Major spoilers are ahead from Run Away episode 5.
In the fourth episode, we learned the real reason why Elena has been stalking Maria. We also found out that Damien was adopted, leading Elena to believe that the suspect she's looking for is targeting those who were adopted as children. The episode ended with Simon watching helplessly as Ingrid was rushed into surgery after the machine monitoring her began to blare.
Follow along with our extensive recap below to find out what happens next in the fifth episode of Run Away on Netflix!
The Shining Truth is finally introduced
The fifth episode opens with a flashback to three weeks earlier. Dee Dee is at the compound of her religious group/cult, The Shining Truth. However, she's called Holly at the compound. This scene basically explains to us why Dee Dee and Ash are killing people.
The Shining Truth assigned her the task, and Dee Dee, in turn, convinced Ash, a hitman and childhood friend, to carry out the actual murders. However, the scene stops short of explaining why The Shining Truth chose these specific victims or what ultimate purpose the killings are meant to serve. So far, Dee Dee and Ash have carried out the murders of two people on the list, Kevin Gano and Damien. It's unclear if they've killed Henry yet. We haven't seen it happen on-screen, though he's considered missing at the moment.
Once the opening credits wrap up, we're taken back to the present time. Dee Dee and Ash are headed to The Shining Truth's compound. Dee Dee tells Ash that the group wants to thank them for crossing names off the hit list. But while she's excited to go, Ash is hesitant and doesn't think it's a good idea. He thinks The Shining Truth is a cult and has basically brainwashed Dee Dee since she's been acting differently since she joined.
Lou comes clean to Elena about Maria
The episode then cuts to the hospital. Simon informs Yvonne over the phone that Ingrid is still in surgery and that he doesn't have a significant update on her status at the moment. He tells her not to let Sam or Anya know just yet because he doesn't want to worry them. Elsewhere, Elena is let go after being questioned by the police. While walking outside, she notices Lou standing by her car.
Elena immediately confronts Lou about Maria and tells her that she knows about everything. Lou responds by saying that she had no idea that her son, Joel, aka Elena's late husband, had a secret daughter. She only just found out after Joel died. When Joel passed away, Lou sorted out his affairs and found a document about how he didn't want to be on Maria's birth certificate. That's how she found out. But Elena is still angry about the entire situation. She walks away from Lou and tells her not to contact her unless it's about work.
Elena then meets up with Simon at the hospital. She tells him she recently met with Sebastian Thorpe, who told her he found a charge on Henry's bank account for the same DNA site that Damien was on. She tells Simon that she thinks Damien and Henry may have been adopted from the same agency, and that they may have met on this Discovered Ancestry site. She even suspects they could be related.
Simon then brings up his suspicions that Ingrid may have been cheating on him. He thinks that Paige might not be his, and may even possibly be related to Henry and Damien. Elena tells him to check Paige's bank statements for a charge to the Discovered Ancestry site before heading to the adoption agency. Simon ends up taking Elena's advice and finds her a charge on Paige's account for a site called "Absolute Ancestry." Now, he's more unsure than ever. So, he calls his lawyer and has her set up a secret paternity test. He wants to test all of his kids to see if they're biologically his.
Elsewhere at the police station, Fagbenle tells Todd about his connection to Cornelius. Although Cornelius is suspected of shooting Luther, Fagbenle can’t bring himself to believe that the man he once lived next to could commit such violence. Meanwhile, Dee Dee is preparing Ash for meeting The Shining Truth group on their route to the compound. She tells him that he must be respectful. In this scene, we also find out who the leader of the cult is. His name is Casper Vartage, aka The One. He has two sons, The Visitor and The Volunteer.
Later on, Fagbenle finally meets with Cornelius at his apartment. Although Cornelius doesn't confess to shooting Luther, Fagbenle can tell that his former neighbor isn’t being completely honest. He leaves his apartment with no concrete evidence to move the case forward, and is in shock that Cornelius could even be capable of such violence.
Back at the Greene house, Simon gathers his, Sam's, and Anya's toothbrushes for the paternity test. He then walks into the kitchen and speaks with his kids, but ends up getting into a heated argument with Sam. Simon tells them about Ingrid being in surgery, and Sam doesn't like that he didn't tell them right away. They make up eventually, and Simon informs Sam and Anya later about what he knows about Paige.
Simon meets with Katie
We're then taken to The Shining Truth's compound, where Ash and Dee Dee split up. Dee Dee leaves to attend a women-only ceremony, while Ash is taken to meet a mysterious woman. The woman asks Ash who's left on the hit list, but he refuses to answer her. The conversation ends after Ash tries to attack the woman, and one of the group's members punches him.
Elsewhere, Elena finally arrives at the Hope and Growth Adoption Agency. She attempts to access adoption records from 1990 to 2003, hoping to find files on Henry, Damien, and Aaron, all of whom were adopted through the agency. However, the employee refuses her request. After Elena leaves, the worker calls a woman named Alison to report the visit, revealing that Alison was the person responsible for overseeing these particular adoptions.
But what the worker doesn't know is that Elena bugged the office, and she's listening in on his conversation. She even manages to figure out Alison's business phone number and uses it to find out where she works. Later on, Simon meets with his lawyer at the nail salon to hand over his and his kids' toothbrushes for the paternity test. While leaving, he receives an urgent text from Katie to meet up.
They meet at a dock, where Katie opens up to Simon about how her friendship with Paige ended. She explains that when she confronted Paige about her relationship with Professor van de Beek, Paige reacted poorly, leading to a major fight.
Later, Katie discovered that Paige had developed a drug addiction. She apologizes to Simon for not being honest sooner, admitting that the situation had triggered her, especially since Professor van de Beek had previously tried to pursue her. Simon then asks her if she knows where Professor van de Beek is, but Katie tells him she has no idea. He thanks her before leaving.
Elsewhere, Elena makes her way to Alison's place of business and confronts her about Henry, Damien, and Aaron's adoptions. However, she's unable to get any real information out of her after she reveals that she's just a private investigator. Alison runs away, and Elena loses her.
Ash meets Casper Vartage
Back at The Shining Truth compound, Ash wakes up to find himself lying on a rock with Dee Dee and some of the other group members watching him. In this scene, we find out that the mysterious woman who was asking Ash about his hit list is named Mother Adiona. Dee Dee steps up and tells Ash that Casper wants to meet with them.
In Casper's quarters, Casper thanks Dee Dee and Ash for their services. But while Dee Dee is receptive, Ash ignores his gratitude and tells him that he and Dee Dee still have more names to cross off the list. Before Casper lets them go, he gives them a list of additional names, a new car, and tells them where they can get more weapons. As Dee Dee and Ash leave in their new car, Mother Adiona watches them from afar. That's strange!
Back at the hospital, Simon confronts Dr. Stanfield about sleeping with Ingrid but Dr. Stanfield doesn't give him a clear answer. Meanwhile, Elena is staked outside Alison's place of business, hoping to catch her when she walks out. As Ash and a sleeping Dee Dee head to their next destination, Ash reaches into his sock and pulls out a piece of paper. Mother Adiona had snuck into his sock at the compound. The note reads, "Don't kill them. Don't trust Dee Dee." Now, Ash is weighed down by doubt.
At the police station, Fagbenle illegally clears Cornelius’s alibi for the night Luther was shot, despite knowing he was responsible. Elsewhere, Cornelius arrives at Aaron's apartment. He stops in front of the door, and then the episode cuts to a flashback to the night of Aaron's murder. In the flashback, Cornelius is shown finding Aaron's bloody body in his apartment. He takes the murder weapon (a knife) and then throws it into a body of water. The episode then ends with a close-up of Cornelius in the present time.