Episode 2 of "Them" rewinds to North Carolina in 1946. Lucky gently rouses Henry from his slumber on the floor, urging him to descend for dinner. It's evident that his wartime experiences have left him deeply scarred. As Lucky serves up a slice of peach pie for the family, Henry struggles to focus, his appetite waning. Suddenly, he lashes out, grabbing the plate and throwing it across the room before storming out. Ruby is startled, but Lucky assures her that Henry is merely exhausted.
As the episode unfolds, it becomes clear that Henry is suffering from PTSD, a condition stemming from the grueling experiments he endured during the war. The mental scars that haunt him are momentarily soothed by the arrival of a stray dog. Henry scoops it up and decides to name it Sergeant, a beacon of comfort in his troubled world.
Back in the present, the Emory household is visited by the police following the gun incident. But thanks to Lucky's reluctance to act, the officers decide not to pursue any charges and return to inform Betty of their decision. Instead, Henry reveals to the officers the tragic discovery of their dog's lifeless body in the basement, the trigger for Lucky's emotional outburst.
After the police depart, Henry solemnly buries their beloved pet. Lucky, angered by her husband's actions, confronts him. Henry stares intently at his wife and reminds her of the need for secrecy surrounding Gracie's visions of a mysterious spiritual woman. This is not a matter to be discussed openly, especially not in the presence of the police.
In the dimly lit basement, Lucky spots Gracie fixated on a shadowy corner, her gaze locked on a mysterious figure known as Mrs. Vera. Gracie whispers that Vera reeks of decay, and as Lucky stares into the same blackness, she too begins to detect that same ominous scent. Suddenly, the eerie spirit lets out a shriek that rattles the windows, sending a shiver down Lucky's spine. She quickly scoops up Gracie and rushes back upstairs, her heart pounding.
Meanwhile, Betty's machinations continue as she heads off to seek Midge's aid. She proposes a plot to evict their new neighbors from the Emory house, unaware that Midge is actually in the midst of a move and expecting a child.
At work, Henry faces a tense confrontation with his boss, Stu Berks. Berks reveals that he's been lobbying for Henry's promotion, but the conversation quickly turns sour as they discuss Henry's work performance. Berks accuses Henry of slacking off, but Henry eventually opens up, confessing that the recent loss of their family dog has been weighing heavily on him.
With a folder in hand, Henry ascends to the upstairs office, where a sleek shade of yellow beige gradually overtakes the brightly lit space. The scene is breathtakingly rendered, with Henry's heavy breathing echoing through the room as memories of his wartime experiments flood back.
At school, Ruby endures a torrent of racial abuse from her classmates. As she speaks up, the children around her mock her with monkey noises, leaving her feeling isolated and humiliated. Eventually, she gathers her courage and approaches the front of the class, only to receive a note from the teacher ordering her to leave for disrupting the lesson. In the office, she meets Doris, a kind-hearted girl who offers Ruby words of encouragement, assuring her that things will get better in time.
Meanwhile, Gracie and Lucky embarked on a journey to the hardware store, hand in hand. As they entered the store, Lucky's gaze was immediately drawn to an entire wall adorned with axes. Her imagination began to spiral out of control, hallucinations dancing in her vision, as the store owner egged her on to take up a weapon.
Betty, unaware of the danger brewing, did nothing to quell Lucky's murderous thoughts. Instead, she silently plotted her revenge, filling Midge's petrol tank with sugar that evening. Inside the house, the family remained oblivious to the brewing storm.
Lucky and Henry, however, danced around their problems like puppets on a string. As they sat down to eat, Lucky inadvertently poured salt on Henry's wounds, presenting him with a slice of pie. Given his haunting flashbacks, it was evident that this triggered a deep-seated pain within him. Yet, he valiantly forced the pie down, tears silently streaming down his cheeks.
The scene shifted abruptly to the serene garden outside, where Sergeant's grave suddenly began to ooze a substance resembling blood. It was a chilling omen, foreshadowing the darkness that was slowly creeping into their once peaceful lives.
