The second episode of Gen V kicks off with Luke's friends converging at the site, their hearts heavy with the loss of their beloved companion. Meanwhile, Ashley and the PR team are busy spinning a tale to sell to the masses, painting Andre and Marie as the heroes of the hour. They finalize the new rankings, with Andre ascending to the top spot. Ashley probes Indira about the Woods, but receives a vague and evasive response. Indira boasts about her achievements, but Ashley quickly brings her back down to earth, reminding her that this particular situation is far from a success.
Emma welcomes Marie home, eager to make her feel comfortable. However, her overzealous efforts only end up overwhelming Marie. Marie vows to stay focused and heads to bed.
The next day, Marie braces herself for a day of lectures, but is constantly besieged by admiring stares from her classmates. She learns from a fellow student that she has miraculously made it into the top 10, an unprecedented feat as a freshman. Andre notices his own ranking has skyrocketed to number one, while Jordan finds herself at a respectable fifth place.
Later, Jordan pays her respects to Brink, and Cate approaches her with words of comfort.
In the evening, Marie becomes the center of attention in the cafeteria, and is introduced to God U's social media director, Jeff. He briefs her on the latest gossip and privileges she has now attained. Marie is astonished to hear that the rumor mill is churning out stories of her valiantly fighting and defeating Luke. Despite this, she receives praise for her humility and down-to-earth demeanor.
Dragging Marie along with him, Andre escorts her to the interview, where he introduces her to Courtney. During the interview, Andre inquires of his father if Luke had passed him anything, but his dad misunderstands and urges him to move past the pain, insisting that Luke's mere presence was an opportunity in itself.
Courtney instructs Marie to stick to the script and hands her an outfit, preparing her for the task ahead. Andre and Marie proceed to a photo shoot and continue with the interview, their every move carefully scripted. As they exit, Andre probes Marie, asking if Luke had mentioned anything about his father. Marie reveals that he had uttered the words "The Woods."
Andre shares that Luke had mentioned his father having something related to "The Woods" before his demise, leaving Andre perplexed. He pleads with Marie for her assistance, as the suicide remains a mystery. Marie, however, demurs, explaining that she had only known them for a fleeting night and had almost faced expulsion due to the incident at the club. She laments that she had lacked the support that the others enjoyed.
Later in the day, Marie attends her acting lecture, where she is thrust into the spotlight due to her past actions. The lecturer concludes the session by assigning the students a partnership project - to submit a film. Post-lecture, Emma approaches Liam, hoping to rekindle their relationship, but he introduces her to a new girlfriend, leaving her stunned. Justine steps in, mocking Liam for trying to make himself look bigger by making Emma feel small. Liam, embarrassed, flees the scene.
Justine introduces herself to Marie and proposes they work together on the assignment. Later, Jordan confronts Marie, accusing her of taking credit for fighting Luke. Marie reminds Jordan of her rejection and explains that the credit is not in her hands but merely part of the script. She also shares her near-expulsion experience. Jordan, realizing his mistake, apologizes and asks Marie to mention his name during the interview. Reluctantly, Marie agrees, their uneasy alliance forged by the circumstances.
Andre approaches Cate with determination, eager to discuss the nagging issue. Together, they ponder over Luke's relentless pursuit, knowing he won't rest until he uncovers the truth.
Later, Justine and Emma embark on a hunt for scenes to recreate for their project. Justine assures Emma that she's not typecasting her and diligently searches for diverse scenarios. Emma's heart lightens, as she hates being confined to narrow roles, preferring not to shrink into someone she's not.
As the day progresses, Indira summons Marie for a tête-à-tête. She professes her desire to assist Marie, delivering a long-winded speech intended to pry open her guarded heart. Gradually, Marie's defenses crumble, and she confides in Indira about her adopted sister, whose whereabouts remain a mystery. She hints that she might be able to track her down if only she had the means.
Afterward, Indira strides into the chambers where Sam is restrained. She sternly admonishes him, warning that his attempts to flee only exacerbate his plight. Dr. Edison steps in, brandishing a lengthy needle, which he hammers into Sam's back.
Andre and Cate arrive at Luke's room, startled to find it stripped bare, bleached to erase any trace of his former occupant.
Later, Emma faces mockery from a few campus mates, and her eyes fall upon students gawking at a video exposing Justine's secret. Fury boils within her, and she storms into Justine's room, where Justine is filming another girl licking and sucking her own tail in a bizarre spectacle.
Andre's memory jogs, recalling Luke's mention of his father having something crucial. He rushes to his father's statue, using its open crotch as a hiding place to retrieve a phone. Together with Cate, they watch a recording of Luke, who reveals that his brother Sam is alive and being held captive in a hospital beneath the school, ominously referred to as the woods. Andre and Cate recall the tragic tale of Sam's schizophrenia and his demise in a facility, now realizing that the story they've been piecing together might be far more complex than they initially imagined.
Just as they begin to grasp the intricacies of the mystery, Andre's attention is jerked back to reality by the ticking clock. He remembers his upcoming interview and prepares to leave. Cate encourages him, assuring him that they can continue their investigation the next morning.
Meanwhile, Marie pores over her scripts, realizing that they implicitly negate the possibility of anyone else's involvement from the outset. Determined to set the record straight, she begins to practice her own script, intent on revealing the truth about Jordan's contributions.
Meanwhile, Andre embarked on his journey to the interview venue, unwittingly passing by Luke's memorial. Curiosity piqued, he veered off his path and headed straight for Brink's office in search of clues. Inside, his gaze fell upon a laptop, and he tapped into its files with his supernatural prowess. Among the folders, he stumbled upon one labeled "Woods" and a document titled "Sam," revealing it to be the brother of Luke. The realization dawned on Andre that this was the same child he had witnessed fleeing the scene the previous night.
As he clicked through the photos, suddenly, the door burst open, and the SWAT team stormed in. Andre ducked out of sight just in time, his heart racing as his father's urgent calls echoed through the corridor, urging him to hurry as the interview was about to commence without him.
At the precise moment the interview was set to begin, Hailey, the interviewer, made a surprising revelation. She assured Marie that she wouldn't delve into questions about her sister. However, she disclosed that they had her email address, though Annabeth had made it clear that she wished to sever all ties.
Upon hearing this, Marie's resolve shifted. She boldly took credit for stopping Luke and broke her promise to Jordan. Later, as she arrived home, she spied the messages from Emma but chose to ignore them, her heart heavy. She clutched the photo of her family, tears streaming down her face. Emma, struggling with her own emotions, shrank into herself, while Marie's palm sliced open, a silent cry of anguish.
Marie sought solace with Indira, asking if she knew anything about her sister. Indira wrapped her in a comforting hug, and Marie's tears flowed freely.
Meanwhile, André trailed the guards down a mysterious staircase. Suddenly, a cleaner stumbled into the scene, and in an instant, the guards' blades flashed, silencing him. André froze, but it was too late. A guard emerged from the shadows, spotting him. André lashed out with his abilities, disarming the guard, but the latter retaliated with a sound device that sent André crashing to the floor.
Just then, another guard appeared, mocking André while his compatriot readied his weapon. But before the situation could escalate, Cate intervened, choking the guard and urging him to stand down. In the commotion, one guard snatched the torch from the other, and André found his footing again. However, Cate's intervention had taken too much out of her, and she collapsed, unconscious.
