Underground Recap: Noah & Cato Face Off + Elizabeth Has Another Brush with Violence

Kansas is bleeding.

Another slave, Bo, comes to Daniel and asks him to read a letter that was mailed to their master. Daniel reads it and learns that a man named John Brown is killing slave owners and setting slaves free. So another slave master is suggesting that their master sells their slaves to stay safe and prevent an attack by John Brown. Daniel’s master seems to agree and he now believes that he and his family will be sold to a plantation down south. Most likely, they will end up separated. He’s concerned.

The slave asks Daniel to teach him how to read but Daniel warns him that having the ability comes with a lot of burdens.

“Ain’t about the risk. Reading is a curse. All the words…they gave voice to feelings I never told nobody, not even my Bette. And I’m crushing under the weight of the knowledge. It opens up the world to you and shows you how small the one they got us chained to is.” – Daniel to Bo

Cato has a new start in London.

Cato has made his way to London with the cash he found last season while on the run, and there he begins to live an affluent lifestyle.

At an art gallery one day, he meets a beautiful woman and strikes up a conversation about a piece of art. Turns out, he’s the one who donated the art piece. He is notified by staff that his driver has arrived to pick him up. Cato walks away and the woman is left very impressed.

Elizabeth and the Sewing Circle prepare for a rally.

Elizabeth and the rest of the Sewing Circle are planning an anti slavery rally.

The rally is very important because with a pro-slavery legislator running, they hope to sway voters.

They also want to sway voters because if voters don’t support the move to abolish slavery, John Brown is most likely going to wreak havoc, so they want to prevent the possible massacre.

Georgia claims that he and his followers want to abolish slavery, but are more extreme with their methods.

Elizabeth questions why Georgia isn’t one of the listed speakers of the rally and convinces her to consider it.

They hear a ticking noise and discover a badly hurt Rosalee in one of the tunnels.

Noah discovers Cato’s new life in Philadelphia.

Noah wakes up in a tastefully decorated room, unsure of where he is. He walks down the stairs, and finds Cato training and boxing with one of his employees.

Noah is frustrated because he doesn’t really understand what is going on but Cato brushes off his frustrations and invites him to get a taste of the city.

In a flashback scene, Cato and the woman he met at the art gallery, Debbie, go out dancing in London. When a white man calls him a slur, he takes a bottle and hits him upside the head. Before leaving, he throws a bunch of money on the floor.

This upsets Debbie, and she feels like he is very arrogant because he has a lot of money.

“This is the first time I’ve heard you complain about the life my money could afford you.” – Cato to Debbie

Debbie also feels like he isn’t opening up to her and she wishes he would understand that she also deals with racism as she is British and Indian.

After arguing, she assures him that she’s not going anywhere and they kiss.

Elizabeth learns Rosalee is pregnant.

A doctor comes in to take a look at unconscious Rosalee, and Georgia and Elizabeth learn that she is pregnant.

With Rosalee being the only family Elizabeth has left, she is very worried that she won’t be able to pull through and recover from her serious injuries.

Money can’t erase Noah’s disgust of Cato.

Cato takes Noah to a fancy restaurant in Philadelphia.

“You left me for dead.” – Noah to Cato

Cato and Noah still have a rocky relationship because Cato feels like Noah abandoned him. He questions what Noah’s plan is this time because he has a history of having shortsighted missions. After Cato tells him that his new plan will only get him killed and leave Rosalee to mourn him, Noah gets angry and stabs the table with a knife.

In a flashback scene, Debbie and Cato watch a white fighter win a boxing match. After he beats his latest opponent unconscious, he asks for another challenger. Debbie volunteers Cato as his next match, and Cato reluctantly agrees to fight.

Elizabeth meets Lucas, leader of Free Staters.

The Sewing Circle has a meeting with Lucas and a few of his supporters.

Over a meal, Lucas discusses his beliefs and has no regrets in getting violent in order to free slaves.

Georgia wonders if there’s a less violent approach he hasn’t considered, but it’s clear he thinks his way is the best way.

Noah has some verbal daggers for Cato.

Still at the restaurant in Philadelphia, it’s Noah’s turn to speak some harsh truths.

He tells Cato that all the money and fancy clothes he has won’t change who he really is at the core.

And to Noah, Cato will always be a snake who only looks out for himself and that perception is one that most people have.

In a flashback scene, Cato has an intimate moment with Debbie and proposes to her.

When Noah questions why Cato isn’t out looking for his wife and little girl, Cato gets very angry and points out that Noah is just as selfish as he is. In fact, the deaths of Henry and Moses is proof of that.

“They deaths on me and I would do anything to change it all if I could.” – Noah to Cato

Cato tells Noah he will have a chance to do just that.

Elizabeth hangs out with Lucas.

They go to a voting station and Lucas takes out a hammer and starts destroying all the voting booths. He thinks doing so will send a message to voters and intimidate them.

When Elizabeth questions why he’s so extreme, he tell her a fake story about growing up and seeing slaves suffer.

He then points out that a person doesn’t need a sob story to know slavery is wrong and become passionate about putting an end to it.

“Why do you assume that I need some deep personal reason to fight this war? Slavery is wrong, I know it, you know it. Your late husband knew it and was shot in cold blood because of it. Ain’t that enough reason to take arms?” – Lucas to Elizabeth

Cato asks Noah to make a hard choice.

After their heated exchange in the restaurant, Noah introduces him to a group of slaves he owns.

Cato tells him he will set all the slaves free if Noah agrees to become a slave again. Noah painfully declines, and Cato sends the slaves away.

In another flashback scene, Cato is getting the upper hand in his fight against a white fighter as Debbie looks on. He feels very powerful until the white fighter surprises him with serious blow.

Cato falls to the ground and hears Debbie shout for him to get up. In that moment, he looks at her before he stands back up.

He walks back over to the fighter and knocks him out but looks completely broken. Debbie begins to tear up.

Georgia changes her mind.

While she doesn’t agree with John Brown’s approach, Georgia was encouraged to speak when one of John’s supporters tells her that her words are just as powerful as John’s use of intimidation and violence.

So she decides to speak at the rally, but freezes when she gets on the podium. As the crowd begins to get rowdy, she walks off.

Elizabeth then walks up to podium and appears to read the speech Georgia wrote. She then decides to speak her own words, and starts to call out those who support slavery.

The crowd gets even more rowdy and someone throws a rock at Elizabeth, hitting her in the head. She falls down before the crowd erupts into violence and begin fighting each other.

Cato ends his relationship with Debbie.

Noah punches Cato and they begin to fight. When Cato urges Noah to kill him, Noah refuses and says he’s not about to aid in the destruction of his people at the hands of white supremacy by killing him.

Cato then sends Noah away.

In another flashback scene, Cato breaks up with Debbie and tells her he wants something better.

Elizabeth almost turns to violence.

After getting hit in the head with a rock and seeing the rally attenders erupt in violence, Elizabeth picks up a bottle and almost throws it at slavery supporters.

Georgia stops her, and urges that they quickly leave the rally.

Cato gives Noah his freedom.

“The difference between me and Noah and between me and the rest of the world is everyone hides what they really are. Everyone is selfish. Looking for whatever bit of power they can have and calling it freedom.” – Cato to his employee

Noah realizes that at this point of his life, he’s willing to do whatever he has to in order to stay free. And knowing that about himself scares him.

Cato on the other hand is embracing his ruthlessness. Not only did he buy Noah’s freedom, but he set free the group of slaves he told Noah he was responsible for.

“I chose to come back because now I know what this country needs. It needs to be torn down to nothing. It needs a forest fire. A biblical flood, an earthquake that rips it in half. It needs me.” – Cato to his employee

What are your thoughts on the episode?