This recap page contains spoilers for the plot. You have been warned.
Whether or not Martinez is saved, Leslie gets to one of the cruisers and heads out to get more cops.
The first caller is a Prank Call by some kid pretending to be the Whistling Man. Peggy explains that the kids call it Whistling Night, an anniversary prank night that's been done for twenty years. The next caller is Sandra Sharpe, who is being hunted by the killer right now. She was doing exercises for her jazzercise studio when he chased her to her car, and having dropped her keys in panic, she doesn't know how to hotwire a car.
Luckily she has a tool kit, and KFAM does a segment on cars with the Timberline Twins (Peggy notes they're not really related, they just look like twins). Grabbing various magazines and notes they left in their offices, Forrest may or may not succeed in getting Sandra away from the Whistling Man.
He's on the second floor with security TVs, and a fax machine for him to send over a map of the office. Forrest can use it to have Peggy call the various extensions to lure the Whistling Man away from Maurice. But the Whistling Man barricaded the only way out of the office with filing cabinets, and there's no way Maurice can get them out of the way fast or quiet enough to not be found.
But if Forrest has the idea to lock the Whistling Man in a room, Maurice points out the only room that can only be locked from the outside is his private archives in his office, which they can trap the killer in with the help of a radio.
Now able to relax, Forrest and Peggy start getting better at knowing one another. Forrest's parents passed away a long time ago, same with Peggy's parents, though they divorced after her older sister ran away from home twenty years ago and when her mother remarried, she took her stepfather's last name.
Suddenly, the door buzzer rings, and Forrest finds that someone put a cassette through the mail slot titled PLAY ME ON AIR. The tape is a cut up of various quotes by Forrest and Peggy, saying that Gallows Creek will pay the price and pay for lies, but worst of all, it's time to suffer. And they're gonna enjoy the punishment.
Later on, while Forrest is taking calls on people announcing who they know that can and can not whistle, Maurice calls to say that the Whistling Man broke out! He left for a few minutes to get some friends with improvised weapons to act as security in case. One of the friends got curious after a few drinks and opened the locked archive, and the killer was gone! Maurice has no idea how he got out, but he's decided to leave town and warns everyone else to leave as well.
After playing a commercial, the next caller is Dr. Virginia Sullivan, a woman in a panic because the Whistling Man is outside her house. She's in too much of a panic to say her address, but she does mention there's a fraternity house on her street that's having a party with delivery drivers going in and out all night. And that's all Forrest has to work with before her panic attack takes over.
Peggy gets the idea to order take out to the frat with a note to call KFAM, but there are three restaurants that do delivery, so they need to figure out which to call. It's Brian Ponty, unfortunately. If Forrest calls the right fraternity and convinces them it's not a prank, they go to Virginia’s house and force the Whistling Man to flee. Either way Virginia blurts out a name she thinks belongs to the man under the mask: Clive, a man who threatened her in the past. Forrest and Peggy recognize this name because they have a janitor named Clive.
All of a sudden he hears whistling, and Molly can't whistle!
It's the Whistling Man, and he has a chainsaw. And being stuck in the middle of a maze means Eugene has no idea how to get away, so Forrest has him run while he and Peggy think. Peggy remembers that Barbara the receptionist has been wanting to go and might have something related at her desk. Forrest can find a map of the Maize Maze and get Eugene out safely, who proudly declares he loves Molly as he rides away on his bike. But when Forrest wonders if she's alright, Peggy notes Molly might've never left her house.
Peggy tries to call the firefighters, but their only truck had all the tires slashed! Luckily Peggy has a few friends who live close by: Alex, Katherine, and Jericho. It's up to Forrest to figure out who is closest and will be fit enough to help Murphy. It's Katherine. When (and possibly if) she gets there, it's up to Forrest to guide her to where Murphy is based by what he hears and what he finds in the dumpster with him. Whether Murphy makes it out or not, the Waste Disposal Facility burns to the ground.
After this, the next caller is Teddy Gallows, Jr., the son of the late Theodore Gallows, Sr., a prior mayor, descendant of the founders of Gallows Creek, top businessman in the town, and mayoral candidate up against current mayor Linda Cartwright. At first he's appropriate when talking with Forrest, offering his prayers for the people of the town. Forrest and Peggy aren't fond of him, though, finding his running against Mayor Cartwright to be a vanity thing, especially since his slogan is "Take a Swing for Gallows Creek", based on him making a home run record in high school twenty years ago, a clear sign he doesn't want people to forget his successes. Once he starts bragging about how if he's mayor there'd be more cops, fire trucks, and such, Forrest and Peggy tell him the phone lines can't be held up like this. Feeling slighted by the warning, Teddy starts ranting about how Mayor Cartwright is unstable and unamerican, showing a misogynistic side when Peggy tries to speak up. KFAM hangs up on him, finding him too arrogant simply for inheriting half the town's businesses.
...Who turns out to be her friend Jimmy, the prank caller from earlier. He and all his friends have gotten together for the prank night, playing killers and victims. Nobody is happy about this, especially Carrie. When she comments on one of the Whistling Man pranksters breathing too loud, Jimmy realizes there's one Whistling Man too many.
The real Whistling Man is there! And he stabs Jimmy so much his face is torn off! Carrie orders her friends inside the house and barricades it. They want to run for the van to get away, but Jimmy had the keys. Carrie has a plan for getting everyone out of there, but everyone wants to do this or that for the plan. Carrie mentions her friend Jeanie McPherson could manage a team this big, which makes Peggy remember their intern Jeanie McPherson, one and the same person. She's the one friend who stayed home tonight. In her tiny corner Jeanie wrote out a personality quiz for her friends based on what they do.
- Step 1: The kids need a spotter to be the eyes on the roof.
- Step 2: Since the Whistling Man locked the gate, someone has to pick it.
- Step 3: Due to the van keys being on Jimmy's body, Carrie decides she'll go since she wasn't that close to him.
- Step 4: Someone has to lead the Whistling Man away on a run.
- Step 5: With one of the kids pretending to be injured, they might be able to trap the killer under a bookshelf.
- Step 6: With everyone hopefully loaded up in the van, who can drive them out?
Whatever happens, the gate won't stay open so Carrie will have to hold it open. She'll find herself before the Whistling Man... But he'll do nothing, he lets her get away.
After this, Forrest gets a call from the owner of the roller rink, a guy everyone calls Roller Ricky. He's calling to thank Forrest for helping out, which piques the DJ's curiosity. Ricky tells them how when he was in high school, something bad happened that he blamed himself for, turning into an alcoholic. But now, he's in recovery, rollerblading to relax, and has his rescue dog Max. He is staying at the rink by the trains that Max loves barking at, which can be heard in the background. With the Starling 4000 Security System he feels the place to be pretty safe. While Forrest doesn't like long talking, he does find the guy amiable and Max too wholesome. Ricky decides that all this positivity has him want to go skating, and makes a song request before he switches off for the night.
Carrie calls back to announce she made it home safely, but is still rattled on how she was the only one not attacked. Forrest concludes that she was a victim of the pranksters and that they should've been punished for being so callous about the night.
Peggy convinces Forrest to check it out, but the firedoor locks behind him when he goes to get the record and the key is useless. Finding a junction box Forrest is able to go back in through the basement, where he finds that the janitor's closet has a secret room inside, with a board of red string, mannequins, and a board with several news clippings and a yearbook page with three kids circled on it in red marker. Figuring this was what Dawn wanted him to find, he returns to the radio room to tell Peggy their janitor Clive might really be the Whistling Man.
By 2:40 AM, he's caught Peggy up on what he found and brought the conspiracy board up from the creepy basement. Forrest has to figure out who the next target is and where they are. It's Chuck Brody at the Gas Station, and calling him will save the people inside from a bomb. There's an explosion, and it blows up the only ambulance in town.
- Tape #1 - Clive speaks about someone named George Barrow, who had something happen to him in 1968, telling whoever is listening to follow the pictures and find more tapes. Peggy remembers George Barrow as the boy who drowned while drinking twenty years ago.
- Tape #2 - An autopsy report from a woman detailing how a boy died five hours before being brought to her. Forrest figures it was George, and recognizes the woman talking somewhat.
- Tape #3 and Folder #1 - The coroner notes there are cuts and blisters showing that the boy was running through foliage without stopping. The folder has a police report from Sheriff Matthews. It details how Sandra Sharpe found the body washed up at the reservoir. Peggy remembers the Jazz Runner, and notes an inconsistency. There's no forest near the reservoir, and it doesn't have tides, which Peggy remembers from a school paper she wrote. This leads Forrest to realize Sheriff Matthews might have been a Dirty Cop.
- Tape #4 - Toxication shows no alcohol or drugs in his system, but cortisone levels show high stress before death.
- Tape #5 - Post mortem injury found, showing signs that the body was moved and got caught in a car door.
- Tape #6 and Folder #2 - The coroner comes to the conclusion that the boy was chased, fell and drowned, before someone storms in demanding Dr. Sullivan end the recording. There's an autopsy report that shows how George was reported to have died of drowning while drunk, with a sticky note saying "I’m sorry I made you do this, Virginia". Peggy realizes they had a caller named Dr. Virginia Sullivan.
- Tape #7 - Clive tells his mysterious listener how he's probably already dead. The prologue tutorial lends credence that Clive was the first victim. He admits he likes to stay informed and has newspaper subscriptions that show people he knew twenty years ago dying and drawing closer to Gallows Creek and the anniversary. "None of us are innocent, but I don't think we deserve killing" he says, and wishes to be The Atoner for what he did. He's no killer, but that doesn’t matter. His employer made it clear his family would suffer if he spoke up. He wants his listener to put the truth together.
Peggy first calls Virginia, who still has the fraternity with her. She is still a little anxious, but Forrest can bring up what happened with Clive. She first denies everything as she's terrified of Clive, but Forrest tells her he's dead and they found the George Barrow autopsy which she saw him destroy. Are they the original? Are they copies? Doesn't matter because she still wrote a false report. Virginia explains that she did do the autopsy before Clive demanded she falsify what she found. But Clive used the carrot and the stick. She falsified the report so that her sister’s chronic condition would be treated, and Clive wouldn't beat her within an inch of her life if she kept quiet.
Peggy next calls Sandra, warning Forrest to be careful with his words. Forrest can choose the wrong words and make her hang up, but Forrest can bring up how Sandra found George Barrow's body. She admits she did find his body in the river but soon after the rent on her jazz studio skyrocketed and would only go down if she lied and said the body was in the reservoir.
Clive had set up a Starling Security 4000 for KFAM and gotten a manual for security codes.If you give Dawn the alarm code, she'll be chased out by Roller Ricky with a gun. If you give her the entry code, she'll go in and kill Max and Roller Ricky.
Either way, Forrest realizes Dawn was the Whistling Man all along! Forrest and Peggy try to figure out if there were any signs to this twist, but her wanting them to play Long Ride Home seemed impossible to plan since Peggy just threw that song out the window earlier. Whatever the case, Forrest makes an announcement on keeping an eye out for Dawn.
If Murphy survived, he calls in to respond to that statement. He wants to help, but since he just moved to town all he knows for sure is about gators and that he can't believe the Whistling Man is a woman. He swears it was a man he was fighting.
Forrest is weirded out Dawn didn't make sure Jason was dead. Casey can't drive and the only ambulance was blown up at the gas station. Forrest asks for details, like where he was stabbed. Jason was stabbed in the stomach and the knife is stuck in his leg. Peggy calls a doctor at the St. Gabriel Hospital, who offers advice on helping out to stop the bleeding and stabilize him. Forrest will do what he can to keep Jason alive while Peggy notes that since the house is on Nancy Drive they have quite a few coworkers that live nearby. But who has medical training? Forrest has to go to their boss Reggie’s office where he keeps floppy disk personnel files hidden in a safe that he might've left on notes. When Forrest gets the safe open he finds the floppy disks to tell him the personnel info. It’s John Hedges, a former combat medic that lives on Nancy Drive, who still has some medical equipment.
If he survived, it’s Roller Ricky who thanks KFAM for saving him and Max. He also states he might be able to help. He and Jason were on the Gallows High Football team... Along with George Barrow. Ricky all but admits he became an alcoholic after a school party at night where the team and their girlfriends were attacked by the Whistling Man. Ricky ran with George's girlfriend, who he only knew by the nickname Bean. Peggy figures it was a Whistling Night prank, and Ricky admits he never ran so fast so far, and didn't know George died until the next morning. He's been feeling guilty ever since. Peggy guesses Bean is Dawn's real identity, being in her thirties now.
Peggy gets a call, and warns Forrest they should do the call off the air. It’s Leslie and Martinez! They finally got all the cops from Henderson and are almost back in Gallows Creek. They were able to listen in but couldn't call in since the Whistling Man had cut phone lines into the town. Leslie tells Forrest that if Dawn calls again, he needs to stall her and find out where she is so the cops can get in and surprise her.
Forrest assures listeners that it's almost morning before taking another call.
If Jason survives, John and Casey assure that he's alright before moving him to the hospital. Jason admits he needs to call because he knows something. The Whistling Man spoke to him and he recognized the voice as Bean, but Peggy gets a call and takes it privately in case of another attack. Jason is relieved the truth is going out since he was threatened with jail time if he spoke out about how his best friend had really died. He admits to having gone along with the stupid prank the football team came up with to haze the freshmen. Two, maybe three, kids dressed up as the Whistling Man and Jason would pretend to be stabbed. He's still haunted by George and Bean's screams.
Before Jason can say any more, the power goes out at the station. Forrest heads into the basement for the emergency generator. When the power comes back on, that's when he hears the whistling he's heard all night!
Thinking of Peggy, Forrest runs up to save her, only to be locked in Peggy's empty room by the Whistling Man! Now Forrest is trapped with the killer sitting on his desk, and this is where the ending splits up.
But Forrest is confused... How can Dawn have Teddy and him hostage in two different buildings? That's when Dawn introduces the man at Forrest's table as hers and George Barrow's son, Henry Barrow. Turns out before George died he had impregnated her. This explains things to Forrest: how they got around so fast, the newspaper archive escape (pissing her off for locking her boy up), and Murphy did fight a man (Dawn admits she's been training her son for years for tonight).
Dawn removes her Whistling Man mask, not surprised Mooney went crazy wearing this. Teddy recognizes her as Marie Campbell. When Teddy opens his mouth, Marie starts beating him up. She wants him to confess and Forrest to reveal what happened.
She calls this "Justice", how everyone Forrest saved were all complicit in murder. So Forrest starts an interview with Marie and Teddy to buy Leslie time. Forrest asks Teddy to explain what happened twenty years ago. Under duress, Teddy admits it was the first team party, the ten year anniversary of Mooney's death. Since nobody thought of a pranking night, Forrest realizes Teddy started the Whistling Night pranks. The party was at Whistling Point, and the whole team was there (Teddy, Jason, George, Ricky, and Chuck among them), along with some friends and girlfriends. Halfway through the night, Teddy and Chuck dressed as the Whistling Man, fake stabbed Jason and chased George, Marie, and Ricky.
Marie finds Ricky complicit, since he was Teddy’s best friend. But Forrest reveals Ricky never knew, and Teddy adds he couldn't keep a secret. But Marie decides she still wants to kill him for not telling anyone about the prank. Teddy refuses to admit to his crime. Marie points out George just saw Jason be stabbed, of course he’d run. So she stabbed him tonight, to show what it's really like. That’s why she didn’t kill him.
Marie got separated from George, and found Chuck Brody snuck up on her in the costume. They saw George fall off Whistling Point, with Teddy at the top. To her it looked like Teddy pushed him. But Teddy swears he was just reaching to take a mask off and George tripped and fell into the water. To Teddy it's George’s fault for not knowing it was a prank.
Forrest wants to know why there was a cover up? Teddy believes he was bred for better things. He WILL be the mayor, then governor, maybe even more. He knows what happened was tragic. But it was a mistake, and Theodore had Clive ensure Teddy’s future wasn't ruined by a blip. Marie is disgusted to no end by the word "blip".
Sandra found George's body, with Marie wanting her dead for lying about the body being in the reservoir, not the river. Forrest realizes that Teddy's dad owned Sandra's dance studio and hiked up the rent on purpose. Sheriff Matthews did a false report, that was the second reason Marie had him killed. She notes the coroner faked it as well. But Forrest assures her Virginia was being blackmailed for her sister's life. Marie still thinks she should've told the truth. Marie tried going to everyone, primarily Maurice who refused to run the story.
Marie reveals that she's where she met George before he joined football, when he was a basketball star. Forrest realizes she's at Gallows Creek High's gymnasium.
All of a sudden, Peggy enters the gym begging for Marie. Peggy came because Marie is her older sister! While Forrest was talking to Jason, Marie called to tell her to go to the gym for a reunion. Peggy wants to know why she ran away, but Marie reveals their parents kicked her out when they found out she was pregnant and didn't get George justice. Peggy had no idea, but Marie tells her she wants to punish their parents, but since they're gone, she's settling for the next best thing.
Forrest understands that Marie wants to kill her sister. And thinking back, was that why she went after Eugene? Marie admits his parents were involved but died in a bus accident. Plus Marie believes Peggy forgot her sister.
Now, Forrest can fail to find any proof and Marie will kill Peggy, and if even one person dies, Henry will kill Forrest as well.
But Forrest can find that Peggy kept a birthday card Marie got her with a personal note about how Peggy had just turned eight. For once Marie stammers on this. The police come in and chase away Marie and Henry, saving Peggy and Teddy (Though it's likely he'll be facing manslaughter charges and conspiracy to conceal a crime charges).
Now finally able to relax, Forrest assures the people of Gallows Creek it is finally over and signs off for the night.
During the credits, someone is looking at a board with all the callers and possible victims. If dead they have a red x, while radio chatter details the fate of the killers. They could've gotten away, but if the police corner them, one is caught while the other jumps off Whistling Point, just like Edward Marshall Mooney and George Barrow. All set to one song...
♫ It’s a Killer Frequency! ♫
