Season 2, Episode 6:
Hunting an Intruder
In the aftermath of the bombing, the friends realize Wilt’s may not have been the intended target.This episode contains examples of:
- Aesop Amnesia: At the end of "The Missing Camera", Frank learned a valuable lesson about "cherry-picking" from the Eye's visions and single-mindedly investigating Tom, who turned out to be innocent; he acknowledged the dangers of relying on the Eye too much, asked Joe to keep him in check, and promised to listen to him better, stating they'd solve the case with "good old-fashioned detective work." Now, though, he's already going back on this (even as Joe attempts to stick by it) and has become over-reliant on the Eye again, crediting it for most of their discoveries and saying they'd be "lost without it" while repeatedly disregarding Joe's fears. It's implied (and the next few episodes confirm) that this is because the Eye is The Corruptor and is increasingly messing with Frank's mental state.
- Almost Kiss: Chet and Belinda discuss their kiss from the end of the previous episode, and both admit that they want to kiss again, but just before they do, Phil and the rest of the gang come back and the moment passes.
- Ambiguous Situation: In-universe, Joe and Lucy discuss the ambiguity of her relationship with Dennis, with Lucy acknowledging that she can't keep pretending to still be Dennis's girlfriend forever, and will have to figure out for good where things stand with them once he gets better.
- Anger Born of Worry: One of the main reasons Joe is upset with his brother for telling their friends about having the Eye's power is due to Little Brother Instinct; he fears one of them will let something slip and the wrong people will find out, capture Frank, and experiment on him (or worse) to try to get the power out of him. The other main reason is out of concern that they're supposed to be a team, but Frank is falling deeper under the Eye's influence and not letting Joe reign him in despite previously promising to listen to him.
- Arbitrary Skepticism: Once Frank finally fills in their friends about having the power of the Eye, he also tells everyone, including Joe, that in his latest Pensieve Flashback from the Eye, George actually saw him from the past somehow. Phil reflexively states that it's not possible, and Frank promptly lampshades that, after all the other supernatural experiences they've had with the Eye, Intangible Time Travel seems like an arbitrary place to draw the line.
- Artistic Licence – Geography: Frank tells the rest of the gang about and writes down the coordinates he saw on Stratemeyer Global's tracker: 23° 30' 48.017" N, 179° 45' 53.331" E, which end up leading to Gloria's house. However, as any world map will show, this is smack in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in Real Life. This was probably done to avoid indicating exactly where the series takes place and pointing to some person's private property, but it's a bit egregious to include an east-hemisphere coordinate at all when the series is meant to be set in either the northeastern US (like in the books) or Canada (where the show is filmed), both of which are very far into the west hemisphere.
- Blatant Lies: Angela catches Phil in Gloria's study before he can escape, and he tries to bluff his way out...by claiming to be Charles Estabrook V, Gloria's great-nephew on the mother's side. Naturally, Angela's unimpressed, and proves she knows exactly who Phil really is.
- Both Sides Have a Point: Frank and Joe in regards to telling the others about him having the Eye. Frank is quite right that it was getting too hard to keep it a secret anymore, and having their friends in the loop will make it easier for them to work together and not have to hide it.* Still, Joe is very Properly Paranoid about how dangerous it would be if Stratemeyer finds out (unaware that they already know), rightfully doesn't feel like Frank is taking it seriously enough, sees he's becoming far too reliant on the Eye (to the point of feeling they'd be "lost without it"), and is frustrated that, despite Frank explicitly asking Joe to keep him in check with his use of the Eye, is now brushing off all of his attempts to actually do so.
- Brick Joke: Frank gets a vision from the Eye, complete with his usual wincing, while standing next to Chet, who knows something's up and, when he tries to brush it off as nothing, responds, "Ten bucks says it's something," though Angela and Mack arriving ends the conversation. Then once Frank tells everybody about having the power of the Eye inside him, Chet's first words are "You owe me ten bucks," and Frank nods.
- Chase Scene: The Hardys have one when they Draw Aggro to save Phil from Angela and Mack, who chase them through the woods and down to the beach. Unfortunately, the boys lose their lead when Frank has a vision and stops, and they subsequently get knocked out from a lightning strike nearby, with the bad guys seeing it all. Luckily, they don't get captured again because Angela decides to regroup and betrays Mack.
- Chekhov's Gun: Lucy mentions to Joe that she plans to stay at the lighthouse and "watch the storm roll in" after he has to leave. By the time the Hardys flee from Mack and Angela at Gloria's house down to the beach, said storm has rolled in, and a bolt of lightning hits the sand next to the boys and knocks them unconscious.
- Deus Exit Machina: Frank and Joe insisting that Fenton meet Olivia in Dixon City to get the information she offered him, despite his own reluctance to leave his boys, causes father and sons to be separated for the rest of the season, so Fenton's not there to prevent everything else that happens to them, including Stratemeyer Global's continued harassment.
- Didn't See That Coming: Angela says this word-for-word, and Mack agrees, when they discover through a camera they left in their lair that Fenton has been working with Gloria to bring down the Circle. The boys' dismayed faces when he tells them this suggest a similar sentiment.
- Draw Aggro: Thanks to their tracking device, Stratemeyer arrives at Gloria's house while the gang is there, forcing them to hide. They try to sneak out without being caught, but Phil doesn't make it before Angela comes back. The Hardys have the others head to Chet's truck, and get Angela and Mack to leave Phil and come after them instead by purposely triggering Frank to have a vision, so the tracker will pick it up. This does work as planned, but unfortunately, Frank's subsequent flashback-vision during the ensuing chase clues in Mack and Angela that he has the Eye's power.
- Enemy Mine: Fenton and his mother-in-law, Gloria. He doesn't like her, and admits to the boys that if she was aware of just how much he knows of what she's been up to, she wouldn't've asked him to help her. However, as he lampshades, they both want the same thing in terms of bringing whoever ordered Laura's death to justice, so she's providing him vital intel to help him bring down what remains of the Circle and find the truth.
- The Glomp: Fenton with each of his sons. He clearly fears the worst when he arrives back in Bridgeport and sees all the ambulances and fire trucks, and runs up and hugs Frank after spotting him in the crowd. Frank then takes him to the hospital where Joe is standing vigil outside Jesse's hotel room, and Fenton and Joe share a big hug too.
- Godzilla Threshold: After Frank brushes aside all of Joe's protests and refuses to even consider giving up the Eye or stop using it, Joe, as per usual when his brother doesn't listen to him, gets desperate and goes behind his back. This time, he decides to call in his favor with JB to have the latter steal the relic back from Stratemeyer to put the power back into it and out of Frank.
- Hourglass Plot: Frank and Joe spent the entirety of the previous season wishing their dad was there and hadn't gone away to investigate, and they still have a bit of resentment about him leaving and being gone for so long. But now, when Fenton returns from Dixon City with a possible lead on who ordered Laura's death, he's the one reluctant to leave to look into it—partly because he knows it's likely to be a trap, and partly because he's worried about his sons' safety after Stratemeyer Global kidnapped them, and doesn't want to leave them alone—while the boys insist that he go check it out, even saying that they won't let him stay. This also serves as a Deus Exit Machina to get Fenton out of the way, since Stratemeyer wouldn't have an easy time continuing to menace his boys and their friends if he were around to play Papa Wolf for them.
- I Lied: Fenton to the boys, word-for-word, when filling them in on his case. He'd claimed his frequent trips to Dixon City were to get their old house fixed up to sell, but admits it wasn't true, and he's really working with Gloria (who's in prison) to bring down the rest of the Circle.
- Intangible Time Travel: Frank's visions of the past from the Eye have previously always been Pensieve Flashbacks, but this time, when it shows him George finding a crystal on the beach, the latter turns around and actually sees Frank standing there watching, to both their shock. He's also only visible to George, as his chauffeur/butler who's there on the beach with him asks what's wrong.
- Internal Reveal:
- Fenton was shown to be in contact with Gloria in the premiere and heavily implied to be working with her, which was reinforced when Callie saw him visiting the prison in "The Missing Camera". He finally admits it to Frank and Joe, and Stratemeyer finds out, too, via a hidden mic.
- Belinda and Chet discover that Brian's girlfriend Angela works for Stratemeyer and is the woman responsible for kidnapping the Hardys (whose name they previously didn't know) after they recognize her voice while hiding from her and Mack at Gloria's house. They fill the rest of the gang in on this offscreen, too, since everyone else is later shown referring to her by name.
- Angela and Mack realize Frank has the power of the Eye inside of him after witnessing him having a vision on the beach. And right after, Frank finally tells the Hardys' friends about it, too, despite Joe's concerns.
- Ironic Echo: While trying to bluff after being caught by Angela, Phil claims to be an Estabrook himself and calls her out for trespassing, ending with "What, pray tell, are you doing in my great-aunty's house?" Angela's not impressed, counters by proving she knows Phil's real name, address, and family members (including his dog), and concludes hers with, "So what, pray tell, are you doing here, Philip?"
- Lured into a Trap: Olivia's invitation to Fenton to meet her in Dixon City for information about Laura's death turns out to be this. Once he arrives at the hotel, she knocks him out with Knockout Gas and tells him he's going to be "very useful."
- The Man Behind the Man:
- Gloria Estabrook herself is revealed to be the real head of Stratemeyer Global, using it to control the Circle from prison. However, the agents who are targeting the boys are a group who've betrayed the organization and gone rogue, as Gloria would never order anyone to harm them.
- Fenton tells his sons that Stefan wasn't acting alone when he killed Laura and was following orders from someone else; the identity of that person is the information Olivia has offered to give him if he goes to Dixon City to meet and help her.
- Meaningful Echo:
- In "Conflicting Reports", when Callie told Frank to "Be careful," Joe just grumbled a bit about how nobody offered him the same concern. As he leaves the lighthouse with his friends to get back to the case, his crush Lucy does tell him to be careful, which he visibly appreciates.
- A subtle one. In one of Frank's visions in "A Clue on Film", Joe—Frank's main partner, Secret-Keeper, and the one he relies on the most—tells him, "You'd be lost without me." Now, Frank refuses Joe's suggestion to get rid of the Eye, insisting that they need it and "We'd be lost without it," showing that Frank is depending on the Eye more and more instead of Joe while dismissing his brother's opinions.
- Mistaken for Gay: A variation where this happens to a not-straight character. Chet's quite attracted to Belinda, but after learning she has an ex-girlfriend, he wasn't sure if she's interested in men at all, which is why he hasn't actively pursued her. As he and Belinda talk about their kiss, she explicitly confirms she's bisexual (which was already very heavily implied), and assures Chet that yes, she's super into him, too.
- Mood Whiplash: Frank gets incredulous about Phil's Arbitrary Skepticism, and almost everyone bursts out laughing (except Joe, who's worried about Frank telling the others about the Eye without consulting him). Then Phil expresses concern about Angela knowing his name, and Biff flippantly tells him he's screwed while she, Callie, and Frank continue laughing, but mentioning Angela makes Chet and Belinda turn serious, too. They excuse themselves soon after, and the mood pretty quickly turns somber again, especially when Joe tells Frank they need to talk.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Fenton is incredibly wary of Olivia's offer of information about Laura's death if he meets her in the city, not knowing if he can trust her and not wanting to go. Frank and Joe, however, are absolutely adamant that he do it, to the point of saying they won't allow him not to. Fenton turns out to be Properly Paranoid when Olivia hits him with Knockout Gas upon his arrival, so not only did the boys' insistence get their dad Lured into a Trap, but it also takes him out of the picture to help them when Stratemeyer keeps coming after them.
- Callie leaving the security book on Gloria's desk while searching, and then Phil pausing to grab it so there wouldn't be any sign that they were there, gets him caught by Angela. The Hardys trigger one of Frank's visions on purpose to draw Mack and Angela away from Phil, and the subsequent chase results in them learning that Frank has the Eye inside him, making him an even more direct target of Stratemeyer.
- "Not So Different" Remark: At their talk at the lighthouse, Joe expresses surprise that Lucy would date a guy like Dennis, and when trying to describe why, she fills for him in that he's "kind of a jerk?" When he agrees, she then counters, "And you're not?", and Joe concedes with a grin that he's "a part-time jerk."
- Oh, Crap!:
- Belinda and Chet, especially the former, when they're hiding with the rest of the gang in George's secret room from the Stratemeyer intruders attempting to track the Eye, and recognize one of their voices as Angela's (who's been dating Belinda's dad, Brian).
- The Eye gives Frank a vision of George finding the Crystal many years in the past. He turns around...and actually sees Frank somehow, giving both of them this.
- Papa Wolf: Right after Fenton arrives home in Bridgeport, reunites with his boys, and checks in on Trudy, we cut to the three Hardy men arriving at the Chamber of the Eye, with the implication that Fenton is storming straight down there to confront Stratemeyer for kidnapping and terrorizing his sons earlier that day, only to find it empty, as they've completely cleared out their operations.
- The Reveal:
- Gloria is the real head of Stratemeyer Global, as it's a front company that she's been using since George's death to conduct shady business for the Circle, including from prison. Now that she's in jail, though, someone's been trying to wrest control away from her, and Gloria thinks it's the same person who had Laura killed, so she's been helping Fenton to bring them down. What's more, the Stratemeyer agents who've been coming after the boys certainly did not do so on her orders, and have gone into business for themselves.
- The Eye did not form on Earth and came from elsewhere, as the relic that originally contained it is made of elements not naturally found on the planet. Angela and Mack getting these lab results is what clues them in that the relic they have is real, not a fake, and it's just the power that's gone; meanwhile, the Hardy Gang learn this while hiding behind the Bookcase Passage and overhearing them discussing it.
- Rewatch Bonus: Callie talks to Wilt to try to get info about who might want to bomb his store. He's not particularly forthcoming or helpful, and it's largely due to shock and unhappiness at what's happened. However, the Brick Joke at the end of the Series Finale, while entirely Played for Laughs, hints that Wilt may have more reasons than just dismay to be reluctant to talk about who might want to get back at him.
- Ship Tease: Lucy comes to the Hardy home not to talk about Dennis or the case this time, but just to invite Joe to go bike riding with her. Joe's more than happy to take a quick break from the case to oblige, and they go to the lighthouse and sit very close together.
- Tempting Fate: Joe asks why they're not telling Fenton about the Eye before he leaves for Dixon City to meet Olivia, but Frank points out that if they tell him now, he won't go, and they can just fill him in when he gets back. This episode is the last time father and sons see each other for the rest of this season + well into the next one, by which time they've all gone through far worse than just having the Eye's power.
- Touché: Frank compliments Callie on her excellent deductions, including the true motive and target of the bombing. Having just learned about him having the Eye's power, Callie playfully teases him that she gets bonus points for figuring it out without any magical abilities, and Frank good-naturedly replies with this.
- Unbroken Vigil: Jesse is comatose in the hospital after being injured from the explosion at Wilt's, and both her daughter Biff and her girlfriend Trudy stay by her side throughout the night. Joe also spends several hours right outside the room watching over them until Fenton arrives.
- Wham Shot: A couple in quick succession. After Frank has a vision on the beach and lightning strikes close enough to knock out both boys, it's shown that Angela and Mack saw the whole thing, and now know Frank has the Eye. And then as Mack states they'll have to tell "the boss", we see Angela grab a rock and knock him out from behind, betraying him, despite them having appeared so far to be a cohesive unit.
