#Home Before Dark Season 2 Episode 5 Review: The Black Box

How is Richie Fife connected to the latest mystery in Erie Harbor?

And what has kept him from coming home all of these years?

On Home Before Dark Season 2 Episode 5, we may have gotten one step closer to getting those answers.

If the secrets behind the contamination at Pinewood Pond, the plane hidden in the mansion’s basement, and the disappearance of Richie Fife are all connected, I can’t wait to find out how because I certainly can’t figure it out. 

But is Walter, the bird’s, shaking connected to Sylvester’s shaking hands? And how did all of the men in that picture die, while Junior Johnson appears to have been spared any type of illness?

And what was Hank, Sam’s father, trying to take photos of from his plane?

I was surprised that neither Hilde nor Matt thought to try and track down the person working air traffic control who was heard on the audio recording. Even though they didn’t see what happened, they might know more than what was heard on that tape. 

What did Richie know in the weeks before he disappeared? Does it have anything to do with why he’s been in hiding all of this time…if he’s still alive?

While I’m running down that way of thinking, is it possible that Richie is still out there somewhere but sick from whatever caused all of those men to become ill? Could he have suffered some sort of memory loss similar to Sylvester?

Currently, we have more questions than answers, but with five more episodes left in Home Before Dark Season 2, I have high hopes for the conclusion of this mystery. 

I also yearn for it to continue into season 3 as I’ve grown to care about these characters quite a bit. 

Take Kim and Frank. Now that Frank is out from under his father’s thumb, he’s gotten his life on track. He enjoys his job, and he and Matt are friends once again. 

Plus, he wants to make a commitment to Kim, but does she want that too?

Kim: I would never cheat on you.

Frank: But you’d leave Erie Harbor without talking to me about it.

Kim: I would have talked to you about it.

Frank: What would you have said?

Kim: For the right job, yes.

Frank: Cool.

Kim: Look, if you have something to say…Frank. Just tell me how you feel.

Frank: How I feel. I feel like I wish I hadn’t been carrying a ring around this entire time, waiting for the right time to propose to you.

No wonder he freaked out a bit when he saw her secretly dining out with another man and then learned she was considering moving without having talked to him about it.

That had to hurt, but I enjoyed how Frank talking through why Richie may have hidden things from his friends and relating it to why Kim may have kept that job interview from him. 

Perhaps Kim kept quiet because she wasn’t sure how Frank felt about their future. Now that they’re on the same page and engaged, it’s wonderful to see these two look so happy.

When you really think about it, they have quite a bit in common. Both of their parents did horrible things leaving them stuck carrying the consequences.

Also, they both live in a small town where no one will ever forget what their parents have done. It’s a burden they both share that most others wouldn’t understand. 

Elsewhere, Trip just fired a bunch of deputies for harassing her father, but she still has to deal with Rutherford. 

Rutherford: I think you did the right thing firing those deputies.

Trip: Well, it seemed important to send a message.

Rutherford: Yeah, there’s no place for racist behavior like that, not even in a small town, as you say. But the fact that it happened at all speaks to a lack of respect for your leadership, which is perhaps bigger than you. Bigger than all this.

Trip: Well, racism, it’s pretty big.

Rutherford: Don’t take this the wrong way, but maybe this town isn’t ready for you.

Whenever someone starts a statement with “don’t take this the wrong way,” you can almost guarantee it’s something you’ll find offensive. 

If Rutherford thinks that, magically, there’s somehow going to be a better time for Trip to be Sheriff, he’s woefully mistaken. Racism and misogyny aren’t things that ebb away on their own. You just have to keep pushing through them until their power to stop you is diminished or destroyed.

In other words, ready or not, Trip Johnson is Erie Harbor’s sheriff, and they need to deal with that.  

As proud as I was of Trip for not backing down from that fight, it was disappointing when she appeared to turn on Hilde and the Liskos.

Everyone says to stay away from you all. That you’re trouble. I’m the one dumb enough not to listen.


Trip

Was that for Rutherford’s benefit, or is that how Trip really feels?

Dealing with Rutherford’s smug smirk and condescending tone definitely brought Trip down. No matter why she said it,  it hurt Hilde deeply, even if she tried to hide it by calling Trip just another source.

Finally, there’s poor Izzy, who blindly tries to navigate the murky waters between having a boyfriend and nurturing her friendship with Emma.

I say blindly because she seems pretty clueless that Emma’s mood changes have to do with the fact that Ethan pops up every time the two girls try to have a conversation.

But Ethan’s family life is a mess right now, and we know almost nothing about Emma’s home life. Yet, oddly enough, Izzy’s family appears to be the most stable. 

It would be nice if these three could co-exist happily, but the odds are that they’ll reach a breaking point soon, and Izzy’s going to end up in the middle. 

And as much as I welcomed the storyline about Spoon being bullied at school, and I love how Hilde and Donny step up to help their friend, I wish this thread had gone on longer. It just felt like it all wrapped up a little too neatly.

Also, I love Matt and Frank bonding over that boat, but I’m still concerned that being on the water too often could mean they suffer the same fate as the men in that photo.

I wish they’d tell us more about how those men died. Maybe we’ll learn more in the next episode.

Your turn, TV Fanatics…

Do you think Richie Fife is still out there? Will Hilde pursuing this mystery help her grandfather? Are you happy to see Frank and Kim engaged, and do you hope we see the wedding? And what is going on with Izzy’s friend Emma?

Hit that big, blue, SHOW COMMENTS button down below to answer those questions and more, and then check back in for our Home Before Dark Season 2 Episode 6 review here at TV Fanatic. 

C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.