Dr. Grummons, uh, I was hoping to get some answers from you.
Your name was on a list of expert witnesses my father used.
I am an authority in the field
of social psychology. Well...
one of his cases involved The Flock of the Grey Shepherd.
Well, I-I was up all night going through his files,
and-and the only connection I have to the case is with you.
And-and this photo.
Hmm.
Ryan, psychology joke... check it out.
Who am I?
Does that look familiar?
What's your dog's name?
Wilfred.
Come on, Ryan, guess.
Uh, if you have any information at all about the case...
Your dog looks like he could use some water.
A special needs kid who likes bells?
You didn't even try.
Notice how he kept avoiding my questions?
He's hiding something. Like what?
Maybe he's connected to the cult somehow.
Maybe he's covering up for them.
Ryan, you're jumping to conclusions.
Well, he's got to know something.
I searched through every box in my dad's storage unit.
Except for this witness list, there was nothing there
but old tax forms and a disturbing amount
of interracial porn.
Such an alert
and intelligent dog.
You know,
my institute is running
a research project involving dogs.
That's interesting.
So, Dr. Grummons,
The Flock of the Grey Shepherd?
Yes. Now that you mention it, it does ring a bell.
That was weird.
This is a statue of
the dog god Mataman.
Yes, that's right.
Well, I'm happy to tell you everything I know, but...
first I need you and your fascinating dog
to do something for me.
No way!
I'm not gonna be part of any research project.
Why not?
Because I'm against animal experimentation.
Wilfred, this is for science.
They're studying animal behavior.
Come on, this could be my only chance
to find out about the cult.
I am not a lab rat.
I'm not even a lab.
Just forget about it.
You don't want me to find answers, do you?
Oh, here we go. Why are you trying
to keep me from learning the truth?
Uh, obviously because
I'm out to ruin your life.
Jesus, why are you so paranoid?
Oh, I don't know, maybe because time and again
you've proven that I can't trust you.
Or maybe because my own father hired my roommate
to spy on me and put cameras in my house and had me followed?
He had you followed?
Well, how else could he have known
I was hanging out with you the night he died?
Yeah, yeah. That makes sense.
All right, look, you've got a point about your dad,
and I want answers, too, it's just there's something
off about this whole experiment.
I mean, come on, you show up in his office with a dog,
and he, coincidentally, needs dogs for a study
he just happens to be doing?
It's a little too perfect.
Oh. Now who's being paranoid?
Dr. Grummons wants to study you
because he thinks you're smart.
He's a brilliant psychologist.
You should be flattered.
He thinks I'm smart and attractive, huh?
Sure.
I... I haven't had a chance to read all this.
They're just standard release forms.
I changed my mind, Ryan. I don't want to do this anymore.
I've got to get out of here.
Wilfred! Stop that!
He's a little agitated today.
Maybe we could just talk about the cult,
and I could bring him back next week?
Today is just fine.
Calm down.
I've got a bad feeling about this, Ryan.
I won't let them hurt you. Just relax.
Ryan, do you have that
intake questionnaire I sent you home with yesterday?
I e-mailed it to you last night.
I don't have it. Can you resend it?
Hell, yeah!
The boys are back, baby!
I saw you in the car with the dog.
You know I saw you.
This is one more signature I need.
It acknowledges that in this
experiment we use negative stimulus.
"Negative stimulus"?
It can be uncomfortable for Wilfred.
And maybe even painful.
No problem.
We need to talk. No. It's okay, Ryan.
Just knowing you're here makes me feel safe.
I mean, friends look out for friends, right?
Right.
Unbelievable.
I think you'll find this most interesting.
Ah. The test begins.
I know, I know this one.
Uh, that's food.
Um, I don't really know what to do.
This seems kind of simple. I mean, I-I don't know,
I just sort of thought there would be a maze or something.
But, okay, um...
just give them what they paying for.
Where's the food?
There it is.
Ow!
Oh! What the hell?
Um, I think there's something wrong with this bowl.
Uh, that looked like it hurt.
It's a small electric shock.
Ow!
Ryan, are you feeling this?
Um, m-maybe we should turn it down a little.
Would you like us to stop?
No.
No, this is good.
Ow! Ryan! Oh!
The hell with this!
I'm not taking another bite!
Why does this keep happening?!
Uh, m-maybe that's enough.
Hints of salmon!
So good!
Dr. Grummons!
Stop!
I think we're ready for phase two.
Are you all right, Ryan?
Fine.
Just a little head rush.
Have a seat.
I will confer with my colleagues.
What the hell, Ryan?!
You lied to me!
I lied to you?
You said you wouldn't
let them hurt me! No, you
said you were my friend!
I know what you did, Wilfred.
I know about...
What? Wh-What is it?
Those shocks...
they were pretty painful, right?
You're goddamn right they were.
That's strange...
considering the machine was never even plugged in!
What are you talking about?
Of course, it was. That shit hurt!
Well, how do you explain this?
Somebody must've unplugged it.
Nobody was ever near the plug.
You've been faking it the whole time.
And why would I do that?
Because you're up to something.
You're plotting against me.
Do you hear yourself? Do you hear how crazy you sound?
What's your game?
I've just been tortured by doctors.
I don't need this.
How did you do that? Get your hands off me!
How did you open that door? It was unlatched.
I just pushed it. No, you opened it.
With your paw. You can't do that!
What the hell is going on?
All right, all right, let's just calm down, okay?
Can we, can we please? Wilfred?
Something very weird is going on here.
I feel like I'm being watched.
Like I'm the one who's being studied.
Ryan, I-I'm worried about you.
I-I think your obsession with this cult
is starting to affect your judgment.
I-I just need to know I can trust you.
Of course you can, mate.
I only want what's best for you.
I'm doing this experiment for you.
Make him think you really care.
I'd do anything for you.
Thanks, Wilfred.
How could I ever doubt you?
I'd never want to do anything to hurt you.
You're the best friend I've ever had.
Too much. You're overselling it.
I'm really glad we got to have this talk, Ryan.
I think they're probably ready for me now.
We just need to do a quick evaluation on Wilfred.
If you'd like to come with me, I've just got
a few more release forms for you to sign.
More forms? But...
I don't make up the rules, Mr. Newman.
Sure.
Uh, do you mind if I use the restroom first?
Of course.
Uh... I, I-think
I can handle this myself.
Right.
I'll wait here.
Ryan!
What are you doing here?
That's how you greet your emergency contact?
I'm missing Pilates for this shit.
I-I don't remember listing an emergency contact.
W-When did they call you?
They said you were lightheaded.
You do look a little tired. Come on, let's go home.
Well, I'm not leaving until I get some answers.
If you're worried about Wilfred, I talked to Dr. Grummons
and they said they can arrange for his return when they're done.
Now let's go. No!
You had to make this hard!
You always have to make everything
so goddamn hard!
Wait, what-what are you doing!?
Don't worry. You're not gonna remember any of this.
No!
Oh, God...
You little shit...
What...?
be so stupid?
Hey, none of this
would have happened if they hadn't
left that goddamn machine unplugged.
Don't try to deflect.
This is your screw-up and everybody knows it.
Give me a break.
You only have to spend, like,
five minutes a day with that asshole.
I'm around him all the time.
It's a miracle I haven't slipped up until now.
Well, your little slip-up could ruin
everything we've worked for. I'll fix it.
You better.
You know what's at stake here.
You fat piece of shit.
It's over.
Shit!
Code gray!
He went this way!
We have a security breach!
Lock the doors!
You don't see him?
Lock down the facility.
Ryan!
Ryan, can you hear me?
Listen very carefully, Ryan.
Who are you?
You were right.
I'm not the real subject of this experiment.
You are.
They put a drug in that water you drank.
It causes paranoia and hallucinations.
You're just saying that to keep me from the real truth.
That's the paranoia part.
Why is there a mouth on your paw?
That's the hallucinations part.
None of this is real.
Turn the alarm off.
How?
Just... turn it off.
I'm gonna get you through this, mate.
But I need you to trust me.
Trust you?
You sent that photo to my dad.
You know about that?
You ruined my relationship with him.
You baited him and covered your tracks.
You lined everything up that day so he'd die! Ryan,
how could I have known...
any of that was gonna happen?
The car? The accident?
What, so you just messed with my life for no reason?
I sent it because I was afraid.
Of what? Of you abandoning me.
When your father was in your life,
you treated me like
I was the neighbor's stupid dog.
I thought, if he threatens to commit you again,
you and I would run away together, like we'd planned.
I'm your friend, Ryan.
I only wanted us to be together.
Ryan?
Ryan...
Welcome back, Ryan.
I'm gonna sue the shit out of you.
You signed a release.
Why did you do this to me?
We're developing
this drug for enhanced interrogation.
Big money in that.
But why me?
Our...
protocol requires us to use
subjects who are under stress,
which you clearly were,
especially when we shocked your dog.
It all seemed so real.
The idea was to make
your worst fears come true.
Got that idea from a Batman movie.
Try and get some sleep.
The drug will wear off in a few hours,
and as soon as you recover,
I will tell you everything I know
about The Flock of the Grey Shepherd.
Why do I always assume the worst about you?
That's a question for another day.
But you're never gonna find the answers you're looking for
by racing to the worst-case scenario.
Isn't that right?
Yeah, yeah, he's right.
Your father defended the cult leader,
Charles Smith, on tax fraud charges.
I provided expert testimony on cult psychology.
Well, why can't I find anything
about the group on the Internet?
The Flock of the Grey Shepherd
was only around for a few years.
Why?
Because it was stupid.
Its central belief was that
a talking dog god
would lead a Chosen One to happiness.
Absolute rubbish.
And I'm afraid that's all the information I have.
Just a moment.
Do you remember
the photo we looked at the other day?
I said that statue was Mataman.
But it could also be Krungel.
Krungel?
That's the other deity they believed in.
A trickster god.
The Flock believed in the idea of duality.
Joy and pain.
Good and evil.
Krungel was the opposite of Mataman.
He was a demon, really.
His goal was to lead people
to complete and utter ruin.
Quite simply, he was out to destroy their lives.
And he looked exactly...
like Mataman.
How can you tell them apart?
Well, that's just it.
You can't.
Until it's too late.
Done already?
What did you learn?
Nothing we didn't already know.
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org