Episode 5 of "Girl Taken" begins with a four-year flashback to the day Rick brought Alice home. He deceived Zoe by claiming that he had a one-night stand with a female student who subsequently became pregnant. He crafted a tale that made Zoe believe the student had willingly given up the child, believing it would save their marriage. Despite still grappling with the loss of her previous pregnancies, Zoe instantly fell in love with the baby.
Fast forward to the present, Lily's depression deepens after her last encounter with Rick. She isolates herself, pushing everyone away and spending most of her time in bed. Meanwhile, at the station, Tommy receives a stern reprimand from his superior. Regretting pushing Lily too far, he pivots the investigation towards Isobelle.
In prison, Zoe visits Rick, who orders her to continue publicly defending him. He asks her to narrate her character reference for his plea hearing. In a moment of weakness, Zoe reveals that she met and fell for him when she was just 14. He corrects her, insisting she say she was 18 years old.
Back at Lily's house, Abby and Eve continue their heated arguments over everything. Lily finds the presents that her family had been buying for her over the years, but chooses not to open them because she only gets presents when she's been a good girl.
In the evening, Abby confronts her mom for not paying more attention to Lily. Eve lashes out and brings up her relationship with Wes. The constant fighting wears on Lily.
After contemplating the case further, Tommy begins to suspect that Rick lied about Lily's baby dying. He shares his theory with Rachel, but she doesn't believe him. Tommy follows his instincts and drops by Zoe's house, where he requests Alice's birth certificate and notes Zoe's suspicious behavior in doing so.Returning to prison, Rick continues his inappropriate relationship with the female guard, requesting her to accompany him to court the next day. She eventually agrees. Meanwhile, Lily, in a state of denial, refuses to attend the plea hearing and lashes out at Abby when she urges her to prepare. Eve intervenes, assuring Abby that Lily doesn't need to be present at the hearing. Just before they leave for court, Tommy arrives, asking Eve and Abby to inquire from Lily if she witnessed her child's death. However, Eve stops Abby from asking her sister out of concern that Tommy might be mistaken about Zoe's child. She mentions that it will be up to them to reveal Rick's true nature to the court.
Abby realizes that Zoe is the ideal person to tell the court the truth about Rick. She storms out and rushes to Zoe's house. There, she attempts to convince Zoe to confront the truth. When Alice interrupts them, Zoe panics, and Abby immediately notices the resemblance between the little girl and Lily. She starts calling the police, but Zoe tries to grab the phone, leading to a scuffle where Abby hits her head on the table and passes out.
At home, Eve apologizes to Lily for giving her too much space after her return, assuring her that she doesn't need to go to court or see Rick again. With Abby running late and not picking up her phone, Eve calls Wes to keep an eye on Lily. She rushes to the court, worried about being late.
Wes and Lily discuss their past, and he encourages her to open her gifts. Lily discovers Abby's diaries and reads through them all. As they talk, Wes mentions that he was on his way to court because he wanted to see Rick face justice. Lily urges him to go and get the closure he needs. Eve is shocked when Wes shows up at court, and he insists that Lily allowed him to leave.
At the station, Rachel obtains Zoe's medical records and realizes that she had a hysterectomy and oophorectomy four and a half years ago. There is no way she could have had Alice, given that there is also no record of her freezing her eggs before the surgeries.
Scared after Abby passed out in her living room, Zoe is late for court. Rick denies all charges against him, prompting Eve to lash out at him. The judge warns her to remain quiet or face contempt.
Finally, Zoe arrives and begins delivering her testimony, initially following the script that Rick and his lawyer had coached her through. But then, unexpectedly, she changes course and reveals the extent of Rick's manipulation to the court. She asserts her belief in Lily and warns that Rick poses a danger to society. This dramatic shift leaves Rick feeling trapped and desperate, as he begins shouting at Zoe, verbally abusing her and demanding that she "tell the truth." However, Zoe ignores him as the judge calls for order.
Meanwhile, Tommy returns to Zoe's house to find Abby unconscious. He breaks in and helps her. Later, he brings her home, but remains concerned about her head injury. She assures him that she is fine and asks him to find Lily's daughter. Tommy then returns to the station, where a manhunt for Zoe and Alice is already underway.
Inside, Abby discovers Lily reading her diaries. Lily acknowledges the pain that Eve and Abby endured during her disappearance and promises to improve. She asks Abby to move on with her life. Abby speaks to Lily and tells her about Alice. Initially, Lily is in denial about the possibility that her child might still be alive.
Back in court, Rick fakes an illness and collapses. As the court guards rush to his aid, he subdues a female prison guard and escapes. In the meantime, Zoe has retrieved Alice and is driving towards a bridge.
The episode concludes with Lily scrolling through Zoe's social media pages, feeling a connection to Alice. Meanwhile, Rick disappears deep into the forest.
