“Asylum” is episode seven of season three of First Wave.
A judge retires to his chambers and opens up The Paranoid Times. He takes out a phone and calls something called Project Blacklight. He says he needs to speak to Mr Brown. Brown (Garwin Sanford) answers. The judge said Brown was going to get back to him. Brown has been busy; there are even more than they figured. He asks the judge to tell him what he knows about the aliens. The judge’s chair starts changing into what looks like an electric chair and he starts screaming and jerking. His clerk comes in and sees the judge in a normal chair, twitching and screaming.
Cade says that Carlton Levi was a district judge for 22 years until a sudden bout of insanity laid him low. He was a regular visitor to The Paranoid Times, saying he had information on aliens. Cade is paying a visit to the judge’s wife, claiming to be from the court. She doesn’t want to let Cade in. He says he needs to speak to Levi as a friend. The wife says she will call the police. Did the judge ever talk about aliens? How does Cade know that? Because he spoke to a friend of Cade’s, who believed him. Cade believes him. Because they’re here. He was told the judge is ill.
Jordan and Eddie are in Eddie’s trailer talking about the judge. Eddie doesn’t believe Levi just snapped. He talked to him online; Levi is as sane as Eddie. Jordan gives him a look. Okay, maybe saner. Cade arrives; Levi was signed into Shady Crest, a psychiatric facility, by a government approved shrink. Eddie says they need to get him out. Security is tight; even his wife can’t see Levi for 30 days. Eddie suggests going undercover. Jordan doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Cade to go into an institution run by the Gua, the government or both. Eddie meant himself. Jordan and Cade protest, but Eddie stands firm.
Eddie is taken into the asylum in restraints on a gurney for claiming a post office was run by aliens. Dr Zahn (Tom McBeath) introduces himself and then has Eddie injected. Later, Zahn introduces Eddie to a group of patients. One mentioned aliens and Eddie speaks to him after Zahn leaves. It seems he may think lots of people are aliens. Eddie asks about the judge, who is staring out of the window. Eddie introduces himself and starts talking. The judge seems to be in pain, then starts choking Eddie until pulled off by orderlies.
That night, Eddie is woken up by another patient, Mary, who said he was cute. She got in with a pass key got from an orderly. The patient who seems to think everyone is an alien, Lorenzo, says the orderly is an alien. He will do anything if you have sex with him. Mary says she isn’t an alien; she just thinks Eddie is really cute. She starts making out but Eddie says later. He’s swiped the pass key.
Eddie goes wandering and checks the laundry chute as an escape method. He then enters a room with a computer and calls Cade and Jordan. Eddie starts downloading files to his home unit and tells them somebody got to the judge. When Eddie says the word ‘Gua’ he starts seeing his name appearing on the screen. He hangs up and then an arm reaches out of the screen and starts choking him. He screams and the orderly finds him. There is no arm.
Jordan wants to get Eddie out. Cade says if they do that, Eddie will lose his chance. Jordan doesn’t like Eddie being in there without backup. Does Cade really think Eddie can pull this off? Eddie believes it, and Cade has to trust that. They start going through the list of patients Eddie downloaded. Cade thinks some of the names are familiar. Jordan recognises one; an astrophysicist that her foundation gave a grant to. She suggests that maybe some of the others have knowledge of the Gua as well. Cade says they have to do it Eddie’s way. Eddie’s way currently involves in him being treated with more drugs.
Cade and Jordan are researching the names. Many of them were influential people who suddenly flipped out, having had no history of doing so. One of them had just shared information with a government agency called Project Blacklight. Cade hasn’t heard of the agency but he bets some of those on the list might have. He’s right; that’s who the judge was speaking to earlier.
Aside from Mary hitting on him, Eddie isn’t having much fun. Especially as he seems to start suffering problems every time he talks about aliens. Cade and Jordan are investigating the patients and Project Blacklight on the outside.