"Protect us!"
The kids come together to rescue Alex, who has been kidnapped by one of Geoffrey's old associates out for revenge. In the process, Alex's faith in his father is shattered, and the PRIDE gets their final sacrifice.
- Abusive Parents: Although his father is being much kinder to him than he apparently has ever been, Chase is still terrified of him. When he accidentally knocks a book to the floor, he rushes to pick it up and is basically a giant flinch apologizing for it.
- Bad Future: It's implied that one is on track to happen. The time machine Victor built whirs to life, showing a grainy, black and white video of the Los Angeles skyline crumbling.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Between Alex and Nico. Might have gone further if Karolina hadn't walked in on them at that point.
- Broken Pedestal:
- Alex for Geoffrey, after learning about Geoffrey's criminal past and how he used his innocent best friend to get out of prison, as well as how Geoffrey blatantly lied about where he was taking Andre to Alex's face. (He claimed to be taking him to a place where he could get patched up without involving the authorities, but Alex quickly puts together that the PRIDE will sacrifice him).
- Karolina for Leslie. After finding out about the PRIDE's last sacrifice and failing to stop it, Karolina wrecks her room and smashes a framed photograph of her mother.
- Bullying a Dragon: Somehow, despite the fact that he's been ambushed by a girl strong enough to lift his car, another who glows and shoots light, and getting punched with Tricked-Out Gloves, Darius still insists on trying to pick a fight with the group and it isn't until Nico shows her magic that he realizes he's out of his league.
- Chekhov's Gun: A literal example; Alex uses the gun he had previously stolen from his father's study to shoot Andre.
- Chekhov's Skill: Karolina uses her light-emitting power on Darius.
- Death of a Child: Andre Compton, the teen hacker employed by Darius, is killed by PRIDE.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The PRIDE treats their human sacrifices much like slaughtering livestock. Ms. Wilder says Leslie prefers her human sacrifices "free-range and grass-fed" by giving them happy fulfilling lives before they're killed, and the Yorkeses bandage up Andre before sedating him, making him think it's medicine so he can at least die happy.
- Family Relationship Switcheroo: The ending implies that the old man Leslie had been keeping in a private room is Karolina's father instead of Frank Dean.
- Freudian Excuse: Discussed. The kids want to know why their parents are sacrificing people, and Alex asks if there's any excuse that could actually justify their actions. None of them have an answer.
- Godwin's Law: When Alex argues in favor of saving Andre from PRIDE he mentions he's Just Following Orders from Darius, which leads Gert to compare that defense to the one argued by Nazis.
- Human Sacrifice: PRIDE sacrifices Andre to restore Jonah.
- Internal Reveal: The Runaways finally see Molly and Karolina use their powers. Later, they are clued into the existence of the Yorkeses' deinonychus and that Gert can control it. At about the same time, they see Chase debut his Fistigons. And Nico's mom finds out she's using the staff, and reveals to her that she's one of only two people in the world who can use it.
- Interrupted Intimacy: Nico and Alex nearly have sex while making out, but before they could go further Karolina interrupts them.
- Just Following Orders: Alex argues this for Andre. Gert lampshades how bad it sounds, but the rest agree that nothing he's done deserves death.
- Moment Killer: Karolina barges in on Nico and Alex making out.
- Official Couple: Nico and Alex become a couple at the end of the episode.
- Pet the Dog: This episode gives out brownie points for Tina and Victor, who had been the most overtly cruel members of the PRIDE in previous episodes.
- Continuing from the previous episode, Victor helps Chase build the Fistigons. They bond a bit during the experience. Later, Victor shows Chase a time machine he'd built, and admits that he's having trouble coming to terms with his brain cancer.
- Tina catches Nico returning the Staff of One, but doesn't reprimand her for stealing it — instead, she temporarily bequeaths it to Nico in the hopes that they can start repairing their relationship. She was expecting her to discover its powers someday anyway.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Andre works for Darius because he believes it's the only way a young man from his background can progress.
- Ship Tease: Besides Nico and Alex who got The Big Damn Kiss and Official Couple, there are also several between Nico and Karolina. Such as when Nico hugging and comforting her after she's devastated knowing that her mother being the one who choose the sacrifice victim from their Church, Nico caressing Karolina's hair after Karolina revealed her powers, and Karolina seems rather jealous upon witnessing Nico kissed Alex.
- Shout-Out: Alex's message on his voicemail says he's "currently training on Dagobah."
- So Proud of You: Victor is much kinder to Chase now that he knows his son is Brilliant, but Lazy.Victor: How is it you know all this, but never made above a B- in calculus?
- Tricked-Out Gloves: The Fistigons make their first appearance; Chase uses them to fire energy blasts at Alex's kidnappers.
- Wham Shot: After it looks like Victor's "time scoop" isn't working, he swipes it away. He and Chase walk out as the screen shows an image of the future Los Angeles...a burned-out ruin.
- Zeerust: The time machine Victor built is a clunky white machine that plays grainy black and white video and has a conspicuous antenna-like attachment. Overall, it wouldn't be out of place in The Twilight Zone. But it can receive audio and video from the future!
