The first episode of The Institute season 1 left off with Nicky suggesting to Luke that they team up and devise a plan to escape the Institute. Will Luke be on board? Let's now move on to the second episode to find out!
Spoilers are ahead from The Institute episode 2.
Iris graduates to the back half
The second episode opens with Iris's graduation day at the Institute. The staff and kids gather in the cafeteria to celebrate the occasion. However, it's anything but exciting for the kids. Although they don't know what happens at the back half, the kids suspect it can't be good since those who graduated in the past have never been seen again. Luke, Kalisha, and Nick say their goodbyes before Iris is taken away by Maureen.
Besides Iris's graduation day, it's also the day of Luke's first tests. Kalisha suggests to him that he eat some cake because it helps settle his stomach, so he does. During their conversation, Luke shares his and Nicky's plan of breaking out of the Institute. He claims that he's going to help the others as well. Kalisha reveals to him that she and Nicky have somewhat of a romantic thing going on, but it isn't that serious.
In Ms. Sigsby's office, Ms. Sigsby and Stackhouse have a phone call with a mysterious man. It appears that he's both of their boss. They inform him of the passing of the mysterious woman whom Kate killed in the last episode. The woman was a snatch team leader at the Institute. The man on the phone demands that they move someone from the in-house staff into the role now so that their snatch teams remain at full strength.
Ms. Sigsby then recommends using Kate as a temporary replacement until a more permanent solution is found. The man and Stackhouse agree, and the phone call ends. During this scene, we find out that Ms. Sigsby and Stackhouse aren't on the best of terms. They more or less tolerate each other.
Luke has his first tests
Luke is taken to a room where he's forced to sit in a chair and be strapped down. Dr. Hendricks and the staff member who gave him the metal earpiece (Tony) run tests on him. They're trying to get a baseline for his TK, but Luke informs them that he can't do it at will. After being injected with a mysterious substance, Luke starts to become dizzy.
He tries to move an item with his mind, but nothing happens. Dr. Hendricks then tells Tony to inject Luke with the mysterious substance again to give him a boost. After this happens, Luke manages to make the item levitate for a couple of seconds before it drops back down. The tests end here, and Luke is dismissed.
Back in the cafeteria, Luke shares his experience with Nicky. As they're talking, Kalisha enters the room with George, who is still somewhat disoriented after undergoing some tests. Nicky explains to Luke that George just went through the final test in front half called the "dream box." During this test, a bunch of bad memories are dragged up from your subconscious, and you're forced to experience them. Nicky claims the only way to make them stop is by lining up the lights.
Luke and Nicky are official partners
Luke and Nicky are determined to escape the Institute, but have a hard time coming up with a solid plan. They need to find a way to bypass the security cameras without being noticed. Luke suggests they find an inside man to help them out, but that's going to be hard. If the inside person turns on them and tells Ms. Sigsby, their plan is completely blown. Luke then suggests they find a super powerful TP who would be able to see inside the minds of the staff and scramble their brains without them realizing it. However, the issue is finding that powerful TP.
Later, Luke, Nicky, and Kalisha talk in one of the recreation areas of the Institute. Kalisha and Luke believe that they can trust Maureen, one of the Institute's staff members, but Nicky thinks she's just as bad as the others. Luke then informs Kalisha and Nicky that a new kid will be arriving at the Institute later that night named Avery Dixon. He's younger than all of them.
Tim saves the day
It's a new day. Tim leaves his hotel room and finds out from the hotel owner that Officer Wendy Gullickson called and requested that he come to the police station. Once there, Tim learns from Wendy that two robbers are believed to be headed to their town soon. She offers Tim a gun, but Tim declines. Wendy then tells him that his only job is to call in the robbery if he sees it happen.
As Tim walks through the town, he notices a commotion happening on the sidewalk between the older lady (Annie) and another woman. Annie tells the other woman that she needs to know the truth and that some girl named Zoe would want her to know the truth. The woman tries to walk away from her, but Annie blocks her path. It's not until Tim walks up that Annie moves out of the way. Later, Tim finds out from Wendy that the woman Annie was arguing with is named Kelly Sloane and that Zoe was her daughter who passed away from a drowning accident many years ago.
According to Wendy, Annie wasn't living in the town at the time of the incident. However, she thinks that Annie learned about it and then decided that the incident wasn't an accident. Wendy also tells Tim that Annie isn't in a good mental space, so it wouldn't be wise to trust her words.
Later that night, Tim goes to check on Annie. As she's talking to him about the Institute, they hear gunshots coming from nearby. Tim runs to the crime scene. The two robbers are in the process of robbing the local gas station. Tim engages with the robbers who shoot at him before leaving in their truck. He then runs into the gas station to find the owner lying on the floor with a gunshot wound. He calls the crime in and begins helping the owner.
A police officer finally arrives at the scene. It's Drew. However, Drew instantly starts panicking once he sees the gas station owner bleeding out on the floor. Tim tells him to call an ambulance, and Drew does what he says. Wendy tells them over a walkie-talkie that an ambulance will be there shortly. An ambulance eventually arrives at the scene along with Chief Ashworth. Tim has saved the day.
Stackhouse presents Dr. Hendricks with a proposition
As Dr. Hendricks leaves the Institute late at night, Stackhouse approaches him. Hendricks tells Stackhouse that George is nearly ready to move to the back half, and Stackhouse responds that it’s good news, since they’ll need him with the upcoming keyholes. Stackhouse then asks about Luke. Hendricks gives an update on how Luke's initial tests went, and Stackhouse comments that although Luke’s TP abilities aren’t fully developed yet, he could still prove to be useful for a higher cause.
Hendricks then tells Stackhouse that he is not about to go against the Institute's rules or his position by scanning for PCs among the kids. However, it's unclear what a PC is at the moment. As they make their way to Hendricks' house, Stackhouse informs Hendricks that there are other people willing to pay a substantial amount of money if someone can provide them with a competitive advantage.
Now, Hendricks seems to be on board with what he's saying. Stackhouse tells Hendricks that if he wants to be a part of the plan, then he needs to find a kid with PC development and develop them. That kid is Luke. Ms. Sigsby listens to their conversation from inside her house.
The Institute receives a new kid
As Luke lies in his bed at night, he hears someone crying outside his door. He goes to check on the person and finds a kid balled up on the floor. He instantly recognizes that the kid is the new arrival, Avery. Kalisha, Nicky, and George also come over to see what's going on. As Kalisha tries to get Avery to calm down, she reads his mind. George then steps in and helps Avery back to his room. Kalisha tells Luke and Nicky that Avery is strong and that he's a really powerful TP. Ding, ding, ding! It looks like Luke and Nicky's prayers have been answered. The second episode ends here.
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