Out of Darkness is the penultimate episode of season one. At this point, as a viewer I should feel that the show is rising to a great crescendo but it feels more like it is limping to the finish line after a long drawn out struggle in which nothing really happened and nothing was explained.
When last we left Holden, he had been kidnapped by Yellow Jacket, (who still doesn't have a freaking name) at the behest of Tess, for Frost. Out of Darkness begins with Frost waking up and making an elaborate breakfast which he delivers to Holden's room. Frost is quite pleased with himself and his new captive.
Willa and Luke meet at a diner and Luke asks about Hollow Sky. He recognised the logo on the cuff link when he was working for the church. Luke is determined to get answers but Willa has none to offer having not seen Holden since before he went on his little road trip with Charlie. Willa does take the time to warn Luke to stay away from Hollow Sky. Their conversation comes to a halt when Willa gets a call from Jeff, to inform her that Holden has been taken captive.
Holden awakes in a strange bed and is disoriented for a moment. He spies the breakfast which Frost left for him along with a clean shirt lying on the bed. Holden looks out the window and sees a group of kids playing ring a round the rosey which I suppose is apropos given that Hollow Sky amounts to a death cult. Holden gets dressed and makes his way downstairs and into the kitchen where he pauses long enough to grab a utensil to use as a weapon. In the distance music can be heard and so he follows the sound to Frost's private office. Moments later, Frost walks in carrying wood for a fire and expresses happiness to see that Holden is finally awake.
Now that Willa knows that Holden has been kidnapped, she's desperate to get him back and to that end, she pays a visit to Arthur. Arthur isn't pleased that Frost now has Holden but he's unwilling to help get Holden back. Arthur claims that he's already lost his daughter and is unwilling to potentially lost Willa as well. As you might imagine, this doesn't sit will with Willa and she decides it's truth telling time. Willa is certain at this point that Arthur is only concerned with his competition with Frost and that he is only throwing in the towel now because he believes he's lost the after life race. Willa storms out but is stopped by Daniel, who gives her the coordinates for Hollow Sky.
Frost is completely magnanimous as he tells Holden, that he only wants a little bit of his time to explain everything that has gone on. The first stop is the garden, where Frost shows Holden a genetically modified tomato to begin the discussion about how far science has taken mankind, and how much further humanity can go. Holden is dismissive of the tomato and questions if this is why Frost brought him here.
In the stables, Tess meets with Yellow Jacket, who wants to know what his next assignment is. When Tess orders Yellow Jacket to deal with Charlie, since she a loose threat, Yellow Jacket is not pleased because he wants to be allowed to stay to work with Frost and Holden. Tess makes it clear that Yellow Jacket fulfills a specific job at Hollow Sky and that Holden is no longer his concern. A desperate Yellow Jacket asks to speak with Frost, but is informed that Frost is meeting with Holden right now.
Playing upon Holden's sympathies, Frost takes Holden to see pictures of the deceased relatives of Hollow Sky. It seems that these people are holding out hope of seeing their loved ones again and believe that science is the answer. Frost tells the story of a young boy who was hit and killed by a drunk driver when he was the same age that Holden was when he went into the coma. Clearly, Holden is meant to identify with the story. Frost then reveals the loss of his wife and how he is determined to see her again. Next on Frost's tour is the machine which he has developed to travel to the Realm. Frost talks about the people who have used the machine and their reports of seeing a blinding white city and a bridge. Unfortunately, all of Frost's test subjects have returned damaged in someway. Frost believes that Holden will be able to take him across the bridge.
Pastor Ian is just getting out of the shower when he is confronted by Diane, who wants to know what Hollow Sky is. Ian tries to blow Diane off but she's insistent. Ian explains that Hollow Sky donates large sums of money to his church, making Diane wonder if her ex husband is right and she inadvertently became involved in a cult. Pastor Ian tries once again to talk around Diane, pointing out that her information is after all coming from Tom and when that fails, he simply says that Hollow Sky helps people deal with loss.
Jeff, Luke, and Willa, arrive at Hollow Sky and Luke is surprised to see that Jeff came armed. Jeff hops out of the car to scope out the territory and tells Willa and Luke to wait for him. After a brief amount of time, Willa cannot stand waiting anymore and decides to look around herself, only to be surrounded by armed Hollow Sky men. Willa quickly surrenders and says that she is Frost's daughter and Luke claims to be Frost's son. Jeff arrives back in time to see Luke and Willa being taken hostage but he decides to hide in the bushes.
It's lunch time and so Holden and Frost sit down to have soup. Holden is hesitant to eat but Frost promises him that it isn't poisoned. After a spoonful, Holden informs Frost that he will not help him enter the realm. Holden tries to explain that the Realm isn't what Frost thinks it is and that the entire time he was there, he fought to survive. Frost isn't going to take no for an answer and he starts talking about how selfish Holden is, pointing out that he's giving up a chance to see Kevin again. Holden begins to get angry but when he tries to use his powers to free himself he discovers that they are not working. It seems that Frost put a neuroinhibitor in his food. A frustrated Holden is led away by armed men and tossed into a room with Luke.
Tess meets with Frost to inform him that they have two captives now and that Willa is waiting for him in the study. The meeting of father and daughter is anything but a happy reunion. Willa makes it clear that she's more than happy to leave and never attempt to see Frost again if he releases Holden. When Frost inquires why he would do this, Willa blames him for the death of her mother. Frost however informs Willa that he blames her for the loss of his wife because she went into a coma after giving birth to Willa. I suppose that this explains in part why Frost was able to walk away from his daughter all of those years ago. Willa then changes tactics to question how Frost knows that Holden won't kill him once they get to the Realm and offers to be his guide if he will let Holden go. Frost however is certain that Holden is not a killer and so Willa explains that she was in the Realm with Holden, and acted as his guide.
In their room, Holden is very happy to see Luke but worried that neither Jeff, Willa or Luke thought of an exit plan before they started project rescue Holden. Without his powers, Holden is at a loss as to what to do until Luke reminds of the time that he knocked out power to their neightbourhood juicing up the toaster years ago. Luke says science your way through it. Holden starts to work on a plan to open the door but is interrupted by two Hollow Sky thugs.
Holden is escorted back to the machine and this time he finds that Willa is in a coma and already hooked up. Frost reveals that Willa agreed to do this to save Holden and questions what Holden will be willing to do to save Willa.
