The third episode of Little Disasters transports us back two years to a party where the friends were enjoying the best of times. Jess, under the influence of alcohol, confessed to Liz her struggles with motherhood. She was overwhelmed by Frankie's high-maintenance nature and Ed's minimal involvement. Liz teased her for showing vulnerability, finally, and asked if they were planning a third child, jesting that she would 'kill' Ed if he got her pregnant again.
The scene then shifts to Lucy's conversation with Ed and Jess, where Jess reluctantly refuses to sign the papers. Ed suggests they agree to the terms and sign until he finds a solution. They call for Liz, who is currently looking after Betsey.
Lucy asks Liz to convince the couple to sign the protection plan and avoid further escalation. Despite her guilt and conflict, Liz speaks to them, and they finally agree to sign. Part of the conditions for them to stay with their kids involves hiring an adult approved by CPS to supervise them.
Jess confronts Liz for putting them in this situation, but Liz defends her decision, pointing out that they still don't know what happened to Betsey. Before leaving, Jess allows the couple to see the girl, whose condition is still critical, and she has another intrusive thought of her dying. She excuses herself and leaves.
The couple heads back home and gets into a heated argument, each partner blaming the other for the situation. Ed is suspicious of Jess, and she turns to cleaning as a coping mechanism. Meanwhile, Ed reminisces about a fight he had with Jess over her relationship with Betsey, thinking she was neglecting the child. That's why he went out drinking on the night in question. On the other side of town, Liz returns home and starts drinking to drown her guilt.
Within Rob's abode, his dismay echoes as he laments Mel's decision to lend a hand to Jess and Ed by minding their brood for a week. Rob's displeasure stems from the fact that he'll now be shouldering the responsibility of babysitting for an entire week.
At the police station, Lucy and Steve reconnect over the case, each harboring a hunch that something sinister lurks beneath the surface. They concur that domestic abuse might be at play, yet someone is concealing the truth regarding Betsey's fate. They muse that even with the family's affluence, they harbor their own dark secrets.
The next dawn, Jess embarks on a morning jog, only to be met with Charlotte's disapproving gaze. Meanwhile, Lucy conducts a thorough interview with Mel, ensuring she's up to the task. Part of Mel's duties will involve monitoring Ed and Jess' interactions with their children and reporting any concerns to Child Protective Services (CPS). Rob's facade of gladness for Mel's assistance is but a cynical ruse.
At Jess's abode, tensions flare anew between her and Ed. He inquires why she didn't disclose her overwhelming stress. She redirects the conversation towards him, inquiring about his whereabouts on the night Betsey sustained her injury. He evades the question and insists they concoct a plausible explanation for the authorities. Frustrated by his lack of trust, Jess walks away, her step heavy with unspoken anguish.
In the afternoon, Ed attends his son's school game, with Mel by his side as per protocol. The duo discusses Liz's betrayal and speculates on Nick's avoidance. Kit's clash with another player ratchets up the tension. Charlotte steps in to soothe Ed and offers legal assistance to secure custody of the children. Ed is reluctant to tear his family apart, thus requesting her to desist.
Liz arrives just as Charlotte approaches with a revelation - she was drinking with Ed the night Betsey was harmed. According to her, Jess and Ed engaged in a heated altercation. She strongly hints that Jess might have inflicted harm upon her child as a result of their quarrel.
Frustrated and enraged, Liz urges her to confront the authorities instead of her. She then endeavors to clarify her position to Ed and Mel, but the situation spirals out of control, and Ed accidentally lashes out at her. In an interview, Mel ponderously inquires about the true nature of events that transpire behind closed doors. Charlotte disparages Jess for being a stay-at-home mother.
At the hospital, the nurses disregard Jess's request to visit Betsey. Upon returning home, Jess finds Mel and Ed watching over the children. She yearns to spend more time with them, but Ed insists on adhering to the conditions outlined in the protection plan. In the end, Mel is compelled to witness Jess playing with her kids.
At Charlotte's abode, she gossips with Andrew about Jess, planning to aid Ed by reaching out to the top family lawyer. Andrew advises her to stay out of it and give Ed and Jess time to resolve their differences. He brings up the IVF and thanks her for trying again. When he mentions therapy, she becomes increasingly agitated.
Later, Ed and Jess visit Betsey at the hospital, leaving Mel with the children. She notices that Jess keeps all her knives and electronic appliances locked, and the kids reveal that they always vacate the room whenever Jess uses a knife. She also realizes that Frankie requires more attention than anticipated.
Back at the hospital, Neil updates Ed on Betsey's condition, which remains critical, while Lucy attempts to elicit a response from him regarding his emotional management. Ed evades her question by stating that he solely focuses on Betsy and leaves.
At the police station, Charlotte appears and speaks with Steve in an attempt to clear his name. She informs him that she encountered Ed after he returned home for lunch and got into an altercation with Jess. According to her, Jess should be the primary culprit since she spent the afternoon and a significant part of the evening drinking with Ed.
In a flashback, we see Ed admitting that he wishes they hadn't had Betsey. At Jess's house, Frankie seeks help with his assignment. Mel opens the laptop to assist him in printing the whale picture he needs but stumbles upon a damning search history. It turns out that Jess was Googling her intrusive thoughts about harming her child.
Back at the hospital, Lucy quietly inquires whether Ed is abusing Jess. Naturally, Jess denies the accusation and insists that everything was fine until the night Betsey was injured. As she heads in to see Betsey, she starts imagining her daughter's demise. Just then, the nurse comes to escort her away.
Simultaneously, Steve calls Lucy to inform her about Charlotte's statement. He is suspicious about why Ed lied about going home for lunch. As Ed and Jess are about to leave, she gets an uneasy feeling and returns to the ICU. Ed chases after her. They enter the room to find Betsey having a seizure. Jess panics, forcing Ed to hold her as Neil ejects them. For a brief moment, Liz loses focus as she watches security drag Jess away.
