Blank Expression

"Blank Expression" is the fifth episode of season two of the Disney+ streaming television series The Mysterious Benedict Society and the thirteenth episode of the series overall. It was released on November 16, 2022.
==Synopsis==
The kids enlist an ally. Constance faces off with an old enemy. Number Two confronts Dr. Curtain.
==Plot==
Reynie, Sticky, and Kate get off at a station in the middle of nowhere and fret over Constance's fate. Reynie and Sticky both believe it is their fault, but Kate snaps them out of it. Knowing that they cannot go to the police for help as they lack ID and papers, Kate calls upon the help of Martina Crowe who is in the middle of a "semi-pro" volleyball game, being underutilized by a losing team. Meanwhile, Constance is revealed to have been kidnapped by the poloists who are actually mercenaries working for Dr. Garrison, whom Dr. Curtain framed for the Emergency and forced her to go into hiding. She wants Constance to recreate the incident that destroyed the Whisperer so that she can perfect it.
Milligan, Ms. Perumal and Rhonda discover that the kids were headed to Burggrub, Germany, however Rhonda reveals that she will split from the group as she just got word from feelers that someone has been purchasing large amounts of Trentonium-99, the same material used for the Whisperer and plans to locate it. Milligan and Ms. Perumal will get on the train to catch up with the kids. At the compound, Number Two confronts Dr. Curtain about Mr. Bendict's condition. He refuses to revert him back, but tells her that he is willing to let them leave if that is what Mr. Benedict desires.
Reynie, Sticky, and Kate are picked up by Martina, who apparently took her team's van and equipment out of spite, and they proceed to drive around to various stops that happened between their train trip. Number Two and Mr. Benedict sit in during one of Dr. Curtain's lectures where Number Two picks up on Mr. Benedict being "sanguine". She further realizes that despite his condition, he still thinks he can convert his brother to good. Jackson and Jillson find more followers suddenly having a blank expression and despite Dr. Van De Berg believing that Dr. Curtain's method is to blame, Marlon insists on finding an alternative explanation though he soon starts to feel the effects when his neck begins to hurt, a symptom leading up to the immobility.
The rest of the kids manage to find the train stop and discover tire tracks in the mud and find that the vehicle had mismatched back tires and follow them into town. Fearing that they would not be able to find the right car, they find another lead of tracks that take them out to the middle of nowhere again. Rhonda manages to locate the pharmacy that sold the Trentonium-99 and gets and address for whoever purchased it. Constance is hooked up to a simplified version of the Whisperer and threatened to be brain swept if she does not comply. She refuses to recreate the incident and Dr. Garrison insists, she takes her helmet and destroys the machinery with it. Dr. Garrison tries to use other methods on Constance, but she instead dismantles her psyche.
Just as Ms. Perumal and Milligan arrive at Burggrub, they are suddenly captured by the Gray Men. At the compound, Number Two informs Mr. Benedict that not only will they escape, but they will also be taking Dr. Curtain with them as well. Marlon is shown to have finally succumbed to Dr. Curtain's happiness method. The kids find the car and find a root cellar in the ground. Upon entering, they find a stoic Constance and a weeping Dr. Garrison. As they prepare to leave, Dr. Garrison calls upon the poloists who have them surrounded.
==Cast==
*Tony Hale as Nicholas Benedict/L.D. Curtain
*Kristen Schaal as Number Two
*MaameYaa Boafo as Rhonda Kazembe
*Ryan Hurst as Milligan Wetherall
*Gia Sandhu as Dipika Perumal
*Mystic Inscho as Reynie Muldoon
*Seth Carr as Sticky Washington
*Emmy DeOliveira as Kate Wetherall
*Marta Kessler as Constance Contraire
===Guest-starring===
*Saara Chaudry as Martina Crowe
*Katherine Evans as Jillson
*Ben Cockell as Jackson
*Reece Noi as Marlon
*Lex King as Ilsa
*Tom Beyer as Dr. Van De Berg
*Trenna Keating as Dr. Garrison
*Kate Orsini as Pharmacist
*Ever Mainard as The Whisperer
===Co-starring===
*Rubén Guevara as Sebastian
*Malak Dabcha as Bauer
*Kannon Hicks as Auguste
*Steve Kehala as Enzo AKA Delivery Driver
*Momsa K. Mlambo as Trainer Kukov
*Janet Song as P.A. Announcer
*Itziar Martinez as Coach Vukovich
==Trivia==
*The title refers to those who have succumbed to Dr. Curtain's dangerous method and the phrase is uttered by Dr. Van De Berg.
*This episode does not have a featured song as part of the soundtrack.
*The latter half of Chapter 12 of the second book is loosely adapted. Starting with this episode, the remainder of the season completely diverges from the novel.
==Book comparisons==
*In the book, all the children successfully get off at Naansemegen so that they can enter Thernbaakagen, while in the series, they got off in the middle of nowhere after Constance is kidnapped.
*In the book, Martina still worked for Mr. Curtain, but starts selling him out when he betrays her. Due to the divergences from the first season, the series depicts Martina as a readily available ally to the Society who is professionally playing tetherball.
==Gallery==
TMBS 205 still 1.jpg
TMBS 205 still 2.jpg
TMBS 205 still 3.jpg
TMBS 205 still 4.jpg
TMBS 205 still 5.jpg
TMBS 205 still 6.jpg
TMBS 205 still 7.jpg
TMBS 205 still 8.jpg
TMBS 205 still 9.jpg
TMBS 205 still 10.jpg
TMBS 205 still 11.jpg
TMBS 205 still 12.jpg
TMBS 205 still 13.jpg
TMBS 205 still 14.jpg
==External links==
*Blank Expression at The Mysterious Benedict Society Wiki
Category:The Mysterious Benedict Society episodes