Episode 2 of Season 1 of "The Bondsman" kicks off with a haunting flashback to the previous night. The scene unfolds within the confines of the local church, where Pastor Ron is meticulously grooming himself, unaware of the impending peril. Suddenly, the church is plunged into darkness, and when Pastor Ron flips the switch, the lights flicker erratically, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
Out of the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of a demon's sinister reflection in the mirror. With a mixture of fear and resolve, Pastor Ron begins to pray fervently, arming himself with Holy water to ward off the demonic presence. However, fate deals him a cruel hand; upon touching the water, he is electrocuted, his face partially scorched and his life extinguished. The demon, relentless and cunning, seizes control of Pastor Ron's now-lifeless body.
Switching gears to Kitty's abode, Midge presents Hub with an ultimatum: accept the job or face immediate expulsion back to the depths of hell. Agreeing to stay until morning, Midge provides Hub with a crash course on his new reality. She reveals that demons occasionally escape the clutches of hell, necessitating bondsmen like Hub to reclaim them. These demons brutally murder their hosts, and it is Hub's solemn duty to escort them back to their rightful domain.
Kitty grapples with the surreal turn of events, her primary concern being Hub's mysterious descent into hell. Hub, equally perplexed, offers no answers, prompting Kitty to negotiate for a more favorable arrangement. Midge stands firm, emphasizing that any failure on Hub's part will see him swiftly returned to hell.
With Midge's departure, Hub finds solace in chores around his mother's yard, while Kitty immerses herself in the manual. Meanwhile, Lucky pays a visit to the Earle brothers, intent on confronting them about a breached agreement. Instead, he discovers their gruesomely dissected bodies, and in his haste to depart, notices a suspicious car down the road. Inside its trunk lies Tater, who summarily blames Hub for his predicament.
After absorbing the manual's contents, Kitty urges Hub to adopt a more serious demeanor and embark on their first mission. Their assignment: to capture a Valacor demon currently inhabiting Pastor Ron's body. Upon learning of Pastor Ron's possession, Kitty insists on accompanying Hub. As they drive to the church, Kitty peppers Hub with questions, seeking insight into his hellish exile. She speculates that his pride and ego may have played a role in his downfall.
At the church, they stumbled upon Pastor Ron's visage, a grim, half-melted spectacle that left them stunned. Yet, the demon that caused such horror remained elusive. Kitty, driven by concern, persuaded Hub to take preemptive measures to safeguard their family. Reluctantly, Hub assented and inked his signature on the parchment, granting Maryanne permission to escort Cade away from the perilous town.
Maryanne's composure shattered as Hub accidentally let the document slip from his grasp. She shared her worries about a missing girl named Cheryl, her voice tinged with anxiety. As Hub prepared to depart, he requested Lucky to meet him later in secret.
Kitty and Hub embarked on a perilous quest to track the demon, with Kitty battling inner demons of her own – questioning if her failures as a mother had led Hub into the clutches of hell. Hub received a chilling clue: the erratic lighting at the Jessup Pines recycling center, which he surmised was the Valacor demon's sinister handiwork.
Kitty, desperate to rescue Pastor Ron from his demonic affliction, beseeched Hub to intervene. She struggled to reconcile the holy man she once knew with the monstrous creature he had become. Nevertheless, she insisted on accompanying Hub, driven by a mother's unyielding protectiveness.
At the recycling center, they discovered Pastor Ron in the midst of a dark, sinister ritual. The shocking revelation unfolded: Pastor Ron had slain someone and inscribed a macabre triangle with the lifeless body at its center – an even more perverted sight as the corpse hung eerily from the ceiling.
Seeing the irrevocable change in Pastor Ron, Kitty's resolve hardened. She leapt into action, saving Hub from the demon's overwhelming power. Together, they overcame the beast, who erupted into flames, consuming his cursed form. As they fled the scene, oblivious to Tater's shadowy pursuit, he surreptitiously captured every harrowing moment on his phone.
The episode culminated with Hub vowing to Kitty that he would accept the job, a decision that sealed their fate. There was no turning back now; their path was set in stone, shrouded in darkness and hope.
