The Society season 1 finale recap: How It Happens

A new group comes into power on The Society.

“How It Happens” opens up with a quick check-in regarding the expedition where the group has made about zero progress so far. The kids are scared, and they begin to wonder if New Ham will devolve into cannibalism if they can’t find a field to farm in. Bean gets one of the funniest lines on The Society though when she assuages Gwen’s fears by reminding her she’s a vegetarian. At least someone can keep their sense of humor!

Especially when the things happening in town are not funny at all. Lexie is making waves with people who are tired of working. Will, Jason, and Helena all listen on in disbelief that anyone would side with her. Sure, the general idea of not working seems great but no one stops and thinks about what that means. It’s such a short-sighted goal and it’s frustrating to watch.

Allie calls her to a meeting and begs her to give up the election. She’ll happily have her on the council but Lexie as the mayor would destroy all of New Ham. Not to mention, it would put Elle in danger and Allie is interested in protecting her. She even hands over Cassandra’s favorite shirt to Elle, which hints at a deeper bond forming between the two even if Allie claims it’s meaningless. Lexie doesn’t care though, she’s smug and as Campbell puts it, an idiot, who is blinded by her hatred for Allie.

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The Society also reveals how Campbell has really been keeping Harry in line. He’s given him back the drugs and it’s too late for Harry to turn back. The guy is addicted and he needs the pills. In fact, Campbell smugly tells him the plan to forcibly take power rather than actually go through with the election. Harry is horrified but he’s a slave to his own demons and ultimately agrees so long as he continues getting drugs.

While he’s sinking further, Kelly is hot on the pursuit of the truth. She approaches Harry about the bus driver in the photo but he’s too strung out to actually have any answers. That’s a dead end so she gathers up her friends so they can all chat about what’s happening. Allie agrees with Kelly, that their parents broke the contract and Pfeiffer took them. Sam also comes clean about the papers Campbell destroyed but he did take photos first so all is forgiven. Gordie can’t wrap his mind around it and Kelly theorizes that either their parents are being punished or they were saved and the other Earth doesn’t exist. However, the end of this episode kind of ruins that theory but we’ll get to that later.

The sudden onset of stress has Becca going into labor and the group scrambles her to the hospital. Sadly, she’s not nearly ready to give birth so Sam is tasked with walking her around. Allie offers her congratulations but Becca doesn’t want to hear it. This is a terrifying moment for her, she’s about to give birth without her family or a real doctor. Lexie could come into power and Becca doesn’t want her baby to raised under that leadership. Eventually, she relents and thanks her for her well-wishes but it doesn’t change much.

Meanwhile, Campbell and Harry officially try to get the Guard on their side. It’s easy to see how Jason and Clark are manipulated, especially since the two have basically morphed into the same character at this point. But Grizz and Luke are also part of the Guard. What happens when Grizz gets back and Luke actually has someone on his side? It’s also despicable that his friends would threaten his wife because he’s not onboard with their ridiculous plan?

It’s also terrifying to imagine being a woman in The Society. Clark mentions how the women get too much power and it’s time for men to be running the show. This isn’t the first time this sentiment has come up on the series and it feels depressingly realistic. Not every guy is like that, obviously Luke, Gordie, Grizz, Sam, and Will don’t feel that way. But the members of the Guard who do, Campbell, and even Harry always seem to pose a threat to people simply because they feel like they deserve everything without actually working for it.

Amidst all of the craziness, Becca gives birth! The baby isn’t breathing at first but thanks to some quick-thinking from Kelly, she manages to revive it. Turns out, it’s a girl! Becca is over the moon and so is Sam. Kelly and Gordie are also amazed at what they managed to accomplish. It’s the first true moment of happiness in a rather bleak episode.

That nice scene is knocked away immediately as the Guard formally recruits Lexie before heading over to Allie’s. They place her and Will under arrest while Campbell demands to see Elle. Even though it’s tiny, as Campbell points out, Allie refuses to say where she is. Even when she’s made mistakes this season, The Society has proven that Allie is just as strong as Cassandra. It’s kind of touching to see her channel her sister at this moment.

Elle leaves with him (no!) and Luke takes the stage at the church where Helena is preaching. He announces Will and Allie have been arrested, essentially paving the way for Lexie to take over. Helena is horrified and Luke doesn’t come clean which certainly isn’t the best decision here. He needs to realize that having a wife means he’s no longer alone and that she’s a better teammate than Jason or Clark ever will be.

Kelly confronts Harry and tells him off because she’s not falling for any of this plan. He implores her to be quiet for her own safety and Kelly realizes the extent of the danger they’re in. She rushes to town to try and figure out what happened to Allie and Will. The two are dragged in front of a crowd where people throw rocks before Lexie stops it. She looks horrified at Allie’s face and the latter smugly points out that this is who she is now. Looks like ruling isn’t as easy as Lexie thought it would be. If something happens to the two of them, Lexie and Harry are responsible for hurting two innocent people. It’s not exactly that should sit easily with anyone.

Grizz also returns after his expedition successfully found land. He’s shocked to see what’s happening and immediately wants to help Allie.

Finally, we get a major cliffhanger for next season. Charlie the dog makes a reappearance after we all thought he died. He’s back in the main world where Allie’s mom is reading to some kids. There’s a memorial plaque for all of the missing teenagers so yes, there is another Earth that still exists! Now if only Charlie can show the kids how to get back.

The Society has certainly been an interesting show to follow even if it made a few missteps along the way. It’s been billed as a modern-day take on Lord of the Flies, so it seems inevitable the town will split into two. It would be a bit of a shock for Lexie and Harry if Kelly leads a responsible group out of New Ham where they actually thrive.

What did you think of the finale? Be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!