Episode Ten “A Nation Reborn ”
Teleplay by Nick Snyder and Jeremy Robbins
Story by James DeMonaco
Directed by Ernest Dickerson
[All  images courtesy Alfonso Bresciani/USA Network]

For a full recap of episodes of The Purge on USA (and all his other cool recaps), please visit & follow Father Son Holy Gore!

Now, on to the All American Carnage of The Purge, Episode Ten – “A Nation Reborn”!

WARNING! Converging Plot Threads (and Spoilers) Ahead!  

*Miguel Guerrero (Gabriel Chavarra) and Pete the Cop (Dominic Fumusa) take out a couple of Rex’s goons before making their way to Thomas Paine High School. Inside the school, Penelope (Jessica Garza) manages to free herself and Paige (Kelly Murtaugh) while Joe the Sandwich Guy Who Turned Out to Be Quite a Jerk (Lee Tergesen) continues his seemingly endless show trial of (Hannah Anderson) & Rick Betancourt (Colin Woodell).

A year later, we meet up with the survivors.

Notes on “A Nation Reborn”

*Chekov’s Gun makes another appearance, in the form of an unsecured screw on the frame of the cage holding Joe’s captives. Penny later uses it to both free herself and Paige from the cage AND jab into Joe’s left eye socket.

*In ten episodes we’ve seen one character blinded in the right eye (Penny’s abusive hipster boyfriend Henry), and another blinded in their left eye (Joe the Sandwich Guy), each at the hands of one of the Guerro siblings.

*Thomas Paine High School must’ve just closed; the pool hasn’t been drained yet!

*According to Bobby Sheridan’s opening voiceover, The Purge is 12 hours or “43,000 seconds” of possibility.

*Sheridan also claims that the “risk (of participating in The Purge) gives way to unyielding reward”. This phraseology seems a bit off. Wouldn’t “unending reward” make more sense?

*After his extensive vocal presence this season, will Sheridan make an in-person appearance next season?

*For all his extensive planning, Joe is undone by two things; a continued weakness for monologuing, and atrocious time management skills.

*Throughout the episode we’re reminded how much time remains until the end of The Purge. Besides being nice way to ratchet up the tension, we can keep track of how much time Joe is wasting.
*6:12 Joe orders Jenna and Rick “On stage, NOW!” then yammers on about The Purge providing everyone with “an equal opportunity, a level playing field.”
*6:25 Joe asks, “What does a signature mean, Rick?”, spends more time lecturing R&J on the elements of a contract, then lets Rick goad Joe into an extended riff on the theme of “Let me explain in excruciating detail my reasons for being pissed off.”
*6:42 Joe insists “I’m not going to waste a lot of time on this,” as he forces Jenna to aim a gun at her husband’s head. Joe now has 18 minutes to get through both the Betancourts and his other two hostages!
*6:45 Joe holds Penny at gunpoint, and for some reson gives her a chance to monologue about “Desperate people hurting each other every year because they’ve been manipulated into doing it.”

Here’s some information on contracts, signatures, and fine print that Joe glossed over during his blah-blah-blah bloviating.

*A signature on a contact is, well, pretty binding.

*If you read a contract but don’t understand all fancy language in a contract’s fine print, having an attorney review it for you is recommended. Or at least print out a checklist for yourself.

*Joe sure enjoys sadistically coercing confessions out of people. Too bad it’s pretty terrible way to NOT get the truth out of people subjected to it.

*”I didn’t understand what I was signing” isn’t a great thing to bring up after the fact.

*Joe’s petulant question to Penny “Where the hell were you born?” Thanks to the 14th Amendment, she’s just as American as Joe.

*Like the classic Warner Brothers cartoon starring Ralph Wolf and Sam the Sheepdog, Joe expects everyone to shake hands, go on with their lives, and meet up again next year.

*After all, “without rules, we’re animals.”

*Rick begs Jenna to take their daughter away and raise her “anywhere but here.” We see them living in France in the episode’s coda. But according to the news, the European Union will debate bringing The Purge to the EU. In the real world,  far-right, nationalist parties are currently gaining strength across Europe.

*The mortality rates for gunshot wounds to the stomach/abdominal wounds like Rick’s are – not good.

*If ALL crime – including murder – is legal during The Purge, why does the NFFA need  “Loyalty Squads” to prevent “Revolutionary Purge Night Terrorism”?

The Purge has been renewed for a second season. More official images, information, and other goodies can be found here.

Click the links for more of my deep dives into Bates Motel and The Exorcist. Channel Zero recaps and deep dives can be found here at F&S and SciFi4Me.com.

Until next season citizens, “Just remember all the good The Purge does.”