone laugh, at a time when it was not easy. However, one day he changed, but gets uncomfortable and tries to leave. Jade reminds him of their bargain, and demands that he explain what he knows. Jade apologizes for yelling, and says he understands that these things are scary, but that he is at the end of his rope and pleads for Victor to explain. Victor reveals that Christopher started seeing the symbol and he stopped smiling. One night, his mother told him to hide somewhere Christopher did not know about and when he awoke, everyone was dead. Victor finishes by saying that there are bad things in this place that make people do bad things before leaving. Jade then finds Tabitha Matthews shrieking in the Forest near the mouth of the Tunnels. Tabitha asks if he saw "them" and Jade points out her nose is bleeding and asks what she means. That night, Jade throws darts at drawings of the symbol.^[14]

Tabitha approaches Jade in the Bar while he works on refining the distillery. She asks him why he wasn’t surprised when he found her yelling on the ground in the woods. Jade reveals that Jim found him like that once, but did not explain what happened. Jade tells Tabitha that in his hallucination, he was attacked by an angry Civil War soldier. Jade then tells her that if she wants to learn more, she needs to help him with the still. After they finish fixing the still, Jade begins to explain his visions. The first was the man crushed by a boulder in the armoire in the Root Cellar, then the Civil War soldiers, and then the vision of Christopher. Tabitha asks about Christopher, and Jade gives her the photo of him with the journal, and points out child Victor in the background. Tabitha asks if the visions are different every time, and Jade says yes, except for the symbol which is always present. Tabitha explains that she always sees terrifying children, which made her think she was losing her mind or being punished for Thomas’ death. Jade offers her condolences before telling her that she is not being punished, and offers the possibility that they are just trapped in a messed up place with no explanation behind it. Tabitha then notices the journal with the symbols, and says she saw it in the tunnels, which Jade then asks about.^[15]

Tabitha takes Jade to the mouth of the Tunnels and says it’s where she first saw the Children and the symbol, as well as the sleeping Creatures. Jade believes that it can’t be a coincidence, and references chaos theory to explain how two seemingly unrelated events can be intricately connected. Jade says that they need to find out more to figure out the connection, but Tabitha refuses to reenter the caves. Jade then asks if Victor saw the symbol, and Tabitha answers that he pointed it out to her. Jade is furious that Victor withheld information from him, and points out that all of the crazy things they have seen are connected to Victor. Jade and Tabitha go to the Diner in search of Victor but he tries to leave. Jade grabs Victor, prompting Julie to order him to leave Victor alone. Jade reminds Victor that in exchange for playing the song he was supposed to tell Jade about the symbol. Victor says he did, but Jade points out that he neglected to mention its presence in the Caves. Tabitha tries to calmly ask Victor for answers, and she and Jade follow him as he leaves. Jade grabs Victor again and orders him to tell them everything he knows because it might be how they go home, asking if he would like that. Victor defiantly replies that this place is his home and walks away. Tabitha excoriates Jade for behaving poorly and runs after Victor.^[16]

Before night falls, the word is spread that everyone has to buddy up and prevent each other from falling asleep, as people can be killed in their sleep by a mysterious force like Paula. Jade and Victor stay at the Lius' for the night with the Matthews. At night, Tabitha and Jade go over Victor and Eloise’s drawings. Jade notices one of Civil War soldiers, and asks why a little girl would draw that. Tabitha says the pictures were based off the stories Victor’s mother would tell, and Jade then asks why he is having visions of stories that a dead woman told 40 years ago. Tabitha then points out the drawing of the Lighthouse, and how Victor’s mother said she needed to go there to free the children in order to get everyone home. Tabitha reveals that since her arrival, she has had dreams about a tower just like that, and theorizes that the children are asking for her help. Jade tells Tabitha her theory is crazy, but Tabitha thinks it is promising. They are interrupted by a shriek from Julie, who is screaming in pain as her eyes glaze over. Everyone stares in fright, helpless.^[17]

The next morning, Kristi and Kenny arrive at the Liu’s, and Boyd directs them upstairs, where Julie lies comatose. He then goes out onto the porch, where Jade remarks that Julie should be putting on a prom dress, not dealing with this. Jade says their problem is that they don’t know enough, and need to find out more. Jade goes to the Bar and breaks a number of glass bottles on the table and examines the pieces. The vision of Tom asks what he is doing, and Jade explains that it’s a thought experiment. Tom asks if Jade will ask if he is real, and Jade replies that he thinks this is stress-induced psychosis and Tom will disappear soon enough. Tom asks about the purpose of the glass breaking, and Jade explains it’s a way to reorient his thought process to find a different way to look at the symbol because he has been looking at it wrong. Vision Tom takes a drink and notices that Jade changed the still, before telling Jade that he is overthinking it because he knows what he needs to do- find the symbol in the tunnels, calling it natural design. Jade says nothing about this place is natural, but Tom corrects him and says none of it is familiar. Tom tells him that if there are answers, which he grants is a big if, they will be in the tunnels. Jade asks if he is supposed to take advice from a man who died trying to rescue a woman who wasn’t even trapped. Tom says he would do it again because it was the right thing to do. Tom concludes that right now, there is a 16-year old girl who needs his help.

Jade bikes to the mouth of the Tunnels and ties a spool of thread to a tree outside and heads inside. As he ventures inside, he is startled when he comes face to face with a ventriloquists dummy, which he pokes to ascertain that it is a normal toy before heading further inside. Jade continues to venture deeper into the caves, and stops at the large chamber. Suddenly, altars with the Ghoulish Children appear, surrounding him, as they all chant “anghkooey”. When Jade looks up, the roots on the roof of the tunnel have formed the symbol, with light from the sky shining through it. The visions then disappear, leaving him alone.^[18]

Season 3[]

Jade is extremely shaken by the encounter with the Ghoulish Children, and spends the next several days in a drunken haze. After throwing something through the window of the Bar, he is found lying on the ground beneath a web of strings muttering by Boyd Stevens and Kenny Liu. The two take him back to the Sheriff's Office.

That night, he wakes up and is offered a drink from Boyd. Boyd asks if Jade is ready to explain what is happening with him, and Jade says not yet grimly noting that they are not doing well. Boyd then notices the cattle wandering the streets. He and Boyd try to gather the livestock that is now roaming the Town, and are joined by Tian-Chen and Victor, who tell Ethan and Julie to stay inside. Randall notices Creatures drawing near and warns them with the bus horn. Ethan tries to go outside to help Alma, but the Old Lady Creature is at the door and forces her way inside as Julie grabs Ethan and runs. They are found by Sara, who helps them hide before they run to the safety of the bus, where Randall lets them inside. As they try to herd animals into the Bar, the Milkman Creature kills one of the cows that Jade was trying to herd. He ultimately makes it into the Bar with Victor and the sheep, while Boyd and Tian-Chen lead the last cow to the Barn.^[19]

The morning after the attack at the Barn, Jade leaves the Bar to find out what happened, despite Victor’s protests. He arrives at the Barn and finds Tian-Chen’s eviscerated corpse and Boyd half conscious, repeating something in Cantonese. Jade wakes up Boyd, and after freeing him with the handcuff key that the Creatures left in his pocket, he crawls to Tian-Chen, beginning to sob and apologize for failing to save her as he breaks down.

Boyd and Jade bring Tian-Chen’s body to the Church as onlookers mournfully watch, Victor among them. At the Church, they place her on a cot. Boyd says they should bury her with Bing-Qian. Jade asks Boyd how he survived the encounter with the Creatures and Boyd answers they wanted him to watch before leaving. Later that day, Kristi finds Jade watching over Tian-Chen’s body, eyeing in horror the damage they did to her body. Kristi admits she does not know how to prepare the body, but Jade offers to help. While Jade and Kristi clean Tian-Chen’s body, Sara arrives with a dress from storage. Sara explains that they used to try on dresses for fun, and this one was Tian-Chen’s favorite, which she wanted to wear the day they went home.

Once Tian-Chen’s body is ready for the funeral, Kristi nervously asks if it looks ok, and is reassured by Jade who tells Tian-Chen’s body that she’ll come with them when they go. Boyd and Kenny arrive, and Kenny goes to his mother’s body. The funeral is then held for her, attended by many of the Townspeople and Colony House residents. During the ceremony, Ethan places Tian-Chen’s blanket over her shrouded body.^[20]

Kenny leads Jade, Kristi, Dale, Roger and several others to the Settlement. Dale is creeped out by the Totems, and Kristi is amazed that anyone lived here. Jade points out the way the Totems are positioned, and theorizes that they may have been used similarly to the Talismans. While they sort food, Dale complains that the lots they drew for who would forage were rigged by Donna. Noticing Jade, drawing in his journal, Dale scolds him for not helping, and complains about him with the other Colony House residents. Dale reminds him that they are all struggling in the Township and that he should not look down on them just because he was a big shot in the outside world. Jade yells at Dale that he has no idea what he has gone through or seen, and walks off in anger. As Jade walks, he sees a man in old fashioned clothing with a large iron spike driven through his eye into the tree behind him. The man then grabs Jade. As Dale arrives, he asks Jade what is wrong, not seeing the vision.

A frightened Jade tries to return to Town, refusing to stay there but they tell him that he will not make it back to Town or the Talisman Hut. Jade runs off, followed by Kristi, who tells him that he is going the wrong way. However, Kristi’s leg gets caught in a bear trap. Kenny and Dale struggle to free Kristi’s leg from the trap. Jade tries to help, but Kenny begins arguing with him but Kristi tells them to stop. Jade goes in search of something to provide leverage, and orders Dale to come with him. Jade takes apart a Totem to use its parts for leverage, despite Dale’s concerns. Meanwhile, Kristi tries to give Kenny instructions if things go bad. Kenny refuses to listen, but Kristi tells him Boyd told her his mother’s last words, and tells him that no matter what happens he will never be alone. Kenny insists she’ll be fine, but at Kristi’s insistence, admits he heard her. Jade and Dale arrive, and use the metal poles to pry open the trap, freeing Kristi. As she has them reset her dislocated ankle, Jade sees the same vision he saw before, now drinking blood from a skull.^[21]

That night, Kristi recuperates while Kenny writes a letter to his mother, as it is tradition to write letters to the dead on high holidays. Kristi reminds him that he is not alone, while Kenny says that it feels like everything he was fighting for and would go home to are gone. Kristi says Kenny can still talk to her. Jade grumpily wakes up and asks if they want to hear something crazy. Jade talks about the vision of the impaled man he saw the previous day. Kristi asks how long he has been seeing visions, and Jade admits they have been happening since he first arrived. Jade explains that Tian-Chen saw him drawing the Symbol repeatedly and made him tea before finding Christopher’s journal. Kenny tells Jade that his mother really liked Jade. Jade is touched, and tells Kenny to tell her that they all say hi in the letter. The three then hear thumping from outside and Kristi nervously asks if Jade is certain that what he saw were merely hallucinations.^[22]

The next morning, Jade and Kenny bring the injured Kristi to the Clinic, where she is taken by Marielle. Jade and Kenny ask about the ambulance, and Boyd reveals that Tabitha has returned, much to their shock. Boyd explains her story, and Jade runs off. Jade bursts into the Lius' Home, and begins asking about the Bottle Tree and the Lighthouse. Jade insists that they return to the tree. Tabitha says she will speak at the Town meeting, but Jade wants to leave immediately.

While everyone else goes to the Diner to listen to Tabitha's story, Ethan asks Jade why he didn’t go to the meeting, and he answers that any meeting with more than three people is useless. Tabitha and Jim return, and they admit the meeting went poorly. Tabitha says they should go to the tree, admitting that the crowd was right. Jim is reluctant, pulling Tabitha aside and warning her to think, reminding her that they all thought her dead. Tabitha says that all she will do is show them the location of the tree. Jim insists that Ethan remain, telling her that he would run off when she was gone. Tabitha agrees, ordering Ethan to remain in the house while she and Jade head to the tree.

At the Bottle Tree, Jade tries knocking bottles down. Tabitha tells him that the papers only have numbers written on them. Jade points out that they all have four numbers written on them, and theorizes that they may be dates. However, Tabitha points out that one reads 2659, and thinks that Jim might be right. Jade sits beside her, and admits that he saw the Ghoulish Children, having gone into the Tunnels to find something to help Julie. He explains that he saw the Symbol as a hole in the ceiling, with the lines formed by roots, while the children were on stone slabs repeating “anghkooey.” Jade says he never felt such fear, but felt like there threads finally starting to connect. Jade insists that they cannot deny what the tree did, and believes that the bottles must mean something. Dale arrives, and he marvels at the Bottle Tree. Tabitha and Jade try to convince Dale not to go inside the tree. Dale insists that they have to try, and says they will thank him later as he disappears inside.^[23]

After Dale's death, Boyd and Jade discuss the Bottle Trees. Jade explains that the Lighthouse somehow led Tabitha to Camden. Jade tries to explain that the Bottle Tree was important to Miranda, and it has to mean something. Boyd asks if he has seen the bottles from the other tree that he and Sara found in the forest. One of the bottles he pulled down had a note that read 1864. Jade finds a slip of paper from the Farway Tree-Bottle Tree with the same number, and asks to be taken to Boyd’s. Jade finds Boyd’s Bottle Tree, and is greeted by a vision of Tom. Jade theorizes that everything in the Township has a design, but Tom says that might be Jade’s problem, because while nature has a design, the Bottle Tree is manmade. Jade says that Miranda saw it in a vision, and is therefore meaningful. Tom asks if Jade’s visions of Civil War soldiers or people crushed by boulders were meaningful. As Jade grows more frustrated, Tom tells Jade that he needs to sober up if he wants to figure things out.

Tabitha and Ethan go to the Bar and Jade writing notes, offering to help Jade solve his puzzle. Jade tells Tabitha that there is another Bottle Tree with the same numbers, albeit written out in cursive. Furthermore, some numbers repeat. Jade admits that he has no idea what it means, but believes that it points them closer to answers. Jade and Ethan go over the numbers as Jade explains that there has to be a pattern. They observe that some of the numbers are backwards sometimes. Jade goes over to Tabitha and says that the Children will not hurt her, as they want her help. Tabitha reminds him that this is based on something a dead woman saw 40 years ago. She then finds Jade’s drawings of the Totems, and he explains that he found them scattered around the Log Cabins. Tabitha flashes back to her childhood, and asks if he saw three red stones in a circle. Tabitha explains that as a child, she would have the same nightmare repeatedly, and that she also saw the Township in her dreams but did not know it.^[24]

Jade, Tabitha and Ethan go to the Settlement, surprising Jim. Ethan remarks that the place is creepy, and asks who lived out there. Jade admits he does not know, and warns him to look out for bear traps. Jim theorizes that Tabitha might be trying to make connections that aren’t there, but she reiterates that she had this dream for months, and it had the exact same Totems as the Settlement. Jim warns that previous attempts at trying to figure things out have ended in failure or death. Tabitha says those were different because they happened once they became trapped in the Township, but she had her dreams as a child before she ever arrived in the Township. Tabitha says she needs to find out what it means, and Jim agrees.

The Matthews and Jade arrive at the three red rocks. Ethan asks if they are the same as her dream, and Tabitha says everything is identical, including the feeling of fear. Tabitha retraces her steps in her dreams, but cannot remember what it was that was frightening her. Jim asks how this helps, while Jade remarks that maybe Tabitha was chosen and destined to arrive, like Miranda.^[25]

The Matthews and Jade return to Town, going their separate ways. When Jade returns to the Bar, he is startled by a noise and finds Henry Kavanaugh. After introducing themselves, Henry asks if they have made any progress. When Jade answers no, he grabs a drink. Henry explains to Jade that Miranda had visions of the Township, and he wishes he had listened to her. He asks Jade why he thinks he will figure it out, when many smart people have tried, and Jade answers that he is smarter. Jim arrives, and orders Jade to stop encouraging Tabitha. Jim excoriates Jade for his narcissism, and tells him that he will not let Jade endanger his family. In turn, Jade tells Jim that he is the only one trying to solve the mysteries and it helps people. Jade walks out of the Bar, telling Jim that if he has a problem with what Tabitha is doing, he should talk to her.^[26]

Jade hangs the bottles on a nearby tree. He then sees a vision of Christopher holding Jasper on the roof of the back porch. Jade tells them that he is no longer frightened by the visions, but Jasper shrieks, startling Jade and almost knocking him off the ladder. Henry arrives and asks who he was talking to. Observing the tree, he tells Jade that Miranda made one in his yard. Jade impatiently asks if there is something he can help with, and Henry informs him that everyone is out looking for Fatima. Henry asks if Jade can help him search, as he was hoping they could talk about Victor.

As they walk, Henry explains that he feels like he is starting over with completely different person now that he is reunited with Victor. Jade answers that it is because he is before asking why Henry is not asking Tabitha. Henry replies that Tabitha has her own children, and Jade reminds him of Victor, explaining that Victor is trying to make a puppet tell a story while Jade screams at things that are not there. Henry asks Jade what he would want his father to say if he arrived. Jade tells Henry that he is trying to fix Victor when he is not broken. Jade says that he has been shaped by his childhood and existence in the Township, comparing him to Tarzan being raised in the jungle, with Henry being the person who tells him he does not know how to use a fork.^[27]

Jim goes to the Bar. He first apologizes for berating Jade the prior day, admitting that he was scared because there are things happening to his family that he does not know how to protect them from, but he thinks Jade might. They regroup at the Lius', where Tabitha finishes explaining how Miranda almost got to the Bottle Tree, but was attacked by a Creature. Jim notes that Jade has had visions previously, but Jade explains that he sees things that should not be there, like the Civil War Soldier. Jade asks Tabitha what Miranda was trying to tell her. As Tabitha admits she sounds crazy, Jade says she is not, and explains that according to thermodynamics, energy cannot be created or destroyed. He theorizes that the energy behaves in unique ways in the Township, and says that the Children appear to want her to see Miranda’s memories. He asks where she was when she saw the child, and she says near Victor’s truck.

Tabitha, Jim and Jade arrive at the Clairy’s Canned Goods Truck, and Jade explains that there may be a reason the Child appeared at the truck, and the Children are the one thread connecting all their experiences. He further explains how he saw them on altars underneath roots forming the Symbol. Tabitha says that Victor told her that the Children poured their hope into the roots which became the Bottle Tree. Jade shouts at the sky in frustration over the confusing messages. Jim asks if he feels better, and Jade admits he does not.

In the truck, Jade says that if the Children made the tree, then the numbers must also matter. Jim says that they do not even know who put them on the tree, and they could be some sort of delusion. Tabitha argues that Miranda knew they were important, as Miranda made a replica in her yard. Jim notes that the 2 and the 7 were backwards. As Jade rants about trying to solve the puzzle, Jim notes that there are 12 notes in a musical scale. Jade hails him as a genius, and tells Jim to find Miranda’s violin while he and Tabitha go to the Bar.

Jade and Tabitha try to figure out the order of the notes. Jim arrives with the violin as Jade places the notes in order. As he hums to himself, Jim asks what the tune is, and Jade explains that he heard the music as he looked at the notes. Jim warns that this may not be a good idea, reminding Jade that the Township might be manipulating him. Jade says it’s just music, but Jim points out that the Music Box nearly killed everyone. Tabitha agrees that they should not play the music in Town, and suggests playing the tune at the Bottle Tree.

At the Bottle Tree, Jade plays the violin. Tabitha sees the Ghoulish Children arriving, as does Jade, though Jim cannot see them. As Jade keeps playing, one Child approaches Tabitha. In the tunnel, Boyd finds a light. Meanwhile, Fatima reveals to Ellis that the Creatures sacrificed their children because they were promised immortality. The Kimono Woman brings the pod to a chamber filled with the Creatures and the Smiley Creature emerges from it as Boyd stares in disbelief.

After Jade finishes the song, the child approaches Tabitha and tells her “anghkooey.” Tabitha realizes that the word means “remember.” Tabitha runs off, and when Jim asks what happened, Jade only says they used to sing them lullabies. Jim runs after Tabitha and begs her to talk to him. Tabitha explains that the reason she and Jade can see them is because they are reincarnations of Miranda and Christopher. The two are reincarnations of the people who tried to save the children from being sacrificed, as one of the children was their daughter. Jim is shocked, and Tabitha asks for some time.^[28]

Trivia[]

Missing since: 2/20/2022, Last seen: traveling from New York City, toward Miami.
In the show, Jade is shown to be a skilled violinist.
Jade is good at drawing.
Jade has been confirmed to be a reincarnation of Christopher. A man who was trapped in the town during Victor's childhood.

Appearances[]

Season 1[]

Season 2[]

Season 3[]

References[]

[:0-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Oh, the Places We'll Go

[2] Long Day's Journey Into Night

[3] The Way Things Are Now

[4] Choosing Day

[5] A Rock and a Farway

[6] Silhouettes

[7] Book 74

[8] All Good Things...

[9] Broken Windows, Open Doors

[10] Into The Woods

[11] Strangers in a Strange Land

[12] Tether

[13] This Way Gone

[14] Lullaby

[15] Belly of the Beast

[16] Forest for the Trees

[17] Ball of Magic Fire

[18] Once Upon a Time?

[19] Shatter

[20] When We Go

[21] Mouse Trap

[22] There and Back Again

[23] The Light of Day

[24] Scar Tissue

[25] These Fragile Lives

[26] Thresholds

[27] Revelations: Chapter One

[28] Revelations: Chapter Two

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