Episode 4 of Season 7 of FBI unfolds with the return of a weary woman to her abode after a grueling day. As she hastily fumbles with her keys, a figure looms outside, vying for her attention. Once safely inside, she arms her security system and embarks on her nightly ritual, unaware of the ominous presence lurking within the shadows. It is only in the dead of night that she confronts her intruder, who awakens her with a needle filled with an unknown substance. Her final words, delivered with a defiance that belies her impending unconsciousness, warn him that he's chosen the wrong house and urges him to inspect the nightstand. The intruder complies, discovering a police badge that starts to unravel the mystery.
The dawn brings a cluster of officers to Melanie Ortiz's doorstep. Melanie, it transpires, is the sister of Sydney, an astute profiling agent within the FBI. Yet, her tale falls on deaf ears, even among her own kin, who finds it hard to credit her ordeal. Despite traces of a drug found in her bloodstream, Melanie remains unharmed. Her history of hallucinations and neglected medication regimen further complicate her plight, prompting her to plea for Sydney to abandon the pursuit. Undaunted, Sydney appeals to Isobel, who reluctantly agrees to investigate as a tribute to Sydney's late father.
Isobel dispatches Maggie, OA, and Scola to Melanie's residence. Scola, weary of constantly changing partners, expresses a desire for solo assignments, to which OA playfully teases him, branding him as the odd man out. Their search yields little, save for a shattered glass. Interrogating Melanie, they deduce that the suspect has been shadowing her for months. Melanie's mind races to one recurring face from her morning jogs. The trio brings in this individual for questioning, who confesses to stalking Melanie but solely out of a timid hope to engage her in conversation. Though he isn't their culprit, he does provide a crucial clue—discarded flowers left by a secret admirer outside Melanie's home.
Delving into this lead, the team tracks the flowers to a store and discovers the suspect's payment method used for another bouquet destined for another woman. Isobel, mindful of Sydney's lack of field experience, advises her to stay put. However, Sydney defies her superior's order.
Rushing hastily to the apartment of the second victim, they discover her absent, prompting an exhaustive examination of the crime scene in order to piece together a detailed profile of the suspect. However, their engrossed deliberation is abruptly halted by the arrival of Jennifer, the rightful tenant of the apartment, who stumbles in and faints. Subsequently, Sydney and Maggie engage in a conversation with her, but Jennifer remains closed off and guarded towards Sydney. Fortunately, Maggie manages to gain her trust, and Jennifer finally opens up her heart, pouring out her soul about her terrifying ordeal.
Based on Jennifer's chilling account, the team uncovered that the suspect, masked and ruthless, had raped her and compelled her to shower before abandoning her at her doorstep. He eerily declared Jennifer as his first and unique target. Yet, upon delving deeper into the suspect's methodical approach, they scoured their databases and uncovered an astonishing revelation: seventeen other victims whom the police had dismissed as unreliable.
Elise's astute observation linked all victims to the same security company. The investigative team turned their focus on a former employee with a dark past involving sexual offenses—Justin. Justin openly admitted his sex offender status, insisting it was a miscarriage of justice stemming from a youthful infatuation with a wealthy girl at 18. He further revealed that his employer, Tom, had hired him due to their perceived similarities, unaware that Tom was exploiting his status. Justin discovered Tom's illicit habit of deactivating the security system at night to spy on women, intending to use this information in a lawsuit against the company for unfair dismissal.
When Tom was confronted, he attempted suicide, prompting Melanie's harsh refusal to show leniency, which drew OA's rebuke. However, the truth unfolded that Tom was merely a pawn. According to Melanie, he was a mere beta, and they were seeking the elusive alpha. In a clever ploy, Melanie and Isobel deceived Tom into believing the alpha had framed him.
Isobel brokered a deal with Tom, a move that displeased Sydney. Determined to solve the case herself, Sydney delved deeper and located one of the suspect's earliest victims, who had tragically taken her own life. Sydney pivoted her strategy and sought out the witness who had saved the girl. Meanwhile, Tom finally confessed his partner's identity to Isobel.
The perpetrator was revealed as Roy, the superintendent of the building where both the initial witness and victim resided—a building Sydney was en route to. Upon learning of her presence, Roy abducted Sydney. Regrettably, Sydney had ignored Scola's warning call, which might have averted her ordeal.
When the team arrived, they found Sydney bound and Roy's lifeless body beside her. Devastated by the realization that his first victim had killed herself after his attacks, Roy had taken his own life.
After resolving the case, Isobel confronted Sydney over her disregard for orders. Sydney apologized sincerely and vowed to improve. Believing she was now field-ready, Isobel appointed her as Scola's new partner. The episode concluded with Sydney breaking protocol, joining her colleagues for drinks, seeking to forge deeper bonds with them.
