The Institute season 1 episode 6 ending explained: How does Tim help Luke expose the Institute?

The Institute season 1 episode 6, titled Run, was released on August 10, 2025, on MGM+. Jeff Renfroe has directed the episode, with Benjamin Cavell, Ed Redlich, and Sam Sheridan co-writing its screenplay.

The episode focuses on the aftermath of Luke's escape from the institute and his quest to find the right help among the town's secret operatives. He runs into Tim, who takes him to his police station and hands over the flash drive containing incriminating evidence against the Institute to Chief Ashworth.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Institute season 1 episode 6.

Luke and Tim team up in The Institute season 1 episode 6

Joe Freeman plays Luke Ellis in The Institute season 1 episode 6 (Image via Instagram/@mgmplus)

As instructed by Maureen in episode 5, Luke makes his way through the institute's playground in the dead of night while avoiding detection from the night guards. Bruised, bleeding, and on the brink of collapse, Luke somehow musters the courage to cross the river and reach the Red Steps by morning.

Fortunately for him, Tim is in the same area, discovering the remnants of a cabin once used by the teenagers who died mysteriously at the Red Steps. His path soon crosses with Luke, who begins trusting Tim only after reading his mind.

When Tim searches Luke Ellis's name online, he discovers that the young boy has been framed for his parents' murder. He realizes that the institute has people in the outside world doing their bidding and needs to proceed carefully. The only person he truly trusts is Chief Ashworth, so Tim takes Luke to the police station.

They find the chief talking to the hotel owner, Norbert. The latter steps out and secretly informs Stackhouse of Luke's location, highlighting the fact that the town is filled with informants at every corner. Luke hands over the flash drive he received from Maureen, and the trio proceeds to watch the video that seemingly details the horrors taking place inside the institute.

What happens to Kate in The Institute season 1 episode 6?

An image of Jordan Alexander as Kate from The Institute season 1 episode 6 (Image via Instagram/@mgmplus)

Maureen calls the reporter Kate, asking her to meet Luke at the Red Steps after feeling certain that she won't make it out of the institute alive. Kate, who is secretly working for the institute, swiftly informs Stackhouse, and they decide to bring Luke back to the facility from the Red Steps.

When she arrives at the location, Kate finds that Luke is not alone and is with Tim. Luke reads her mind and suspects that she can't be trusted. But her cover is blown when she receives a call in an area that only has access to cell reception from the institute's staff. Without wasting any time, Kate pulls out her gun, but Luke uses his telekinetic powers to drop a tree trunk on her.

A scuffle ensues with Tim and ends with Kate falling to her death in the river.

Sigsby leads the search for Luke in The Institute season 1 episode 6

An image of Sigsby and Stackhouse from The Institute season 1 episode 6 (Image via Instagram/@mgmplus)

Back at the Institute, Sigsby and Stackhouse remain unaware of Luke's escape until much later. The duo only realizes something's amiss after they find Maureen's dead body hanging in Sisgby's office. She either hung herself or Kate killed her and made it look like suicide.

Up until this point, Sigsby and Stackhouse had not bothered to check on Luke, despite suspecting the young boy of damaging the air conditioning system. When they personally check on each kid, they find Luke's tracker on his bed and realize what has happened.

At the end of The Institute season 1 episode 6, Stackhouse makes a deal with Hendricks to blame Sigsby for the mishap when the higher-ups get involved. Meanwhile, Sigsby leads the hunt for Luke and discovers Kate's dead body close to the Red Steps.

Watch all episodes of The Institute season 1 exclusively on MGM+.

About the author

Deepti is an entertainment writer at Sportskeeda. She comes with more than 6 years of experience in the creative writing field and has written extensively for the entertainment and travel domains.

She holds a degree in Chemistry, but her true interest always lay in the creative field. A passion for reading from a young age fueled her desire to make a career change later in life and take up writing as her profession.

Apart from reading, her hobbies include watching movies, listening to music, and going to the beach. In her free time, she can be found looking up reviews of new and old films to add to her watchlist. She also enjoys watching foreign language films that help expand her knowledge base regarding different cultures around the world.

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Edited by Maithreyi S