NOS4A2 (S02 E08) recap: Chris McQueen faces down the Wraith

NOS4A2 episode 8 showed us the angry side of Chris McQueen and very different versions of both Bing Partridge and Millie Manx.

NOS4A2 opened with a flashback to Chris giving the eulogy at his father’s funeral. His Dad was not a nice guy, but according to Chris’s mom, he had been prior to Vietnam. Chris felt a bit of sympathy for him after fighting in the Gulf War.

In the present, Vic’s bike is finally in running order, and she shoulders a back pack (while wincing in pain) and tells Lou she is going to get their boy. Vic and Chris head out for the Shorter Way Bridge on the Triumph, and Linda’s face is priceless when she sees the bridge magically appear.

The Shorter Way ends at the junk yard, where they find Wayne’s phone and the critically injured Bing. When Vic tries to sweet talk Bing into telling her Wayne’s whereabouts, Chris loses his temper and smacks him with the gun, rendering him unconscious. Nice job, Dad! They call for help, and we next see them at the hospital, where Bing is in surgery.

After he has recovered, Bing is questioned by Tabitha, but he insists he needs to talk to Vic. Tabs tries to play him, telling him he got her in trouble with her boss. He seems sympathetic, saying that Manx is always mad. He wishes he had never met him, because Vic would still be his friend.

Vic gets to talk to Bing alone, and he is pretty pitiful. “Did the FBI lady tell you I was helpful?” He apologizes for bringing Manx back to life, insists he tried to save Wayne (which is true), and wants to reminisce back to when they were friends, saying he misses her.

She tells him she misses who she thought he was, and he says he doesn’t have any friends to visit him. “I’m sorry, please forgive me.” Vic takes his hand and he tells her that each child has to hang an ornament on a tree before entering Christmasland. That means Wayne will have to get out of the car, and they will have a chance to grab him.

Vic is super mad at Chris, who cost her valuable time by losing his cool, and Maggie says she should take it easy on him. Tabitha approaches the car, Vic leaves, and she and Maggie talk.

Tabitha says Manx is all theirs, then she lays down some hard truth: she loves Maggie, but she needs to live in the real world all the time. She wants Maggie to be happy and be herself. She’ll drive Maggie to the airport so she can go to Colorado to Sleigh House.

Vic and Chris argue as she’s packing to leave. He wants to go with her, but she’s still mad at him for screwing up. Linda is the voice of reason, telling her not to let her anger get in the way of saving Wayne, Chris is needed to set up the explosives.