15 Years

**15 Years** is the tenth episode and mid-season premiere of the first season and the 10th episode overall of *Emergence*.

## Short Summary

After months of dead ends, the Evans family receives information that could finally lead them to Piper. While Jo and Brooks follow this new lead, Ed helps Mia as she tries to send Piper a message. Meanwhile, Alex and Chris stumble upon a mysterious shipment in the harbor.

## Full Summary

Jo arrives in New York City. Ryan is waiting for her outside Benny's apartment. He's been renting it for two years. The FBI bursts in. No one's inside. Ryan thinks Benny and Piper never came here. Jo realizes Benny has been planning this but she doesn't get why. Ryan says they can't even dig up a relative. His background check looked standard up until 15 years ago, which is when it just stops. Jo finds a sweater of Piper's between the couch cushions.

Ryan joins Jo outside. He tells her the sweater means they are close. Piper's only been gone for 8 hours tops. Ryan says they will find her.

**Four weeks later**

Late at night, Jo is still looking into Benny. She calls someone he interviewed a few years back, only to be scolded for waking them up at 3 AM. She didn't realize the time.

Before going to bed, Jo wants to check on Mia but finds her bed empty. She finds Mia awake in Piper's bed. She lies down with her. Mia has a feeling Piper is never coming back. She thinks Piper must be scared wherever she is. Jo worries about that, too, but she also knows Piper is brave and smart. Jo tells her people don't just disappear. There's almost always something that tells you where to look for them. She just has to find that thing.

Jo walks into the station, where Chris shows her the annual crime report he put together. She checks it out and signs off on it. He'll also handle the event with the mayor on Thursday. She completely forgot. Ryan walks in. Jo is planning on making calls to find friends of Benny's from when he lived there in 2016. Ryan informs her he's being pulled effective immediately. He'll still work on the case whenever he can, though. Ryan wants to hit the road now to beat traffic. Daphne informs them that a detective from the Bronx is on the line. They found a body that matches the description. Jo has them send over a photo. It's not Piper.

Jo puts away her gun at home as Alex asks her about her day. She says it went the same as always. Alex doesn't know what to do for Mia, nor for anyone else. Jo says they need to figure out how to talk to Mia about the way this probably ends. He asks her what happened today. She tells him he doesn't want that in his head. She has no clue whatsoever. She doesn't know how much longer she can do this. Suddenly, all the lights and electronic devices start flickering. Mia calls them to the living room. The television is displaying the symbol. Jo is about to touch the screen when the circuit breaker pops. Jo knows Piper is behind it.

Back in NYC, Jo meets up with Ryan. She tells him Piper contacted them. Knowing full well she sounds crazy, she asks him to investigate this power surge at her house, which she knows Piper is behind. Ryan doesn't buy it. Jo just wants him to help her. He doesn't want to give her false hope but she thinks he'll agree to help eventually.

Mia is gathering all electronic devices. Abby drops by for a visit and Mia asks for her phone. While she goes to fetch Jo's old tablet, Ed explains that Piper tried to get in touch with them last night. Ed doesn't know if it's a good thing that everybody's buying into it.

At the station, Chris tells Jo the electric company didn't register a power surge. Daphne informs Jo that Ryan is on the phone. He tells her that it was the communications satellite, not a power surge. At 6:36, the satellite received a signal that fried the transponder. The satellite is useless now. Before it was destroyed, it sent a signal to Jo's house. The closest ground station to the source of the signal is Elk County, Pennsylvania. There's a flight out of LaGuardia in three hours and he's going. She'll be there. Jo briefs Chris and designates him he's acting Chief until she's back. Chris is hesitant but Jo trusts that he can do it.

While packing, Jo briefs Alex on Mia's schedule. Mia brings by a bunch of stuffed toys for Piper. Jo orders her to pick one. Mia leaves to get Piper's toothbrush. Jo tells Alex he can sleep in her bed while she's gone but he thinks it's weird. Mia hugs her and tells her to go get Piper.

Chris meets up with Yousef at his salvage yard. Yousef is not a fan of his being chief. Yousef called him because there's a bit in his slip. Chris says that's a matter for the harbor master but Yousef has issues with him. After Yousef walks off, Chris finds his keys being pulled towards a crate being loaded onto the boat. He asks what's in there. They claim it's sauvignon blanc and deny his request to take a look.

Alex drops by the office. Chris called him because he needs to speak to someone who knows what's going on. Chris tells him about the magnetic pull. He thinks this can't be a coincidence. Alex says they should go check it out. Chris doesn't want to break rules but Alex points out Jo would already know what's in the crate by now.

Jo and Ryan have arrived. They find their rental car. She wants to find a local dinner spot to talk to regulars. She clarifies they can't go around interrogating people. She knows how towns like these operate. Ryan notices the stuffed toy in her bag and Jo explains Mia packed it for Piper. Ryan notices Piper has really become part of the family.

Ed thinks it's time for Mia to stop trying. Mia hates how Piper doesn't know that they are looking for her. She wishes they could send Piper a message. Ed is not sure that's possible. Mia shuts off all devices she has with her. Ed cheers her up by saying they can try.

Over dinner, Ryan comments on Jo's relationship with Alex. Jo says they have to get along for Mia. Ryan says he couldn't do that with his ex, if they had had kids. They split up 10 years ago. He wouldn't even recognize her today. He can tell it's only been a year for Jo and Alex. That first year is always weird. You have to retrain your brain into believing that this person is no longer important to you, even though they still are. Ryan and Jo then ask the bartender about any blackouts or power surges. She says they haven't had any. Jo shows her a picture of Piper and Benny. She does remember Benny and his accent. She saw him when she was getting gas a few nights ago. In fact, the guy who owns the station is in the main dining room right now.

Ryan and Jo are talking to Charlie. He claims Benny came in asking for directions. He got lost looking for the interstate. Jo asks how long he's owned the station. He bought it when he moved here 15 years ago. He claims he was in Pittsburgh before then, but he can't answer the question of where he lived there specifically. He then flees. Out in the street, he is hit by a car. His skin starts glowing, revealing his being an AI, before he carjacks the man who hit him and escapes.

Back in their hotel room, Jo informs Ryan that state troopers are looking for the car. Ryan reached out to the hospital but Charlie didn't go there. Ryan is still recovering from the news that AI exists and that Piper is one, too. Ryan says the FBI being involved won't end well. Jo wonders why someone would design an AI and then leaave it at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. She then gathers that everything goes back 15 years: Charlie being here, Splinter being active, and Benny's background. She's thinking Benny is one, too, which makes her wonder how many more there are. Ryan could be one. He scoffs at the idea. Benny's betrayal has made her distrust her instincts. She knows how he can prove he's human. She fetches the exabyte disk and tries out if he has a docket in his wrist. Nothing happens. He insists on testing her, too. The tender handling of one another doesn't go unnoticed as his hand lingers on her arm. Her phone breaks up the moment. The car was found at a parking lot a couple of miles away. They leave to go check it out.

Chris and Alex sneak back onto the boat. Chris uses his keys to locate the right crate. Alex says a pull that strong would require a magnet half the size of the boat. They open the crate and find a square box containing a floating, liquid metal. Alex is puzzled. They hear men approaching. They manage to sneak back onto the dock unnoticed. Moments later, the boat takes off.

Ed sits down with Mia and shows her his ham radio. He once talked to a guy from Mexico once using this. If Piper tried reaching out to them through the TV, she could be tuned into this. Mia gets to record a message and he'll set up for it to be repeated on a bunch of frequencies far as far as it'll go. Mia knows he's just trying to make her feel better but he points out there is no harm in trying. Mia tells Piper not to be afraid and that Jo is coming.

Jo and Ryan arrive at an animal hospital. They enter and eventually find him in an operating room. He has made an incision behind his ear. Ryan asks him where Piper is. Jo says they can help but he disagrees. He literally can't say where Piper is. As he passes away, his eyes briefly display the symbol. Jo starts digging into the incision and pulls out the device Piper had inside her, too. Ryan found Charlie's phone. He unlocks it and checks the recent locations. Aside from his house and the diner, there's one unfamiliar location. They decide to go check it out.

Back at the station, Alex keeps rambling on about that crazy thing they saw. Chris points out they can't involve the Coast Guard since they were trespassing. Chris opens Find My Phone. He left his phone on the boat. If the boat docks before the battery dies, they can locate it.

Ryan and Jo arrive at a remote mansion. Jo chooses to investigate the outbuildings while Ryan will search the house itself. Jo warns him to be careful. They split up.

Mia approaches the radio as a load screeching begins. Ed turns it off but the display starts showing binary code. Mia quickly starts recording it with her phone.

Jo is making her way through the stables as she hears car doors. She approaches and finds Benny loading supplies into the trunk of a car. She pulls out her gun and tells him to raise his hands. Benny tells her he's truly sorry. Jo demands he tell her where Piper is. Benny says he didn't have a choice. Jo says she and Piper both trusted him. Benny lowers his hands as he's quite sure she won't shoot him. He confirms he's one of them. Jo says she just watched one of them die. It appears they can feel pain. She's not interested in his excuses so she's going to ask him one last time. Suddenly, her gun falls apart in her hands. Piper appears and tells Jo not to hurt Benny. Jo starts running towards her but Piper tells her to stop. She doesn't want to hurt her. Jo says they can just go home but Piper says she has to stay. Jo disagrees. Piper insists they need her help. As Helen appears behind her, Piper says she's sorry and asks her to tell Mia she's not afraid. She then telekinetically closes the heavy stable doors, trapping Jo while the three AI's take off in the car. Once they're gone, Jo breaks free and runs after the car, only to see it disappear into the distance.

## Cast

* Jo Evans
* Piper
* Benny Gallagher
* Mia Evans
* Chris Minetto
* Abby Frasier
* Alex Evans
* Ed Sawyer
* Charlie
* Yousef
* Helen
* Ryan Brooks
* Daphne
* Team Leader
* Crew Man
* Waitress
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### Starring

* Allison Tolman as Jo Evans
* Alexa Swinton as Piper
* Owain Yeoman as Benny Gallagher
* Ashley Aufderheide as Mia Evans
* Robert Bailey Jr. as Chris Minetto
* Zabryna Guevara as Abby Frasier
* Donald Faison as Alex Evans
* Clancy Brown as Ed Sawyer

### Guest Starring

* Lucas Van Engen as Charlie
* Laith Nakli as Yousef
* Rowena King as Helen
* Enver Gjokaj as Agent Ryan Brooks

### Co-Starring

* Evangeline Young as Daphne
* Karen Valero as Team Leader
* Vinson German as Crew Man
* Samantha Jones as Waitress

## Mystery Notes

Following clues and mysterious elements around Piper's identity are revealed in the episode:

## Notes and Trivia

* The episode scored 2.28 million viewers.

## Gallery

### Promotional Videos

Emergence 1X10 Winter January 7th Premiere Preview (with slo-mo)