The fifth episode of "The Peripheral" begins a year before Aelita's disappearance, with
her meeting up with her ex-lover, Grace.
Aelita obviously pretends that she just happened to run into her, but Grace sees right through
her and declines Aelita's invitation to go out for a drink because she's married.
Grace eventually gives in and goes out for "one drink."
This allows Aelita to break down Grace's defenses and coax her into showing her around her workplace,
which is, as you might have guessed, the location where Aelita took Flynne (in Burton's peripheral)
in the first episode.
However, you learn a little more about the Research Institute, how they have access to
multiple stubs, and how they can manipulate them to conduct various types of studies.
The most exciting stuff, according to Grace, is the behavior modulation experiments being
conducted on stubs in collaboration with the American military department.
And one mention of haptics hints that she's referring to Burton and his team.
Grace shows footage from a stub in which a group of elite soldiers' "compassion center"
is manipulated to choose saving a wounded dog over shooting it and continuing with their
mission, despite knowing it's a trap.
That pretty much confirms the Research Institute's desire to manipulate the emotions of anyone
and everyone they can get their hands on.
But especially the military, because once you have control over the most highly trained
professionals in the art of warcraft and can exploit their ability to distinguish between
friend and foe, they can be used to achieve any goal.
As Grace and Aelita leave the building, they come across Mariel Raphael.
Because she's one of the few people with retinal clearance to the room with the inverted green
pyramid and she's extremely rude (and because Aelita probably didn't have the heart to yank
out Grace's eye and replace it with Burton's peripheral), it's clear why Aelita chooses
to kill her.
The scene, however, is completely ruined by the corniest line: "I'd kill for eyes like
that."
In the Fisher timeline, a man named Bob receives a 3D-printed sonic cannon and a phone call
from Daniel, prompting him to flee.
However, when Daniel offers him $10 million and threatens his daughter, Bob admits that
he is the infamous assassin with an uncountable number of kills on his resume and accepts
the offer to kill the Fishers.
He does not, however, go directly there.
He pays Frank a visit.
Why?
Because he is the one who provided Daniel with all of the information on Bob and his
daughter, putting her in danger.
So, if it isn't already clear, Bob is there to punish him and anyone who stands in his
way of Frank.
This leads to probably the only good action sequence in the entire show, owing to how
drawn out, slow, and methodical it is.
It gives Bob gravitas and demonstrates his awareness of what he's doing.
You can also sense his devil-may-care attitude as he ducks for cover only when necessary.
Overall, the fifth episode of the show is an excellent introduction to a new character.
Billy Ann discovers that Jasper has taken Corbell's dirty money despite her repeated
warnings, and he lies to her, telling her that Corbell has given it to him as a "gesture
of gratitude" for all his years of hard work.
Jasper manages to defuse the situation by offering to return the money if she so desires.
However, given their financial situation (as demonstrated by Billy Ann's odd jobs), she
advises him to keep it because they can put it to good use.
Bob informs his daughter (via code) that he has been compromised and is back on the job
while waiting for Flynne and Burton to emerge from the spinal tap test.
Bob's daughter informs him that she is pregnant, and Bob maintains the same low-key tone to
express his best wishes to her and her family.
Bob's plan was to get Flynne and Burton to stop and assist him with his car, then kill
Flynne and flee.
However, Billy Ann interrupts Bob's plan by stopping to assist him.
Bob makes every effort to move Billy Ann out of the way.
But when she insists on assisting Bob, he simply waits for Burton and Flynne.
And as soon as they arrive, he starts shooting.
Billy Ann manages to gun down Bob (who, thanks to his bulletproof vest, does not have his
chest blown to pieces).
Constantine appears and arrests him, attempting to learn what Flynne and Burton are up to
in their home.
Flynne continues to act ignorant, which Constantine notices.
So he tells her a story from their school days about how she saved a bunch of worms
from being dissected by the science students.
In doing so, he essentially asks her to be the honest and humane person she possesses.
Because Flynne is aware of the stakes, she keeps quiet and part ways with Constantine
for the time being.
Billy Ann returns Flynne and Burton to their home.
Because of his proximity to Jasper, Burton harbors some ill will toward Billy Ann.
However, Flynne forces him to put his reservations about Billy Ann and the Picketts on the back
burner.
Thanks to Leon, Ella finally learns about the bodies in the backyard.
This forces Flynne and Burton to tell her the truth.
Ella brings up some important points after learning about the medicine that is assisting
her recovery.
For starters, she isn't comfortable relying on anyone for anything, especially someone
who doesn't even exist in the same timeline.
Second, she is concerned about the consequences of not taking the medication.
Because they rely on the money paid to them by the Klept to print the medicine.
If the money stops coming in because Flynne and Burton no longer want to work for them,
they won't be able to print the medicine, and they have no idea how that will affect
Ella.
Third, she asks Burton what will happen when he no longer pays Pickett to stay away from
the Fishers.
That's when the siblings realize they aren't as free or as smart as they believe they are.
In fact, they are extremely stupid for not having any cards to play in their favor.
So, to make amends, Flynne returns to the periphery and speaks to Wilf.
‘The Peripheral’ Episode 5: Ending Explained – What Does Flynne Learn About Wilf?
Flynne is right to chastise Wilf for failing to alert them to the possibility of a Bob
attack.
She also questions him about his motivations for initiating the haptic drift.
Wilf assures her that he has no such (romantic) plans for her.
Meanwhile, one of those invisible vehicles collides with Constantine's car on the way
to the police station.
And the person who crashes it saves Bob there while leaving Constantine to bleed out and
die.
Back in the future, Wilf transports Flynne to the headquarters of the Research Institute
so that she can give Cherise a taste of her own medicine.
While waiting for her, Wilf teaches Flynne the distinction between being a defender and
an assailant.
He talks about how, when he was only 12 years old, he slashed the leader of a group of Neoprims
and shot down four of his companions, and how he still bears the guilt of killing people
in cold-blooded "self-defense."
Despite Wilf's advice, Flynne confronts Cherise.
To be fair, Flynne asks Cherise to explain why she's pursuing him.
Cherise claims to have vital information belonging to the Research Institute on her.
And she promises Flynne that if she returns it, it will all be over.
Which we all know is a lie.
Cherise isn't going to leave anyone alone, even if they give her what she wants.
We've witnessed her ruthlessness.
But Flynne points out the main issue: she has no knowledge of the data that Cherise
accuses her of stealing.
She claims that she died while playing a game.
Cherise isn't convinced.
They enter yet another poorly edited, choreographed, and performed action sequence, which is thankfully
cut short when Flynne snaps Cherise's peripheral's head.
However, Cherise's use of a peripheral supports two theories.
One question is, how deep is Cherise?
Given the number of enemies she has created, she must be extremely well protected, and
it's possible she has never left her physical body.
Second, the data stolen from the overturned green pyramid is most likely in Flynne's peripheral
or in the VR unit that he wears.
My best guess is that it's in the VR unit because a quick scan of the peripheral reveals
what it contains.
It's only a matter of time before Flynne realizes this and uses it against everyone.