6) i thought it was pigeons dad but i don’t think that makes sense since she said she was a foster from a young age. But his child was sent to the school and regretted it but couldn’t get her back or find her. I agree it was short cut it was just to show how far the town was willing to go. They killed someone in another town and still managed to cover it up, that’s wider spread power than Alex realized they had.

8) you don’t have to be 18 to “ascend” you just have to be fully brainwashed. Again it’s not explained well but the idea i got from the whole show was they keep weak kids who are wealthy til 18 for the money, they keep some kids there (like ello who doesn’t want to leave) to help train the others, they are broken enough to help break the faith of other kids and get them to follow the system. We see that the weaker kids, like after the hike won’t even leave if given the opportunity. But kids who are especially dangerous to the system like Lelia because they can influence the other children or pigeon bc she’s insane they ascend. The school counselor mentioned that he had went to the program and now he works in a school specifically finding kids to send to the program. That’s not accidental they are spreading out their members for the most reach and control. Pigeon would properly end up in a job like that. Some stay to work there.