‘The Institute’ Episode 3 Review
Episode three of ‘The Institute’, the adaptation of Stephen King’s novel from MGM+, takes us deeper into the mystery of the Institute, as we find out more about what goes on in this shadowy place, while Tim begins to suspect there’s more to Annie’s wild stories than he first thought.
This episode takes a closer look at what’s really happening at the Institute, and what its true purpose is. It’s been hinted before that they have some sort of role in helping the government to keep the world safe, with Sigsby describing their work as vitally important. Now it seems they were responsible for the plane crash that caused the death of a US senator, essentially making them some kind of superpowered hit squad.
It seems that the kids are kept into the “front half” of the Institute until they learn to focus their powers a little and “see the dots”, when they’re transferred to the “back half”, where it seems like they are put to work on missions like this. They mustn’t be allowed outside though, from what Avery saw of the other playground being deserted and overgrown, and it seems likely that the strain of using their powers to such an extent would probably make them ill, or worse…
It doesn’t look like moving into the back half offers much of a chance for escape then, though there’s no way they can stay in the front half forever.
On the other hand, there might be help coming from the outside, as Tim begins to take things a bit more seriously. He now realises that there’s some truth to what Annie’s been saying, and that she does have telepathic powers. Killing her was a serious misstep though, as it looks incredibly suspicious that she dies right after revealing something like that. And what of his safety if he’s getting close to the bloodthirsty “journalist”? This storyline is really coming along after having little importance for the first couple of episodes.
Still leaves plenty to be uncovered in future episodes. I’m actually surprised by how good this show is turning out to be. I thought it would be just ok when I saw the trailer, but it’s excellent, with good pacing, and enough going on to keep the interest from episode to episode. It might sound like odd praise, but this feels more like a TV show, unlike the majority of streaming efforts. It’s a pity it didn’t release on a more high-profile platform. If this has gone under the radar for you, then it’s definitely worth checking out.
