Pilot – The episode opens with children being escorted into a room. Brad (Kristoffer Polaha) is distracted by something in the other room. In a flashback,  he tells someone on the phone that they have returned to the United States but cannot explain. It is 25 years later in Santa Monica, California. Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael) dribbles a basketball nearby. Brad apologizes for ending the call. Mickey asks who he was talking to. Brad claims it was his new coach. Mickey assures him that it is not too late to change his mind about moving to LA. Brad says if it turns out to be the wrong decision, they will move again. He encourages him to not worry when Kitty (Narci Regina) greets Mickey with a hug and Brad with a kiss.

Driving down the road, Brad flips on “Shelter” by 34 and Out. Mickey and Kitty join him in singing the lyrics. Brad is looking at Mickey when a semi crashes into their vehicle. Brad is moving outside the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, Mickey shows some signs of life while Kitty is not moving. Mickey weakly says “dad” while an EMT (Luke Marinkovich) works on him. On a gurney, Brad is pushed toward the waiting ambulance.

New Jersey, Four Months Later – The intercom stirs Mickey from his sleep. Later, he finds Shira Bolitar (Constance Zimmer) on the phone and a skillet on the stove in flames. She asks how he slept. He reminds her that making him breakfast is not necessary. She says as her aunt, it is her responsibility. He demands to see Kitty today. She tells him that Dr. Shippee says Kitty needs rest to heal. When he asks her to check, she promises to call before saying they are grieving for Brad. Out the door, he encounters Arthur Spoon Spindell (Adrian Greensmith). Arthur goes into a spill about being the Kasselton High School Camel Council escort for his first day of school. Mickey declines the offer. Arthur asks if he is interested in basketball tryouts since his father broke all the records. Correcting him, Mickey tells him that was his uncle. Arthur apologizes with a hug. Mickey thanks him but heads off on his own.

Walking down the sidewalk, Mickey hears “Shelter” playing. He follows the sound to a multi-story house where Bat Lady (Tovah Feldshuh) pulls back the curtain to look at him. At school, Arthur warns him about a bathroom stall and littering to stay on Janitor Arthur Spindell Sr.’s (Dustin Charles) good side. Mickey asks if he is familiar with the Hobart Avenue house. Arthur informs him of the Bat Lady being the town’s boogeyman who eats bad children before admitting he is joking. Troy Taylor (Brian Altemus) approaches Mickey to ask if he is Myron Bolitar’s son. Mickey tells him that he is his uncle. Troy asks if he plays basketball. Mickey says no longer. Troy sarcastically suggests he sucks when Rachel Caldwell (Sage Linder) and Ashley Kent (Samantha Bugliaro) approach. Mickey greets Ashley as Mr. V (Geoffrey Cantor) snaps her photo on his phone.

At the lockers, Ashley admits it is her first locker when Martha Freedman (Didi Conn) approaches to tell him that Brad was her former student. She identifies young Brad as a “sweet soul.” Ashley and Mickey have European history together. After apologizing about Brad, Ashley says her father died before inviting him to a diner. She adds her phone number to his contacts.

Watching Ashley at cheerleading practice, Mickey texts her. She turns to wave as Rachel rushes her to check-in. She checks a handgun in her bag. Later, Troy invites Mickey to play basketball. Initially declining, he accepts the offer. During the game, he is having a flashback when Buck (Antonio Cipriano) shoves him to the ground. A player calls the hit a “cheap shot” but Troy disagrees. Arthur assists him to his feet. Mickey claims to no longer like basketball. Arthur accuses him of lying. Mickey says they moved back to America, so he could play D1. Arthur assures him that Brad’s death is not his fault.

Walking home, creepy music draws Mickey to Bat Lady’s house. A tombstone with an engraving that reads, “Let us labor to make the heart grow larger, as we become older, as spreading oak gives more shelter” is in the yard. On the porch, Bat Lady refers to him by his name when addressing his growth spurt. She tells him that Brad is alive before entering the house. Emma Winslow (Abigale Corrigan) finds him banging on the window. She suggests Troy put him up to it before telling him to find another target. He researches Bat Lady on his phone when Ashley texts to validate their date at 6pm.

American Diner – Mickey waits for Ashley but she never arrives. She does not answer his texts.

During a phone call, Shira tells Bob (Ben Graney) that Mickey hates her. Bob assures her that Mickey being a grieving teenager hates everything. She hurriedly ends the call when Mickey arrives home. He asks if he can see Kitty. She says not now. He accuses her of hating Kitty. She denies the allegation. He blames her for Brad’s death because she never wanted him and Kitty together. He has an immediate flashback of Bat Lady saying Brad is alive before rushing out the door to the house on Hobart Avenue. Chief Ken Taylor (Lee Aaron) officer finds him there banging on the door. He identifies himself. Ken orders him into his police cruiser.

Mr. V receives a text ordering him to locate Ashley before they all die.

Kasselton Police Department – Ken tells Shira that Mickey was trespassing on private property at Hobart Avenue. She says he was just knocking on a door. He claims neighbors called in “suspicious activity.” She threatens to sue for harassment before demanding Mickey’s cuffs be removed. He releases Mickey with a warning. Outside, Shira tells him that Brad went inside the Hobart Avenue house when he was 10. She says after Dylan Shakes disappeared, rumors started circulating about Bat Lady eating him. In a flashback, bullies dare young Brad (Maximo Masefield) to knock on the door. When he finds the door unlocked, he enters the house before the door slams shut. Back to the present, Shira claims Brad changed after the incident.

At home, Mickey researches Dylan’s disappearance. A news article reveals the police questioned Dylan’s father.

While walking toward Hobert Avenue, Shira listens to a voicemail from Brad asking her to take care of Mickey if something happens to him and Kitty. Standing outside the house, she has a flashback of hearing Brad scream her name from inside the house. Young Shira (Sadie Veach) frantically tries the door to find it locked before apologizing to him.

At school, Troy tells Mickey that he is “pissed off” at him. Buck suggests it has to do with his face. Arthur compares Buck to a koala, an animal with a small brain and body ratio. Buck shoves Arthur several times before Mickey intervenes. Troy forces him to walk away. Arthur asks where he learned his defense move. Mickey says in Salvador Bahia. Arthur asks for some lessons which Mickey agrees.

In European history class, Mickey stares at Ashley’s empty desk. After class, Mickey tells Rachel that Ashley did not show up for their date or school this morning. She suggests Ashley is sending him a message. Taking a seat beside Emma, Buck asks if she misses him. Troy sends him a text telling him to ask her out. Emma sniffs his shirt before asking if he pooped his pants. After calling her a “freak,” he checks his pants to see chocolate. Holding up an empty packet, she flips him the bird. Mickey intervenes by taking a seat at Emma’s table. She demands to know why he is there. He says they hate him. She warns that they will never be friends when Arthur joins them. They discuss his visit encounter with Bat Lady.

Mickey arrives at the Hobert Avenue house to unexpectedly find Emma and Arthur already there. He claims Bat Lady knew his name and said his dad is alive. Emma questions why she would say it. He admits to watching his father die. Emma suggests egging the house but Mickey says he only wants answers. Utilizing Arthur’s spoon, Mickey gets inside the house. He identifies himself while clicking the stairs. Arthur warns of what could happen in Bat Lady has a gun. Arthur asks how she knows Brad when the door slams shut and “Shelter” begins to play. Arthur alerts of the Sunglasses Man’s (Hunter Emery) arrival. When Sunglasses Man demands to know why they are there, Emma kisses Arthur. She scolds him for watching kids making out before threatening to call the police. He orders them to leave. Inside, Mickey finds Ashley’s hippo ornament sitting on a shelf.

Arthur admits it was the first time he kissed anyone. Emma demands he not tell anyone when Mickey arrives. After telling them about Ashley’s hippo ornament, he shows them a photo with it in the background. Arthur informs them of the hippo being the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s logo. Mickey assures him that it is not coincidental. He says she may be in trouble. Emma suggests going to her house. While Arthur searches for her address, Mickey tells Emma about his family’s history with “Shelter” before explaining how it was playing inside the house. Emma leaves for home while Mickey and Arthur take a shortcut to Ashley’s house. They find the house surrounded by police cars. A cop (Erika Longo) orders him to stop. As EMTs bring a gurney out of the house, he frantically calls Ashley’s name and struggles against the officers. While being handcuffed, he identifies himself to Mrs. Kent (Jen Jacob) as Ashley’s friend. She denies having a daughter. Mr. V watches a short distance away.

In a restroom, Emma looks at the butterfly tattoo on her shoulder. Elsewhere, Rachel removes Ashley’s gun from its bag. Freedman stares at a photo of Dylan Shakes on her computer. Dylan’s cap in the photo is displayed on a desk with a photo of Mickey and his parents. Mr. V informs Bat Lady that he lost Ashley but promises to find her. When she says there is no need, Sunglasses Man shoots him in the head. The photo of Mickey and his parents in her hand is splattered in blood. The episode ends.

Harlan Coben’s Shelter Cast

• Shira Bolitar (Constance Zimmer)
• Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael)
• Brad Bolitar (Kristoffer Polaha)
• Kitty (Narci Regina)
• Ema Winslow (Abby Corrigan)
• Buck (Antonio Cipriano)
• Arthur Spindell (Adrian Greensmith)
• Rachel Caldwell (Sage Linder)
• Bat Lady (Tovah Feldshuh)
• V (Geoffrey Cantor)
• Martha Freedman (Didi Conn)
• Arthur Spindell Sr. (Dustin Charles)
• Chief Ken Taylor (Lee Aaron Rosen)
• Sunglasses Man (Hunter Emery)

Harlan Cobeh’s Shelter Synopsis

Mickey returns to the United States with his parents, Brad and Kitty. A collision separates the family. Brad is declared dead while Brad and Kitty survive. Mickey lives with Brad’s sister, Shira while Kitty recovers in the hospital. For whatever reason, he isn’t permitted to see her.

Brad befriends Arthur on the first day of school. Arthur is assigned to help him adjust. He encounters Bat Lady who tells him that Brad is alive. Before the collision, Mickey and his parents sing “Shelter.” The song is playing inside Bat Lady’s house.

New student, Ashley invites Mickey on a date. She is shown at cheerleading practice with a handgun. Mr. V snaps photos of her at school. With Arthur and Emma’s help, he breaks into the house where he discovers Ashley’s hippo ornament.

After Dylan Shakes goes missing, the locals begin to point the finger at Bat Lady. On a dare, young Brad enters Bat Lady’s house.

Rachel is later scene with Ashley’s handgun. After losing Ashley, Mr. V is killed under Bat Lady’s order. Emma has a tattoo similar to the tattoo on the “Shelter” album cover.

Harlan Coben’s Shelter Review

The pilot episode is jammed with information. Viewers can expect to be overwhelmed and bombarded from start to finish. It would have been more effective to release it gradually over the first few episodes. Much of the information is forgettable or will be forgotten quickly. It will probably pop up frequently throughout the series anyway.

The cinematography is good. The acting isn’t always believable. The story seems a bit farfetched but it is still too soon to tell which direction it will take.

The series is being compared to “The Goonies.” Way off, this is nowhere on the same caliber.

The episode deserves a 6. Get more Harlan Coben’s Shelter recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Our onsite advertising builds brand awareness, click the link to learn more.