The Return of Ellie Black

At the station, one of the officers tells Chelsey that they did not find any evidence at Lewis’s house of either Gabrielle or Ellie. Once Lewis’s lawyer shows up, Chelsey informs her about the blood on Gabrielle’s sweatshirt being a partial match to Lewis’s father.

In a flashback, David tells Serendipity, Hope, Charity, and Ellie that he knows they have betrayed him. Michael dumps the seeds on the ground, and Ellie feels afraid. David makes the girls throw the seeds into the fire, followed by the friendship bracelets that Hope made for them. Ellie blacks out from fear but wakes up in a room with David, Michael, and one of the compound’s new puppies, which Ellie calls Star. David tells her that Hope and Charity told him that the seeds were Ellie’s idea and that the other girls only pretended to be her friends. Ellie feels overwhelmed with loneliness. Ellie blurts out that Hope found the seeds but that it was Ellie’s idea to plant them. She begs David not to hurt Hope. Before she can react, David locks her in the room, and she hears him attack Hope. Ellie pushes the bed against the wall to peer out the window. She sees Michael dragging Hope toward the car, followed by the dogs. Michael drives away with Hope as Star comforts Ellie.

Chelsey interviews Lewis Salt. She finds out that Lewis has a daughter named Willa who went missing when she was seven. Chelsey starts doubting her original idea that Lewis is the perpetrator, and she wonders if the DNA match on the sweatshirt is to Willa, not Lewis. Chelsey tells him that she believes that Willa is one of the victims of the man who took Gabrielle and Ellie. Chelsey lets Lewis go and finds a picture of Willa, wondering why Ellie would not tell her about Willa.

After David kills Hope, he keeps Ellie in her room. Serendipity brings Ellie food and gives her Hope’s clothes. Ellie hugs Hope’s University of Washington sweatshirt to her as she begs Serendipity to help her escape. However, Serendipity tells Ellie that she owes everything to David and that she will not betray him. David interrupts them, and Serendipity leaves. David tells Ellie that Hope’s death should show Ellie that his love for the girls has limits and that he will not let them trick him again.

In the middle of the night, Ellie wakes up to a girl screaming. Ellie realizes that another girl must be trapped in the bus. A few days later the screaming stops, and Michael shoves the new girl into the bunker. The girl panics, but Ellie calms her down by giving her Hope’s sweatshirt to wear and wiping her cuts with it. Ellie tells the girl a story and takes her into her room to rest. The girl tells Ellie that she is seven years old. For the first time, Ellie does not want to escape; instead, she wants to protect the girl from David. The girl tells Ellie that David said her new name was Grace but that her real name is Willa. Ellie tells her never to say her old name again.

Chelsey feels desperate to talk to Ellie about Willa because she believes that Willa is still alive. She texts Ellie that she needs to talk to her, but Ellie makes up an excuse to avoid her, which makes Chelsey suspicious. Chelsey drives to Cerise’s office and explains the situation regarding Willa. In light of this news, Cerise shows Chelsey the picture that Ellie drew of the girls in the field.

Danny visits Ellie, who asks him to take her to the place where she was found. Danny feels uneasy about this, but he drives her to the location. Ellie says that she wants to walk around by herself but promises Danny that she will text him every few minutes so that he knows that she is safe. Danny takes her phone—ostensibly to check that she has service, but actually to turn on the Find My Friends app. Danny covertly follows her in the woods and finds her digging. She pulls a small package from the hole and tucks it into her waistband. Danny returns to the car, and when Ellie comes back, she says that she does not know who she is anymore. She tells him that people used to call her Destiny and that she finds it hard to respond to her real name. Danny wonders if the name the abductors called Ellie is a clue to where they kept her.

Desperate to speak with Ellie, Chelsey calls Kat and tells her to bring Ellie to the station the following morning for a final round of questions. After the call, Chelsey wonders about who Lydia would have become if she had lived. 

Ellie feels renewed with Grace by her side. One day, David overhears Grace complaining about the meat he gave the girls. Ellie gets between them, but she knows that David will only punish Grace more violently if she continues to get in the way. Ellie gives Grace to Michael even though Grace screams for her. After Michael drags Grace away to lock her in one of the rooms, Charity tells Ellie that she did the right thing. Charity also warns Ellie about becoming too attached to Grace. Ellie knows that her love for Grace is dangerous, but she does not know how else to survive.

Chelsey invites Ellie into a conference room. Chelsey tells Ellie about the blood on the sweatshirt being a match for Willa Adams and then shows her a picture of Gabrielle and Hannah Johnson, another girl who went missing and was last seen getting into a blue station wagon. Chelsey tells her about Lydia and how she always wishes she could go back and save her. She asks Ellie to help her save Hannah and Willa. Ellie breaks down and tells Chelsey that Hannah is dead but that she does not know where her body is. She tells Chelsey that Willa is alive and that she will always keep Willa safe, and Chelsey tells Ellie that she wants to help her do this. Ellie wants to go home but says that if Chelsey comes over to her house tomorrow, she will tell her everything. As she leaves, Ellie asks Chelsey what happened to Lydia, and Chelsey tells her about how Oscar killed her. Chelsey promises Ellie that they will find the person who hurt Ellie and thanks Ellie for helping with the investigation.