In the third episode of Playing Gracie Darling, we are plunged into a haunting flashback, where Joni finds herself in therapy sessions with her therapist, Zarah. As the conversation turns to the night of Gracie's disappearance, Zarah suggests a séance, mirroring the one they conducted in the cabin. With blindfolds in place and their vision obscured, Zarah asks for the spirit of Levi to play along. As the glass begins to move randomly, seemingly in response to an unseen force, Zarah records the event. But when Joni views the recording, she sees that the glass's movement was haphazard and meaningless—a clear indication that there was no spirit at play, but rather Joni's own unconscious movements.
In the present day, Joni confronts Mina about the events of the previous night and promises a nervous Lulu that they will return home once this ordeal is over. As part of her own personal penance, Joni takes Mina to read to James Darling, Gracie's beloved grandfather and Frankie's cherished great-grandfather.
Joni's memory takes her back to another moment at the Darling house, where Gracie's older cousin, Peter, is mowing the lawn with a calm determination. Joni, captivated by him, asks Gracie about Peter's deceased parents, prompting Gracie to encourage her to ask Peter directly. However, their tranquil moment is interrupted by Ruth's violent outburst, who attacks Gracie for taking her locket. The resulting scuffle leaves Gracie with a bleeding lip and James's intervention. In his characteristic fashion, James punishes them both by making them kneel on pebbles in a shed while they bicker and threaten each other. Gracie, in her distress, starts carving something on the shed tiles as James forces them to kneel and pray.
Meanwhile, in the present day, Bob and Pattie take Joni's children out for a boating adventure while Joni speaks with Raffy. Raffy reveals that Levi's spirit had possessed Caitlyn and the other children at the party. Joni then requests Jay to arrange for her to speak with Caitlyn and the other affected children. The tension between the past and present is palpable as Joni struggles to unravel the mysteries surrounding Gracie's disappearance and the lingering presence of Levi's spirit.
She ventured to Caitlyn's abode, only to be met with a stony refusal from her mother, Samantha, who steadfastly denied Joni's request to see her daughter. Samantha's rationale? Zac was on the way to assist Caitlyn. Joni then encountered Lewis, another child from that fateful night, and inquired about the party's aftermath. Lewis related that Caitlyn had first succumbed to seizures, soon followed by the others.
Mina and Raffy reminisced about the night Frankie vanished, revealing that Joni, Gracie, and their respective families had conducted a séance that very same evening. Mina was stunned to learn that Joni had been committed to a mental health facility afterward. Coincidentally, Jay began to spot Gracie around town, mirroring Joni's hallucinations.
Jay received an urgent call about Ruth's whereabouts in the forest and set out in search of her. He found her gathering firewood and they discussed how Gracie's remains lay less than five kilometers from their doorstep.
That night, Mina inquired of Pattie about Joni's involvement in the séance or her time in the mental asylum. Pattie revealed that Gracie had been killed by a man, not a spirit, and that Joni required assistance in coping with the tragedy. As Joni put the children to bed, Jay delved into the cassette tapes of suspect interrogations from Gracie's disappearance. He listened to his own testimony, where he stated he had been with Anita after fleeing the cottage. At the station, Jay was about to speak with Joni when he was interrupted by the cops' arrest of Billy.
Later that evening, Joni and Jay shared drinks and discussed Caitlyn and the other children's plight. Joni elucidated that the teenagers were burdened by their own traumas and that their shared trauma from Frankie and Gracie's ordeal had triggered their seizures. Joni suggested that they all be separated for their own good. As Jay and Joni played snooker, Jay flirted with her. Anita then arrived, informing Joni that living near the turbines was making people ill.
Joni left but found herself dropping a drunk Ruth at the Darling house. On her way back, she encountered James trying to enter the shed, kneeling and praying. She attempted to stop him, but Peter appeared and asked Joni to help him escort James home.
Peter whispers to Joni about the vintage photographs he has of her and Gracie at his abode, igniting her curiosity. She accompanies him without hesitation. As the night unfolds, they indulge in a few drinks, their conversation flowing seamlessly through nostalgic reminisces of the past. Unexpectedly, their conversation leads to a shared slumber.
The next morning, Joni wakes up to yet another hallucinatory encounter with Gracie's presence. She hastily leaves Peter's house, but her exit is witnessed by Ruth. Suddenly, the sound of sirens pierces the air, and cops arrive to arrest Peter. He is led away, his departure witnessed by Joni's hushed gaze.
