Secrets of Sulphur Springs S3 E8

## Plot

An ambulance takes Sarah, Ben, and Jess to the hospital. On the first floor, Sam hears the stairs creak from Ruby heading upstairs to room 205, but before he can stop her, the kids enter. He tells them that Sarah just fainted. Before they can leave, Judge Walker locks all of the doors, trapping them inside. One of the paintings was slashed, just like the barn, and Zoey finds Winnifred's hair comb. Everything starts shaking. Ruby is locked in room 205 and finally comes face to face with Judge Walker after almost three quarters of a century. She begs him to leave everyone else alone, and even offers her own life in exchange, but he refuses. Sarah's vitals are strong, but she's still unconscious, so the doctors are going to run some tests. Ben said that she fell. They'd never believe them if they said it was a ghost. Sam thinks the portal is their last chance to get out. Savannah doesn't want to leave Ruby, but Sam once again tells her that his unfinished business is to protect them. He'll come back and get Ruby once they're safe. He enters the bunker first, but the judge locks him in. He tells them to wait for him in the basement. He tries to open the hatch, but it won't budge. Savannah heads upstairs and yells at Judge Walker. She's not scared of some shaking lights and noise. He's a coward. It finally stops, and they find Ruby in room 205. She tells them that the judge is still here, all around them. He wants every Tremont and Campbell to suffer. She tells them to find a way out. Break a window if they have to. They don't want to leave without her. She claims that she'll be right behind them, but then Judge Walker locks the door again. Before the kids can try to break a window, they follow the black smoke and finally come face to face with the judge. Someone has to pay for his wife's betrayal. At the hospital, something happens to Sarah. It's likely a panic attack from a traumatic event. The hatch finally opens, allowing Sam to leave. Harper says that Winnifred was a hero. She saved Ruby's life that night. Savannah says that money didn't belong to the judge, and neither did this hotel or the land. Griffin knows how things play out in the future and claims that he's got nothing to lose. The judge knows that's not true though… and basically starts trying to kill Harper by telekinetically choking her, in front of everyone. I repeat, an old, racist, misogynistic white man, in a position of total control, power, and authority, is trying to kill a young, defenseless African-American girl, while the people around her can't do anything to stop it. This season came out in March 2023. This episode originally aired on television that May. It was filmed around late 2022, so I wonder if the implications of police brutality, among other things, was actually intentional. I would like to remind everyone that this aired on Disney and was only rated TV-PG, so it's not super graphic or anything, and it doesn't last that long before the kids turn the tables, but still. It's in character too, since the whole reason the judge died in the first place is because he tried to do the same thing to Ruby in 1947. He didn't get away with it back then though, and he won't now. One of the doors opens, and Sam enters. He won't let Judge Walker hurt these kids. He reminds him that the last time he tried that, it didn't go well for him. There's not much fight left in him. Griffin says that Sam is one of the strongest people he's ever met. He's never stopped fighting to save his mother. That's real love. Walker doesn't even know the meaning of it. Griffin holds Harper's hand and tells him that when you love someone, their happiness is all that matters. Everything is just better when they're around. You are better. That's how Winnifred felt when she met his great grandfather. She finally found real love. Someone who cared more about her than money. The hotel isn't the judge's legacy. It will always be about family. Harper's breathing is back to normal. Despite Walker's scheming, the Tremonts stayed strong and took back their land. Savannah found a family and a home where she's loved. She admits that it's sad that the judge will never know what that feels like, but Griffin says that after everything he's done, he doesn't deserve to know. This is their home. They'll make sure he never has peace here. Their love for each other and this place basically sends him to Hell. That's badass. Sarah wakes up and tells Ben and Jess that the ghost is gone and the kids are safe. Ruby is okay. Sam is outside, looking at the stars. What will he do now? Ruby tells them that it's time for him to go. The younger kids think he'll travel through time some more, but the older ones realize that he won't… because he's dead. He's been a ghost this whole time. Like he said earlier, protecting them was his literal unfinished business, and they're safe now. There were hints to it in earlier episodes. My guess is that he either died offscreen during the three week time skip, or after the judge pushed him into the barn door. Since he's a ghost, I guess he can't time travel anymore, and that's why he never went back to 1947 or 2024 with the kids? Or maybe it was because he didn't want to risk running into his sister and niece in the past. Harper and Savannah seem especially devastated, since Harper is losing another member of her family, and Savannah is basically losing her real dad (we've literally never seen Ray), or at least her best friend/mentor. Still, now Sam can finally reunite with his mother, father, and sister. Savannah gives him one last hug and says she'll never forget him. He tells her that she couldn't if she tried. This upsets me more than it should, given Mrs. Barker's poor memory in the present. He'll always be with her, and everyone watches as he ascends. Some time later, Savannah says goodbye to the others and finally heads back home. Ben and Jess arrive. Sarah is better now that the ghost is gone. Somehow, she felt it happen. The doctor still wants to keep her overnight for observation. The adults think they have Ruby to thank for the ghost leaving. She tells them that if you shine enough light around, darkness disappears. Savannah finally reunites with her mom… who seemingly was completely unconcerned about her daughter being gone for at least 24 hours straight. She found the money that Savannah hid in the barn during episode 3, and has decided to donate it all to the children's home to help more kids find their forever families. Speaking of which, Savannah finally meets her future husband, Jordan Barker. That's cute and all, but again, I think it's unintentionally tinged with sadness since we know he's probably dead by 2020. That's the problem with shows that involve a significant amount of time travel, as well as looking back at older media. Sam managed to finish the radio, so Griffin and Harper are traveling through time one last time, pun semi-intended. They go to the homecoming dance in 2024 to see if the bad future has been averted. It has. They're going to be homecoming king and queen. They see their future selves kiss on the football field, and they follow suit. It's only been less than a month since they almost kissed. Seriously, this whole season only took place over the course of three or four days at most. At least that makes it easy to binge. I did it twice in one weekend, which helped me catch all of the foreshadowing. Now they can focus on living their lives in the present. Before they can destroy the radio though, a boy uses the portal and enters the bunker. He tells them that destroying it would be a big mistake. He introduces himself as Nick Campbell… their son. Yep, another cliffhanger, which I swear is a requisite for this show. I'd be overjoyed if it got a fourth season, but if it doesn't, then this is a fine ending, cliffhanger excluded. So, Nick Campbell, huh? And this episode is called "Nick of Time", and he stopped his parents from destroying the radio just in time. Which came first, the name or the title? Also, I want to see Ruby teaching Harper about her visions. Using love to defeat the Big Bad definitely reminded me of the ending to Sofia the First, and also Harry's speech to Voldemort at the end of the fifth movie. The "child" actors (they're teenagers by now) have grown so much since the first season came out, both literally and in terms of their acting. That's not to say that they were bad when they started or anything; they just lacked experience, something they all have a lot more of now after three seasons.