They Won't Exactly Be Riding Off Into the Sunset

After all that matching-dresses-baby-pictures birthday cheer, something was destined to hit the fan for the doomed Wilson family on MTV's Finding Carter . Carter got “stood up” by Lori, Taylor had the weirdest high imaginable (what are they growing in Virginia?), Elizabeth’s three-year ticking affair bomb finally went off, no one would tell Grant where the milk was, and worst father-of-the-year David manipulated Carter into giving him permission to write the already-written book about her, under the guise of “saving the family.” Notice anyone missing from that list? Yes, Crash wasn't involved in the drama for once, but that just means something really big must be ahead for Carter and Crash, because that pair seems to attract trouble wherever they go.

And just when we think the dust has settled — mom moves back home, she’s taking a leave of absence to focus on her family, and there’s milk in the fridge! — it all goes to hell when Carter finds out from a perfectly bewildered Elizabeth that there had been no planned reunion with Lori. David had faked her out... and cue dramatic MTV music. Carter is pissed and disappears (did anyone else think she was going to barge into her dad’s office and find the already completed manuscript for the Finding Carter book?).

The preview for tonight’s episode teases the question, “Has Carter finally made her move?” and David wonders out loud if “maybe she was planning to run away with Lori all along.”

But we know that David is well aware that Carter had no such plans — his hypothesis seems like a way to further shatter Elizabeth’s confidence regarding her relationship with her daughter. And take a look at the midseason trailer, we clearly see Carter driving off in Crash’s truck, a joy ride that seems to end with Crash in cuffs and Carter in a bloody mess.

So what exactly happens in between? Here are a few theories, and one huge spoiler-y hint from star Kathryn Prescott.

Carter & Crash Go Looking For Lori

Crash has already promised Carter in previous episodes that he’s going to find her mom for her. And, even though I don’t believe David’s claim that Carter has been planning to run away all along, there’s nothing like a cheating mom and a lying dad to make a 16-year-old girl think going back to her kidnapper might not be such a bad idea after all.

Carter & Crash Try to Ride Off Into the Sunset

Carter and Crash are definitely in their honeymoon stage (shall we dub them Crashter?), and I think we can all admit to melting just a little when Crash asked Carter for a baby picture. Crash has already asked Carter to run off with him once before, believing, as only teenagers can, that knowing someone for a couple weeks means you’re totally meant to be, and Carter seems equally smitten. But all teenage romances, unless you’re Topanga and Cory (or Summer and Seth), must come to an end, which brings us to…

Crash Has a Total Meltdown

Fans of Finding Carter have been predicting that Crash is going to go off the rails, and violently. Kathryn Prescott, who plays Carter, hinted as much in an interview with E! News when she discussed the couple's future.

[Crash] needs professional help. In the coming episodes, definitely some stuff goes down with Crash and it gets to the point where even Carter is like, 'Wow, I'm trying to empathize but what the f--k? I can't help you if you don't want to help yourself.' He really does mess things up. Their relationship gets severely rocked.

We’ve already seen hints of Crash’s breakdown in the midseason trailer, when we hear Carter’s voiceover say “Crash lost his mind,” and see her walking down a hospital hallway, blood-soaked Converses and all. Crash told Carter in last week’s episode that she’s got him “wrapped around your little finger.” Maybe as Carter slowly realizes Crash can’t be so easily saved, he goes to extreme measures to try and keep her around.

With that quick flash of a gun, we know something has to end with a bang.

Images: MTV; noqitsunes, findingcartergifs/Tumblr