Barbie is under custody when “Under the Dome” begins episode 9, “The Red Door.” The mysterious officials who have Barbie in handcuffs want to know how he escaped from Chester’s Mill but our protagonist isn’t willing to give up any sort of information. The authorities decide the only way to prove just how serious they are is by beating the truth out of Barbie.

But Barbie wasn’t the only one keeping his mouth shut during tonight’s episode. Despite Big Jim’s prying, Julia’s lips remained sealed regarding why officials are inching closer and closer to the dome. Little does she know the sheriff has every idea why they’re there considering he saw what went down during the finale moments of episode 8. Big Jim watched Barbie – who he thought was dead – try to give Julia a message from outside the dome before getting dragged away.

“Why red? Why door?” Pauline tried to figure out the final postcard. “A door always symbolizes a way in somewhere. So this door could be a way back in.”

That’s when the trio (Pauline, Sam and Lyle) decides to retrace their steps. They go back to the playground where Sam and Lyle woke up after falling into the dome’s cave in hopes of finding the red passage way.

While they try to uncover clues of how to get back into the dome Big Jim is questioning Junior about how Barbie managed to escape. The father/son duo discuss everything Junior knows – well, everything but where the eggs current location is. Guess Junior doesn’t trust daddy dearest that much.

Episode 9 was full of tumultuous relationships when Barbie’s dad paid him a visit in jail. Don revealed to his son that it was the government that tampered with Barbie’s email to Julia – not him. But was he lying? He also said that the only way Barbie would be freed is if he found a way to trade the egg for his release. But Barbie doesn’t trust his father as far as he can throw him – and for good reason.

Don really is a two-timing villain. Apparently he’s the one in charge of the mysterious men holding Barbie captive. He even gives the guards permission to beat his son to a pulp just to get info on this power-source egg.

While Pauline is taking a trip down memory lane she spots a red door at the playground. But as it turns out, it’s not the passageway they’re looking for.

During their investigation they get spotted by two men stalking the perimeter of the park. Sam told his sister that it’s probably not smart for Pauline to return back to her apartment considering they were already ID’ed. That’s when Pauline revealed she knows some place they can go and be safe.

Back at the dome Julia receives a message from Barbie’s father.

“They want the power source you discovered. You call it the egg. It’s the only thing I know I could trade for Dale’s release. I don’t know what they may do to him. So, hurry. It’s an unfortunate way to meet the woman who means to much to my son,” Don said attempting to manipulate Julia. This message left her feeling more perplexed than ever before.

During Don’s trickery, Melanie revealed that the sound of Barbie’s dad’s voice sounded oddly familiar. Now that’s a storyline we couldn’t wait to hear more from.

After getting beat up pretty badly the crafty Barbie found a way to swindle himself out of the cuffs. But not before getting in a few good licks at the corrupt cop. He runs straight to Hunter’s where he finds Lyle, Sam and Pauline.

In the dome Big Jim confronted Rebecca about Barbie being alive. He’s curious why she didn’t mention anything to him. But as it turns out it’s Rebecca who left in the dark. She doesn’t even know what the egg is. Big Jim explains it’s a coveted energy source and concocts a plan for Rebecca to acquire more information about the egg from Joe.

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Where did the red door lead to in episode 9 of "Under the Dome"? Screen Grab/CBS©2014

But Rebecca dupes Big Jim and told Julia exactly the sheriff plans on doing. This occurs right after Melanie had a heated debate with the gang regarding the egg’s safety. While everyone wants to clean their hands of the egg and escape the walls of the dome Melanie attempted to convince them that the dome is there for their protection and that the egg is a part of them being safe. But Joe, who lost Angie, and Norrie, who lost her mom, disagree that the dome offers sanctuary.

When Barbie realizes Sam is alive at Hunter’s he pulls out his gun. But Pauline begs him to stop. That’s when Barbie reveals what kind on monster Sam really is and that he’s the one responsible for the death of Angie. Pauline is shocked to hear what her brother had did.

“You killed that girl for what I drew,” Pauline said to Sam. That’s when they decided that they needed to find a way back into Chester’s Mill to own up to they chaos they’ve caused.

That’s when Barbie puts the pieces together that the door Pauline has been searching high and low for is actually located in a place he’s quite familiar with: his home.

He devises a plan to sneak into his childhood house past his father by using a decoy to distract his menacing dad. Once the decoy is in place, they slip through the guards and enter the cellar door but Pauline has a moment of hesitation before entering. But when push comes to shove Pauline finds the courage to enter.

Prior to finding the red door Pauline has another vision of a swirling vortex.

“This is how my visions start. Maybe something bad about going to Chester’s Mill. There’s just something about this spiral that scares me,” she said while drawling circles in the mud.

As the former Chester’s Mill residents – and Hunter – explore Barbie’s cellar for clues, Big Jim pays the guards lurking outside the dome wall a visit.

“Who is in charge? I need to speak to them now,” he asked through a note.

Big Jim explained that he can get them the egg if only they deal only with him. But in return he wants to free everyone from the dome. After the guard shook his head no Big Jim settled for just freeing himself and his son and thus a corrupt relationship was born.

But Big Jim might have a hard time finding the egg considering Junior moved it from it’s hiding spot at Angie’s. Melanie finds Junior on the move and questioned where he was going with the egg. Junior explained he doesn’t think he can trust his father with the dome’s power source – and apparently he’s not the only one to be weary of.

“Your dad’s not the only one who has reason to take the egg,” Melanie said, adding that Julia may have the intentions to trade the egg for Barbie’s safety.

But the most interesting moment of episode 9 is what happened when Barbie and the gang found a passageway in Barbie’s cellar. First Sam was hit with the spiral Pauline had predicted. He reverted to a memory of Junior begging him to stay after Pauline’s alleged funeral.

Barbie was next who had a memory of the day he put a yellow handprint on his red cellar door. As it turns out Melanie was also there! No wonder Melanie thought Don’s voice sounded familiar. She’s somehow connected to Barbie’s family.

Pauline was then affected by the spiral but instead of experiencing a memory she had a premonition of Melanie that told her the pit where they found the egg is where “it will all end.”

After their flashbacks and forwards they all awake in the Chester’s Mill lake. Lyle is the only one that seemed to be missing.

Pauline tells her brother and Hunter to wait for Lyle while she looks for Junior. But instead of bumping into her son, she finds herself face-to-face with Big Jim.

What did you think of episode 9 of “Under the Dome”? Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts.