Terra Nova Episode 1.05 The Runaway

Lt. Riley and two other soldiers spot someone outside Terra Nova. They chase and capture the intruder - and find it's a young girl. When taken to the hospital, she's terrified and tries to escape. Elisabeth manages to soothe the wild child, who says that her name's Leah Markos. She ran away from the Sixers because her parents are dead, and she's been living on scraps. She also says that she wants to return to 2149.

Elisabeth explains that's not possible. Leah tells her that she needs the bag she dropped in the jungle. She then recognizes Commander Taylor, calling him "the bad man." Taylor wants to gain Leah's trust and get information about the Sixers. Elisabeth volunteers to take her into the Shannon family home.

When Riley and another soldier search for and find Leah's bag, they're attacked by Sixers. Riley kills one, but Mira appears and knocks Riley unconscious.

The next morning, Elisabeth and Maddy head for the hospital, and Jim meets with Taylor, leaving Josh to babysit Zoe and Leah.

While Maddy finds tending to the wounded makes her queasy, Mira and the Sixers approach Terra Nova with the captive soldier and Riley. Mira wants Leah. Taylor tells Mira to release the captives and he'll let Leah decide. When Leah refuses to leave, Mira swallows her anger and turns to leave. Taylor tells Mira that the next time she threatens Terra Nova, it'll be war.

Taylor asks Jim to determine who inside Terra Nova told the Sixers that Leah was there. Leah tells Taylor that the Sixers move all the time, but her late father taught her how to read maps. Taylor plans to look at maps with her later.

Jim and Taylor question scientist Robert Stanley about having been outside Terra Nova alone, noting that he also came on the sixth pilgrimage. Stanley replies that only half the sixth pilgrimage became Sixers and he's not collaborating with them. Malcolm interrupts the interrogation, and tells Jim and Taylor to back off.

When Maddy and Elisabeth drop Leah off at school for testing, she sneaks away. As Reynolds is asking Jim for his permission to court Maddy, Riley reports a home break-in and Jim leaves to investigate.

Jim finds an empty hole in the home's floor. The owner didn't know it was there, but the house used to be Mira's. Jim wants Leah found immediately. When they locate and surround Leah, she's got a bag slung over her arm.

Taylor's angry he's been played by Mira, who knew he'd take in Leah, noting that Mira's attempt to get Leah back was just a ruse. When Taylor, Jim, and Riley examine the container they found in Leah's bag, they can't figure out how to open it. Leah says she doesn't know how to open it either - or even what it is - claiming she just did what Mira told her because Mira threatened to harm her brother, Sam. Meanwhile, Maddy's work at the hospital makes her nauseous, and she runs from the room.

Jim wants to find Leah's brother, but Taylor, fearing an ambush and unsure that Leah's telling the truth, orders him to stay put. Then Josh finds a handwritten note from Leah that reads, "I'm sorry. I had to," with a drawing of a frowning face. Elisabeth believes this indicates Leah wasn't lying about her brother.

Reynolds finds Maddy shopping at the market and asks to court her, saying that Taylor demands such formalities. Giddy with happiness, Maddy consents, and they link arms as they stroll away.

Meanwhile, Jim disobeys Taylor, heads off into the jungle outside Terra Nova, and gets caught by a snare that whips him into the air. He's left dangling upside-down from a tree, with his gun out of reach on the ground and a dinosaur quickly approaching . . .

The Sixers rescue Jim and take him prisoner. Jim discovers that the Sixers are living in treehouses in the jungle's canopy. Mira claims that she only threatened Leah's brother to motivate her but intended no harm. Jim replies that he believes Mira has a spy inside Terra Nova. Mira is glad Jim saved Taylor's life because his death would've made Taylor a martyr.

She explains that Taylor has angered some powerful people who're still living in 2149 and that they want him gone. She adds that the "starting over" promise of the pilgrimages to Terra Nova is a lie and eventually Jim will discover what Terra Nova is really all about. Mira swears Taylor will be taken down, adding that Jim won't want his family to be caught on the wrong side of history.

Mira also admits she has a young daughter, Sienna, who's still living in 2149, and if she succeeds in taking down Taylor, "they" will let her see her daughter again. "Who's 'they'?" Jim asks, as a Sixer slips a bag over his head.

Jim returns to Terra Nova with Leah's brother, Sam, at his side. While Taylor is unhappy that Jim disobeyed his order, Jim says that Mira is trying to prove that the Sixers aren't so bad. But Jim's broken ribs leave him unconvinced.

Elisabeth tends to Jim's wounds, noting that a recent Terra Nova widow has volunteered to take in Leah and Sam. She adds that Maddy is not cut out for medical duty.

Meanwhile, Malcolm tells Taylor he doesn't know how to open the container; Taylor tells him to keep trying. Then Riley brings Leah to Jim, who hugs his sore ribs and thanks him for reuniting her with Sam.