Cycle Four: The Army of Ghosts
SPOILER ALERT!!! DON’T LOOK AT THIS PAGE unless you have read Cycles One, Two, and Three. Even knowing which characters are involved in Cycle Four involves spoilers, so avoid reading ahead, especially the Episode Guide, if you don’t want hints about how Cycle Four develops.
SELECTED CHARACTERS
Angelica Beaufort: The Managing Partner at Beaufort & Associates, in Cycle Three, she was lead counsel on the Mansworth Futures and Securities (MFS) case, first mentioned in Cycle One. She is an avatar for Hastur / The King in Yellow / The God of the Palace / The High King.
Rebecca (Becky) Charles: A major character in Cycle Three who escaped her abusive husband George but failed to save her daughter Charlotte Charlotte (CC), she begins Cycle Four feeling trapped and hopeless. However, she still has an important role to play.
Janet Fillion: A major character in Cycle Two who had a really hard time, she has a small but crucial role in Cycle Four.
Leslie Jarndyce: A core character from Cycle One, Leslie returned in Cycle Three to work for Beaufort & Associates, only to become a pawn in Carcosa’s politics. In Cycle Four she finds ways to become more effective.
Pedro Jimenez: A core character from Cycle One, Pedro resents his death in The Middle Reaches and has leadership potential in the Army of Ghosts.
Bobby Lightfoot: Arguably the hero of Cycle Two, thirteen-year-old Bobby continued to escort Heather to the Palace in Cycle Three. Now older and battle tested, he seeks a new purpose–and finds it.
Lyanetha: Lyanetha is God of the Lake, the only one of Carcosa’s three rulers who doesn’t use a human avatar. Also called the “Mother of Monsters,” most or all of the “in-between creatures” in and around The Middle Reaches began with her.
Gordon Marks: A lead from Cycle Two with a supporting role in Cycle Three, fifteen-year-old Gordon is an infamous murderer in the earthly realm. Once an ardent admirer of Adam Mortimer, in Cycle Four, he and his brother Steven find themselves breaking away.
Steven Marks: Twelve-year-old Steven often feels left out and alone, but he has come to rely on his brother Gordon. They worked together in Cycle Two but mostly separately in Cycle Three. Steven–who used to hate and fear his brother–is greatly relieved by their reunion in Cycle Four.
Celia Mastroianni: A core character from Cycle One, Celia is a free spirit contained by cynicism. She is more interested in her afterlife romance with Ambrose than in gathering with the Army of Ghosts, and when the Army mobilizes, she fears the results.
Ambrose McClure: A core character from Cycle One, Ambrose can be obnoxious, but he’s more of a lover than a fighter, so he’s ambivalent about the violence that’s coming.
Adam Mortimer: A significant presence in Cycle Two, Adam was part of a serial killing team with his wife Ellie in the earthly realm, but, more important, he is the avatar of Avin, God of the Citadel, who has been one of the three major ruling (and scheming) powers in Carcosa for millennia.
Ellie Mortimer: Mentioned in Cycle Two, Ellie and Adam Mortimer were a married couple living on the other Acton Way when they first met Gordon Marks and mentored him in the art of murder. In Cycle Three, Ellie worked for Beaufort & Associates and assisted Leslie in negotiations before The Flood lured her into the suburbs to revel in chaos, which is where she begins in Cycle Four.
Heather Park: A major character in Cycles Two and Three, Heather began as a bright college student drawn to The Middle Reaches and ended up as the High Queen of Carcosa. Cycle Four finds her adjusting, or failing to adjust, to life in the Palace.
Si-woo Park: Mentioned in Cycle Two and a major character in Cycle Three, Si-woo tried to save his daughter Heather from becoming trapped in Hastur’s machinations, but he feels he has failed. In Cycle Four, as he and Becky become closer, he gains a larger purpose.
The Shadow Man (Nick Andrews): A pivotal figure throughout the story, The Shadow Man appears and beckons.
Augustus Vere: Mentioned in Cycle Three as the victor in the MFS case–and thus the human in control of The Middle Reaches’ physical location–he is more than he seems and has a diabolical plan. He is Sheldon’s grandfather.
Sheldon Vere: The (mostly) missing center of Cycle One and a major character in Cycle Two, Sheldon took a backseat in Cycle Three but returns to importance in Cycle Four as he weighs allegiances with his grandfather and Bobby.
Karla Zeitmeister: An MFS employee, she helps to manage crisis situations. Unique to Cycle Four.
EPISODE GUIDE
Episode Forty-Six, “The Grove.” (1/8/24) Cycle Four: The Army of Ghosts, which will end The Middle Reaches, begins as familiar characters discuss gathering forces, Becky and Si-woo feel like they’re buried alive, Gordon and Steven reunite, Bobby seeks a new purpose, and powerful new players enter the field.
Episode Forty-Seven, “Red and Yellow.” (1/15/24) Angelica and Adam meet at Rarity South, Ellie has new insight, Sheldon enjoys wearing shoes, Leslie continues her stay at the Tower of Two Suns, and an uncomfortable reunion begins.
Episode Forty-Eight, “Forgive Me for Killing You.” (1/22/24) Sheldon joins the power struggle at Rarity South, Bobby clashes with Gordon, Heather has a disturbing discussion with Baby JJ, familiar ghosts join a migration, and Ellie checks the neighborhood’s perimeter.
Episode Forty-Nine, “”Quarantine.” (1/29/24) Becky and Si-woo have another informative meeting with MFS, Ellie learns about the operation responding to Entities of Unknown Origin at the perimeter, Augustus and Sheldon have an opportunity to bond, and Celia has an aesthetic experience.
Episode Fifty, “Humans Will Lose.” (2/5/24) Leslie focuses discussion with Lyanetha on what they can expect from Hastur, Gordon and Steven go home, Sheldon learns more about his grandfather, Heather attempts escape, and Bobby gets a sense of a new purpose.
Episode Fifty One, “Yellow and Blue.” (2/12/24) Heather receives an encouraging visit from Big JJ but a different perspective from the JJ-toy, Leslie reports back to Angelica, friends who now feel like allies of old reconnect, and Hastur gets violent.
Episode FIfty-Two, “Unhappily Ever After.” (2/19/24) Ellie finds more entertainment in The Middle Reaches, Augustus gets more involved with activities on the perimeter, Heather reaches a crisis, Adam experiences pleasure, and Pedro experiences the Glass Citadel.
Episode Fifty-Three, “The Battle for Carcosa.” (2/26/24) Avin faces the Army of Ghosts, Ambrose and Celia experience battle, Leslie goes to the Palace, Pedro gets to the City, and another familiar figure makes an appearance.
Episode Fifty-Four, “Revenge.” (3/4/24) Bobby and Sheldon visit the Glass Citadel, Si-woo and Becky get into Angelica’s office suite, Leslie meets someone unexpected in the Palace, and an important letter is sent.
Episode Fifty-Five, “The Grandiosity of Loneliness.” (3/11/24) Leslie interacts with Hastur in the Throne Room, Si-woo and Becky deal with the aftermath of what they learned and did in Angelica’s office, Sheldon tells Bobby about Augustus while Bobby thinks about the compromised position he and Sheldon share in the multiverse, and Augustus goes to the perimeter.
Episode Fifty-Six, “Collecting Losses.” (3/18/24) Celia moves onward through the Walled City and wonders what victory might look like, Ellie and Karla tour carnage at the perimeter, Lyanetha chats with Hastur, Augustus builds a dam, Pedro approaches the Palace, and Sheldon and Bobby contemplate choosing sides.
Episode Fifty-Seven, “Surrender.” (3/25/24) Ellie and Karla witness a shocking development on the perimeter, Celia reaches the Palace, Si-woo wonders about humanity’s leverage, Augustus finds out what was so ominous, and Bobby gets in over his head.
Episode Fifty-Eight, “Settlement.” (4/1/24) Young Torrents prepares to host diverse guests, Leslie befriends Becky and Si-woo, Sheldon must speak privately with Tiberius, Bobby has regrets, and negotiations occur.
Episode Fifty-Nine, “Janet’s Publication.” (4/8/24) Becky and Si-woo move on, Avin finds a new pastime, Leslie takes a new position, and Janet Fillion’s reflections reveal that her critical role didn’t end in Cycle Two.
Episode Sixty, “Out of Reach.” (4/15/24) The Middle Reaches ends.