As the curtains part on the inaugural episode of "A Remarkable Place to Die," Anais Mallory, portrayed by Chelsie Preston Crayford, enters the town amidst dramatic flair as a vehicle plummets over a cliff in the backdrop. Her unannounced arrival at her mother, Veronica Mallory's (Rebecca Gibney), residence catches Veronica by pleasant surprise, who had anticipated her daughter opting for the lodge. The police swiftly discover the wreckage, with a deceased male occupant inside. Anais's mind drifts back to nostalgic moments of playing the piano with her sister Lynne, only to be jolted back by Veronica's revelation that she plans to sell the piano, its melody tinged with sorrow.
The authorities find no identifying information either on the deceased or within the vehicle. Jarrod Renner (Dahnu Graham) learns from Simon Delaney (Matt Whelan) that he's already onto tracing the license plates. Anais wanders through Lynne's room, gazing fondly at her belongings, while conversing on the phone about her timely arrival. She expresses intentions of visiting her workplace to witness the recent changes, with Veronica joining her post-show.
Simon engages in a discussion with Sharon Li Feng (Lynette Forday) about the third fatality this year at Skipper’s Canyon. He uncovers that the registration matches a car reported stolen earlier that morning, belonging to Sebastian Van Heusen. Sharon intends to let Simon break the news to him, as they remain clueless about the driver's identity. Simon decides to delegate the lesser theft cases to Jarrod and SC Hoana Rata (Roimata Fox) upon their return. Hoana confides in Jarrod about the gravity of this case, acknowledging it's on an entirely different scale.
In town, Anais bumps into Maja Staunton (Indiana Evans), informing her of a local gig she's landed. Maja, now the proprietor of the Oasis Club and in the midst of opening another venture, reveals Luke Staunton (Charles Jazz Terrier) is doing well. Their conversation is interrupted by Marijke Van Heusen's (Nat Boltt) abrupt departure. Anais agrees to catch up with Maja later, prior to heading to work.
Upon Jarrod and Hoana's return to the station, they reconnect with Feng and Simon. Anais arrives shortly after, introducing herself with grace. Feng confidentially fills Anais in on the team dynamics, highlighting Hoana's recent promotion to sergeant, while cautioning her about Simon's territorial nature. Anais clarifies her return was motivated by a desire to support her mother following Lynne's passing. When Simon outlines plans for the next day, Anais eagerly volunteers to join.
After her departure, Feng privately informs Simon that Anais's sister met a similar fate at Skipper’s two years prior. Later, Maja reconnects with Luke, who learns of Anais's return. At dinner, Anais updates Veronica about her work, with Veronica reassuring her that the family business thrives despite their father's absence.
The following morning, Ihaka (Alex Tarrant) catches up with Anjali Bali (Utsa Chatterjee), examining the driver's body together. Anais joins them shortly, startled to learn Ihaka has transitioned into a pathologist—a revelation he clarifies by sharing their shared school days. They continue their discourse outdoors, with Ihaka startling Anais by estimating that the driver had been deceased for at least three days, despite the vehicle's plunge occurring roughly 24 hours ago.
Simon arrives on the scene to find them huddled back inside. He soon learns that they might be working on a homicide case. Jarrod engages in conversation with Miss Jhou, his eyes sparkling with interest. When Hoana joins them, Jarrod can't seem to stop raving about how stunning Miss Jhou is, revealing that she provided a description of a man who had stolen a friend's moped. Hoana has to gently steer him back on track, ensuring he gleans all necessary information.
Simon is taken aback to learn that Anais will be sharing his office space. Anais joins the group, sharing that the labels on the victims' clothing had been ripped out. Simon's demeanor is somewhat abrupt, prompting Anais to seek him out for a private word. She wonders if his rudeness is directed at women in general or just her. Returning to the case, they decide to focus their attention on the car.
Anais bumps into Maja again as she attempts to visit Mr. Van Heusen. Marijke isn't thrilled to see the police at her door. They circumnavigate to the back, where they speak with Sebastian (Mike Edward), whose eyes blaze with anger as he declares he would have killed the kid himself had he caught him. He explains that he left the car at Amoretti's car park. After indulging in drinks, they decided to walk home, intending to retrieve the car the next day. However, Sebastian was summoned away on business. He imports antiques and collectibles and notes that Marijke couldn't drive the manual car.
Anais engages in a somewhat childish spat with Sebastian before departing. She tasks Simon with investigating Sebastian's whereabouts. He informs her that Amoretti's is owned by Luke. Anais reveals that she was once engaged to Luke but called it off. About a year later, Luke married her best friend.
In a flashback, Luke tries to persuade Anais to reconsider her decision to end their engagement. She had secured a new position and was set to leave in ten days. Returning to the present, Anais locates Luke, who is accompanied by Veronica. She explains that Luke is assisting her with some listings. In private, Anais confronts Luke about the car. He insists he didn't notice it and hasn't installed any cameras yet. Luke is adamant that he can't help. He learns that she's now dealing with a murder case and remarks that it's nice to see her, despite the circumstances.
Back at the station, Simon notes that they can't identify the deceased child until they identify him. The victim's clothing is notably distinctive. Jarrod and Hoana brief them on Melissa Jhou. When Jarrod mentions the moped, Anais assigns him to follow up on it. Anais believes the victim was pushed over the cliff in the car to conceal the fact that he had been beaten to death.
While the others are out, Anais pores over the files. She receives a call from Ihaka, who informs her that he discovered small burn marks on the boy's forearms, possibly weeks old—the kind one might get from sticking something in the oven. Anais playfully offers to buy him dinner if he's right. Jarrod speaks with locals to see if they recognize anything, discovering that the shoes were stolen from Beppos. Alejandro Diaz (Emilio Mancilla) isn't keen on speaking to Jarrod's colleague but, in private, questions Sofia Perez (Beatriz Romilly) about her actions.
Anais grilled Alejandro, who maintained his stance of detachment, insisting that he was oblivious to the entire saga despite the telltale bruises on his knuckles. He recounted a scuffle from a few days prior, sparked by someone's disrespect towards Sofia. At Beppos, the clerk enlightened Anais about a Brazilian who had bolted without settling his tab. Anais broke the news to George Sterling alias Barnie Duncan: the man hadn't paid because he was deceased. George revealed that Rafael Campos, alias Raffa, had vanished roughly a week ago. Sofia recognized him instantly, revealing that Raffa had a girlfriend. Alejandro chipped in, mentioning Raffa Da Costa by name and accusing him of stealing his sneakers. Raffa had also worked at the pie cart, and his lover was identified as Chacha Valle. Anais was handed a photograph of the pair, sparking a flashback to Raffa's revelrous times with the group, and perhaps George harboring a flicker of discontent.
Anais briefed Jarrod on tracing entry details, but George dampened their spirits by disclosing that the security cameras had been inoperative for weeks. Unbeknownst to them, George had been using the cameras to surreptitiously record women undressing. Upon returning home, Anais apologized to Veronica for her erratic schedule, prompting a gentle reminder from Veronica about the simple courtesy of a phone call. Anais assured her that her job's demands often clashed with normal hours and offered to stay at the lodge once the case was resolved. In her room, Anais pondered over the case and its key suspects.
The next day, Simon and Anais sought Sofia's insights, encountering resistance from Alejandro. Anais caught them off guard by conversing in Spanish, which eventually coaxed Sofia into confessing their dispute over money. A flashback revealed a heated argument between Chacha and Raffa. Sofia also divulged that George had a habit of hitting on the girls, some of whom saw it as an alternative means of payment for their stay. George vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that one couldn't trust the whimsical tales spun by these youths. If anything happened, he claimed, it was consensual frolicking without coercion, adding that Raffa had been exploiting Sofia for prostitution around the premises.
As they departed, Anais informed Simon about her discovery of a photo listing security companies responsible for the cameras. Further digging unveiled George's deceit; his security footage claimed impeccable functioning, which was a lie. Simon suggested Alejandro's involvement, but Anais dismissed the notion. Anais tasked Feng with tracing Van Heusen's car movements over three days, finding it peculiar that Simon hadn't noticed anything suspicious, though Simon rationalized it as understandable oversight. Anais sought a warrant to access Beppos' CCTV footage and proposed investigating Skipper's Canyon.
During their drive to the canyon, Anais and Simon reflected on the case. Simon apologized for his earlier remark. A flashback transported Anais to a moment where she implored her sister Lynne to speed up for an international flight, with Lynne pleading her not to leave in haste. In the present, Anais mused that Lynne would never have driven recklessly. At the canyon, Anais and Simon inspected the precipice where the car had plummeted, contrasting it starkly with her sister's accident. She postulated that someone had driven the car from Queenstown and deliberately sent it over the edge.
Anais ponders how the individual in question made their way back home, prompting Simon to concur that there must have been another vehicle involved. He casts doubts on the possibility of Starling having any willing helpers. After a quick phone call, Anais informs Simon that they can strike Chacha off their list of suspects. They catch up with Jarrod, who directs them to the location of the stolen moped. Nearby, they discover Chacha's lifeless body.
Anais then engages in conversation with Ihaka, acknowledging that she owes him a meal. She had just spoken to Chacha's sister, leaving Anais visibly shaken. As they prepare to enter the room where the victim's body lies, Hoana informs Simon that SOCO has discovered a bloody rock in the woods.
Upon Anais's return to the station, she encounters Sofia and Alejandro locked in a heated dispute outside. She breaks the news of Chacha's demise to them. Sofia reveals that Alejandro tried to assist Raffa, albeit unwittingly. Alejandro confesses to giving Raffa his sneakers and some cash to keep quiet. Raffa had caught him skimming money at Big Sur-Pies. Furthermore, he shares with Anais that he revealed to Raffa how women at the hostel earned money from their clients, hinting at George's involvement in pressuring them. Both Sofia and Raffa suspect something fishy about George. Anais agrees to keep quiet about the pie cart money as long as it's repaid before anyone notices.
Entering the station, Anais locates her sister's file and quickly conceals it upon Feng's arrival. Feng hands her the warrant for Beppos. During the briefing, Anais announces that Ihaka is confident both victims expired on the same night. Raffa suffered head trauma from an impact and a broken neck, both injuries preceding the post-mortem wounds found in the car. Chacha, on the other hand, was struck twice in the head with the very rock they discovered. Tissue samples from under Chacha's fingernails have been sent for DNA analysis. Jarrod mentions finding patches of dried blood in the dirt at the turnaround. Simon reveals that he spoke to Melissa Jhou, whose boyfriend witnessed a man in red sneakers chasing a dark car. Anais assigns Simon to follow up on George Sterling's license and registration details, while positioning Hoana on standby for action on the warrant.
Anais revisits Marijke Van Heusen, with Sebastian soon joining them at the door. She inquiries about their acquaintance with Raffa, to which they deny any knowledge. Anais shows them a picture of Chacha, again meeting with denials. She mentions Sebastian's regular visits to the Oasis Club, hinting at her intention to join for the apps. Once alone, Marijke slaps Sebastian.
Anais visits George, requesting to use his bathroom while he reads the warrant. He claims it's undergoing upgrades. Nevertheless, Anais slips into the women's room despite his claims. Emerging later, she tells Simon she's intrigued by what George is withholding from them. Simon updates her on Luke's vehicles, prompting Anais to insist it was part of their investigation. Jarrod informs them that the waitress at Amoretti's witnessed an argument between Marijke and Sebastian, with Marijke leaving in a huff.
Sebastian instructed the waitress to charge everything to his account just before departing. Feng interrupted with a critical report, revealing the presence of Raffa's blood on an exterior panel of their vehicle. Meanwhile, Hoana shadowed George as he exited, thwarting his attempt to dispose of something in the water. Upon inspecting the bag, Hoana uncovered a laptop. Anais approached Maja in search of information about one of her clients, eager to know the timing of Sebastian's wristband purchase. Anais returned to inform Simon that his wife had acquired the wristbands shortly after Raffa and Chacha's demises. She further enlightened Jarrod on the wristbands' significance. Feng's revelation that Sebastian hadn't been in Lyttleton added another twist. Jarrod disclosed that his wife had taken an Uber back from the restaurant. Hoana then shared news of the laptop, which Anais suspected contained footage from the missing camera George had been seeking. However, Anais doubted George's involvement in the murders of Chacha and Raffa.
Simon stumbled upon CCTV footage of Raffa zooming out of town on a moped, with a vehicle resembling the Van Heusen's trailing closely behind. Anais theorized that Sebastian intended to tail his wife until Chacha interrupted, attempting to pull off a honeypot scam. Chacha's unexpected presence in Sebastian's car caused Raffa to freak out and chase after them. Feng entered with polling data, and together, they scrutinized the footage, believing they had cracked the case.
When Sebastian and his wife were confronted, he dismissed their accusations as baseless. Questioned about his whereabouts during his absence from Lyttleton, Sebastian insisted they had walked home. Marijke added that they had consumed plenty of alcohol, which might have clouded her memory. Anais requested to inspect Sebastian's wrist, revealing scratches, which Marijke attributed to a mugging. Simon presented traffic footage, prompting Sebastian to attempt to silence Marijke and demand his lawyer's presence. A heated argument erupted between them. Flashbacks showed them teaming up to push the car over. Sebastian pleaded for Marijke's release. Another flashback unveiled Marijke attacking Chacha. Anais deduced that Sebastian was shielding Marijke.
Marijke had slammed Raffa's head into the car door, fatally injuring him, because Chacha had witnessed her actions. She had struck Chacha with a rock. Sebastian explained that they didn't have time to dispose of Raffa's body because someone approached. Marijke insisted they should consult their lawyer. Hoana informed George he faced charges under the Privacy Act. Anais, carrying her sister's file, returned to Skipper's Canyon, vowing to uncover the truth. At home, she found Luke with her mother, Veronica, who warned her she had stirred up trouble. Luke offered support, while Anais shared her plans to visit the lodge. Their conversation steered towards Marijke and Sebastian, with Anais arguing against the notion that the incident was accidental. She highlighted Marijke's brutal actions against Chacha and mentioned Skipper's Canyon, upsetting Veronica, who sought privacy. Anais apologized and proceeded to the lodge.
Settling down to read her sister's file, Anais noticed a heavy smoke emanating from the fireplace. She extinguished the fire and discovered a bag containing drugs and paraphernalia.
