What About Bob?

**What About Bob?** is the fifth episode of the first season of *The Peripheral*. It premiered on November 11, 2022.

## Synopsis

Flynne’s life is threatened again, forcing her to confront Cherise.

## Plot

The episode begins one year before Aelita disappeared. Aelita meets with Grace Hogart at the Research Institute. Grace tells Aelita she’s married with kids and Aelita admits that Grace broke her heart. Grace offers to talk it through but instead Aelita presses about her job at the Research Institute.

Grace shows Aelita around- explaining her work and specifically mentioning the Behavioral Mod Department study where the Research Institute set up a shell company in the stub that made a deal with the military, giving them haptic implants for their staff. The RI tweaked the implants to affect the brain’s compassion center. They start to leave the room but get interrupted by Mariel, who asks Aelita what she’s doing there since she doesn’t have access. Grace makes up a lie about Aelita visiting her and them going down to the room to get Grace’s jacket.

In 2032, in Key West, a man, Robert O’Connell comes home and finds a package with a phone and sonic gun instead. Daniel calls him and offers him ten million dollars to kill the Fishers. Robert, aka Bob, tells Daniel no but Daniel threatens Bob’s daughter.

Bob goes to a bowling alley to speak to a man he knows called Frank. Frank is there with his sons. Bob tells him he knows Frank revealed information to Daniel about him and Bob shoots Frank and his sons. Bob takes them to go assassinate the Fishers.

At home, Billy Ann looks in Jasper’s coat and finds a wad of cash, which she thinks he took from the bag Burton sent for Corbell. Jasper claims Corbell gave it to him as a sign of gratitude.

Flynne goes to see the doctor again, who reveals that there is some bacteria in her occipital lobe. They need to run more studies so she uses a spinal tap to get some fluid from Flynne.

Bob calls his daughter and uses a code to tell her he might die soon. She tells him she’s pregnant. Bob stops his car on the side of the road, pretending to work on it. Billy Ann sees him and offers to help. Burton and Flynne drive past. Bob sees them and takes the sonic gun, but Flynne sees him coming and warns Burton. They get in a fight but Billy Ann stops Bob by shooting him with her shotgun.

Tommy comes and arrests Bob. He seems concerned about Flynne and Burton, knowing something is up. Flynne can’t tell him the whole truth. Tommy takes Bob to the police station but on the way gets hit by an invisible car. Bob gets taken away.

Back home, Flynne decides to log back into the peripheral. She is mad at Wilf for not warning her about Bob’s attempt to kill her and her brother. Flynne fantasizes about hunting down Cherise but Wilf advises her against it unless she’s fully at peace with what she has to do. Flynne goes to the Research Institute to meet Cherise and ask her why she’s after her. Cherise says Flynne stole something from her but Flynne is confused by this. She tries to kill Cherise, but Cherise is also in a peripheral. Flynne snaps Cherise’s peripheral’s neck and walks away.

## Quotes

> Just return it and all shall be forgiven.
>
> Cherise to Flynne

## Cast

### Starring

* Chloë Grace Moretz as Flynne Fisher
* Gary Carr as Wilf Netherton
* Jack Reynor as Burton Fisher
* Eli Goree as Conner
* Charlotte Riley as Aelita
* JJ Feild as Lev
* Adelind Horan as Billy Ann Baker
* T'Nia Miller as Cherise
* Alex Hernandez as Tommy Constantine
* Austin Rising as Leon

### Guest Starring

* Louis Herthum as Corbell Pickett
* Chris Coy as Jasper
* Melinda Page Hamilton as Ella
* Katie Leung as Ash
* Alexandra Billings as Detective Ainsley Lowbeer
* Amber Rose Revah as Grace

## Music

* "I am a Fool to Want You" - Billie Holiday
* "Daydream" - The Lovin' Spoonful