‘The Institute’: Joe Freeman Reacts to Luke Partnering With Sigsby

Something truly shocking happened on Sunday’s (November 15) new episode of The Institute: Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) decided to put his trust in Julia Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker), of all people. Yes, really. After having his former tormentor held up at gunpoint in last week’s premiere, by the end of this week’s segment, the two were running in lockstep on a new mission.

So was it a wise move, or did his newfound partnership backfire as spectacularly as one might expect? Warning: Spoilers for The Institute Season 2 Episode 2, “The Sanctuary,” ahead!

Well, things didn’t start out on a harmonious front, exactly. Luke was at Sigsby’s place to steal her evidence against the Institute as proof of what was really going on there, and instead, she destroyed the USB drive and stole Luke’s gun from him. Instead of killing him, though, she kept him alive. When he woke, she revealed that she knew Luke was a precog and promised that if he would return to another Institute, he’d be treated like a king. After months on the run in dirty holes with his friends, the offer was tempting, and since his number-one goal was still to protect his friends, and per Sigsby, being a VIP after the slaughter of the other PCs could be the only way to do it.

So he brought Sigsby back, to the absolute horror of Kalisha (Simone Miller) and Nicky (Fionn Laird).

Even Joe Freeman was “surprised” when he found out that his counterpart would be taking her at her word like that.

“I was really surprised,” he told TV Insider. However, he also understood the decision. “Watching it as a neutral when I’m not being Luke in it, I look at Sigsby, and I think, ‘No, she’s got a point. She’s got a point.’ As all great villains do.”

MGM+

He was also excited at the new dynamic this would bring from the two in Season 2. “They’re two great characters, and to see them on the same page, I think, is going to really, really excite the people that watch it.”

“Also,” he added, “[it gave] me [time] to shoot with Mary-Louise Parker, which was great.”

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In the end, his faith in her paid off in one way. As promised, she posed as an FBI agent to help spring Tim (Ben Barnes) from jail, but that doesn’t mean the trouble’s over, since she escaped their custody by the end of the episode.

So what’s next for Luke and Sigsby’s tenuous alliance? Freeman teased, “They’re never going to get on, are they? It’s just that simple thing. I mean, I wouldn’t want to get on with anybody if they killed my parents, to be fair.”

The Institute, Sundays, MGM+