The episode kicks off with Truman Dawes (played by Nicholas Pinnock) and Mickey Fitzpatrick (portrayed by Amanda Seyfried) waking up entwined in their bed. She confides in him, struggling to fathom the notion that Sean Kelly (played by Ben Thompson) could be the perpetrator. He gently urges her to let the matter rest, but this triggers a haunting flashback to September 2016 for Mickey.
It has now been six months since Kacey Fitzpatrick (Ashleigh Cummings) mysteriously vanished, the day she stormed out of the house following a heated dispute with Simon Cleare (Matthew Del Negro). Simon assures Mickey that he has contacts actively searching for Kacey, but he insists she needs to move on. Mickey responds resolutely, vowing to release her grip on the search only when Kacey is safely found.
Elsewhere, Thomas Fitzpatrick (Callum Vinson) and Mickey await the arrival of Bethany (Nina White), but instead, Mrs. Mahon (Harriet Sansom Harris) drops by with Thomas's cherished stuffed animal. Mickey expresses gratitude for Mrs. Mahon's kindness in watching over Thomas the previous evening. Mahon warmly replies that Thomas is a delight to be around and welcomes any opportunity to lend a hand.
Upon arriving at work, Mickey engages in a conversation with Detective Davis Danjarat (Joe Daru) about her and Eddie Lafferty's (Dash Mihok) encounter with Sean at the initial crime scene. Mickey admits her memory is hazy, recalling that it was Lafferty who primarily interacted with him. She harbors doubts about Sean's guilt, but Danjarat reassures her, noting that his DNA was found on two of the victims.
Mickey proceeds to the holding cell to confront Sean. He accuses her of framing him, professing his innocence and insisting that he's not the only one in Philly to shell out money for prostitution. She presents him with a photograph of Kacey, inquiring if he's seen her. He mocks her hopes, querying whether she seriously expects him to aid her in her quest. As she turns to leave, he calls out, insisting he never slept with Kacey, but everyone else did.
After her conversation with Sean, Mickey sets off in search of Lafferty, only to discover that he has been temporarily relieved of his duties. Inquiring with Sergeant Ahearn (Patch Darragh) about the reason behind this, she receives a curt response: it's none of her concern.
Determined to check on Lafferty, Mickey heads to his house. There, he confesses to her that Ahearn benched him due to his failure to complete assigned tasks. Furthermore, he reveals that the tragic deaths of the girls have deeply affected him, compounding his distress over suspecting Sean as the killer. Mickey offers solace, suggesting that perhaps his instincts were right and Sean might not be the culprit. Lafferty shares that he and Ahearn have a long history but that Ahearn has become increasingly distant since joining the force. He laments that the challenges of the job are relentless, with temptation lurking around every corner, making it all too easy to turn a blind eye. He believes Ahearn has done so too many times, losing himself in the process.
Mickey then proceeds to Sean's residence, where officers are diligently searching for evidence linking him to the murders. They inform her that their efforts have yielded no results so far. Outside, she encounters Colleen Kelly (Jillian Louis), who shares her plight of having her children taken away by CPS, with no clear timeline for their return. Mickey shows Colleen a picture of Kacey and asks if she has seen her. Colleen responds that she recalls her from their high school days, prompting Mickey to reveal that, contrary to popular belief, she never thought she was better than anyone; she was merely quiet and yearned to emulate Colleen.
Mickey then phones Truman, conveying her doubts about Sean's guilt. He expresses concern for their wellbeing, which she assures him is fine. However, her thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a call from Nicole (Rivera Reese). As Mickey approaches, she is suddenly attacked by a group of women, the violence triggering a cascade back to 2016. That night, Simon returned home at 2 AM, informing her that he had found Kacey. relationship, Kacey had kept her whereabouts a secret from Mickey, fearing it would upset her. Simon, mistakenly perhaps, blames Mickey for Kacey's struggles with addiction.
Mickey awakens in the hospital to find Truman looming over her, his gaze filled with concern. He gently informs her that she sustained a couple of broken ribs before inquiring about the circumstances leading to her injury. Between sobs, Mickey recounts the attack by the girls, her voice trembling with fear as she expresses her worry about never finding Kacey. Truman reassures her with a firm promise that they will locate her sister.
Determined, Mickey discharges herself from the hospital to visit Thomas. Mahon, offering to tend to Mickey's stitches, reveals her past as both a nurse and a nun, her hands skilled and her demeanor calm. As Mahon works, Mickey and Thomas persuade Truman to stay the night and watch a movie, creating a makeshift family bond.
Time skips forward, painting a picture of Truman, Mickey, and Thomas joyfully decorating a Christmas tree together. At Christmas Eve dinner, Truman and Thomas successfully coerce Mickey into opening her gift, which turns out to be the horn she had pawned—a heartwarming gesture of retrieval.
The next morning, Mickey and Thomas unwrap presents at Gee's (John Doman) house, a festive atmosphere clouded by Mickey's impending separation from Thomas as he joins Gee for the annual Mummers parade. While fetching a beer for Gee, Mickey notices a shattered kitchen door window, her anger spiking when she learns it had been broken for a week without her knowledge. Suspecting Kacey, she storms upstairs to their secret hiding spot, only to discover a cache of letters from their father, dated post-mortem. Gee confesses to returning the letters, sparking another round of Mickey's frustration.
Gee's revelation triggers a memory flashback for Mickey to 2016, where she confronts Paula (Perry Mattfeld) about Kacey's whereabouts, learning that Simon had deceived her about Kacey's life. Snapped back to the present, Mickey takes Thomas to Mahon's house and then heads to Daniel's (Michael Gaston) residence, where she finds the red truck and a pregnant Kacey. Daniel, clean and sober, reveals his search for her and Kacey, discovering Kacey first. He confesses his desire for a relationship with Mickey and Thomas, shocking her with the truth: Thomas is Kacey's son, explaining her prolonged absence.
Their conversation is abruptly cut short by a call from Doctor Aura Williams (Britne Oldford), urging Mickey to visit her office. Arriving at Aura's, Mickey is devastated to learn of Paula's death, apparently from an overdose. Mickey, however, instinctively knows otherwise, leaving the episode on a haunting cliffhanger.
