From recap, season 3 episode 5: A long-awaited reunion

Viewers have been suggesting that all the inhabitants of Fromville connect for a town meeting for a long time now. From season 3 episode 5, "The Light of the Day" reminds us why that wouldn't really work.

With Tabitha back, everyone is desperate for answers regarding how she escaped and what happened to her on the outside. The town meeting quickly dissolves into a heated argument with everyone berating Tabitha for not asking for help or telling the police about the town. No one wants to listen to the common sense. The police would never have believed her. If anything, she would have wound up in a padded cell.

Even when Henry tells them that he didn't believe Tabitha at first and the police officer from the ambulance, Acosta, try to remind everyone that they didn't believe Tabitha either, the crowd starts transforming into an angry mob that refuses to listen to reason. They all think they would have done a better job had they been on the outside instead. One particularly outspoken guy, Dale, demands that Boyd or Tabitha take him to the faraway tree or the lighthouse, or whatever it was exactly that led Tabitha to escaping.

It doesn't help that everyone is on edge about Randall, too. When we saw him last, the monsters had left him outside of Colony House, alive, but badly maimed. With some assistance from Marielle, they get Randall stabilized, though not before he berates Boyd for leaving him behind. Why did the monsters keep Randall alive? Boyd thinks it's so he can become a walking reminder of what happens every night. Usually, they can pretend everything is okay in the daytime. Now they can't.

Meanwhile, this episode also provides us with the long-awaited reunion between Victor and his father, Henry. Initially, Victor runs away from Colony House when Donna tells him about his father. He's scared that his dad is expecting him to be that little boy he saw a long time ago. But Sara helps him understand that Henry might be just as scared as he is. They do eventually reunite and it's a sweet and tearful reunion with father and son embracing.

Another side story this episode is a cute hangout session between Julie and Elgin. We get to see their friendship develop further as they skip the meeting in favor of getting high. It was nice to see the two teens getting to be teens for a moment. A few scenes of levity. It also provides an opportunity for Elgin to tell someone about the ghost he's been seeing and Julie to reveal the weed is the only thing that helps her escape her own trauma.

Toward the end of the episode, we follow-up with Jade and Tabitha, who agrees to take Jade to the faraway tree with all of the bottles. He shows her a sketch of what he saw previously with the children on stone slabs and tells her about it. But their conversation is interrupted by Dale, who is adamant about entering the tree. He's cocky about it, telling them that someone has to do it some point and they can thank him later.

As you might expect, it doesn't end well for Dale. The tree transports him into the empty pool in town where he's literally trapped inside the concrete wall. It's horrifying and the whole town watches as Boyd prepares to shoot Dale to put him out of his misery, but he dies before he has to do it. It's a grim moment, but it does allow Boyd the opportunity to show everyone exactly what happens when you run off and act impulsive. He's trying to keep everyone alive.

Other important reveals in this episode include Fatima finally telling Ellis about her taste for rotten vegetables and Henry astutely observes something strange about the town's "motel." Since the beginning, the empty pool has always been there, but where is the motel?

Additionally, Kenny informs Boyd that there is something else out in the forest. He heard it when he was in the cabins with Jim and during the night with Jade and Kristi. So far all its been doing is walking around, but they're probably going to need to figure out what it is sometime soon.