In the second episode of Lazarus, Joel emerges from his trance-like state to be greeted by a cacophony of car horns. He finds himself stranded on the road, and the realization that his father is gone hits him like a ton of bricks. Jenna, noticing her brother's erratic behavior, becomes increasingly concerned when he confides in her about a theory he has about the note. He recognizes his father's handwriting but notes the slight off-kilter punctuation, specifically the way a sentence starts with a lowercase letter. The thought of a Page One to the letter they've received sparks an intrigue within him.
As no one else shares Joel's methodology, he decides to visit Jonathan's office and drowns his sorrows in a drink, hoping to experience the visions again. His wish is granted as he dozes off, only to awaken to find Cassandra and Neil waiting for their therapy session. The session is tense, with Neil and Cassandra clashing as they snap at each other. Neil's resentment towards Cassandra's past, including her former profession as a prostitute, seethes beneath the surface. As he berates her, pointing out her flaws, Cassandra suddenly smashes a small statue into Neil's head, startling Joel awake.
This incident sends Joel down a rabbit hole, determined to uncover the significance of this statue. He makes his way to Cassandra's old place and manages to talk his way inside, where he discovers a couple of boxes belonging to her up in the attic. Intriguingly, the owner has kept a statue that Cassandra had - the same one she used to smack Neil with in her visions and which seemingly belonged to Jonathan.
Deep within the attic, the duo unearthed a concealed compartment, revealing a shrouded corpse that sent a shockwave through the homeowner, Adebayo. Joel, on the other hand, was fixated on a necklace that mirrored the one he had witnessed in his visions involving Neil. As the forensic team arrived to conduct their investigations, Joel's conviction grew that the body might indeed belong to Neil. The police played it cautious, but his gut feeling was undeniable.
Seth's arrival was met with an urgent demand for answers. Stunned by Joel's revelations about Cass and Neil's visions, Seth and Joel retreated to the office to retrace their steps and try to make sense of it all. The task proved to be a daunting one, and it seemed like a dead end—until Seth stepped into the bathroom.
In that moment of solitude, Joel's hallucinations took over. He slipped into a dreamlike state where Jonathan appeared, ranting about his visions and seeking understanding. Jonathan, with a playful jab at Joel's psychological state, dubbed him the "Ghost of Head Shrinking Past," before sharing his belief that these ghosts were manifestations of his profound loss and grief over his father's absence.
As Seth re-entered the room, having overheard Joel's monologue from the other side of the door, Jonathan vanished like a ghost himself, leaving Joel alone with Seth. Though not entirely disbelieving, Seth set out to the station to discuss the murder with his colleague, Alison Brown, entertaining the possibility that Neil had met his end.
Meanwhile, Joel found himself at Sam Olssen's residence. His gaze wandered over to Sutton's old teddy bear before he was confronted by Sam himself. The pieces of this puzzle were starting to fall into place, but the full picture remained shrouded in mystery.
The duo sat down for a heart-to-heart conversation, with Sam pouring his heart out about the media's relentless campaign against him, branding him an outsider and a maverick. The root of it all was a previous complaint of underwear theft, which had unfairly tagged him with this dishonorable label. According to Sam, Sutton had actually given him her beloved stuffed teddy bear as a token of gratitude for helping her find their lost dog. The reason for his presence at Sutton's that night was his courageous endeavor to strike up a conversation with the lady living down the street. He was devising ways to initiate a friendly exchange when he spotted Billy Macintyre arriving at Sutton's doorstep. Sutton and Billy's heated argument didn't register much with Sam at the time, but the black cloud that had hovered over him his entire life still loomed large, stinging with bitterness despite his presumed innocence.
This revelation provided Joel with another avenue to delve deeper, but as he made his way back to Jonathan's office, he noticed Sutton seated in the plush chair. "Hey Dad," she said, as the episode drew to a close, her voice echoing with the weight of unspoken truths and the promise of a new beginning.
