'Runaways' Season 1 Episode 9: "Doomsday" Recap With Spoilers

The latest and penultimate episode in the first season of Marvel's Runaways returns to form by beginning with a flashback containing some key reveals that fans have been wondering since the series began: what's the deal with Molly, what happened to her parents, and if she's not a mutant then how did she get those powers?

We start in a lab, where the Hernandez parents are revealed to be geologists. They're working frantically, packing bags and going over readings to do with rocks they discovered at the dig site, the site of the school that Jonah and PRIDE have been preparing all season. A very young Molly is with them, and they tell her they're going to leave and move to a new place that night — obviously attempting to run away themselves.

They get a hold of Dale and Stacey Yorkes through video chat and tell them about the rocks they found, right as Molly herself is playing with one. The rocks are black but shift in form, pulsating with a white light that bursts out at the cracks. Molly has fun playing with the rock, while the Hernandez parents worry about the readings they've found. Before they can tell Dale and Stacey anything else, they are locked inside their lab with a bomb that explodes, killing everyone expect for Molly, who is shown to have her glowing eyes that ignite whenever her ability kicks in.

But Jonah didn't kill the Hernandez parents; Leslie Dean did, and judging by the phone call she made when the deed was done, Tina Minoru was in on it. The other PRIDE members seem unaware, especially given how everyone reacted to their deaths at the funeral.

Back in the present, Nico attempts to retrieve her sister's phone hidden under the bed, fully charged and loaded with secrets about her mysterious "suicide." But she's thwarted and surprised to see her dad back home.

Robert reveals that he and Tina have reconciled, which makes sense after their moment in the last episode, but he's still not allowed back in the same bed, so he's sleeping in Amy's room. Nico, unable to retrieve the phone, instead leaves for school.

At the Dean compound, Karolina has come clean to her dad thinking he's the only person who she can trust other than her friends. She tells him about Chase destroying the hard drive with the evidence, and Frank wants to help. He asks Karolina to stop pursuing this crusade and promises to help.

Janet Stein held a press conference announcing her husband has an aggressive cancer and has gone overseas to treat it, stepping away from public life for the time being. Of course it's a cover since, you know, he's dead. Or not. Who knows at this point.

Chase speaks with his mom, wondering where PRIDE took his dad and what's going on with Jonah. Janet tries to warn him not to rock the boat, intimating that he could get hurt if he causes a commotion.

At school, Chase is met by teachers, classmates, and his old enemies at the lacrosse team who lend their support after the news of his dad. His friends watch on in anger, still pissed at Chase for breaking the hard drive. He tries to apologize, but everyone has beef with each other. Nico hates Alex, Alex hates Chase, Chase likes Karolina who doesn't want anything to do with him, and Gert is mad at Karolina for kissing Chase, whom she likes. Did you get all that?

Despite the issues, Gert reunites everyone temporarily to go to the school dance later that night, setting aside their differences.

Tina and Robert talk about getting their lives back together and being out of PRIDE now that Jonah's project at the dig site is underway, but Tina isn't so sure it will happen. We cut to a flashback where Jonah is inside her home, playing with her daughter Amy when she's a toddler. He attempts to intimidate and scare Tina into falling in line, revealing that she's always operated out of fear of Jonah.

PRIDE meets at the dig site, with Geoffrey Wilder's security being replaced by armed members of the Church of Gibborim. They meet with Jonah, wanting details of his plan for "renewable energy," the source of which is apparently at the dig site. They know now that he's lying about it, but Jonah deflects and turns on the drill, digging deep into the heart of Los Angeles.

Outside the site, one of Wilder's fired security guards meets with Darius, who has been paying the guard to be his eyes and ears. Though his mole has been relieved of duty, Darius is excited to find out what his former friend has been up to all these years now that the dig is underway.

Molly finds her friends at school with the VHS tape left by her parents, and they break into the AV club to hook up an old VCR to find out what message the Hernandezes left. On the tape, her parents tell her that they were part of PRIDE, hoping to do good for the city, and were looking into he fabled renewable energy source until they realized it was a lie. If they dig where they plan to, it would go through a blind fault and cause catastrophic earthquakes across Los Angeles, possibly hinting at the future prophesized by Victor Stein's time travel monitor.

The Hernandezes talk about the strange rock samples and reveal that if she's watching the video, they failed to stop it. They say they love her and apologize for failing, and the video ends.

The kids discuss the video's contents and realize their parents aren't just bad; they're evil. Alex realizes the school PRIDE is building is a coverup for the dig, and they decide to stop the plan using the dance that evening as a cover up so they can go sabotage PRIDE's efforts.

Frank confronts Jonah and while it seems like he's cornering him with damning information, it seems like he's actually cutting a deal…

Before going to the dance, Chase hugs his mom who is attempting to clean up the blood left from Victor's shooting in the lab. He tells Janet that he realizes Karolina doesn't like him, but hints at having feelings for Gert. Nico and Alex meet up with Amy's phone, discussing the last message she had on her phone that reads "He found out. LEAVE THE HOUSE NOW!!!" They conclude that Tina might not have been involved with Nico's sister's death, but that she was definitely murdered.

The Yorkes call Molly's caretaker Graciella in an attempt to speak to their adopted daughter, who informs them that Molly ran away. Graciella slips that the Hernandez parents left Molly a key with her, saying the Yorkes are not to be trusted and to leave Molly alone.

Dale and Stacey realize the Hernandezes might have known they'd become compromised and left something for Molly that only she would find. Before they can attempt to figure out what Molly learned, they're interrupted by Jonah who is calling a PRIDE meeting with everyone involved.

Molly and Old Lace wait inside Gert's car while the rest of the kids attend the dance for a quick appearance before sneaking out. Gert and Chase meet up and confide in each other, questioning how they got so distant as they got older. After a heart to heart, they decide to share a dance in private, which quickly gets hot and heavy. The two *gasp* have sex!

Meanwhile, Nico and Karolina go looking for them when they share a private moment in the hallway. Karolina admits her feelings for Nico and decides she wants to be honest with herself, effectively coming out. She kisses Nico, who reciprocates the affection before they're interrupted by Chase and Gert, still putting their clothes back on. They all share an awkward moment before leaving for the dig.

Jonah informs PRIDE about their children who have been lying to them, working against them, revealing that Frank told him everything. He knows about the Yorkes and Wilder's working together to prevent Molly's secrets about the sacrifice getting out. Jonah points out that everyone has lied to him in some way, and that everyone has benefitted from his contributions in some way. He asks where the kids are now, and they all run home to find that Old Lace, the Fistigons, the Staff of One, and the keycard for the construction site are all missing.

Darius meets with his girlfriend and tells her he knows something is going down with Geoffrey Wilder, and he wants to make him pay for his transgressions.

The kids meet at the dig site and attempt to break in when they're interrupted by a Gibborim security guard, all while Darius secretly watches from his car. Karolina tells the guard to call her father, saying they got permission to do a school photography project. The guard speaks with Frank who tells him to let the kids through. Frank is shown to be riding in his car with Jonah sitting next to him, revealing that he's selling the kids out to the mystery man. "The church is going to thrive under your leadership," Jonah tells him.

The kids all split up to sabotage the drill and crash a construction truck into the hole, leaving Gert and Chase by themselves where they discuss their sexual tryst. Chase uses the Fistigons to destroy the drill's controls, which were designed by his father, while Molly uses her strength to push the truck into the hole.

Nico instructs the Staff of One to fill the hole, causing a mini dust storm that does just that. But their parents show up, and Tina summons the staff from her daughters hand.

PRIDE and the Runaways have a standoff, saying everything the parents have done was for their kids. But the children won't entertain their notions, declaring they know about the many teens they murdered and sacrificed and that they will fight them if they have to. Molly's eyes glow, and Karolina removes her bracelet.

As the Dean daughter glows, everyone in PRIDE is shocked. Leslie is asked if she knew about her daughter's abilities.

"No, but it's what I was afraid of."

And the episode ends, teasing a climactic clash between the Runaways and PRIDE for the first season finale.