Kenny Liu

Kenny Liu
Personal Information
Full Name:	Fu-Hen "Kenny" Liu
Profession:	Student Sheriff's Deputy
Gender:	Male
Status:	Alive
Nationality:	Chinese-American
Relationship Status:	Single
Family:	Bing-Qian Liu † (father) Tian-Chen Liu † (mother)
Behind the Scenes
Portrayed by:	Ricky He
First Appearance:	Long Day's Journey Into Night

Kenny Liu (born: Fu-Hen Liu) is one of the people trapped in the Town. He has to balance his responsibilities between caring for his aging parents, and acting as Boyd Stevens' Sheriff's Deputy and right-hand man.

Biography

Background

Fu-Hen Liu is the son of Chinese immigrants Bing-Qian and Tian-Chen Liu who had settled in College Station, Texas. However, Fu-Hen, desired to fit in in America, and went by Kenny. As Bing-Qian got older, he was diagnosed with rapidly spreading dementia. One night, Bing-Qian had a particularly bad episode and took the bus all the way into Austin. On the drive back to College Station, they became trapped in the Town.

Sometime after they arrive in Town, Kenny and Tian-Chen move Bing-Qian into the Clinic after he almost opened the door for the Creatures, thinking they were his brothers. Bing-Qian does not like the idea, particularly the fact that his family is not moving with them. Kenny promises his father that they will be close by and visit every day, but it is important that he be in a secure location at night for his safety. Bing-Qian refuses, but Tian-Chen tells him that he is sick, but can return when he gets better. Bing-Qian says he will get better soon, and agrees to his new accommodations. Kenny leaves to fetch his things, and is found by Boyd, who says he heard they had an incident. Kenny explains what happened. Boyd sympathizes, knowing how hard it is seeing one’s parents struggle. Boyd admits that there is not a lot holding the place together, with all the fear and confusion, but something he learned in the army is that it helps to look to, who seem like they know what they are doing. Kenny says it looks like they’re doing a good job, and Boyd offers him the job of deputy, and Kenny happily accepts.

Season 1

As daylight fades, Kristi informs Deputy Kenny Liu and his elderly father, Bing-Qian, that it is time for him to go to the basement just as they conclude their chess game, which Bing-Qian has won. Bing-Qian gets agitated, but Kristi calms him, and Gina helps the old man downstairs. As he exits, Kenny compliments Kristi’s skill in calming his father. Kristi tells him that he should tell his mother to come more often, but Kenny says that she keeps saying Bing-Qian's dementia will get better, wryly remarking that denial is a major branch on his family tree. He awkwardly lingers, clearly enamored with Kristi, but she instructs him to get home before locking up. Before heading home, Kenny reports to Sheriff Boyd Stevens that everyone is home.

The next morning, a hungover Frank Pratt walks back to his house, where he sees a crowd gathered outside. He is then met by a furious Boyd, who slaps him and berates him for not nailing the windows shut when he had a small child in the house. Frank, realizing what happened, breaks down in tears while Boyd drags him upstairs to look upon the eviscerated bodies of his wife and daughter, causing him to break down even further. As Frank sobs on the floor, Boyd orders Kenny to lock him up. On his way out, he passes Father Khatri, who goes upstairs to presumably administer last rites.

As the funeral for the Pratts is concluding, the townspeople notice the RV arriving and Boyd and Kenny go to talk to Jim, who asks for help getting back to the highway. Boyd tells him to follow the road up the hill and he’ll see it. As the road keeps returning the Matthews to the center of town, they make a U-turn and head in the opposite direction. Seeing this, Boyd has Kenny lay down the spike strip. However, the RV encounters another car on the road speeding in their direction. The two vehicles swerve to avoid each other, with the car crashing into a tree and the RV going down a hill and flipping over. Tobey McCray, the driver of the car, staggers out of the car and finds Kenny and Boyd, who rush over to help. Boyd has Kenny take Tobey to the Clinic and informs Kristi of the situation. Kristi hands Tobey off to Gina, and she and Kenny race to the scene of the accident.

At the RV, Jim and Julie are bruised but otherwise fine, but Tabitha is knocked unconscious and Ethan's leg is impaled by a metal table leg. Kenny, Kristi, Khatri and Ellis arrive to help the crash victims. Boyd successfully retrieves a panicked but otherwise unharmed Julie, while the others work on helping Jade and the trapped family members. Tabitha is successfully retrieved from the RV, but Kristi says that it will take at least an hour to safely remove the table leg from Ethan’s leg, while Kenny informs them that they have 40 minutes until dark. Boyd and Kristi decide to stay in the RV overnight with a talisman. Jim, Tabitha and Julie try to stay, but Boyd tells them that the woods are not safe after dark and pleads with them to head to town, but permits Jim to stay. As sundown draws closer, Kenny warns everyone that they must leave. Kenny, Khatri and Ellis drive the newcomers back to Town, but forgetting about the spike strip he had laid down earlier, drives over it, puncturing the tires. With darkness falling, they decide to make for Colony House on foot, as it is the closest shelter.

Kenny leads his group to Colony House, but 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, Ellis and Kenny pound on the door until Donna arrives and grants them entry just as they are about to be surrounded. However, she orders that Tabitha and Julie be tied up, as per protocol, much to their distress.

As they get settled, Kenny complains to Father Khatri about the fact that the Matthews girls got tied up. Ellis informs the two that there's a room made up for them, but Kenny sarcastically asks if they'll be tied up first. Khatri thanks him and asks about Jade, and Ellis says he's still knocked out from the drugs he was on. Ellis apologizes for Donna's abrasiveness, but points out that they opened the door. After Kenny sullenly answers "eventually", Ellis blames him for forgetting about the spike strip and the two begin arguing until Khatri diffuses the situation. Before leaving, Ellis leaves the two a bottle of moonshine.

Kenny drinks with Father Khatri and worries about his mother, before talking about how even when his father’s dementia gets bad, he can still remember chess. Kenny further compliment’s Kristi’s care for his father, and Khatri promises that they will all be ok and they’ll get them in the morning. Kenny however says he won’t go out, explaining that he is hanging by a thread and cannot find any more bodies.

Later, Kenny and Khatri drunkenly climb the stairs while Kenny talks about his father’s dementia diagnosis. One night, his father left the house and took the bus all the way into the city, and on the way back, they became trapped in Town. In the morning, Kenny, Khatri, and the Matthews women arrive in the van, and the family happily embraces. However, on the way back they find the Clinic door left open. Kenny rushes inside to the basement and finds Gina's dead body. Father Khatri tries to tell him that he doesn't have to see this but Kenny advances to the next room and finds his father's torn-apart body. He cradles his father's body and begins sobbing.

Kenny then goes out into the woods and begins furiously chopping a tree. Boyd finds him and asks what he’s doing, and Kenny explains he needs wood for the new chess set, which he and his dad made together, but is now ruined by the blood. Kenny recalls how every game he played with his father always ended with him down to his final piece desperately avoiding his father’s. Kenny then points out that the Creatures always walk and never run, as if they know there are only so many places the people can go. Kenny then hands him the bloody chess piece and concludes that they are running out of space on the board.

The next morning, Kenny’s mother, Tian-Chen, frantically prepares food while Kenny begs her to get some rest. Tian-Chen replies that she has too much to do but knocks over a glass. As she chides her son for making her break the glass, she tries to clean up the shards but cuts her hand. Kenny helps her and tells her that she needs rest. Tian-Chen begins to say that if she were with her husband the previous night but Kenny cuts her off and says it would not have changed anything. As the two are talking, Sara walks in and seeing the broken glass, begins cleaning it.

Later, Kenny sits with Jade, who 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. Kristi then walks in, and Kenny remarks to her that Jade is going to get himself killed. Kristi, seeing Tian-Chen, asks how she’s doing, and Kenny repeats what he previously said about denial being a part of his family tree.

That afternoon, Father Khatri 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. He explains to the group that he has been thinking about his last normal Christmas with his family, recalling that he used to be a good father. He confesses that he let the Town and the Creatures in the forest get to his head, and he forgot what really mattered, lamenting that had he been a little stronger, he could have had another Christmas with them all at their home. Frank instructs his fellow townspeople not to let that be taken away from them, and to take care of each other. He then turns to Boyd, and expresses gratitude for his 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. As the sun sets, Kenny takes Jade to his house, where they find Tian-Chen crying over a shrine to Bing-Qian. Kenny explains that Jade is going to stay with them for a few days, and Tian-Chen nods before they leave her be.

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. Later, Kenny arrives at the Diner and is spotted by Boyd, who leaves his dinner with the Matthews to talk to him. However, they are interrupted when Sara Myers has a seizure, and they rush to help her. The next day, Kenny updates Boyd that Sara is okay, and brings him some food. Boyd asks him to hold down the fort while he stops by his wife’s grave.

After Sara accidentally kills her brother Nathan while trying to kill Ethan Matthews, Kenny and Boyd bury Nathan's body while Father Khatri gives a sermon. As they finish digging the grave, Boyd asks Kenny if he is alright, and Kenny admits that he is having a hard time wrapping his mind around the kind and nice Sara doing this. He adds that his mother is taking it hard, having viewed Sara as a daughter. Boyd tells him that he has been thinking about what Kenny said about running out of room on the board. Kenny dismisses it as him having been upset, but Boyd says it does not mean he was wrong. Boyd explains that he feels that things are changing, and points out that the talismans can work in the RV. Now, he is determined to go out into the forest but Kenny begins to walk away. Boyd scolds Kenny, who asks if he is going alone and how far he is going. Boyd says he is trying to find a way out, but Kenny says there is no point and he is simply going to his death. Later that day, Boyd finds Kenny carving chess pieces. Boyd asks his protege to play catch with him, but Kenny is not interested. Boyd explains that he played first base in college, and had a chance of going pro. Kenny asks what happened, and Boyd replies that life, as always, had other plans. Boyd admits to Kenny that he has Parkinson’s disease. He explains that it has already begun chipping away at him, and eventually he will not be able to protect the townspeople. Thus, he has to find a way out while he still can, but he can only do this knowing that it will be in good hands. Boyd praises Kenny, telling that there are many in Town who are alive because of him, and while his father is not around to say it, he, like Boyd, is proud of him. Boyd adds that if he is not ready and needs more time, he will stay. Kenny then rises, and asks him if they are playing catch or not, and Boyd follows him out. As they play, Kenny offers to carve them a bat, so they can play proper baseball when Boyd returns.

As night falls, 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. Kenny informs Jade that dinner is ready. Jade refuses to come down, but relents after Tian-Chen yells at him. 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.

The morning after the Colony House Attack, Kenny informs a bloodstained Boyd that he’s gotten most of the Colony House residents set up in Town. Kenny warns that things are getting tense, and suggests gathering everyone to say something. Boyd agrees and says Kenny should do that, but Kenny says it will mean more coming from him. Kenny asks Boyd if he is ok, and Boyd explains that Father Khatri risked his life to save his family. Boyd then remembers something and tells Kenny to give everyone his regards and prepares to leave. Kenny tells Boyd that people need his guidance. Boyd tells Kenny that he needs to learn how to do this himself and leaves. Kenny then settles Clara and some other Colony House people in his home while Colony House gets fixed up, although Jade objects to the newcomers' presence. Kenny goes to the Clinic and asks if he can help Kristi, and she asks if he can help secure the building. Kenny adds that he finished chapter 6 of the book, and says things are getting interesting. Kristi replies that she doesn’t think she’ll be able to read much tonight, but kisses him on the cheek and thanks him for his help.

Boyd tells Kenny that he can’t leave now given that they nearly had a riot at the Diner. A surprised Kenny reminds Boyd that this is why he said he had to leave, because things are starting to fall apart. Boyd points out that they lost over a dozen people the previous night, and Kenny argues that they’ll lose more if they start to panic. Boyd tells Kenny that he is going to stay until things settle down. Kenny retorts, asking what if they don’t when Donna walks in, asking if she is interrupting. Boyd tries to end the argument, but Kenny refuses, and reminds Boyd of his words, asking what’s changed. Kenny argues that the Talismans made them complacent, but are only a temporary reprieve, that things will never be ok in the Town, and they need to find a way home, or they will all die. Kenny says that there are answers and Boyd will find them before turning to Donna, telling her to pull herself together and be the leader she is, because that is what the people need. Kenny concludes that if they aren’t willing to fight like hell to get home, they might as well kill themselves now, before leaving. An amused Donna remarks that she didn’t know Kenny had that in him, and demands that Boyd explain what he was talking about. Boyd asks her to take a walk with him, and offers to explain on the way.

Kenny gives a speech to the assembled people. He admits that they are in a tight spot, but Boyd is risking his life to find a way out for them, so the least they can do is keep things together while he does. Kenny says that going forward, there will be no more division between the Town and Colony House. Donna then steps up, and tells the Colony House people to be good houseguests, and says that Jim has an idea on how to get a signal out to people in the normal world, giving the floor to him. Jim explains that they will need batteries and people to build the radio tower, which they agree to. Ellis finds Fatima, who asks him if he found his father. Ellis answers that he did, and Fatima asks if he is ok. Ellis admits that he is not, and she hugs him.

The next day, Kenny explains to his mother how they are dividing work on the radio tower. Tian-Chen asks if Jade has found Victor, and Kenny answers no, adding that if Jade mentions the symbol one more time, he believes Jim might kill him. Tian-Chen expresses happiness that Jade is finally working, and says that she does not like him because he is selfish and lazy. Kenny quips that that is what Tian-Chen says about her favorite people, making her smile. Tian-Chen tells her son to go ring the bell and be a good sheriff. As Kenny exits the Diner, Kristi arrives and returns his book, saying that she finished chapter 6. The two talk about the book, and Kenny asks if she thinks it will have a happy ending. Kristi does not know, but looks forward to finding out.

At Colony House, Jim leads the work on building the Radio Tower. Kenny informs him that Jade is working on the power source. Jim says that they need more building material, and Kenny promises to have people scavenge some wood from the Barn. When Donna arrives, they ask her how she is doing, and she hoarsely answers that she has had a rough morning. Kenny asks her if Eric is with her, because he needs him for a supply run. Donna answers that Eric isn’t coming, and walks inside. After Donna breaks down, Kenny finds Donna and asks if she is ok. Donna deflects and asks why he isn’t working on the radio tower. Kenny tries to comfort her but Donna rebuffs him. Kenny then mentions that he is going to get some wood from the Barn to build the radio tower. This prompts Donna to fly into a rage and she takes an axe to the floorboards. Kenny and Jim tell her to stop, and Kenny says they need Colony House standing. Donna replies that they don’t need it anymore because the radio tower will get them home, adding that it is no longer a home but a tomb. Donna then storms out onto the porch and tries to regain her composure.

Kenny finds Donna at the Bar, and asks Tom to leave them alone. After he leaves, Kenny tries to comfort Donna over Eric’s death, but Donna reveals that that is not the reason she is upset, and asks Kenny to leave, wryly telling him to go back to work on the tower. Kenny asks if she believes that it won’t work and she in turn asks him if he believes that it will. Kenny says he thinks it might and is therefore worth trying. Donna then asks him what happens when they fail, and Kenny answers that they will try again. Donna tells him that won’t work, because he is getting peoples’ hopes up, and when it gets taken away they will give up. Kenny scoffs at Donna but she tells him that he doesn’t understand what it used to be like because he wasn’t there. Donna tells him that she is grieving the loss of what they almost made the Town, that they almost made it work, and that they are so busy trying to get out that they cannot see what the Town will become when they fail. Kenny asks her if they are just supposed to simply stay in Town where the Creatures come out and hunt them every night. Donna says she knows the people in Town look down on Colony House as just a giant party, but Donna explains that it was more than that. It was special by virtue of all the different people living together and despite the fear and the monsters, there was joy in the house. Kenny apologizes, and Donna promises to pull herself together for the next day, but warns him that they have to be prepared for the fallout if the radio tower does not work. Before she leaves, she tells him that if it does work, she thinks he will find that there is more he misses than he thinks.

As night falls, Kenny walks through Town ringing the warning bell to get everyone inside. As he finishes, he finds a despondent Kristi sitting on the stoop of the Sheriff’s Office. She explains that Eric was her friend. He had celiac disease, so he was a frequent visitor at the Clinic. Kristi fondly remembers how she always told him to stop eating bread, but Eric would make jokes, and how he made her adjustment to the Town easier when she first arrived. Kristi makes Kenny promise that if the radio tower does not work and he falls apart, he will go to her and let her help. Kenny promises her and hugs her, telling her it will be okay.

Kenny finds Donna examining the map of where they all came from. Donna muses about how they all came from different places and roads, but they all ended up in Town. She asks if he really thinks the radio will make a difference, and Kenny optimistically answers that radio waves travel in ways that people can’t. Donna leaves to get to work on the tower, and Kenny thanks her. Kenny grabs the globe lamp on his desk and finds Kristi stripping the ambulance of wire. She asks about the lamp, and he explains that it was his desk lamp in college and although it didn’t work, it was nice to have something from home. He adds that the globe actually opens up, and he used it as a secret hiding spot from his kleptomaniac roommate. Kristi asks what he keeps in it now, and he says that he often thinks about which countries he’d like to visit should he escape, and wrote them down. Kristi goes through the list, and reveals that she hardly traveled beyond Grand Rapids. Kenny asks if she wants to travel with him if they escape. Kristi tells Kenny that she likes him a lot, but reminds him that she was engaged prior to her arrival. Kenny apologizes and leaves with the wire.

Kristi finds Kenny in the Colony House kitchen, and returns his globe lamp. Kenny apologizes if he made things weird but Kristi stops him. She admits that she does not know what to do and it freaks her out because part of her wants to return to her fiancee and pick up where they left off, but the other part wants to go to Iceland with Kenny. Kenny asks her what she is going to do, and she answers that she doesn’t know as she holds his hand. The radio tower is successfully erected on Colony House's roof. Jim Matthews informs everyone that they have a signal. Jim and Ethan operate the radio, and Jim tries to broadcast a mayday as a massive storm draws closer. As the storm rages, the lightbulbs powering the radio inside the house begin exploding, sending shards of glass everywhere and causing chaos.

Season 2

Chaos reigns at Colony House as lightbulbs explode and the storm rages. Jade Herrera alerts them to the arrival of the Grand Rapids Runner Bus in Town. Donna tells Matthias to grab the shotguns. Kenny says they don’t need them, but Donna reminds him that there is a bus full of people with no idea about what they’ve rolled into. She tells him that they have a long night ahead, and that if things go sideways he needs to be ready to step up now that he’s sheriff. Donna and Kenny go to Town, reminding each other and the people with them that they have to keep everyone calm. Kenny apologizes for their inconvenience and offers to get some tea for all of them and allows them into the Diner. Meanwhile, Donna tries to explain the situation to Bakta, the bus driver, but she does not believe Donna. Elgin, one of the passengers, has a seizure, and Kenny rushes to his aid. The Matthews house, where Jim, Tom and two bus passengers are searching for Tabitha Matthews, completely collapses, trapping three of the men inside, while Randall, a passenger, is able to escape unscathed.

Kristi continues to examine Randall for any injuries, while Marielle and Kenny tend to Elgin. Kristi and Marielle spot each other and are shocked, Marielle being the fiancee Kristi had mentioned. Kenny watches the two cry and embrace. The sun begins setting, and Kenny and Donna begin to lose control of the situation as they simultaneously try to dig the trapped men out of the rubble and keep the passengers in line. As Bakta tries to start up the bus, Donna gets a shotgun from the van and shoots out one of the bus’s tires. Several passengers run away, and Fatima tries to run after them. Kenny fires his pistol into the air, and herds many of the passengers into the Diner. Julie covers some of the rubble with tarps, and Jim tells her that there is a cavern underneath the debris, and that her mother will be ok if she made it down there. Julie promises to get her father out, and Kenny arrives to get her inside.

After nightfall, Julie peers outside the window, but Kenny tells her not to draw attention to the house. Kenny sits her down and tells her that Jim’s best chance is to stay exactly where he is until morning. Kenny explains that people used to hide at night before the Talismans, and that all they can do is wait. He offers her tea, and asks her what her favorite book is. Julie says he is trying to distract her, and Kenny says he is, but she still has to answer the question. Later that night, Randall makes a run for the door but Kenny stops him, pointing out the screams and howls they are hearing. Randall says they cannot leave the people outside to their deaths and points out that they have guns, which Donna says are useless. As they are distracted by a scream, Randall gets ahold of Kenny’s gun and aims at Kenny, leading to a standoff between him, Donna and Matthias. Randall demands they open the door, but Donna refuses, saying doing so would put everyone in danger. Randall tries to rally the other passengers, reminding them that Donna shot out one of their tires. Donna says that they are all scared, but Randall refuses to listen, threatening to shoot Kenny, but Donna says he will have to shoot Kenny, and she will have to shoot him. Randall then gets distracted by a knock at the door, and Kenny regains control of his weapon while Donna whacks Randall in the face with the butt of her gun.

Kenny makes more tea in the Diner, and offers Marielle some tea as she passes. Kristi finds him and asks what he is doing. He explains that his mother says food cures all ails, so he is making tea. Kristi asks if he is doing alright, and he says it is a hard question to answer right now. He asks how she is, and if that is really her fiancee, and she answers yes. After taking it in, Kenny tells her to stay with Marielle, saying that they have a long time before sunrise and Marielle will need her. Screams are heard from outside, and Julie tries to run out but is restrained by Donna. The next morning, Julie is the first to notice that the sun has risen and rushes outside, past Tom's corpse, to the rubble and calls for her father, who answers. An overjoyed Julie and Donna then begin digging him out of the rubble.

Kenny and Ellis Stevens go out to the forest's edge to check the animal traps. While Ellis gathers flowers, Kenny angrily asks for help. Ellis says he understands that Kenny is bent out of shape by the Kristi situation, but stops before he can say more. Kenny then asks for help in finding the iron rod that props up the trap. The two then hear music, and follow the sound until they find a phone playing music next to the body of a girl from the bus whose head is pinned to a tree by the iron rod Kenny was searching for. Ellis is shocked, while Kenny prepares to remove the body. Kelly then gasps for breath, shocking them. Kenny runs to get Kristi, while Ellis stays with Kelly, who asks Ellis for help.

Kenny fetches Kristi, who examines Kelly. Kristi then tells Kenny and Ellis that even if they were in a hospital, it would be a 15 hour operation. Ellis wants to try and free her, but Kristi think their only option is to mercy-kill her by pulling out the rod. Ellis asks if it will be peaceful, and Kristi says she doesn’t know. Kenny offers to shoot her, but Kristi does not want her final moments to be with a gun to her head. Kelly realizes that she is not going to be ok, and Kristi tells her that she is going to die. Kelly asks for Kenny and Ellis, and tells them that they are very nice. She asks for her phone so she can call her mother. Kristi tells her the phones don’t work, but offers to write a message down for her. Kelly suffices with that, and tells Kristi to tell her mother that she loves her, and apologize for not giving her a hug. Kelly explains that she was mad over something stupid so she left without giving her one. Kelly then begins screaming in pain, and they struggle to decide over who should pull the rod out to kill her when Boyd arrives. Boyd tells them that it’s his job to do it. While Kristi holds her hands, Boyd pulls the rod out, killing her.

By the Root Cellar, Kenny tells Ellis that he is going to the Church to see if there is anything he can read at the service. Before he leaves, Ellis reminds him that this was the fault of the Creatures, not any of them. At the Church, Kenny looks through Khatri’s belongings to see if he can find something for the funeral service. However he hears clattering downstairs and heads down with weapon drawn, and finds Sara, who says hello.

Kenny fetches Boyd, and takes him to the Church basement where he shows him Sara, surprising Boyd. Boyd tells Kenny to give them a minute to speak in private, which Kenny reluctantly agrees to. Afterwards, Boyd tries to explain how Sara is uniquely connected to this place, and how Father Khatri figured it out and tried to use it to understand where they are. Kenny asks if she has been in the basement since Khatri’s death, and Boyd admits she accompanied him into the forest, but adds that she is the only reason he is still alive. Boyd tries to defend her actions, but slips up and mentions that she killed multiple people, but is able to cover it up. Kenny insists that she go in the Box, but Boyd angrily refuses. Boyd’s ears begin to ring, and he goes outside for some air, sees the worms crawling beneath his skin and collapses on the ground, prompting Kenny to call out for help. Later, Kenny stops by the Diner and visits his mother, who gives him a container of food and tells him to sit and eat. Kenny says it is for Boyd, who is not feeling well. Tian-Chen replies that they both work too hard. Before he leaves, Tian-Chen asks if he has talked to Kristi. Kenny replies that he knew she was engaged, and just wants her to be happy. Seeing the people unloading the bus, Kenny tells his mother that she should help them.

Kenny then goes to the Church and asks Sara about how she saved Boyd’s life. Sara says it’s hard to explain, and Kenny continues to ask about the voices she hears, which caused her to kill Nathan and almost kill Ethan. Kenny continues to ask how her first thought wasn’t that she was going crazy or that it was a bad idea. Sara says that he does not understand, and he asks her to help him do so, saying that he wants to believe Boyd and back him up, but people will freak out when they learn about her, which will undermine Boyd. Kenny continues to say that he thought of her as a friend, and his mother adores her, and asks again for her to convince him that she does not deserve the Box. Sara says she cannot, but that Boyd gave her a chance she did not deserve and she cannot undo what she has done. Kenny insists they can help, reminding her that the Town is hard on everyone. Sara asks him to stop, and says there is something she needs to tell him.

After Sara tells him that she was responsible for his father's death, Kenny goes to the Clinic basement where he died. Boyd finds him staring at the spot where he found his father’s body. Kenny tells Boyd that before their arrival, he had never seen his mom cry, but now he hears her sobbing every night because she is convinced that it is her fault that Bing-Qian died because he opened the Clinic doors. Kenny reveals that Sara told him that she opened the doors, and Boyd admits that he found out the night before he left. Boyd tries to say he was going to tell him, but a furious Kenny asks when he planned to do that, and insists that she goes in the Box. Boyd refuses, Kenny, heartbroken over this betrayal by his father figure, removes his badge and tells Boyd to watch his own back.

The next day, Sara observes Kenny leaving the diner before she is confronted by the Matthews. Later that day, Kenny sees Sara leaving the Diner with a box of her things. Enraged, Kenny dumps her box on the ground. Sara scrambles for the ceramic ornament, which Kenny takes away and smashes on the ground. Kenny yells at her that he does not care what Boyd says or how special she thinks she is, if she goes near his mother again he will drag her to the Box himself.

Kenny arrives at the Diner and finds Boyd talking to Tian-Chen, and he angrily confronts Boyd. Tian-Chen tries to diffuse the situation but Boyd thanks her for her time and leaves. Boyd goes to the Church and finds the main room empty. He then hears a music box, and turns around and sees a Ballerina dancing in front of him. The Ballerina has Boyd twirl her, smiles at him, but then opens her mouth in a blood-curdling shriek as worms fall out of her mouth. Back in the Diner, Boyd falls on the floor of the Diner, hitting his head. Boyd apologizes and is helped up by the Lius. Tian-Chen tells Kenny to take Boyd to Kristi, but Boyd insists he is ok and tries to walk out, but struggles to stay upright, and is helped out by Kenny. As Kenny and Boyd walk, the latter remarks how he’s never seen the leaves change here before. Kenny, seeing that Boyd is walking ok now, decides to leave him, but returns when he hears Boyd cry out in pain and clutch his arm. Boyd tries to explain how there are worms crawling underneath his skin. Boyd then hears the music box again and sees it on a nearby rock. The Ballerina then emerges from the Root Cellar, and smiles at Boyd as she begins dancing. Kenny snaps him out of the vision, but Kenny is disturbed by Boyd’s state of mind.

After Kristi finishes checking on Boyd, she exits and talks with Kenny about Boyd’s condition. Kenny worries that Boyd’s mental state is declining, much like his father’s did. Kristi tells Kenny that dementia usually only happens later, but Kenny points out that it does happen. Later that night, Kenny walks in on Boyd having a conversation by himself, and asks Boyd who he was talking to. Boyd tries to say he was just thinking out loud, but Kenny sees through the lie and repeats his question. Kenny then bars the doors and says Boyd is not leaving until he is assured that it is safe, having heard what happened with Marielle. Boyd admits he was talking to Father Khatri and knows it looks bad, but insists that something happened to him out in the forest and it terrifies him.

Elgin and Fatima arrive with a grievously wounded Ellis Stevens. Everyone rushes to tend to him, and Kristi is able to temporarily stabilize him but says he needs a blood transfusion. Boyd refuses, fearing that whatever is inside of him will then transfer to his son. Boyd insists he is not crazy, but Fatima tries to tell him it can’t be worse than dying, but Boyd is adamantly against it. Kenny then points a gun at Boyd and tries to force him to provide his blood. Boyd then begins writhing in pain, and Marielle sees the worms and alerts the others to their presence. Fatima begs them to do something. Kenny retrieves a knife and tells Boyd to transfer the worms to him so he can do the transfusion, and they can figure out the rest later. Boyd refuses, explaining that there is a nightmare happening under his skin which is getting stronger and is not willing to risk passing it onto Kenny.

Boyd then has an idea and runs outside. Kenny and the rest watch as Boyd calls the Creatures to him before cutting his palm. Boyd then cuts the Smiley Creature's throat and presses his wound to the Creature's, transferring the worms and killing the Creature. Boyd rushes back inside and they successfully perform the transfusion.

The next morning, Kenny summons everyone for a meeting. Once everyone is gathered, Boyd and Kenny lead everyone in inspecting the dead body of Smiley. Kristi marvels at the fact that Boyd actually killed one of them, and Fatima asks what they should do with the body. Kenny says they should burn it, but Boyd and Kristi want to bring it inside and perform an autopsy to learn more about the Creatures. Kenny points out that they do not even know if it is safe to touch the Creature, and Boyd says that it’s Kristi’s call. Kristi decides to study it, and Mari offers to get a sheet so they can drag it inside. Boyd then tells Ellis to get back to Colony House to avoid having a crowd descend on the Clinic to check on him while they’re doing the autopsy. Kristi gives Ellis and Fatima the go ahead, telling them to return if he has any trouble breathing. Boyd then notices Elgin looking downcast and asks if he is ok, and Elgin says he is fine. Ellis tells his father to be careful as he leaves, while Boyd, Kristi and Mari prepare to bring the Creature into the Clinic. Kenny repeats his objections, but Kristi says that they may never get another chance to do this.

After moving Smiley’s body into the Clinic, they prepare to perform an autopsy. Kenny worries that cutting open the Creatures will release the worms from Boyd’s arm. Mari runs outside the room and vomits, and Kristi explains that she is going through withdrawal. Boyd asks if they can do anything to help, but Kristi just wants to get the autopsy over with, and Kenny leaves to get her gloves and a saw.

Kristi, Boyd and Kenny begin the autopsy on Smiley. As she makes the first incision across the chest, the body twitches, startling all of them. Kenny begins to freak out and repeats his opposition to this. Kenny storms out, followed by Kristi, who tries to calm him down. Kenny explains that he isn’t worried about the monster, the most frightening thing he’s ever seen, but about the things that killed it. Kristi explains that they have to do the autopsy to learn what killed the monsters and see if they can use it to fight back. Kenny worries that whatever is inside the Creature could harm them. Kristi is willing to take that risk now that they finally have a way of fighting the Creatures and admits she is terrified, which is why she needs Kenny in there with her, reminding him that they are supposed to be in this together. Kenny says they aren’t anymore, causing Kristi to scoff. Kenny regrets what he said, and explains that he is happy Marielle is here. Kenny tells Kristi that he loves her and all he wants is for her to be happy, but he is unwilling to watch her put herself in danger. Kenny apologizes, but a hurt Kristi goes back inside, leaving a regretful Kenny.

Kenny returns to the autopsy and helps them remove the sternum. Kristi is shocked to see that the Creature has the same anatomy as a human, but shriveled and desiccated, with no fluids to speak of. Kristi is dismayed by the absence of blood, recalling Boyd’s description of the worms. She digs in the body looking for some fluid but begins to break down and begins stabbing at the body randomly. Kenny notices an orange liquid, and Kristi says it’s bile leaking out of the gallbladder. Boyd and Kenny are encouraged by this, and they work to gather it. After the autopsy, Kenny asks Boyd if he thinks Smiley’s bile will kill other Creatures. Boyd admits he has no idea, and Kenny asks how they will test it. Boyd says they will leave that problem for tomorrow. Kenny begins to leave and tells Boyd to talk to Kristi for him. As he leaves, Boyd offers Kenny his badge back, but Kenny simply says that he’ll see him around.

Kenny finds his mother in the kitchen cooking and asks where the Matthews are. She says they are still asleep and tells him that she is cooking his favorite dish. The phone in their kitchen then begins answering, and Tian-Chen tells him to answer it. Kenny picks up the phone and a voice says “they touch, they break they steal, no one here is free, here they come, they come for three, unless you stop the melody”. Kenny is shocked, and the voice does not answer his questions. Kenny then hears a noise coming from the pot, but Tian-Chen tells him it’s not ready yet. When he looks inside, it is filled with cicadas. The music box then appears and begins playing. One cicada jumps out of the pot and lands on Kenny’s arm. Kenny swats at it as his mother begins shaking him and he wakes up in his bed to Tian-Chen shaking him awake, informing him that he was screaming. Kenny says he had a bad dream but is ok, however he notices a burn on his arm in the spot where the cicada landed in his dream.

Boyd goes to check on Kenny and asks about the burn on his arm, and Kenny says it happened in his sleep. Boyd tells Kenny about Elgin’s idea to dip the bullets in the bile to see if they kill the Creatures. Boyd and Kenny head to the Clinic, where they find Kristi tending to a worsening Mari. They tell Boyd and Kenny that sounds were coming from the boiler room where Smiley’s body is being kept. Boyd and Kenny go down to investigate, telling Kristi and Mari to run if things go bad. They carefully advance on the door and find hundreds of cicadas crawling all over Smiley’s corpse. Kenny explains that in his dream, he heard the exact same buzzing and saw a pot full of them. Kristi then recalls that Elgin dreamt about drowning and awoke spitting up water. Kenny adds that when the music box started playing, one jumped out and burned his arm. Marielle is frightened by the idea that their dreams can harm them now. Donna arrives asking for Kristi, and noticing their expressions, asks what is going on.

Boyd tells Donna about what happened with Smiley, and Donna is irate that he failed to tell her about this earlier. Boyd apologizes and Donna asks about the bile, and Boyd says they are not certain but it is worth trying. When he shows her the body, the cicadas are gone. Donna is shocked by the body, while Boyd is worried about the disappearance of the cicadas. Donna says they probably scattered, and that they need to burn the body. Boyd and Kenny cart the body away, and Donna tells them to burn the body far away so people don’t get curious. In the forest, Boyd and Kenny burn Smiley’s body. Kenny remarks that he had gotten so used to being scared that it felt normal, but now that their dreams can harm them, he is even more frightened. Boyd and Kenny return to Town and greet the Matthews children, but Kenny hears the sound of cicadas. Reggie then comes running outside of his house covered in blood and crying out for help as the cicadas continue humming.

Boyd and Kenny follow Reggie inside, and he shows them Paula’s horrifically broken body. Reggie explains that she was resting while he was downstairs and heard her screaming. He tried to wake her, but she was talking in her sleep before it was if her entire body cracked. As Reggie begins to sob, Boyd asks what Paula was saying in her sleep. Boyd tells him that he needs to tell him what Paula says, and Reggie says she kept on repeating “they touch, they break, they steal, no one here is free” before dying. Boyd asks if she was still asleep, and Reggie angrily answers yes as he continues to break down. Boyd leaves to think outside, and sees a number of concerned people. Ethan asks if everything is alright, and Boyd tells him yes, and asks if he can go home while he talks to Julie. Tian-Chen leads Ethan home, while he and Kenny tell Julie that they have 30 minutes before dark and need go door to door and tell everyone that they can’t be alone. Julie asks what is going on, and Boyd says that something killed Paula in her sleep, so everyone has to stay awake. Julie then remembers that her father is at the RV.

Sara and Kenny prepare to spend the night in the Sheriff’s Office. Sara thanks him for staying with her, even though he does not want to. Kenny gruffly replies that he is not doing it for her. Sara remarks that things now feel different and wrong, much like it did in the Forest. Sara asks him if Boyd ever told him what happened, and tells him that as they got further into the Forest, Boyd said it was like the place feeds on their pain, but she thinks it does more than that. Kenny is confused, and Sara reveals that Nathan used to be terrified of cicadas as a child because he thought they were monsters. Sara asks if the fears of the people that die in the Township become part of the Forest, and they are experiencing Nathan’s nightmare.

Later, Sara points out her pin on the map. She mentions how Tian-Chen used to say she was grateful her family got trapped all together before apologizing for bringing it up. Sara then tries to apologize for causing Bing-Qian’s death. Kenny stops her, and Sara says she knows it is painful for Kenny and his mother to see her every day. Sara continues to say that she tried to convince Boyd to let her go back into the forest but Kenny stops her. Kenny tells her that he does not care about her or her pity party, and that she is a murderer who deserves to go into the Box. Sara continues to try and apologize but Kenny tells her to shut up and stop talking about his father. Sara refuses, telling Kenny that he is not the only person who lost something as she has lost everything, including her sense of self, and that she is tired of being afraid and being Kenny’s monster. Kenny tells her that if she wants out, Boyd has an extra gun in his desk, and she can do what she wants before leaving the room.

Kenny returns to find Sara with Boyd’s revolver. Kenny tells her to put away the gun, but Sara says everyone wants her to die anyway, and Kenny even wanted her to go in the Box. Kenny repeats his order, but Sara muses about how if she went in the Box, the burden would not be on Kenny to kill her. Therefore, they will pretend she is in the Box and let this place decide for him. Sara then loads two bullets, spins the cylinder and points it at Kenny, telling him that he does not get to decide. Sara then puts the gun to her head, cocks it and pulls the trigger. Kenny grabs the gun and asks what is wrong with her.

The next morning, Kristi and Kenny arrive at the Liu’s, and Boyd directs them upstairs, where Julie lies comatose. Boyd leads Sara and Kenny into the forest, and explains how the Boy in White led Sara to the Farway Tree that transported him to the Dungeon, and also appeared in Elgin’s dream who told him the nursery rhyme that Paula kept repeating before she died. Boyd asks for more information about the Boy in White, and all Sara can say is that he wanted to help. Boyd tells Sara that this is her chance to help the people of the Town escape. They then arrive at the ruins of the Dungeon, and Sara stops and says she can hear the music box, but Boyd and Kenny cannot see it. Sara promises that she can hear it and becomes disturbed, telling Boyd that she can hear Julie, Mari and Randall screaming in pain. Sara’s nose begins to bleed as she begins screaming too, repeating the nursery rhyme and telling them that “it” needs them to stay. Sara tells them that it is laughing at Boyd for bringing it to Town and seeing it free, it wants to hurt them and was so excited when it touched Kenny’s arm. Boyd asks how they can stop it, and Sara tells him that Julie and the others are dying, and when they do it will be too late. Sara tells him he needs to make the music stop, but does not know how as the pain overwhelms her.

While Sara recovers at the Dungeon ruins, Kenny asks Boyd what their plan is. Boyd says they should go back to Town, explaining that there is nothing they can do at the moment. Kenny asks what they tell people, and Boyd says they need to assure them that they are working on it and try to make them feel safe. While Kristi watches over Marielle, she is visited by Kenny. Kristi asks Kenny if this is how it all ends, and says that she allowed herself to believe there a was a plan to everything after Marielle walked off the bus, but has no come to terms with the fact that they will all have died for nothing. Kenny tells her that her father used to say “it’s hard to see the sweater when you’re only just a thread.” Kenny says that maybe they are not the ones who get to go home, but what they did in the Township will make it easier for the next group of people, and they will turn out to be the reason they go home. Kenny says that just because they are a thread does not mean they don’t matter. Ultimately, Boyd is able to save everyone and defeat The Musicbox Monster, freeing Marielle, Julie, and Randall from its possession.

Season 3

After Jim Matthews decides to venture out into the Forest to try and find his missing wife, Boyd and Kenny meet with him. Boyd tells them about his and Sara’s journey from the Talisman Hut to the Lighthouse. Boyd suggests using the Talisman Hut as a starting point for his searches and a place to shelter at night. After hearing that Sara had also been there, Kenny volunteers to join Jim. Kenny reasons that they cannot let Jim go out on his own. Kenny acknowledges that Boyd has many reasons to be afraid, but having lost a parent himself, he refuses to allow Julie and Ethan to lose both of theirs. They are interrupted when a large object is thrown through the window of the Bar from the inside. They go to investigate and find Jade on the floor muttering, with the place covered in strings. Kenny says he was obsessed with the drawing but this is a new level, and they take Jade to the Sheriff’s Office to recover.

At the Diner, Kenny tells Kristi that he and Jim will be leaving soon, while Tian-Chen gives him a box of food so they don’t go hungry. She says that she wishes he would stay and urges him to be careful because she can’t lose him too. Kenny tells them that he and Jim will be fine. Before they leave, Boyd reminds Kenny about the Farway Trees and the spiderwebs, and to be back in the Talisman Hut before nightfall. Jim and Kenny trek through the forest, and Jim voices his appreciation to Kenny. They soon come across several Totems stuck in the ground. Kenny thinks they should turn around and head back to the cave, but Jim keeps following the trail and finds more of them until they come across several log cabins. Jim figures that they can shelter in the cabins instead and head out from there, and Boyd hadn’t noticed it because his tent was dragged past it.

As they shelter overnight in the cabin Jim says Kenny is right and they should have tried to find the spiderwebs, and thinks they should try and find higher ground the next day. They hear rustling outside, and something bangs against the wall of the cabin. Jim then realizes that if he dies, his kids will have nothing, and says they should head home in the morning.

The next morning, Jim explores the area around the Settlement, and finds fields of cabbage and other crops, enough to feed the Town. He informs Kenny, who is delighted by the news. When they return to Town, Kenny ecstatically announces that they found a new food supply. He and Jim notice everyone’s grim expressions. Jim asks about his children but Boyd says they are fine. Kenny then notices the blood on Boy’d shirt and asks about his mother, calling for her in Cantonese. As Boyd tries to tell him, Kenny refuses to listen. Kristi follows him to the Diner, where Clara is laying down flowers in tribute to Tian-Chen. She leaves apologetically as Kenny begins sobbing, insisting he is okay to Kristi. Kenny professes the need to sit in quiet, and Kristi joins him.

Kenny reminisces how his mother would say that no matter how bad things got, they would never get that day again. Kenny asks if she suffered, but retracts the question before asking about his mother’s body, recalling how he always thinks about how he found his father. He asks Kristi to make his mother look nice for her funeral. Kristi accepts, and tells him to come to her if he needs anything. As the song “Celebration” starts playing on a jukebox, Kenny smashes it in frustration.

In the Bar, Boyd finds Kenny filling jugs of moonshine. Kenny explains that he cannot be dissuaded from going to the Tunnels, where he plans on burning the Creatures to death. Boyd is wary, but agrees. At the mouth of the caves, Boyd remarks that Jade was disturbed by what he saw, and he did not find the Creatures. He further explains that the Creatures want them angry and stumbling around in the dark, but promises to go with Kenny to try and take out as many as possible. Kenny admits he cannot stop thinking about how alone his mother was in her final moments. Boyd said she was not alone, as they made him watch helplessly, but assures Kenny that she was strong and brave, and kept repeating something in Cantonese to him. Boyd repeats it, and Kenny tells him it means “take care of him, he’ll be alone now.” As Kenny cries, Boyd pulls Kenny into a hug and takes him back into Town. Kenny then visits his mother's body, which has been prepared for the funeral by Kristi and Jade. The funeral is then held, attended by many of the inhabitants of Town and Colony House. During the ceremony, Ethan places Tian-Chen's favorite blanket over her coffin.

Kenny leads Kristi, Jade, Dale and Roger on an expedition to the Settlement to gather the crops. 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 Kenny picks blueberries off a bush, Kristi arrives and she tries to check on him, but he simply asks if she has filled up her bags with crops. Kenny tells her they have two hours left and need to bring back as much as possible. 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. 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, and she has them reset her dislocated ankle.

The group stays in the Settlement overnight. 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.

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. Inside, Kenny explains that they will have to return to the Settlement for the remaining food, but warns that both times he has been there he has observed something walking around outside at night. Boyd says they have bigger things to worry about. Kenny asks why the Creatures didn’t kill Randall, and Boyd answers that they want the Townspeople to be constantly afraid, and no longer be able to pretend that they are safe. When Randall begins writhing in pain, he and Boyd move towards his bed, but Mari tells Boyd that he will only make things worse and will be of more use in Town.

Later that day, the residents of Town and Colony House gather at the Diner to hear from Tabitha Matthews about her escape and subsequent return to the Township. Boyd begins by telling them that they have no easy explanations, and to be mindful of the fact that Tabitha has been through a lot. Dale leads the others in demanding that Tabitha speak, but Donna calms them down. Bakta asks Henry why he was in the ambulance, and as he begins to explain, Tabitha arrives, with Jim. Dale immediately asks if she went through a tree. Tabitha begins explaining her story.

Tabitha concludes her story for the people in the Diner. Fatima asks if she tried reaching out to the police, and Tabitha says she wanted to, prompting anger. Tabitha justifies herself, saying they would not have believed her, and Henry tries to back her up, pointing out that he didn’t believe her at first, and that his circumstances are different than the average person’s. Acosta agrees, noting that she and the EMTs thought Tabitha hysterical, but this only angers people further, who point out that she killed Nicky. Clara admonishes Tabitha for wasting her opportunity in the outside world to get help. Jim asks the crowd what they would have done. Fatima also criticizes Tabitha, who apologizes for not finding answers and leaves.

Boyd reminds the crowd that Tabitha escaped, and they should have hope now that it is possible. Dale then demands to go to the Bottle Tree, riling up the crowd. Boyd begs them to think, but Bakta agrees that the equation seems simple: Tabitha went through the tree and escaped. Boyd warns that they cannot just run into the Forest, but Fatima says that they should head to the tree, and Ellis agrees. Boyd warns them that the trees are not simply a magic door, reminding them that he almost died after going through one. Kenny agrees with Boyd, reminding the crowd that it was the Lighthouse that allowed her to escape. Dale says he is going to the Lighthouse, declaring himself done with Boyd and his rules before leaving.

Marielle and Kenny sort the supplies from the ambulance. As he leaves, he runs into Boyd, who asks if he is okay. Kenny promises that he is fine, and does not want to talk about it right now. In his house, Kenny looks through his kitchen before finding Julie outside smoking weed. After promising not to tell her parents, he asks about a screwdriver his mother kept in the junk drawer. Julie apologetically admits that her father probably moved it without thinking. Kenny promises that it is not a big deal, but his face falls once he goes inside, and he gazes longingly at the shrines to his parents. Kenny finds Donna as she completes the cairn for Dale. He asks if she has extra space at Colony House for him. He explains that his mother was the only thing that made his house feel like a home, and she would want a family to have it. Donna tells him that they will always have room for him.

Kenny searches through the Diner and finds his mother's tea. As he is reminiscing, Acosta arrives and he apologetically informs her that they no longer serve food. Acosta asks why there is a Diner, Sheriff’s Office/Post Office and travel agency sign. Acosta further asks why no one is asking her questions and Kenny admits they already have. Kenny then offers her tea. He explains that things are different when people first arrive, as they think that they will be the person able to figure everything out and free themselves. However, as time goes on that feeling passes. Acosta refuses to accept this, but Kenny explains that he has been on both sides of this conversation, and everyone eventually realizes that every question and theory has been posited before, and people either adapt or lose their mind. As he talks about how he adapted, he reveals that both of his parents died in the Township, and Acosta expresses her condolences. After Kenny asks, Acosta admits she does not really have family back home. Kenny points out that they have Talismans, which keep them safe at night, and that Boyd found them. Acosta begins complaining about Boyd taking her gun and his attitude towards her. Kenny offers her fresh clothes, but Acosta snaps at him that she does not want to grow comfortable in the Township. The Jukeboxes begin playing O-o-h Child as Acosta leaves, pushing Bakta out of the way as she does. Bakta informs Kenny that she was hoping to reopen the Diner.

After Tillie's body is discovered, Boyd meets Kenny at Colony House's greenhouse, where Acosta is examining the body. Kenny and Acosta report that there were no witnesses, and time of death is unclear. Acosta suggests interrogating the residents of Colony House. Boyd says he and Ellis will scout out the road to see if there are any new arrivals that arrived unnoticed. Kenny and Acosta begin questioning the residents of Colony House. As they speak to two residents, they say they saw nothing, and tell the pair that they should talk to Sara, as she is the only person who has killed someone before. The residents remind Kenny that she killed his father, surprising Acosta. As Kenny and Acosta leave Colony House, Acosta asks him about Sara. The two are interrupted by Ethan's arrival, as he frantically tells them that Julie is having a seizure. The three arrive as Julie wakes up, and she pulls her brother into a hug.

Kenny finds Tabitha at the Church and informs her that something happened to Julie and she has been taken to the Clinic. The next morning, Victor begins throwing things out of his bedroom window, including many of his drawings. Clara arrives and asks Victor what he is doing. Victor shouts that he kept all these things because he thought they would help, but all they do is hurt. Acosta and Kenny notice the commotion and follow him to the kitchen, trying to calm him. Victor retrieves the axe, and Kenny tries to get him to put it down. Victor promises he will not hurt anyone, but he needs the axe. As he grows more agitated, he asks to be let go, and Acosta says they will if he tells them what he needs the axe for. Victor answers that he is going to chop down the tree.

Boyd and Donna assemble everyone outside the Diner. Donna acknowledges that everyone is scared and wants answers about what happened to Tillie. Boyd then reveals that Fatima is missing, and they ask everyone to help with the search. One person asks if the same thing that took her is what killed Tillie. Boyd admits he does not know, and only knows that she is close. When asked how he knows this, Boyd says it is because something wants them to know she is close, is alone, afraid, and it believes they do not have what it takes to find her. Boyd says he cannot order them to do anything, but reminds them that they did not always have the Talismans and used to live day to day. The Talismans allowed them to prove that the Township would not break them. The Township is trying to break them again, and Boyd says they have the choice of laying down and dying, or fighting back. They have proven themselves able before, and he asks for their help again, although there is no shame in refusing. Batka asks how they will do this, and Boyd says they will pair up in groups of two and cover every inch. Boyd finds Kenny, and asks if he can search with him, and Kenny agrees. Elgin finds Ellis, and offers to search with him, which Ellis appreciates.

As they search, Boyd says he heard Kenny has moved to Colony House and has been meaning to check on him. Kenny understands, saying there are bigger things going on. Boyd apologizes to Kenny for lying to him about Sara’s role in the death of his father, and explains that leading the Town comes with making messy, life-or-death decisions. Boyd further explains that the Parkinson’s is getting worse, and he needs to know that Kenny can step up in his place. He trusts Kenny to look out for his family and everyone else. Kenny refuses to take Boyd’s badge, but offers to return to his role as deputy.

As Boyd and Kenny pore over maps, trying to track the search parties’ progress, Kenny asks why Fatima was at the Shack. Before he can answer, Ellis arrives and tells them that he believes Elgin knows where Fatima is. Ellis continues to explain how Elgin said that Fatima was fine, everything was important and how calmly he was approaching the situation.  Boyd tells Kenny and Ellis to go to Colony House and keep Elgin from leaving.

As Elgin prepares to leave Colony House, he finds his way blocked by Boyd, Donna and Sara. Boyd asks if they can talk for a bit, and Elgin agrees. Donna leads him to her room. While Kenny stands watch outside, Boyd begins interrogating Elgin, noting the supplies in his bag. Boyd bluntly asks Elgin if he knows where Fatima is. Elgin explains that she told him not to say anything, but  he is not trying to hurt anyone, and  what is happening is a good thing. Donna asks who is communicating with him. Elgin answers that he believes it is an angel, and something is happening that is beyond their understanding, comparing it to the Bible, and the need to have faith even in the face of adversity. Boyd tells him that there is no baby, as Kristi and Mari performed an ultrasound and found nothing, and whatever is growing inside her is not good. Elgin replies that the angel explained it to him.

Sara reminds Elgin that she previously told him that she killed her brother. She explains that she did this trying to kill Ethan at the behest of mysterious voices who told her it would allow them to go home. Sara tries to make him realize that the Township does not help them, but Elgin says that this is different. Ellis grows angry, and points out that Elgin does not know anything for a certainty. Donna reminds Elgin that even if the baby allows them to go home, its birth is months away, and Elgin reveals that the fetus has grown. Ellis attacks Elgin, but is restrained by Boyd and Kenny. They all go outside, trying to calm him. Sara warns them that if Elgin truly believes this will allow them to go home, he will not tell them anything, as she knows what it is like to be manipulated by the Township. Boyd decides to get Donna’s tools, and instructs them not to let anyone in the room.

Boyd returns to Colony House with the bag of tools. Ellis tries to stop him, but Boyd tells them not to let anyone upstairs, acknowledging that what happens next is on him. Kenny tries to dissuade him, telling him that they should talk to him again. Boyd answers that Fatima is running out of time, and asks Kenny to go downstairs, which he reluctantly does. Boyd begins torturing Elgin, who refuses to reveal Fatima's whereabouts. Acosta returns, and overhears Elgin being tortured. She runs upstairs, followed by the others, and asks what is happening. As she demands answers, Boyd orders them all downstairs.

Boyd and Ellis argue with Acosta, who insists that there is a better way to find Fatima than torturing Elgin. As they continue arguing, Boyd says she can raise the issue again after they find Fatima. Acosta threatens to tell everyone what is happening, but they are interrupted by Elgin’s screams. They arrive to find Sara gouging out Elgin’s eye with the screwdriver. Sara then informs them that Fatima is in the Root Cellar. Kenny, Boyd and Ellis rush to find her, arriving just after she has given birth. She tells them that the Kimono Woman took the “baby.” Boyd orders Kenny and Ellis to bring Fatima back to Colony House, explaining that they need to know what is coming. Boyd orders Elgin to take care of his wife, promising that he will be right behind them before descending down the hatch with a lantern. As they assist her, she reveals that she saw visions that revealed the origins of the Creatures: they were once the inhabitants of the Township, who sacrificed their children for immortality and became the Creatures.

Trivia

• Missing since: 3/18/2021, Last seen: in Austin, TX traveling to College Station, TX.

Appearances

Season 1

• Long Day's Journey Into Night
• The Way Things Are Now
• Choosing Day
• A Rock and a Farway
• Silhouettes
• Book 74
• All Good Things...
• Broken Windows, Open Doors
• Into The Woods
• Oh, the Places We'll Go

Season 2

• Strangers in a Strange Land
• The Kindness of Strangers
• Tether
• This Way Gone
• Lullaby
• Pas de Deux
• Belly of the Beast
• Forest for the Trees
• Ball of Magic Fire
• Once Upon a Time…

Season 3

• Shatter
• When We Go
• Mouse Trap
• There and Back Again
• The Light of Day
• Scar Tissue
• These Fragile Lives
• Thresholds
• Revelations: Chapter One
• Revelations: Chapter Two