The Broken Circle

The Broken Circle is the ninth episode of the third season of the television series Runaways.
==Synopsis==
The remaining PRIDE members unite with the kids to foil Morgan's plans, but as a battle rages in the Hostel, one of the Runaways pays the ultimate price to defeat her.
==Plot==
Having returned from the Dark Dimension, the Runaways look for Molly Hernandez, who they previously left at the Church of Gibborim Executive Office. Nico Minoru receives a phone call from Hernandez, indicating that she will return to the Hostel when the night comes. The Runaways are however unaware that Hernandez has actually been enthralled by the Morgan le Fay's Coven, who plan on sacrificing her to initiate a massive spell. The Runaways thus wait for Hernandez. Nico explains to Karolina Dean that she wants to attack Morgan le Fay with her newly formed dagger, which is seconded by Alex Wilder, but Karolina Dean does not share their hostility. Meanwhile, Gert Yorkes and Chase Stein reconcile and share a kiss.
In the Essex Tower Hotel, Geoffrey Wilder regains consciousness, free from le Fay's enthralment now that his Crow Necklace has been broken. He eavesdrops on le Fay and Bronwyn and learns that Hernandez is in danger, and that the witches' ritual will happen on the Olympic Grand Hotel. In order to save Hernandez, Geoffrey reassembles PRIDE, and they decide that they will rescue the young girl without requesting assistance from the Runaways to keep them out of harm's way. Posing as operatives, PRIDE enters the Olympic Grand Hotel and is able to take Hernandez from the Coven after she was struck by lightning. However, during the escape, Geoffrey is seriously wounded by the enthralled Hernandez before Tina Minoru lifts the enchantment.
PRIDE accompanies Hernandez back to the Hostel, where Tina informs the Runaways and PRIDE that the ritual the Coven has initiated will cause the Dark Dimension to merge with Earth. The two groups thus decide to ally against le Fay and discuss their plans, which revolves around two main objectives: taking down the cell towers powering the Corvus WizPhones, and attacking le Fay with Nico's dagger after containing her magic in a circle of magical salt. As everyone prepares for the battle, Geoffrey asks Stacey Yorkes to tend to his wound. Geoffrey also confronts his son about the ruthless pragmatism he demonstrated, fearing that Alex will walk on the same path than his father.
Before the battle, Gert and Hernandez discuss what they would do once everything is over, with Hernandez being keen on embracing her nature as a superhero. Karolina voices her worries regarding Nico to her mother Leslie, but the conversation is interrupted by Dale Yorkes, who wonders about the whispers emitted by the Corvus. Dale learns that Karolina is unable to hear these voices, and hypothesizes that her Gibborim DNA could be used to create a serum protecting everyone from the phones. Victor Stein reveals to Chase that Janet Stein somehow survived in the Healing Algorithm, and the three of them work on hacking into the cell towers.
Tina prepares the magical salt, imbuing it with her blood and sacrificing years of her life in the process to make it more powerful. As she is approached by Nico, they realize that Morgan le Fay's army is trying to break into their dimension through the mirrors, forcing Tina Minoru to cast a continuous spell to block their arrival. Stacey Yorkes and Leslie Dean tend to Geoffrey Wilder's wound before it becomes too severe. Dale Yorkes is able to prepare the serum and gives it to his daughters, although Gert Yorkes worries that it could affect her connection with Old Lace.
Chase Stein finds a Corvus which has been placed in the Hostel by le Fay and become enthralled before being given the serum, forcing Molly Hernandez to tackle him for Gert to give him the antidote. The Runaways are then confronted by le Fay, who arrives through a portal she created. Nico Minoru tosses her dagger at her, but le Fay remains mostly unaffected and demands the Runaways' submission. Initially, all the teenagers but Nico seem to bend the knee to the witch, but they quickly reveal that it was only a trick to play for time so that the cell towers are disconnected and the Corvus are taken down, thus weakening le Fay.
However, le Fay remains powerful enough to single-handedly face the Runaways, and Nico is soon overpowered by the enchantress despite Karolina Dean trying to help her with her light. Moreover, Bronwyn and Cassandra also teleport in the Hostel. Chase is able to take out Cassandra with the Fistigons, but is incapacitated by Bronwyn, who finds Geoffrey, Leslie, Dale and Stacey in a room. She prepares to attack and kill them, but is stabbed in the neck by Alex Wilder.
Gert gets the magical salt prepared by Tina. She and Hernandez go to confront le Fay, who already defeated Nico and Karolina. Although projected onto a crystal chandelier, Gert is able to stand back up and distracts le Fay, questioning her motives and claiming that the Runaways will win against her because they fight for each other, which gives them a strength that le Fay will never reach. Gert then completes the circle, containing le Fay and thus enabling Tina to cast a powerful spell banishing the enchantress back to the Dark Dimension.
The Runaways are thus victorious, but at an enormous cost. Indeed, Gert was actually seriously wounded when le Fay attacked her and she eventually bleeds out and dies in Chase's arms, while the Runaways and PRIDE look in horror and Old Lace roar in despair.
==Cast==
Main Cast:
*Rhenzy Feliz as Alex Wilder / Alex Wilder
*Lyrica Okano as Nico Minoru / Nico Minoru
*Virginia Gardner as Karolina Dean / Karolina Dean
*Ariela Barer as Gert Yorkes / Gert Yorkes
*Gregg Sulkin as Chase Stein / Chase Stein
*Allegra Acosta as Molly Hernandez / Molly Hernandez
*Angel Parker as Catherine Wilder (credit only)
*Ryan Sands as Geoffrey Wilder / Geoffrey Wilder
*Annie Wersching as Leslie Dean / Leslie Dean
*Clarissa Thibeaux as Xavin (credit only)
*Ever Carradine as Janet Stein / Janet Stein
*James Marsters as Victor Stein / Victor Stein
*Brigid Brannagh as Stacey Yorkes / Stacey Yorkes
*Kevin Weisman as Dale Yorkes / Dale Yorkes
*Brittany Ishibashi as Tina Minoru / Tina Minoru
*James Yaegashi as Robert Minoru (credit only)
Special Guest Star:
*Elizabeth Hurley as Morgan le Fay / Morgan le Fay
Guest Stars:
*Ozioma Akagha as Tamar
*Scarlett Byrne as Bronwyn / Bronwyn
*Emily Alabi as Cassandra / Cassandra
*Jamal Dennis as Kirk
==Appearances==
===Locations===
*Los Angeles, California
**Hostel
**Essex Tower Hotel
**Olympic Grand Hotel
**Nana B's Residence (mentioned)
**Atlas Academy (mentioned)
*Dark Dimension (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
===Events===
*Morgan le Fay's Conquest
**Rescue of Molly Hernandez
**Battle at the Hostel
**Infiltration into the Dark Dimension (mentioned)
===Items===
*Staff of One
*Corvus
*Crow Necklace
*Nico Minoru's Dagger
*X-Ray Specs
*Healing Algorithm
*WizGlass
*Fistigons
*Disruptor
*Anti-Magic Serum
*Lightforce (mentioned)
*Darkforce (mentioned)
*Anti-Gibborim Serum (mentioned)
*Jonah's Serum (mentioned)
*Darkhold (mentioned)
===Vehicles===
To be added
===Sentient Species===
*Humans
*Gibborim
===Creatures===
*Deinonychus
**Old Lace
**Old Lace
===Organizations===
*Runaways
*Runaways
*PRIDE
*PRIDE
*Morgan le Fay's Coven
*Morgan le Fay's Coven
*Wizard
*Church of Gibborim
*FBI (mentioned)
* (logo)
===Mentioned===
*Catherine Wilder
*Robert Minoru
*Quinton the Great
*Quinton the Great
*Tandy Bowen
*Tyrone Johnson
*Elle Dean
*Xerxes Davis
*Magistrate
*Nana B
*Nana B
*Magistrate's Son
*Beyoncé
*
==Trivia==
*Dale Yorkes claims that "magic is just science we don't understand". This phrase was also used by Jane Foster in Thor.
==Music==
Song title 	Artist 	Location(s)
End of the Earth	Marina Diamandis	
*Nico Minoru and Alex Wilder hug. Gert Yorkes tries to apologize to a distracted Chase Stein.
Watch Me Go Live	Tiger Drive 	
*PRIDE enter the Olympic Grand disguised as the .
Illuminate 	Wildes 	
*Gert Yorkes dies in Chase Stein's arms. Old Lace escapes her confinement and cries out in anguish upon seeing Gert's body.
==References==
==External Links==
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Category:Runaways (TV series) Episodes