Max, in full cat-burglar mode, climbs to the roof of a building, and then uses a crowbar to remove a protective grate from a window. We see (but Max does not) that someone is behind her, watching. Max enters the window, and for some reason, it was in the top of a dome, even though the outside of the building wasn't at all curved. Anyway, Max uses a rope to shimmy down from the ceiling of an opulent room, similar to Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible. We see the object that Max is going to so much trouble to steal: a baseball used to hit a record-setting home run. It's under a glass dome atop a brass platform, so Max uses a screwdriver to remove the screws holding the glass in place. The aforementioned unseen observer watches from above. Just then, another rope drops, and Alec comes shimmying down. Max is not happy to see him, and explains that she's trying to steal the ball so that she can make back the money she lent him. But who would buy the ball, if it's obviously stolen? I guess there are collectors out there who would. Alec says that he wants to pay her back, and Max advises him to get a job. They bicker and fill in the backstory of why Alec owes Max money in the first place. Alec wants Max to let him finish the job. Max points out that the ball is worth way more than what he owes her. As soon as Max removes the glass dome, Alec grabs the ball. They struggle over possession of the ball, which is difficult, since they are both hanging in mid-air. They start swinging back and forth while exchanging threats. Alec wants to split the money, but Max isn't having it. Finally, Max kicks Alec's arm, causing him to drop the ball on the floor, which sets off an alarm. But Alec's rope hitting the floor earlier didn't set off the alarm? There was a very distinct "whump" noise when Alec dropped his rope. The ball rolls away, and Max and Alec skedaddle. Alec asks Max for a ride home.
Alec and Max reach a checkpoint, and Alec asks to get off the motorcycle. Seems that Alec doesn't have a sector pass, so he's going to get through "the old sneak-and-creep Manticore way." They bicker some more, because they love each other so much. That's my theory, anyway. Forget Rafer. Max should hook up with Alec. Unless that's considered incest or something. Max gets through the checkpoint with her Jam Pony messenger ID, which Alec notes. The guard goes back into his booth to watch a sporting event and drink some liquor. He hears a rattling outside, and goes to investigate. A shadowy figure walks away from the booth. The guard asks for ID, and follows the figure, who doesn't respond. The guard investigates a nearby junkyard, where the shadowy figure was last seen. The shadowy figure, who looks an awful lot like Joshua, attacks the guard, slashing his face, and finally ripping out the guard's tongue. Ouch.
Max enters Logan's apartment, complaining about how Alec ruined her heist. Logan pretends to go along with the complaints, but his real purpose is to point out that Max was stealing something, so she doesn't really have a right to complain that Alec was stealing it from her in turn. Max figures it out, and claims that she only steals "from bad people," or "for a good cause." Logan asks if that includes stealing parts for her motorcycle or a dress for a wedding. Max makes up some excuse, and then reveals that she was trying to steal the baseball so that she could pay Logan back, but now he can forget about it. Logan says he could use the cash to keep Eyes Only going. Max offers to find something else to steal, and they both smile, but at least there were no longing gazes in that scene.
The Dreaming. Max enters to find a sleeping Joshua, and tries to wake him. Doesn't she know that you're supposed to let sleeping dogs lie? Obviously not, as Joshua turns and snarls, and then grabs Max by the throat. Joshua apologizes for his outburst, and asks Max why she didn't come by the day before; he adds that he was hungry. Max brought him a book. Joshua whines, because he has an injury to his side. Max asks if he went outside. Joshua says that he went out to find food, and was bitten by a dog. Max apologizes for not giving him food, but reminds him how dangerous it is for Joshua outside. How many episodes are we going to have with Max reminding Joshua that he can't go outside? Max's beeper goes off; she needs to go to work. She makes Joshua promise that he won't go outside.
At work, Max asks OC what's going on with the checkpoints, because the lines are so long. OC hears that a guard was jumped. Max sees Alec entering the building and groans. She walks over and reminds him that she told him to "stay the hell out of [her] life." Alec reminds her that she told him to get a job, and says that he wants to change his ways. Max says that this will only take a second, and yells out to Normal that there is a "loser looking for a job." Normal, his back turned, replies that there are no jobs available. Sketchy walks up and asks Alec if he's "that boxer dude." Normal turns around and sees that Alec is "Monty Cora." Max looks horrified. Normal says that they need "a good strong rooster in the henhouse" and offers Alec a job, and even gives him a bike to use. Alec asks about a sector pass, and Normal promises to get him one, calling Alec "a rock star!" Normal gives Max and Alec a package to deliver. Max is still horrified by this turn of events. I'm not even that observant (especially on first viewing) and even I noticed that Alec's bar code was in plain sight to anyone standing behind him. Which, in that scene, included Sketchy, who has been characterized as a bit of a conspiracy theorist when it comes to transgenics, and would definitely know what the bar code meant. But I'm going to reserve judgment and hope that it will come up in a later episode. If it doesn't, I'll be disappointed, but not all that surprised. Maybe it was just poor blocking on the part of the director, and Sketchy shouldn't have been in a position to see it.
Alec and Max arrive at a house to deliver a package. Max is still giving Alec shit about the "Monty Cora" name. That nickname was pretty lame. Max reminds Alec to cover up his bar code with his collar. Alec knocks on the door, and curtly asks the woman for a signature. Max tries to cover for Alec's lack of manners. The woman leaves to get her glasses, and Alec peers in the window. Max accuses him of casing the joint, and says that she knew he only took the job to get a sector pass and find places to rob. Alec points out that Max does the same thing, and then checks out the homeowner's television. Max cuffs Alec in the head and says that it's wrong. Alec wonders why his actions are wrong when Max was going to steal a baseball. Max says that the baseball owner was "a major crook." Alec says he's just trying to get by. I think the writers want me to agree with Max here, but I kind of agree with Alec, at least when it comes to Max's hypocrisy. Max thinks he should get by on salary, which Alec points out is minimum wage, but Max adds that they get tips, if they are polite. The homeowner returns and gives them each a quarter as tip. Max hustles Alec down the steps before he can complain.
At Crash, Sketchy plays pool with Alec. OC and Max sit at the bar, watching. OC says that Alec is pretty, but Max says that he makes her crazy. Crazy with love! Alec walks up and offers to buy the round, since he won money from Sketchy at pool. OC, in light of the free booze, is not buying Max's line about Alec being evil. Over at the bar, Alec offers Sketchy twenty dollars to deliver a package while he's in Sector Four the day. Sketchy wonders what's in the package, and Alec offers him more money if he doesn't ask any questions.
Sketchy and Alec rejoin the ladies at the table. Have you ever noticed that Sketchy looks like he's about forty-two years old? Take away the haircut and the clothes, and he has an old-looking face. I pointed this out to J-Dawg, and he said, "Yeah, he looks like Iggy Pop." So then through the rest of this scene, J-Dawg kept singing, "'Cause he's got a lust for life," after each of Sketchy's lines. This is how we amuse ourselves on a Friday night. Sketchy brings up the tabloid reports of "a dog-faced thing" attacking a sector guard. Alec acts very interested and keeps giving Max meaningful looks, like, could he be more obvious? Apparently, the sector guard lived, but he lost part of his tongue in the attack. Sketchy says that the thing that attacked the guard is "hurt, mad, and none of us are safe." Max says quickly that she has to go. I can't believe Sketchy hasn't figured out her secret yet. Alec takes off after Max and asks where she's going. Max is going by The Dreaming to see Joshua. Alec asks if she thinks Joshua is involved, and Max says she doesn't, but she promised that she would go over there. Alec says she doesn't know what Joshua is capable of.
The Dreaming. Max enters and calls out Joshua's name; no response. Somewhere else in town, a sector guard patrols an alley or something. He hears a noise, and shines his flashlight into a shack. We see that Possibly Joshua is inside the shack, snarling. Possibly Joshua springs out of the shack and tackles the sector guard, then pulls out the guard's tongue, snarling all the while.
Max enters Logan's apartment. Logan says that he's been paging her all morning, but Max retorts that she couldn't find a pay phone. Logan tells her about the sector cop who claims he was jumped by a "half-man, half-animal," but no one believes him because he drinks on the job. Max listens, and then walks away, looking upset. Logan wonders why Max isn't "all over this," and Max says that she can't follow up on every rumor that floats through town. Logan points out that if a transgenic is responsible for the attacks, she needs to do something. Max says she will, once she has solid evidence that a transgenic is involved. Logan asks why Max is being so defensive, and wonders what she isn't telling him. Max confesses that she went by Joshua's last night, and he wasn't there, and while she doesn't think he's involved, she's worried. Logan thinks there's something more, because people are dying and transgenics are involved. Max snaps that she knows it's her fault because she let them out into the world. Logan says that if Max doesn't do something before people find out what's going on, it means exposure for all of them. Max says she needs to go, since that's what she does when things get too tough. Logan tosses a cell phone to her, "in case [she] can't find a pay phone again." Max glumly leaves.
Sketchy rides his bike into a warehouse to make the delivery that Alec requested. He encounters three punks, who all have various pins and such sticking out of their heads. The leader of the gang looks a bit like Spike from Buffy, except with less hair and much less attractive. And I don't even think Spike is all that cute, so that's saying something. Anyway, Spike Lite and his Minions stop Sketchy and take the package. Spike Lite wants to know what's in the package, because it's their territory. It's some sort of gang or something.
Alec is regaling Normal with stories of his past fights when Sketchy walks in, bloody and beaten. He tells Alec that a group of "steelheads beat the snot out of [him]." Sketchy explains that steelheads are into implants and other biotech stuff. Normal advises Sketchy to steer clear of that element, and asks if Sketchy was on a run. Sketchy says, "Not exactly," and gives Alec the guilt-inducing eyes. Normal walks off, and Sketchy asks Alec what was in the package. Alec doesn't want to say until Sketchy threatens to tell Normal, and Alec will lose his job. Alec confesses that it was a synthetic hormone used by bodybuilders that he's been selling. Sketchy says that the steelheads asked him to pass on the message that Alec should stay off their turf. Alec apologizes to Sketchy, and Sketchy asks to be kept out of it from now on. Alec hands Sketchy some money to buy a new shirt, and then some more money for new pants. Apparently, Sketchy's allegiances are easily bought, because all seems to be forgiven. And again, Alec is wearing a neck-revealing shirt and jacket, so anyone there could see that he has the bar code, although I'm not sure how widely the significance of said mark is known. But I still maintain that Sketchy would know.
The Dreaming. Max reads a book, because apparently Joshua isn't around. She walks outside, spots some blood on the steps, and uses her cat vision to see some more on a grate a few yards away. She walks over and lifts the grate out of the ground, then drops down inside.
Logan, in a white lab coat, walks into the injured sector cop's hospital room. Logan poses as a doctor who needs to ask the cop a few questions. Logan asks if the cop got a good look at his attacker, and if he could identify it in a picture. The cop grunts in assent, so Logan holds up the tabloid with a picture of Joshua on the front. The cop gets all fired up, but since he has no tongue, Logan can't understand what he means. The cop grabs a box of tissues to his bed and points at the UPC symbol to indicate that his attacker had a bar code. How in the hell did the cop see the bar code? Whatever.
Max is down in the sewers, creeping around, when her phone rings. She answers it, and it's Logan. Great reception down there in the sewers, with all the metal pipes and such. He relates his hospital findings. Max refuses to believe that it was Joshua. Logan brings up the irrefutable bar code evidence, and Max says that Joshua doesn't have a bar code, because he's the first one Manticore ever made. Then the call goes all staticky. Max sees a shadowy figure ahead, and calls out Joshua's name. The figure turns and approaches Max, growling and barking. Max realizes that it's not Joshua, just as the real Joshua shows up and tells the figure, "Run, Isaac! Run!" Shots ring out, and everyone scatters. A cop asks Max what she's doing down there, so she beats him up. A dozen cops capture Joshua and hit him multiple times with stun guns. Max runs after him but realizes that she can't do anything, given the dozen cops holding Joshua.
Joshua sits in a small cell as two cops watch him. Cop One thinks they should kill Joshua while they have the chance. Cop Two says that Joshua must be a werewolf. Cop One points out that there's no full moon, but Cop Two says that the moon thing is a myth. Cop Three shows up and says that Joshua must be a mutant, as the papers have reported, and the Feds are on their way down to take Joshua off their hands. Cop Two says, "That thing's been killing cops, and it's time to teach it a lesson." The three cops enter Joshua's cell and start stunning him, and then kicking him. Cop Two asks how Joshua likes that, and Joshua yells out, "Don't!" The cops are stunned that Joshua can talk. So he didn't say one word the whole way down to the station? I guess the stun guns could have rendered him unable to speak.
At Logan's apartment, Max tries to explain Joshua and Isaac (formerly Possibly Joshua) to Logan. Max thinks that Joshua was trying to protect Isaac, and reveals that when she last saw Joshua at The Dreaming, his side was all bandaged up. Logan is pissed that Max didn't give him that information before. Um, because she was worried that Joshua was behind the attacks? Isn't that clear? I guess Logan wants Max to say it, but Max won't. Logan points out that Joshua and Isaac could both be behind the attacks. Max refuses to believe that, and says that the cops have the wrong guy. Or dog-man. Logan says intensely that it doesn't matter, because the cops think they have the right guy. In other words, why all the talking instead of action? Max says she has to bust Joshua out right away. Logan asks if she's going to wait to stop Isaac until he kills someone else. Max snaps that maybe Logan should help her instead of "busting [her] chops" because she can only be in one place at a time. I don't think these two even like each other. Their bickering isn't nearly as amusing as that between Max and Alec. I'm just saying.
Oh, remember the subplot? About Alec and the steelheads? It's back. The steelheads are unpacking something in their warehouse. I guess I need to give the other steelheads names too. Besides Spike Lite, there's Angry, because he's very angry, and Gothy, because he's dressed all in black with eye make-up. Gothy only has one arm. That's important in a minute. Gothy and Angry are confused because they hear sloshing in a package. Spike Lite comes over and says that the package contains "livers and kidneys." There are some non-amusing arguments about pie made of human parts, and then Alec shows up. Gothy reveals that he's getting a new cyber-arm week. Okay, I guess it wasn't that important. Alec reveals that he's behind the package the steelheads confiscated from Sketchy. Angry says that no one around there is allowed to sell drugs but their gang. Alec suggests that the steelheads give him five hundred dollars for the package. Spike Lite calls Alec a poofter, and wonders why he needs the money. Why is that important? Oh, because it allows Alec to affect a British accent and insult Spike Lite's mother. Just as a fight is about to break out, a cell phone rings, and they all check to see to whom it belongs. Alec realizes it's for him. Spike Lite gets pissed, and calls Alec a "cheeky bastard." Logan is on the other end of the call, and from his perspective, we hear Alec fighting the steelheads. This is because they couldn't actually show it, or we would wonder why the steelheads approached Alec one at a time instead of rushing him all at once. Anyway, we return to Alec to see that he has knocked out all three steelheads, and he takes the five hundred dollars. Meanwhile, Logan says that he needs Alec's help.
Cut to a sewer, where Alec is telling Logan that Max only gets away with everything because she's hot. Including her "acting," if you ask me. Logan says he's down there to give Max a hand, and Alec comments, "You're so whipped." Hee!
Max enters the jail, claiming to be a reporter. You can tell she's a reporter because she's wearing a leather hat. I don't know. The cop escorting her to Joshua's cell (Cop Three from earlier) offers to give quotes from the law enforcement perspective if Max needs them. As Max takes pictures of Joshua in his cell, Cop Three rubs up against her. Joshua wakes up and says, "Max!" Her cover blown, Max beats up Cop Three, then grabs his key and lets Joshua out. The other prisoners yell, as prisoners do, and Cops One and Two run in to find out what all the commotion is about. Max and Joshua escape into a room filled with German shepherds. Joshua starts letting all the dogs out, and I'm not going to make that joke, because it's so 2000. Max says she can't hang around, because her feline DNA gives her an aversion to dogs. But it never bothered her to hang out with Joshua. I guess it's because he's only half dog. Anyway, as Cops One and Two approach, Max sneaks out of the conveniently placed second door, and Joshua gives the dogs some instructions in dog language. As Cops One and Two open the door, they are rushed by the pack of dogs, effectively stopping their pursuit.
Logan and Alec creep through the sewers. They enter a new area through a grate, but I'm not sure why that area needed searching more than any other. Logan shines his flashlight on a nearby window. I wonder why there are windows in the sewer, and I suppose maybe they aren't in the sewer anymore, but who the hell knows, and I'm sure someone will email me and tell me how stupid I am for not knowing that they are actually in the basement of someone's house or something and frankly, I don't care enough to try to figure it out, because I still maintain that it's just sloppy writing if I have to make up explanations for all these things. Anyway. Alec spots a clothesline strung with -- ew, human tongues. Logan shines his flashlight around some more, and it falls right on Isaac's snarling face. So are we to believe that Isaac was planning on just hiding if they didn't find him? That he would only attack them if he were attacked first?
Isaac jumps on Logan, taking him down. Alec pulls Isaac up, and they fight. Logan tries to help by shining his flashlight on Isaac, which really isn't helping. Isaac jumps up and runs out a nearby grate, and then locks the grate behind him, trapping Logan and Alec inside. Alec notes dryly, "Guess we should have called first." Heh.
The Dreaming. Max asks Joshua why he didn't tell her about Isaac, because they could have tried to stop him from killing people. Joshua says he tried to stop him. Max wonders why Isaac is attacking people. Joshua says that Isaac is angry because the Manticore guards used to hurt him. Isaac used to be gentle, but after their father left, Isaac would howl and call out for his father. The guards beat him to try to get him to shut up, but Isaac wouldn't stop. Finally, the guards cut out Isaac's tongue to make him shut up. Now, Isaac associates the police with Manticore guards.
Alec tries to bust the grate out, with no luck. Logan suggests that he try using a pipe to break the grate. Back at The Dreaming, Max tells Joshua to stay put, but Joshua wants to go with her. Max points out that the police are looking for him. Joshua urges Max not to hurt Isaac, but Max won't make that promise, because Isaac is killing people. Joshua says that he will take care of it, but Max points out that he already tried that, and it didn't work. Joshua blames Max for letting them all out, and now she wants to hurt Isaac. Max says quietly that she won't hurt Isaac unless she has to. Joshua stops her from leaving, and they fight. Joshua knocks Max down and runs out the door. Max gets up and follows him.
They end up down in the sewers. Meanwhile, Alec is still trying to bust out the grate. Joshua comes upon them, and Logan asks him to open the grate. Joshua looks at them and takes off. Alec realizes that the grate is starting to open, so he and Logan attack it with renewed force. Max searches for Joshua. Suddenly, Isaac attacks her from behind. And he's attacking her because…? She's not dressed like a cop. Anyway, they fight. Isaac ends up on top of Max, and is just about to slash her face when Joshua finds them. He skewers Isaac on a pole, saving Max. Isaac takes a while to die, and Joshua holds him, and then whimpers as he realizes what he has done. Max watches sadly. There are way too many shots of Joshua whimpering like a dog. Logan and Alec come upon the sad scene.
At Crash, Max and Logan drink a beer. Max says that she shouldn't have let them all out. Logan tells her that she did the right thing, and that Manticore made Isaac a killer, not Max. Max wonders what happens if there are others like Isaac out there. Logan says that for every one who might be dangerous, there are hundreds of others who finally have a chance at a real life, and indicates Alec, who is standing at the bar, chatting up a lady. Logan shows Max a wad of money that Alec gave him as payback. Max says she's going to go see Joshua, who isn't talking to her.
As Max leaves, Alec raises a drink to her, and then turns back to his lady, who says her name is Lux. She says that Alec might know some of her friends, because they are the steelheads. Lux pops some claws out of her hand, Wolverine-style, then hugs Alec and strokes his bar code (still easily visible on the back of his neck) and says, "We know what you are." Lux walks away, and Alec looks upset that his cover has been blown, since he was so careful about hiding that bar code in the first place.
Max visits Joshua, who is busy marking Isaac's grave with a big stone. Joshua tells Max to go away. Max says that she's sorry about Isaac, but she's glad to be alive, and she wants Joshua to be glad too. Joshua says that his brother is gone. Max says that she's there, and she's not going anywhere. She kneels down to Joshua and says he doesn't have to be alone, and she wants to hear about Isaac in order to know him the way that Joshua did. Joshua considers this, and starts telling stories about Isaac. Their father told Joshua to protect Isaac. Joshua starts crying as he realizes that he killed the brother that he was supposed to protect. Max hugs Joshua and tells him that he was a good brother. Yeah, like Cain was a good brother.