Episode 5 of "Teacup" kicks off with an intense scene where James is grilled by Travis, the young man wielding a gun inside the Navarro household. Despite James's attempts to elucidate the significance of the blue line and the plight of his gravely ill son, Travis remains unconvinced.
A vivid flashback transports us to Travis's early days working at a bar. There, McNab, inebriated and seated at the counter, regales the patrons with tales of extraterrestrial Visitors and an elusive, invisible death trap. To authenticate his claims, he proudly displays a scar on his hand. Tasked with driving McNab home, Travis listens intently as McNab describes the trap's "incandescent power source," hinting at the enigmatic tree that Reuben currently confronts within the Navarro's silo.
Once they arrive, Travis steps outside for a cigarette. He notices a car halt momentarily nearby before speeding off. Intrigued by subsequent noises emanating from within the house, Travis ventures back in and discovers a cache of gas masks. McNab awakens abruptly, brandishing a gun at Travis before composing himself. He asserts that Travis's trusting eyes reflect a belief in his stories. In the present, Travis remains torn between believing James to be a Visitor or a fellow human.
Further delving into the past, Travis spends more time with McNab, uncovering the startling revelation that these Visitors lack physical bodies. They hitch rides on meteors to reach Earth, inhabiting human forms. McNab differentiates between good and bad Visitors, introducing Travis to Olsen, who instructs him in the art of firearms. This layered backstory enriches the narrative, painting a vivid portrait of Travis's journey from skepticism to burgeoning understanding.
They imparted to him the grim news that a malicious Visitor had infiltrated the form of a woman called Mary Alice Ducker. She had embarked on acquiring firearms and zip ties, leading them to surmise that she was preparing for the advent of a benevolent Visitor. Their strategy was to shadow Mary, anticipating that she would guide them to the latter.
Travis remained skeptical about the entire scenario until McNab unveiled his harrowing personal experience. His daughter, Alyssa, had ventured into the woods for a stroll and returned with a beneficial Visitor occupying her body. A sinister counterpart soon appeared to hunt down the good Visitor, and with the aid of the enigmatic rainbow liquid, both Visitors were extracted from the invisible snare, with McNab sustaining injuries in his fruitless pursuit.
Eventually, the Visitors deserted Earth, utilizing other hosts, but before doing so, they brutally murdered Alyssa. McNab discovered her lifeless body concealed behind a shop. This poignant narrative persuaded Travis, and McNab bestowed upon him a tiny vial containing the rainbow liquid he had managed to secure.
The appointed day arrived, and the trio tailed Mary's van. They witnessed her release a canine (perhaps another Visitor?) into the forest before proceeding to the Navarro residence. During her conversation with the family, McNab and Olsen identified Carmen Navarro as being hosted by a benevolent Visitor. They attempted to caution the family about Mary's intentions, but chaos quickly unfolded.
Travis was instructed to fill an inflatable pool with water while the other men pursued the Visitors. Mary shot the remaining Navarro family members and poured the rainbow liquid into the silo, causing it to transform into a radiant tree. McNab, mesmerized by the sight, lost his grip on Carmen, who fled into the woods.
Realizing that Mary was orchestrating a trap, Travis panicked and drove off, abandoning Travis alone. Mary located him and fired two shots at him. The Visitor transferred from her to Travis, but his body began to hemorrhage. Olsen arrived to assist Travis, and the Visitor switched into him, allowing Travis to stumble inside the house.
He conceals himself in that secluded spot, awaiting James's arrival with bated breath. When James finally emerges, he unleashes the entirety of his tale, his words tumbling out in a rush. James, moved by his plight, persuades him to set him free, urging him to reunite with his beloved family. He expresses a desire to bring the wounded Travis along, but in a moment of despair, Travis takes his own life.
James discovers that Reuben is ensnared within the silo, its wooden walls closing in on him due to the encroaching tree. Without hesitation, he wields an axe, splitting the wooden confines with might and main. He extracts Reuben from his prison, but instead of gratitude, Reuben responds with a fist, revealing his awareness of James's clandestine affair with Valeria. Despite this revelation, they mount their horses and ride back into the forest, where they encounter Arlo, Meryl, and Nicholas, who are tending to an injured McNab at the dramatic conclusion of Teacup Episode 5.
