Tuesday's Child

Tuesday's Child is the third episode of the Prime Video series Utopia. It, along with the other episodes of the series, were released on September 25, 2020.

Synopsis
Jessica continues to hunt for answers while our underdogs must make a crucial decision. Michael is done being pushed around.

A redheaded tease
Jessica Hyde uses the bathroom, watched by Becky, Ian and Wilson and holding a gun on them the entire time. She finishes her business, telling them they have a funeral to go to. They stare at the dead body of Samantha J. and she walks out, commenting "different funeral." They arrive at said funeral, for Olivia. Jessica and Becky go in to chat up a woman, hoping to get some information since they haven't heard from Grant. Jessica leaves Ian and Wilson handcuffed in the car. She warns them that she'll kill Becky if they leave.

Inside the church, Becky chats up a woman she thinks is a likely mark to get some information out of. In the car, Wilson complains that they're just tools for Jessica's use and escapes from the handcuffs. Ian pleads with him to think of Becky. Back inside, Becky continues her talk with the woman, learning that Olivia's grandfather got the comic by working at an asylum, a gift from a patient. "Art therapy," the woman says. "Drew that comic book." Outside, a pair of red-headed men arrive in the parking lot. They both draw guns. In the church, Becky learns that the asylum is in River Park, but that it burnt to the ground several years back, every patient dead. Outside, the redheads pull their guns on Ian and Wilson and start demanding to know where Utopia and Jessica Hyde are. Inside, Becky asks for Olivia's grandpas address, claiming a Dutch custom of leaving flowers where the deceased lived. Somehow, the ploy works and she is given the address. The two head back outside and discover what's happening. Jessica races into action, taking out the two redheads. The car's windows splattered with blood and the dead bodies on the ground, Jessica peels away from the scene.

Asylum art therapy
The group visits the home left to Olivia by her grandfather. It is still largely in a state of disarray, the two never having gotten very far in cleaning up before taking the manuscript to Fringecon. Jessica thinks maybe there could be another copy, or a clue to who drew it. "Something!" she shouts at the group. They start digging around, but Ian wants to run. Wilson tells him that it's a hard truth that the Harvest is after them and they need Jessica Hyde. Becky says that she wants to live, and they can do that by finding Utopia. He tries to protest by pointing out what happened to Samantha, but she says that Jessica is going to play by different rules and she's already dying anyway. She explains that she has Diels syndrome. She thinks maybe the cure could be in Utopia. She tells him she's willing to accept Sam's murder for her own interests. She tells him that he can go, that there's no real reason for him to stay. She joins the group in rummaging around, hoping to find anything at all.

Wilson finds an envelope labeled "River Park Asylum Art Therapy." Jessica takes it. Ian tells Becky that he's there to stay, that she makes him want to be brave. They study the art, which is clearly by the same artist. They find a photo of the artist holding the drawing, Jessica's father. Back on the road, Wilson reads a news story of the burning of the asylum. It says that an accelerant never before seen was used. "He got torched," realizes Wilson, as Becky pleads with him to have empathy for Jessica who is sobbing and whimpering. They arrive back at the house, where Jessica crawls into a cabinet and wails incoherently. Wilson suggests they check if Grant wrote back. Meanwhile, Grant is with Alice, sharing the comic with her and teaching her about the mythos. He tells her that Jessica is his girl. She agrees that the comic is "very cool." He asks to use her laptop and she agrees. "No dirty stuff."

Police cars pull up outside Christie Labs. A news reporter announces that it's a raid, in relation to the flu, which keeps spreading in cities with schools where his Simpro product has been served. A reporter asks if the "miracle meat is actually murder." An FBI agent shouts for all of the workers to "stand down." Kevin Christie meets with an agent named Toni Tambler who he has not had kind words for in the past. He tells her that it's a mistake, telling her he wants her to test it. He asks her to continue to allow production while they test. His son Thomas keeps shouting at her about government overreach. She suggests they stop killing kids while they figure it out and orders production shut down. Her agents take a sample. Back at Alice's, Grant refuses an offer to go to school with her. He says he has to meet some friends. The mother, Kim, tells him he's welcome to stay so long as he promises they can trust him. He asks why she's so nice and she quotes Nelson Mandela, saying that it's important to actually care for them. She and Alice leave and Grant takes Alice's laptop and prepares to boogie out, only to find a lunch-bag made up for him. It even includes one of the blackberries Alice wouldn't share before.

Mr Rabbit's hideout
Michael Stearns arrives at work, where to his great surprise, he has received one of the samples of the blood of the infected children he requested. He puts on his gear and gets to work. Whatever he sees excites him, because he starts cheering and jumping. He races upstairs and returns home, shouting for his wife Colleen. He tells her that the flu is the one he discovered previously. He tells her that there's a couple things bother him - that it's a very unusual outbreak pattern. She tells him to breathe and be confident and to use the connections of Dean Richards. She tells him that if the mutation responds like the flu he found before, then they already have both the vaccine and the cure. Meanwhile, Kevin Christie is sitting watching the news and muttering that he can't even help when he gets a call from Dean Richards. He tells everyone that they found the flu. Back at the house, the group gets on the computer, hoping for a message from Grant. They find one - "Check out Mr. Rabbit's hideout!!! It's hot!!! No lie!!! Meet met here at 8pm for IT!!!" They see all the exclamation points and realize that he really is just a kid. Jessica emerges from the cabinet. She is surprised they all stayed and tells them that her father isn't dead. She tells them that she's going to find Artemis, that she's the only person in the world she trusts. She orders Becky to come with her, but Ian tells her he's coming instead. Jessica agrees, telling Becky and Wilson she'll kill Ian if they leave.

Stearns gets his meeting with Christie. He calls himself a big fan. They talk about all the time wasted on the Simpro and how now they can get to work. Christie tells Stearns he wants to go straight into production via an Emergency Use Authorization. He says that nothing is more honest than the guy who discovered the flu leading the charge. Stearns is skeptical, saying his original vaccine was only approved for limited use by the Peruvian military. He cites a huge risk for complications. Christie replies that children are dying by the hour. He asks if it's about credit, that he hasn't gotten the recognition he deserves. Stearns replies that he figured Christie would be feeling cautious at this point. He says that he feels desperate and responsible because he antagonized the FDA and it wasted time. Stearns tells him that he can't sign off, wanting another round of tests. Christie apologizes for suggesting he's all about his reputation, but dismisses him, telling him they'll get the EUA another way. Stearns returns home, telling Colleen the meeting was a total disaster, that Christie ran roughshod over him. He says that as the expert, he was only asking to make sure the vaccine was safe. He shouts that he's not going back to the basement, that he's going to be a part of this. She tells him he's acting crazy and he calls it a low blow. He tells her he's going to St. Louis, straight to the middle of the hot zone and prove that he's not just some nerd. He repeats her own words back at her: "be confident."

Becky calls over Wilson to try to help her figure out Grant's puzzle. He tells her that they've spent a year talking about the conspiracy and now they're in it. He thinks it's kind of cool. He cries and she asks him if he likes the drapes in the living room. She sews him an eyepatch from the drapes. They say some words over Samantha's body, Wilson calling her the smartest and bravest of them all. Becky says that she was the most alive of all of them when she was alive. In the car, Ian asks Jessica where they're going. She pinpoints Artemis's location based on an old poem and the date. He asks about Artemis and she tells him when she was 12, she and her father were broken out of Home by Artemis.. Artemis saved her and trained her like a soldier. Back at the house, Becky looks at a building depicted in Dystopia and she and Wilson figure out Grant's clue - the Harold Washington Library in Chicago. He finds keys and they steal a car from the barn. "Let's go find Utopia!" he shouts. Meanwhile, Grant makes his way to the destination.

Finding Artemis
Jessica and Ian arrive at an abandoned lot. Ian tells her he has to use the bathroom. She tells him to do it where she can see it, but he shouts at her, telling her she murdered his friend and he's tired of it. He walks away and prepares to his business, only for the lump he was about to do it on to rise up in front of him. He's face-to-face with a woman, who punches him to the ground. Grant finds a cop in his path ahead and starts to walk away. Meanwhile, Becky and Wilson are caught in traffic. They try to force their way through, but have no luck. Becky gets out, telling Wilson she's going on foot. He shouts at her that he's visually impaired. The cop confronts Grant. He tells the cop he's waiting on some friends. When he starts to walk away from the cop, he grabs him back, asking what's in his backpack. He tells him he's under 14 and it's illegal for him to be alone. Just then, Becky appears, and Grant pretends that she's his mother. She shouts at him for running off, putting on an act for the cop. She asks him if the Porsche got a flat and he hugs her.

Back in the lot, the woman draws back for another punch at Ian. "Artemis, stop!" shouts Jessica. They hug. She tells her that every night, she hoped to see her. Jessica tells her that the Harvest faked her father's death. Artemis reveals that she already knows. Jessica tells her they just have to figure out where to go next. Artemis replies that there's nowhere to go, that he's dead. She says that her father created so many viruses to save her, and then he created one so very bad that it destroyed him. He cracked. One day, he snapped, and she put him in an asylum for his own safety. She says it was only for her protection, but Jessica tells her that she lied to her. She says that when Dystopia surfaced, she knew it could only have been Jessica's father, and if she knew, then Mr. Rabbit knew too. She let Mr. Rabbit kill him. "I wanted his brain gone," she reveals. Jessica grabs her, telling her that they walk and pointing a gun at her head. Meanwhile, Michael Stearns arrives in St. Louis. He discovers a chanting crowd outside a quarantine area. He tries to use his credentials to gain admission. He is told that nobody gets in without permission from Dr. Dearborn of the CDC and claims that she's the one who asks him to come. The PFC outside tells him his name is not on the list and he tries to call her out, asking if she really wants to call the head of the CDC. She however, calls his bluff and he walks away, back to his car.

Jessica confronts Artemis, demanding to know where Mr. Rabbit is. She tells her that he's at Home. "Where is Home?" asks Jessica and she says it's not where it used to be. Jessica asks how she can find it. "Utopia," replies Artemis. She pulls out a bottle, drinking some gin and Jessica lowers the gun. "You broke easy," she comments. Artemis tells her that she thinks she's done, that she's tired of this world and can't keep running. They'll find her soon enough and break her too. Jessica replies that would be dangerous to her. Artemis tells her that she's ready. She strokes her face, telling her that she's loves her and crying. They embrace and she tells her that she might struggle when they begin, just old reflexes. And so Jessica begins. Ian tries to stop her, but she knocks him to the floor. She fights Artemis and Artemis fights back at first, but she beats her and strangles her. Artemis tells Jessica to burn Home to the ground when she finds it. Jessica finishes her off. She then cuts away Artemis's fingernails, revealing tattoos. "Of what?" asks Ian. Jessica replies that she doesn't know, that it's code. She reads off a series of numbers.

Kevin Christie's wife Laura meets with him, telling him that she knows what he's brooding over. She tells him to listen, that there was nothing he could have done about the children. They kiss and she hugs him. Outside, Arby watches this touching scene. He then taps at the window with his gun and waves at Christie. "Shh," says Christie, letting him in. He sits and Christie tosses him a pack of raisins. Christie sits with him, telling him things haven't been going as well for him as they usually do. He says he's sorry about Rod. He asks where Utopia is and Arby shows him the picture of Grant, saying that little ones are unpredictable, with no credit cards, banks or jobs. He shows him the picture of Utopia from Wilson's printer. Christie tells him that it would be bad if the wrong people saw it, that they really need Utopia. He shows him another photo, asking if it's Jessica Hyde. "Feels like her," agrees Christie. He tells him they're running out of time, asking him if he can get him Utopia and Jessica Hyde. He tells Arby he has faith in him, asking him what he's done to earn his place in his crowded world. Arby lists his kills, 25 so far, "and one eye." Christie replies that they all have their purpose, and this is his. "I'm really proud," he tells him. They stand and he hugs him, telling him he knows it's hard on him. "No, it's not," he replies.

Trivia

 * After receiving a starring credit in the first two episodes, Jessica Rothe is billed as a guest star in this episode for her role as Samantha J. Her character appears only as a corpse.

Starring

 * John Cusack as Dr. Kevin Christie
 * Ashleigh LaThrop as Becky Todd
 * Dan Byrd as Ian Ackerman
 * Desmin Borges as Wilson Wilson
 * Christopher Denham as Arby
 * Javon "Wanna" Walton as Grant Bishop
 * Farrah Mackenzie as Alice
 * Cory Michael Smith as Thomas Christie
 * Jeanine Serralles as Colleen

with


 * Rainn Wilson as Michael Stearns

and


 * Sasha Lane as Jessica Hyde

Guest starring

 * Camryn Manheim as Artemis
 * Jessica Rothe as Samantha J.
 * Fiona Dourif as Cara Frostfield
 * Crystal Fox as Kim
 * Tyla Abercrumbie as Patty
 * Rebecca Spence as Laura Christie
 * Gloria Coco as Toni Tambler

Co-starring

 * Jennifer Joan Taylor as Dawn/Lady with the Brooch
 * Michael Accardo as Chicago Cop
 * John Phillilps as FBI Agent
 * Daryn Whitney Harrell as PFC Betsy Ruskin
 * Julian Griffith as Soldier One
 * Matthew Klingler as Urgent Man
 * Rosie Moan as Angry Woman
 * Casey Hayes as Frantic Man
 * Bernard Gilbert as Steve/Christie Minion #1
 * Denzel Tsopnang as Christie Minion #2
 * Adam M Shalzi as Redhead #1
 * Chris Clowers as Redhead #2
 * Chandra Michaels as News Reporter
 * Vernon Mina as Newscaster #1
 * Polly Doyle as Newscaster #2
 * Diana Kleinatis as Newscaster #3