“The Straw” is episode ten of season two of Special Unit 2.
A couple of workers are chatting in a tunnel when one hits something with his pickaxe. The other thinks they will need a jackhammer. The first tries a shove first, and they find something stone with carvings on it. Deciding it might be worth something, they unearth it. It’s reminiscent of a sarcophagus. One pries the lid off, and is promptly grabbed by a hand around his throat. The other runs off, and turns his torch on something with glowing green eyes.
Alice orders the tunnel that was being worked on sealed off at both ends. She tells the two workmen, who are surprisingly still alive, that they were exposed to a chemical in the soil that causes hallucinations, before heading into the tunnel and speaking to Kate. She asks if Nick is around. No, he’s busy. Kate eventually admits Nick has an anger management class.
At the class, Nick is sketching a surprisingly good picture of the doctor running it. Albeit with rather less clothes than she’s actually wearing. She asks Nick to tell her about the incident that got him there. Nick explains he was chasing a troll. Dr Moore says that using such terms dehumanises the person. Nick asks what if it was a troll. Hypothetically. Nick’s asked what he did when he caught the troll. Hung him from a lamppost and beat him like a speed bag. Dr Moore wants to know what he felt. Emotionally. Nick felt joy. After the class is finished, Nick discovers that it’s actually a five-day class. Dr Moore asks Nick why he really thinks he was ordered to take it. Witnesses.
Jonathan explains they are dealing with Phobis Humanis, the link that modern-day scarecrows are based on. He’s pleased that he can give a definite answer as to what they know. Nothing. Definitively. The ancient records were in the Library of Alexandria and the most recent ones were in the 1600s when the area was being colonised. Captain Page wants them to assume the worst of intentions, for Jonathan to research and for Carl to find a link contact that specialises in fear. Then talks to Nick about the anger management. Just get through it without making waves.
Carl is in the car with Nick and Kate. He’s found Nick’s drawing and winds Nick up until they beat on each other. Carl has found two contacts. Joey and Jackie, the Fear Mongers. Who Carl finds hiding under a bed in a child’s bedroom. They are dismissive about the Scarecrow until they hear he’s on the loose again. Carl is told that fear gives the Scarecrow strength; the more he gets, the more he wants. You can’t stop him at full strength. You need to drain him by showing no fear.
A teenage boy leaves a house to get some beer, leaving three teenage girls behind. They, despite the lights going out, a dog being killed by the sound of it and deciding that none of them opened the window, are not the least bit worried. Or, frankly, intelligent. Until one sees a car and says Joey is coming up the drive. Another says she doesn’t have a drive, as a car crashes through the window, driven by the Scarecrow with Joey tied to the roof.
Nick and Kate are at the scene as the car is pulled out of the house. Kate finds a camcorder one of the girls was using at the time of the incident.
They still need to stop the Scarecrow and discover that if he scares someone to death, he will only get worse. And the more people who encounter the Scarecrow, the more fear he will get from them. Only if no fear is shown can he be defeated. And Nick still has more anger management classes.