‘The Purge’ Recap: ‘Release the Beast’

The sirens have sounded for the fourth week of the purge and we finally have some answers to the many burning questions that have arose throughout the series.

Release the Beast opens up with Alison and Jane attempting to understand that Mark is dead. This is the first time the purge reveals true remorse from someone who participates in purge night. Alison’s actions hit her hard. She does not want anyone to know the crime she committed because she regrets killing Mark. Jane yelling at her does not help matters, but does make Alison reveals what I speculated a couple of weeks ago. Alison saw Jane’s computer and calls Jane out a hypocrite for lecturing her about Mark’s death when Jane has taken measures to get ahead as well.

Through Alison’s actions, Jane witnesses the outcome of her own decisions. She also realizes that the person she put a hit on has a family much like everyone else in the purge. A trickle effect ensues on purge night that continues to drive the next year. If one person kills your mother, the next year you are possibly compelled to kill that person. This thought process makes Jane realize that her desire for a promotion is not worth the devastation she will cause by going through with this murder. She attempts to call and cancel her order while explaining that he does not deserve death. Ryker is her intended hit.

Instead of waiting for a call back, Jane grabs a hammer and decides to take matters into her own hands.  She leaves the building out the back. Before she leaves, she makes a phone call to insist someone tell her mother that she forgives her. Not giving the person time to change her mind, Jane leaves the building. While she comes off as paranoid walking down the street, we soon learn her paranoia is justified. Someone is definitely following her.

Meanwhile we on Jenna not seeking comfort in her husband’s arms, but Lila’s arms instead about her father’s actions. We also gain the knowledge of the negotiation of the agreement between Jenna and Rick and their relationship with Lila. No one was ever supposed to be alone with Lila, foreshadowing the downfall of the relationship, which makes the cut back to current day with Jenna and Lila even more enticing since Rick is continuously searching for Jenna. He seriously does not keep track of where Jenna is which I find dumbfounding considering what the two witnessed in Stanton’s office.

As they continue to to talk, Lila admits she has survived this long in her father’s home because of her constant rebelling against the purge actions is her whole life. Her goes is to help people instead of hurting them. An inevitable save is foreshadowed yet again. In a flashback, Lila insists that Jenna should take money from her father. Jenna sees his money as blood money because of his association with the NNFA. Lila points out that every dollar Jenna takes from Stanton is less money her father can give the NNFA. Lila’s only concern with them getting the money is she thinks for Rick it’s more about the money than the cause.

Finally, audiences connect with Miguel again who has gone back to Pete to see if there is more information to gain about Penelope’s whereabouts again. As soon as Miguel mentions her abductors were nuns, Pete’s face reveals he knows her location. Instead of learning from Pete’s words, we are introduced to The Carnival of Flesh where various carnival workers are offering killing others the way our ancestors did. Various torture devices are seen throughout the tent and we discover an area where those there to purge for the evening can purchase and then kill people auctioned off.

Simultaneously, Lila is pouring her soul out to Jenna. She reveals the only reason she decided to attend the night’s events at her father’s house is because she needed to see Jenna. She hated how everything ended between them and she wants to help raise the baby with Jenna. She then insists that she is not asking Jenna to leave, but it appears Jenna feels her only options are to leave Rick and be with Lila or be with rick. There’s no gray area. This is possibly because of the way things ended with the coupling.

My assumptions about Lila and Jenna’s relationship are proven correct in a flashback when Rick walks in on Jenna and Lila in bed together. The two immediately argue and Rick insists that Lila is no longer welcome in their relationship. However, Lila gives her way more attention than Rick and Jenna craves such. Lila makes her feel important and Rick does not. When Rick sees the two walking down the stairs together, he recalls the moment in the flashback and proceeds to cause a scene at the party. They have moved on and she should too.

With Stanton’s attention, he reveals that Rick needs to keep the passion going because more festivities are imminent. When Jenna claims that Rick went too far, he explains that Lila is unstable and untrustworthy. Is she the untrustworthy person though or is Rick?

Concurrently Penelope begins to realizes that she has trusted the wrong people. Upon questioning if the purge helps, a woman insists the purge never helps and it always makes the world worse, a sentiment running rampant throughout the episode. A man presumably with Alzheimer’s or maybe dementia attempts to help Penelope, but causes a scene that does more harm than good for himself and Penelope causing Penelope to get tased.

Pete has introduced Miguel to the man known as Rex the Cowboy. He promises to get Miguel into the carnival but does not promise to help him get out of the carnival. As the two ride together Rex makes Miguel truly think about his future. Rex reveals that before the purge started, he was a guy working at a Verizon call center. He hated his life and thankfully now he makes a living where he makes more than even money. When he questions his actions he listens to the hold music to remind him not to go back to something meaningless.

However we soon realize that his life of luxury comes at a very steep price making us wonder one question specifically. What is the price of a life?

They escort the elder man away who attempted to help Penelope on a hand cart to the desired destination of his purchaser for a mere fifty dollars. At the same time we also learn that Rex is a collector who takes those sacrificed to the auction to the carnival in the first place. Is Miguel destiny’s to be auctioned off as well? Is that what Rex meant with he’s not going to help him get out?

Just when we think the carnival cannot get worse, someone purchases Penelope for two thousand dollars. Moments later, we learn her purchaser is none other than Henry, the man Miguel blames for her addiction and the reason she is out on purge night to begin with. For the first time, Penelope’s true fears shine through her facade.

In the same instance, we learn the goal of the man following Jane is to rape her as he even makes her drink some unidentified concoction. Thankfully, a group known as the Matron Saints recuses Jane. These women reveal certain men in the purge commit gendercide every year. The Matron Saints have made it their mission to protect women who are not prepared on purge night. The statistics given are absolutely frightening to think about as well. For instance, three women are killed for every man. Sexual assaults, at least the ones reported, trek up into the tens of thousands.

While we do not know the true intentions of the Matrons Saints, other than to save women, we learn that sometimes their calls get rather intense, but will learn next week what that entails exactly as Jane has no choice but to go on a call with them.

The ringing of the bell at Stanton’s party signifies more festivities as blades are brought into the room. Jenna seems more concerned after she is instructed to leave the house by Catalina. As the people gather around the blades, the show focuses once more on Joe attempting to save someone else this week while reminding viewers humans have been the most vicious animals all along. A message in many horror films lately and with today’s climate the sentiment is increasingly difficult to disagree with.

Our leading characters have survived another purge week, but for how long? Also, who is Joe? Why is he attempting to save various people’s from the night’s events? Is he apart of a bigger group? Why was he so distraught by those murdered? Will Miguel make it in time to save Penelope? Will Jenna and Rick manage to escape Stanton’s home? How far does the Matron Saints go to protect women? We need more answers!

Make sure to tune in next Tuesday at 10pm on USA Network to hopefully discover more answers. Also, let us know what you thought of tonight’s episode in the comments below.