In the opening episode of "Eric," Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Vincent Anderson steals the spotlight during a press conference. With a pleading tone in his voice, he calls out to his missing son Edgar, begging him to return home and silence the skeptics who believe he's no longer alive.
The scene then shifts to a flashback, two days prior. A wide-eyed nine-year-old Edgar eagerly attends a live performance of "Good Morning Sunshine," the children's show created by his father. Backstage, Vincent's co-creator, Lennie, presses the importance of bridging the gap between preschoolers and elementary school kids to boost ratings. He even suggests introducing a new beatboxing puppet, but Vincent, enraged by the suggestion of altering a successful formula, explodes in anger.
Meanwhile, Edgar receives a piece of fuzzy blue fabric from someone on the show, intended for "Eric," a puppet he's been diligently designing. On the subway ride home, Edgar excitedly tries to share his vision with his father, but Vincent is too engrossed in his own thoughts to listen.
At home, Edgar commits his creation to paper, sketching out the likeness of Eric. The puppet seems to mirror Vincent's features, as Edgar unconsciously mimics his father's mannerisms while working on the drawing.
Over dinner, Edgar enthusiastically shares the story of Eric with his parents. However, Vincent's focus remains solely on how well his son can pitch the idea, rather than the puppet itself. His critical nature ignites a fiery argument with his wife, Cassie, and the tension in the air suggests this is far from their first dispute. That evening, Cassie tearfully wishes her son a goodnight, checking under his bed for monsters before leaving.
The following morning, Vincent is tasked with walking Edgar to school, but the boy departs without him, as his father is too busy making hollow promises to Cassie. George, the building superintendent, waves goodbye to Edgar as he exits. Unbeknownst to them, a man in a van spots the young boy walking alone and starts his engine, casting a shadow of unease over the otherwise serene morning.
As Vincent arrived at work, he was surprised to find Deputy Mayor Richard Costello and his children present for the taping of Good Day Sunshine. Unfazed by the presence of such a high-ranking official, Vincent made significant changes to the beatboxing episode, clearly not bothered about making a good impression.
Later, when Vincent encountered Richard, he couldn't resist giving him a piece of his mind, much to Lennie's dismay as he tried to smooth over the tense situation.
Once Vincent returned home, Cassie informed him that Edgar hadn't attended school today. The Missing Persons Officer, Michael Ledroit, was already there to interrogate him. Michael then made his way to Superintendent George Lovett's apartment downstairs to inquire about any unusual occurrences. George simply replied, "Only that the garbage truck finally picked up," before adding that Edgar "was a good kid." Michael couldn't help but notice George's use of the past tense, a hint of foreshadowing that sent a chill down his spine.Later on, he assembles a team to delve into the baffling case of missing persons. His suspicions are particularly piqued by The Lux nightclub and its enigmatic owner, Alexander Gator. The club lies conveniently on the route to Edgar's school, and Michael's prior acquaintance with Gator adds an intriguing layer to the investigation.
On the fateful night, Michael ventures into The Lux on duty, expecting to confront Gator. To his surprise, Gator has been absent for quite some time, and his return is greeted with relief and warmth by the club's patrons. However, the serene atmosphere is shattered when Michael stumbles upon a violent altercation in the club's bathroom.
Kennedy, accompanied by his compatriots Nokes and Cal, is caught in the act of brutalizing another man, while taunting him with threats of a fate similar to "8." Michael, outraged, attempts to intervene and make an arrest, but to his dismay, the perpetrators reveal themselves as Vice officers. Their cryptic references to "8" leave Michael perplexed, and they depart without offering any explanations.
Back at the office, Michael labels a tape from his nocturnal recording with the date: April 30, 1985. It is just one piece in a larger puzzle, a collection of tapes documenting his surveillance of The Lux, dating back to February. As he returns home, the scent of the club clinging to his clothes prompts a wistful comment from his bedridden partner, reminiscing about old times.
The tension mounts as another 24 hours passes without a trace of Edgar. The high-profile nature of the case, fueled by Edgar's father's creation of "Good Day Sunshine" and his grandfather Robert Anderson's status as a prominent property developer, keeps the story front and center in the news. Cassie's reproachful words echo in Vincent's ears as he prepares to leave the house, accusing him of negligence in not accompanying Edgar to school. Vincent remains silent, his thoughts clouded by worry and regret. With a flask of liquor tucked into his pocket, he ventures out, sipping his solace as he walks the familiar path to Edgar's school, praying for a clue that will lead them to the missing boy.
As the narrative unfolds, a familiar, gruff voice resonates, echoing the timbre Vincent once employed to breathe life into Eric. "You should have walked him," the voice whispers, its tone filled with regret. "You should have escorted him safely to school."
That fateful night, George offers his assistance to a drunken Vincent, guiding him upstairs where Cassie awaits with news of a police call. They have retrieved Edgar's blood-stained T-shirt from a sanitation worker, a macabre clue to the boy's whereabouts. Inside Edgar's room, Vincent's gaze falls upon portraits of Eric, scattered everywhere like fragments of a broken memory. He begins to sketch his own images of Eric, ignoring the persistent ringing of the phone as his mind is consumed by thoughts of the missing child.
Cassie leaves a message, informing Vincent of her intention to stay with a friend. But when we glimpse Cassie, she is approaching the owner of a food truck, embracing him with a passionate kiss. His name is Sebastian, and he is the same man who watched, from the concealment of his van, as Edgar walked to school, unaware of the danger that awaited him.
Later, a conversation between Michael and his boss reveals that Alexander Gator has recently emerged from the shadows of prison, resuming his reign over the Lux. Michael's suspicions of Gator are heightened by his past, which includes employing young children at his former establishment, the Sierra, which was shut down by the police. However, his boss chastises him for spending too much time investigating Gator and the Lux.
His doubts deepen further as he listens to his latest tape recording. In the audio, a man named TJ boasts about a nearly decade-old bourbon hidden in the back. When another man declines, TJ taunts him, mocking his ignorance of what he is missing. This exchange causes Michael to pause, as Edgar is nearly ten years old, and Michael already harbors suspicions about the club's involvement in human trafficking. The faint sound of a child's voice in the background adds to his unease.
Meanwhile, Vice Officer Kennedy stumbles drunkenly out of a bar, only to be struck by a speeding car that flees the scene without a glance. The next morning, Vincent awakens in Edgar's bed, his senses jarred by a deep, mocking voice. "Wake up, pathetic f***," it sneers. A life-size replica of Eric the puppet jostles him awake, its movements grotesque and unnerving. It scolds him, demanding that he pull himself together. It's time to find his missing child.
Elsewhere, the camera pans across the ground, capturing the hustle and bustle of the city. The subway rumbles in the background, a constant reminder of the city's pulse. And there, sitting forlornly on the ground, is a red jacket—the one Edgar wore when he vanished without a trace, a heartbreaking symbol of a missing child and a mystery that must be solved.
