13 Episodes
Short on time? Here's the essentials:
Astronaut Molly Woods returns from a 13-month solo mission in space to her husband, John Woods, a robotics engineer, and their son, Ethan, an advanced robotic child called a Humanich. Molly is inexplicably pregnant, despite her solo mission and prior infertility, and seeks answers about her mysterious condition. She wants to understand the origins of her baby and protect her family from the unknown forces at play.
Molly soon discovers her pregnancy is alien in nature and that the International Space Exploration Agency (ISEA) is deeply involved in a conspiracy surrounding it. The ISEA removes her baby from her, revealing their true motives were to use her as bait for an alien virus and pregnancy experiment. Her rapidly aging alien offspring, capable of influencing human minds, escapes and becomes a target for both Molly and the powerful, dying magnate Yasumoto, who believes the offspring holds the key to his immortality. Harmon Kryger, a former astronaut who also encountered alien life, tries to help Molly but is fatally shot by Sparks, the ISEA director, who is manipulated by visions of his deceased daughter. Molly learns that "the ones without bodies" are coming, signifying an impending alien invasion, and her offspring is a harbinger. Meanwhile, Ethan is manipulated by Odin, an anti-technology terrorist, who plants a detonator inside him.
In the season's climax, Molly returns to space to stop the alien threat. Ethan, realizing he is the only one who can override the ship's computer, sacrifices himself by detonating the bomb inside him to save Molly and prevent the invasion, though his consciousness transcends into cyberspace. The alien offspring, however, survives and is picked up by an unsuspecting family.
Season 1 of Extant covers episodes 1-13. Here's everything that happened:
Season 1, Episode 1: Re-Entry - Molly returns from a 13-month solo space mission and struggles to reconnect with her husband, John, and their son, Ethan. She discovers she's inexplicably pregnant. Ethan is revealed to be a Humanich, an advanced robotic child. Molly is warned by a presumed-dead astronaut, Harmon Kryger, to trust no one. The episode concludes with Molly concealing her pregnancy.
Season 1, Episode 2: Extinct - Molly seeks answers about her pregnancy, consulting Sam and tracking down Harmon Kryger, who reveals disturbing details from his mission. Molly experiences visions and abdominal pain, with Ethan witnessing a strange symbol on her abdomen. Harmon warns Molly not to trust anyone. Yasumoto's agenda remains cryptic, and he learns he has only 102 days to live. The episode concludes with John waiting for Molly, unaware of her pregnancy and the conspiracies surrounding her.
Season 1, Episode 3: Wish You Were Here - Molly throws a belated birthday party, but visions of Marcus's brother, Tim, plague her; Tim is revealed to be a hallucination. Molly tells John about her pregnancy, repeating Alan's lie about a secret ISEA experiment. Realizing ISEA's deception, Molly flees with John, while Sam's office is raided.
Season 1, Episode 4: Shelter - Fleeing Sparks, Molly, John, and Ethan seek refuge with Molly's estranged father on a remote island. They attempt a DNA test to determine the baby's origins. Quinn's lapse in sobriety leads to Ethan's abduction and deactivation by ISEA agents. Molly is then taken to a lab where doctors begin operating on her.
Season 1, Episode 5: What on Earth Is Wrong? - John doubts Molly's sanity as her pregnancy is questioned. Ethan suffers a setback, causing conflict between John and Julie. Molly learns the ISEA removed her baby. The episode concludes with Molly and John discovering a mysterious energy infiltrated Molly when she became pregnant.
Season 1, Episode 6: Nightmares - Ethan experiences his first dream, an unforeseen event, and Molly uncovers footage revealing the ISEA's true motives for her mission. The video reveals Katie Sparks discussing a virus and pregnancy. Molly realizes she was bait, and Sparks's baby is still alive.
Season 1, Episode 7: More in Heaven and Earth - Molly, convinced the agency took her baby, enlists Sam's help and confronts Sparks. John is alarmed by Ethan's rapid development, including speaking Japanese, and tries to limit him, but Ethan locks him out. Kern holds Kryger hostage to recover the incriminating video. Molly's investigation leads to Derek Pierce's suicide.
Season 1, Episode 8: Incursion - Molly, with Kern and Kryger, seeks to intercept her alien baby before Sparks and Yasumoto relocate it. John struggles with Ethan's rapid development. Kryger shoots the chamber where the baby is held, but it only contains a doctor. Sparks confronts Molly, but shoots Katie instead, due to the baby's influence.
Season 1, Episode 9: Care and Feeding - Sparks, influenced by an illusion of his deceased daughter, flees with Molly's baby. Molly reluctantly partners with Yasumoto to track them down. Sparks invites his ex-wife Anya to join them, and they both begin feeding the baby. Kryger attempts to kill the baby but is fatally shot by Sparks.
Season 1, Episode 10: A Pack of Cards - Molly gets closer to finding her offspring, while John discovers Yasumoto's potential ulterior motives. Sparks, manipulated by visions of his deceased daughter, commits to keeping the offspring alive. Kryger is killed in a shootout at the campground. The episode concludes with Molly reaching the campground, drawn there by the offspring.
Season 1, Episode 11: A New World - Yasumoto's desperation for the offspring intensifies as his health deteriorates. Molly discovers Yasumoto's immortality secret. Odin betrays Ethan by planting a detonator in him. Sparks returns to the ISEA, revealing Anya and the offspring have gone. The episode concludes with Molly realizing Sparks tricked her, setting a return course for a deep space mission.
Season 1, Episode 12: Before the Blood - Molly confronts her rapidly aging Offspring, learning "the ones without bodies" are coming and she's the only one who can stop them. Julie discovers Odin's terrorist past and his manipulation of Ethan. On the Seraphim, Sean finds the real Katie's dead body, replaced by an alien being. Molly decides to return to space to stop the impending invasion.
Season 1, Episode 13: Ascension - Molly returns to space to stop the Seraphim from reaching Earth. John discovers Odin's plan endangers Ethan, who has a bomb inside him. Molly is infected with the alien virus. Ethan sacrifices himself to save Molly, overriding the ship's computer and detonating the bomb. Though Ethan dies, his consciousness transcends into cyberspace. The Offspring escapes and is picked up by a family.
