Previous recap: Abduction (January 18)
Following recap: Bait ( March 8)
Emily marveled that Nolan had actually gotten married, and he thanked her for offering her home for a reception. Emily noted that it was a fake one, but Nolan pointed out that he was technically off the market, and he was determined to keep Louise free from her mother's clutches. He mentioned that he'd invited every major media outlet to cover the party, including Margaux, and Emily wondered if he expected Margaux to forget the steam room incident. Nolan reasoned that people in the Hamptons had to forget those they hated, or they'd never get invited anywhere, and he asked what was next for Emily. Emily received a text message and said that she was still running to her father's rescue.
As Emily helped David pick out a tie for Nolan's reception, she noticed her father's limp was better, and she told him to save her a dance. David said being with her made him realize they'd missed out on a lot, and he wanted to start making up for it by celebrating her birthday, which he'd missed three days earlier. He presented her with her original birth certificate as Amanda Clarke, and Emily admitted that she hadn't celebrated her real birthday in a long time. He wanted her to reclaim her life by becoming Amanda again, and he said she'd helped him to be happier than he'd ever been, so he wanted to do the same for her. Meanwhile, someone snapped surveillance photos as they embraced.
Lyman swore to Louise that he'd had no idea what Penelope had been doing with Louise's pills, and he proclaimed that he was there to broker peace in light of Louise's marriage. Louise huffed that their mother was incapable of compromise, but Lyman insisted that Penelope had Louise's best interests at heart. Louise referenced the lies Penelope had told her, but Lyman swore they hadn't been lies, and he presented Louise with the police report from the night their father had died.
Lyman explained that Penelope had arranged for a judge to bury the file, and Louise dryly noted that the judge was Penelope's plus-one for the wedding reception. Lyman cautioned that Penelope intended to restore her conservatorship at the reception based on the facts, and he encouraged Louise just to sign the annulment papers. Louise accused him of only caring about the money to finance his campaign, but Lyman questioned whether her fake husband would stand by her once the truth was out. Lyman handed her the police report and told her to save them the embarrassment.
Louise insisted that all the party arrangements be taken away except the champagne, and Nolan pulled her aside and joked that it was too late to get cold feet. She grumbled that they wouldn't be married for long if her mom had her way, and Nolan pledged to find a way around it. Louise asked if there was a way around murder, and she relayed that Penelope had said Louise had killed her father. Nolan inquired whether Louise remembered what had happened, and she replied that she'd been 13 years old when her dad had fallen to his death on the stairs, but it had been when she'd started to lose her mind.
Louise revealed that the police report indicated she'd pushed her father, and her mother had buried the report to protect her, but Penelope would tell the world if Louise didn't sign over the rights to her money. Louise recalled standing over her father's body, crying, but the report contained forensic evidence. Nolan conceded that Louise was a little crazy, but he thought the story didn't add up, and he asked her to trust him to get answers.
A reporter interviewed Ben about the rescue, but he replied that he'd just been doing his job, and he had to get to work. The reporter asked Jack to say a few words, but he ducked away from the cameras. Fellow officers greeted Ben and Jack with applause in the squad room, and the police chief announced that the mayor would be presenting them with medals of honor the next day. Jack insisted that Ben accept for both of them, since he had to attend a friend's wedding reception, but the chief ordered Ben to make sure Jack was at the ceremony. Later, Jack and Ben argued about Jack's reluctance to attend.
On the beach house porch, David handed Jack a beer and mentioned he'd heard Jack was getting a medal. Jack asked if David would accept it, but David doubted he'd ever have that problem. Jack noted that they'd both covered up killings, but Conrad had destroyed countless lives, and Kate hadn't. Jack regretted that he'd taken a life, but David pointed out that Jack had saved David and Emily's lives, so Jack was a hero. Jack questioned why he couldn't live with it, and he said he felt like a liar. David advised that one thing had nothing to do with another, but he understood that something had to give if Jack couldn't believe that.
Victoria told Margaux about her plans to establish a foundation in Daniel's name, and Margaux asked if she intended to tell the truth. Victoria contended that she couldn't, and Margaux questioned how Victoria intended to build a foundation for a man who was infamous for assaulting his ex-wife. Victoria cited the good cause of helping children become leaders, but Margaux countered that justice should be served. Margaux thought the goal should be to clear Daniel's name, but Victoria warned that only pain and conflict would result if Margaux went to war with Emily. Victoria urged Margaux to move forward, but Margaux hoped Victoria would reconsider.
Victoria entered the yacht club and apologized for being late to her circle of socialite friends. The group of women claimed they hadn't been sure Victoria would be there after what she'd been through, but they grew silent when Victoria requested their help with a fundraiser. A woman named Heather remarked that the basis of a foundation in Daniel's name seemed unseemly, and another woman approached and said Victoria was in her seat. Natalie Waters introduced herself and said she'd read quite a bit about Victoria, and she mentioned she was new there. Victoria condescendingly suggested that Natalie squeeze in between the other ladies, and she looked forward to seeing the rest of the women at her fundraiser that evening.
Later, Victoria waited alone at a gallery, and Natalie entered and asked if she'd gotten the time wrong. Victoria informed her that some pieces were still available, and Natalie reminded Victoria that they'd met at the yacht club earlier. Natalie observed that there hadn't been much of a turnout, and Victoria suspected her friends had been persuaded not to attend. Natalie suggested that the Grayson name no longer commanded the fear and respect it once had, and she quipped that it wasn't easy being queen. Natalie wished Victoria good luck with the foundation, and she walked off.
In Margaux's office, Emily slammed down a copy of a tabloid article with a photo of her and David, and Margaux said she couldn't ignore what other publications were also reporting. Margaux contended that Emily was wearing two masks, but Emily swore she'd never wanted anything bad to happen to Daniel. Margaux blamed Emily for putting the wheels in motion by moving to the Hamptons, but Emily reminded Margaux of the secrets she knew about Pascal, and she threatened that they were enough to sink Margaux and her media conglomerate.
Margaux agreed to steer clear, but she added that the man she'd loved had died saving Emily. Margaux refused to dishonor his last actions by going against his wishes, and she warned that she didn't control every media outlet in the world, so the truth would eventually be known. Emily suggested that Margaux worry about her empire, and she'd worry about herself. Emily stalked out, and Margaux scolded her hired minion for not providing better results. He offered to try casting a wider net, and Margaux instructed him to do whatever it took to expose Emily.
Emily sipped a beer at a bar, and she thanked Ben for meeting her. She hoped he'd gotten Jack through the media attention, and Ben worried that Jack seemed tortured by the spotlight. Emily noted that Jack kept things inside, and Ben asked what would happen when Jack ran out of space. Emily clarified that hadn't been why she'd called, and she requested Ben's advice. She explained that her father wanted her to go back to being Amanda, and Ben imagined she was having a hard time letting go of her Emily persona.
Ben said he'd been undercover for six months, but Emily had been playing a role for over a decade, so the situations were different. He recognized that the cover had become part of who she was and that it would be harder to go back, and Emily explained that she'd never intended to become Amanda again. Ben said he didn't want to imagine the world without Emily Thorne, and they smiled and gazed at one another. She received a text message, and Ben accepted that her work was never done, but he promised her he'd be around.
Nolan explained to Louise that Emily had learned a technique in Japan that could recover Louise's memory of the night her father had died, and the threesome sat around a table in a candlelit room. Emily said the exercise was designed to help Louise face the same fear and danger she had experienced on that night, and she placed Louise's hand on the table. Emily picked up a dagger and urged Louise to focus on the blade, and she deftly used the dagger to tap the table between Louise's fingers. Emily asked what Louise saw, and Louise whimpered that she was afraid. Emily demanded to know why, and Louise flashed back to screaming for her daddy and seeing him fall down the stairs. Louise blurted out that she hadn't done it.
The next day, Emily stopped by to make sure Jack was okay because he hadn't returned her calls, and she understood the truth had been hard to keep inside. He ranted that he had killed an FBI agent and had conspired to hide the body, and he had to live with what he'd done. He suspected that she was more worried that he'd tell the press what had really happened, and he snapped that he couldn't keep the mayor waiting. At the ceremony, the mayor saluted Ben and Jack for their brave actions in the line of duty, but Jack gave complete credit to Ben. Jack said he needed to talk to the police chief after the ceremony.
Nolan greeted his guests at the reception, and Penelope remarked that he looked dashing for a future ex-son-in-law. Nolan reported that Louise would be down in a moment, and Penelope introduced him to Judge Miller. Lyman pulled Penelope aside to look at the ice sculpture, and he asked if his mom was sure about her plan. Penelope assured him that Louise wouldn't get hurt as long as she signed back her conservatorship, and Lyman hoped to find alternative funding if the ship went down. Penelope crowed that Louise would be a runaway bride of biblical proportions.
Nolan worriedly informed Emily that Louise had left a note, saying she had killed her father and refusing to ruin Nolan's life, too. Emily wondered if Louise had turned herself in, but Nolan pulled up Louise's location using GPS on his phone, and Emily realized where Louise was. Nolan was adamant that he get some information to Louise, and he handed Emily a file to give to her.
Emily arrived at Claremont and claimed to be an inspector who was performing a spot check of the mental health facility. Emily intimidated the front desk clerk into giving her a patient list and letting her in, and she tracked Louise down in a patient room. Emily said she had Louise's back, but Louise wailed that she was where she deserved to be, since she'd killed her father. Emily handed over a wedding gift from Nolan -- the real police report from the night Louise's father had died. Emily explained that Lyman had given Louise a forged one, and Nolan had moved heaven and earth to find the beat cop who'd investigated the incident.
Louise remembered seeing her father fall, but Emily pointed out that it didn't mean Louise had pushed him. Louise flashed back to reaching out to try to catch him before he fell, and she realized her mother had known the truth the whole time. Emily revealed that the judge had buried the original report, and Louise wondered how Nolan had had faith in her when she'd had none in herself. Emily replied that it was who Nolan was, and she implored Louise to get back to her husband.
Victoria coolly greeted her friends at the reception and expressed relief that they were all okay, since they'd been a no-show at her fundraiser. The women half-heartedly apologized, and Victoria said she understood as she put her arm around Heather. Victoria cooed that she'd been there when Heather's husband had engaged in a dalliance with a pool boy, and she explained that trying to make a friend was like business, since investing in the wrong one could prove costly.
Victoria implied that all the women had secrets they wanted to keep hidden, and she insinuated that one of their husbands was sleeping with someone else in that circle. Victoria reminded them that friends ensured that discretions remained confidential in return for support, and she pointedly suggested that anything less than double the support she'd originally asked for the foundation would seem unseemly. The women reached for their checkbooks.
David entered the party, and he spotted Victoria across the room. He approached her, and she said she was there for the bride, but she intended to honor their deal. He suggested that they put hundreds of people between them, but she stopped him from walking away and asked what he would have done to protect his child if he'd been in her shoes 20 years prior. He said she'd done no worse than he had when he'd asked her to tarnish Daniel's name, and Victoria acknowledged that she'd just needed to hear him say it.
At the bar, Margaux and Jack ran into one another, and he told her that the bartender had disappeared. He assured Margaux that Daniel had died a hero, and he was sorry the rest of the world couldn't know. She softly stated that Jack had been the only person who had said that to her, and she mentioned that he'd received a medal. Jack disclosed that he'd left it with his badge and gun on the chief's desk, since being a cop hadn't been right for him. Jack stepped behind the bar, and Margaux protested when he started to pour her a drink, but he told her that he'd heard the news about her pregnancy. She confided that it terrified her, but Jack said she'd been a natural with Carl, and he toasted to her child growing up in a less complicated world.
Penelope huffed that Louise could be anywhere, and she warned Nolan to be more careful about meddling in her family's business. Louise descended the stairs and accused Penelope of murdering her dad and trying to blame Louise. Penelope said Louise had a penchant for telling colorful stories, but Louise asserted that it was no tall tale, and she knew that her father had found out Penelope had been cheating with Judge Miller. Louise recalled that Penelope had slugged Louise's father, and Penelope had drugged Louise to make her think she was crazy and to retain control of the money.
Penelope wondered who the court would believe based on the police report, but Louise questioned whether Penelope meant the forgery or the original, and she presented the latter to her mother. Penelope spat that it was all lies, but Nolan informed her that the officer on duty had kept the records. Judge Miller declared that he and Penelope weren't welcome there, and he said he'd meet her in the car. Louise ordered Penelope to go home, and she hissed that if her mother dared to step out of line or out of the state of Georgia, there would be a bed waiting for Penelope at Claremont.
Lyman told Louise that he felt terrible, and he insisted that he hadn't been aware of their mother's deceit. Louise proclaimed that she knew what he was after, and she announced that she was cutting him and his campaign off financially.
David and Emily danced, and they laughed at the memory of her dancing his feet in their living room. He recalled that she'd been a happy child, but she replied that it had ended when she'd been nine. He declared that it was time to start again, but Emily informed him that she couldn't go back to being Amanda Clarke. She pointed out that he wanted her to be happy, and she had friends and her father, but telling the whole world who she was would change everyone's lives.
Jack continued to fill in for the bartender, and the party planner asked if he was free to fill in at a bar mitzvah the following week. Jack received a text message from Ben about Jack's resignation and said he had to go.
As the party wound down, Victoria surveyed her former home, and Natalie appeared behind her and said they'd gotten off on the wrong foot. Victoria advised her not to backpedal, since she'd admired Natalie's boldness, and Natalie commended Victoria for monetizing her friends' secrets. Victoria remarked that there were still plenty out there, since everyone had them. Victoria received a call, and a man apologetically informed her that there had been a death in the family.
The man Margaux had hired presented her with footage of Jack telling Emily that he had killed an FBI agent and had conspired to hide the body. Margaux complained that she'd asked for evidence on Emily, but the man argued that Jack and Emily had been in on it together, and he didn't see a problem with using the information to take them both down.
Emily arrived to see Ben at his house, and he said her visit was unexpected. She admitted that it was for her, too, and she asked if it was a bad time. He assured her it wasn't, and he wondered if she wanted to hear more about the time he'd worked undercover. She told him shut up, and they kissed. Jack appeared and spied their passionate embrace.
Previous recap: Abduction (January 18)
Following recap: Bait ( March 8)
