Death and Other Details Episode 1 kicks off with Rufus Cotesworth, a skilled detective, summoned to engage with a young girl named Imogene. She is currently residing under the care of Katherine and Lawrence Collier, along with their two offspring, Tripp and Anna. Rufus's mission is to assist in unraveling the mystery surrounding the death of Imogene's mother. She stands as the sole eyewitness to the fatal explosion of her mother's car in the Collier's driveway, yet she's unable to recall the horrifying incident.
Eighteen years later, a mature and confident Imogene embarks on a luxurious cruise liner alongside the Colliers. Serving as Anna's assistant, Imogene finds herself in the midst of a contentious scene when a wealthy man berates a waitress who accidentally spills a drink on his prized watch. Unable to bear his arrogance, Imogene confronts him with a fiery retort.
He sneers at her, accusing her of hypocrisy. As she storms away, Imogene surreptitiously pockets his room's key card. Later in the dead of night, she sneaks into his quarters and vandalizes the watch that had caused such a commotion. The following morning, a startled cleaning woman stumbles upon the grisly sight of Keith Trubitsky, the murdered man, lying lifeless in his room.
The narrative shifts to two days prior, as everyone boards the cruise liner, a vacation organized by the Collier family. Teddy Goh, the staff manager, briefs his employees on the various personalities among the passengers. Among them is Keith Trubitsky, the murdered man, brought along by Tripp. Anna, the Collier heiress, is poised to assume the mantle of CEO of the family business. Her paranoid wife, Leila, and her entrepreneurial brother, Tripp, who has seen more failures than successes, also make their presence felt. Alexandra Hochenberg, a governor enjoying a well-deserved break, and Llewellyn Mathers, the Collier's trusted lawyer, add to the diverse mix of characters. Lastly, there's Father Toby and his son, a priest who seems to offer a ray of hope amidst the looming mystery.
Amidst the hullaballoo, the Chun family emerged, their arrival anticipated with whispers of an impending investment in Collier's enterprise. Accompanying them was Rufus Cotesworth, a stoic figure who served as their personal security detail. Once the introductions were completed, Teddy turned his attention to a waitress, unaware that she was none other than his younger sister, Winnie. Little did he know that she would later spill her drink on Trubitsky, adding another layer of drama to the evening.
Imogene, keeping a watchful eye, spied Rufus among the crowd and promptly alerted Teddy, warning him that their client was a fraud. Meanwhile, Tripp hovered around Keith, pressing him for a payment that was overdue. Elsewhere, Leila, Anna's wife, appeared nervous and apprehensive about her safety, but Anna reassured her and encouraged her to attend the party that night.
Imogene made her way to their room and broke the news to Anna that Rufus was present. Anna, in turn, conferred with her parents, who expressed concern about the deal with the Chuns. The weight of their discussions hung heavily in the air.
In a flashback, Rufus's persistent probing revealed a harrowing tale from young Imogene. She recounted being in the car with her mother outside the Collier's residence, returning a toy that belonged to Anna. But as she approached the house, the car exploded in a fiery blast, leaving her shaken and traumatized.
Leila emerged from her room and caught Keith sneaking into the adjacent passageway. She confronted him, accusing him of spying on her and Anna. Unable to attend the party, she retreated back to her room, her heart heavy with suspicion and distrust.
Imogene's path crossed with Sunil, the owner of the boat, a man of few words but deep wisdom. Anna anticipated that her father would announce her as his successor during the festivities, but her hopes were dashed when he remained silent. Frustrated, Imogene overheard Rufus bragging about his skills and couldn't resist the urge to challenge him. When he failed to recognize her, she retaliated by throwing her drink in his face.
A security guard named Jules intervened, escorting Imogene out of the room. But her charm and persistence won him over, and he relented, leading her to a different part of the ship where a wild party was in full swing. They drank deeply, their inhibitions dissolving in the heat of the moment, and before long, they found themselves in the secluded security room, entangled in a passionate embrace.
From this juncture, the narrative leaps forward in time, arriving at the present moment where Keith Trubitsky's lifeless body has been discovered. Anna, still residing in Jules' chamber in the morning, learns of the tragic news and rushes to the security room, intent on erasing any footage that might reveal her entrance into Trubitsky's room. However, to her dismay, she finds that the tapes have already been expunged.
Teddy promptly informs the staff of the dire situation, disclosing that Rufus will spearhead an investigation, albeit discreetly, ensuring the guests remain oblivious to the unfolding drama. Imogene returns to her quarters, where Rufus awaits, his memory of her intact. He is the culprit behind the erasure of the footage and is also privy to Imogene's secret of skimming funds from the Collier firm. Anna, if she were to discover this, might not be so lenient. Rufus offers to assist Imogene in navigating this treacherous situation.
In flashbacks to their past, Rufus reveals to a younger Imogene that he writes his notes in an intricate code, yet she swiftly decodes the primer, her mind as agile as ever. In the present, Imogene and Rufus traverse to Keith's chamber, deducing that the housekeeper who stumbled upon the body must harbor crucial information. However, the housekeeper speaks in Cantonese and is revealed to be Teddy's aunt, rendering Teddy overly protective of her.
Imogene raises the eerie coincidence of murders occurring whenever her path crosses with Rufus's, a pattern that has persisted for nearly two decades since their last encounter. Rufus concurs that something more sinister is afoot. He aids Imogene in recalling what she witnessed within the chamber, and she recollects a cleaning cart that was absent in the morning. This revelation suggests how the perpetrator managed to enter and exit the locked room undetected.
Later, Imogene conceals herself within a cart, piecing together where the killer might have escaped. She comes to the realization that Rufus had been privy to this information all along, and her anger boils over. Memories from their shared past surface, and she lashes out at Rufus, accusing him of abandoning her mother's case. He insists that is not what transpired, but Imogene departs regardless.
In the past, Rufus has spent three months delving into the case, yet his only lead is a pseudonym - Viktor Sams. This name is linked to the explosive components that claimed Imogene's mother's life. Nevertheless, he assures Imogene that he will persevere until the case is solved.
On the ship, Imogene searches for Jules but encounters Sunil instead. He offers her a ride on his small boat, sharing stories of how he constructed his own vessel and found a way to leave a lasting imprint on the world.
Meanwhile, on the deck, Rufus gathers all the guests. Lawrence Collier refuses to attend, distrusting Rufus's credentials. Simultaneously, Imogene's mind drifts back to the day Rufus departed the Collier mansion, defeated in his pursuit of her mother's truth. The man who drove Rufus away in his car was none other than Keith Trubitsky, Rufus's erstwhile assistant. This revelation suggests that Rufus's presence on the ship is tied to a case that concludes the first episode of "Death and Other Details."
