Trickster Episode 3 recap: The truth about Jared’s parents is revealed

Trickster Episode 3 finally gives us some concrete answers to some of the strange supernatural phenomena happening in Jared’s life, along with a slew of other problems.

For starters, Jared sees a strange, hairless, humanoid creature with big black eyes scavenging through Sarah’s trash can across the road. That’s just one more oddity he can add to his list of growing problems.

Then there is the more pressing issue of his mother missing. When we left off with the previous episode, Maggie had conducted a spell meant to kill Wade. She caused a tree to fall in front of him while he rode his bike, causing him to total it. Maggie hasn’t returned home since. Wade survives, as expected.

With Maggie gone, Richie decides to assert his dominance at home. He kicks Jared out of the house and unceremoniously dumps all of his stuff in the yard, even threatening to burn it if Jared doesn’t come to get his things and find another place to stay. Nice guy, that Richie.

Trickster Episode 3 recap: Maggie meets up with her mother.

So while her poor son is left to handle a litany of problems all alone — including that of a violent drug dealer she brought home and left alone with the teen, Maggie traipses through the woods near Wade’s crash site to see if she succeeded in killing him this time.

She doesn’t find his body, but she does find her mother, Sophia (Georgina Lightning — who is Crystle Lightning‘s real-life mom!). Maggie’s mom lives in a cabin in the woods. They catch up for the first time in years. We learn that Maggie’s mom was as absent from her life as she is in Jared’s. She’s never even gotten to know her grandson.

Trickster Episode 3 recap: Georgina attacks Jared.

Wade continues to follow Jared around town like a lost dog, desperate to connect with his son. He invites Jared over for drinks at Phil’s and seems to drug him in the process? It’s a little unclear, but Wade gives Jared a “nightcap,” and Jared passes out in the bathtub shortly after. First, he panics as he starts to feel himself get woozy and locks himself in the bathroom: Then, he looks in the mirror just in time to see his eyes turn black.

The next morning Wade makes him a pancake breakfast like nothing ever happened, and no potential drugging is mentioned. Instead, Wade tries to bond with his son again by telling him how his own father died when he was around Jared’s age. That said, Wade thinks Jared had it worse since he hasn’t grown up getting to know his bio dad.

Jared gets uncomfortable and scampers out of the house for school, leaving his pancakes untouched. But then he discovers that someone unplugged his moped the night before, leaving him without a ride to school. As to who unplugged it? Maybe the creepy older man we see sitting on a chair behind Jared?

Instead of asking Wade for a ride, Jared walks to school and accepts a ride from Georgina. She pulls up beside him and pretends to be a friendly face. Hasn’t anyone told Jared not to get into cars with strangers? He doesn’t even think twice!

As expected, Georgina starts acting weird, and Jared notices something off with her face. He can “see” her. Jared forces the car off the road and books it to school.

Then, during Sarah’s die-in pipeline protest, both Wade and Georgina reappear. Wade shows up because Sarah invited him. She caught him while he grabbed Jared’s stuff from Maggie’s house after Richie dumped it all outside. She seems to take pity on Wade and wants to help him reconnect with his son. Jared isn’t happy that Sarah got involved, but he has bigger problems.

Georgina immediately starts chasing Jared through the school, and Wade is forced to intervene. In his transformed state, we finally see him as a raven attacking Georgina before shifting back, confirming that he is indeed otherworldly.

Trickster Episode 3 recap: Richie gets arrested.

After what he witnessed at school, it’s not too surprising that the first thing Jared does is go home and chug multiple beers. Even Richie is surprised and doesn’t seem bothered that Jared is in the house despite being evicted by him earlier. Richie even tries to comfort Jared and offers to let him stay the night if he needs to. Wow! An invite to stay in his own house! I hate this dude.

But earlier in the episode, shortly after Richie threatened to burn his stuff, Jared called the cops and told them Richie committed arson by burning down his trailer. I can’t say I felt bad seeing the officers carting Richie off to jail. Unfortunately for Jared, I don’t think Richie is going to forgive and forget so easily.

Trickster Episode 3 recap: Wade is a trickster & Maggie is a witch.

In the final moments of the episode, Maggie’s mother consults her notes from all of the elders she’s spoken to over the years. She confirms to Maggie that Wade is indeed a trickster or shapeshifter. Back at Jared’s house, Wade tells him the same thing. He can’t really keep it a secret now that Jared saw him mid-shift. Not only is Wade a trickster, but he tells Jared that Maggie is a witch!

Stray Observations

• Why are two buckets of fried chicken $42.50?! Wade didn’t even order any sides!
• ”That’s somebody’s auntie.” More Crashpad, please.

New episodes of Trickster air Tuesday nights at 9:00 p.m. on The CW.