As the curtain rises on this installment of "Poker Face," an intrepid woman infiltrates Finch and Sons Funeral Home, her camera clicking like a whispering secret in the still air. She eavesdrops on the undertaker, David Cale, and his wife, Karen Giordano, as they confide in hushed tones about their illicit brain-selling scheme. Karen brazenly confesses her double betrayal: keeping the illicit profits and sharing her husband's bed. The undertaker's fury erupts, first turning on his wife and then lunging towards the woman with the incriminating camera. The director, Waris Ahluwalia, halts the dramatic unfolding, signaling a reset for the crew to replay the tense scene.
Katie Holmes' Greta Finch steps into the frame, revealing this as her husband's funeral parlor.Giancarlo Esposito's Fred Finch, engrossed in his macabre work downstairs, is oblivious to the power outage caused by a blown circuit breaker. Fred laments the disruption, accusing Greta of letting the place fall into disarray. Greta counters, invoking Dan Locos' (Travis Przybylski) promise to restore everything to its original state. She reminds Fred of her duty to finish the makeup for the shoot, emphasizing the financial necessity as they scrape through the month. Fred exits to confront Dan, his frustration escalating when the Hoppenstammers arrive unexpectedly. Fred hastily postpones their appointment, blaming Greta's oversight.
In a private confrontation, Greta declares her intention for a divorce, swayed by a shoot crew member's promise of a fresh start in Miami. Fred, desperate to salvage their marriage, suggests a child might breathe new life into their stagnant existence. Greta, however, is resolute; she feels ensnared, urging Fred to escape too. He finds solace in watching the film scene replay repeatedly, as if searching for a different outcome.
When Greta returns, her demeanor hints at evasion as she claims a night out with friends. Fred's plea for a heart-to-heart is met with a cold refusal, and she retreats upstairs. His desperate texts pleading her not to leave fall on deaf ears; Greta is already immersed in packing. Meanwhile, the film crew scrubs away the day's chaos, unaware of the impending horror.
In the privacy of her shower, Greta's bags are silently confiscated by Fred. She discovers them downstairs, in the shadows where lives were extinguished. Fred replicates the murder method meticulously, concealing Greta's body before cremating it, leaving the film crew unwittingly cleaning her bloodstains.
Elsewhere, Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) rambles about her beach escapades from Beatrix Hasp (Rhea Perlman), her voice blending with the whispers of the sea as a child builds sandcastles nearby. A chance encounter with Tommy leads to her car being repurposed for the funeral home's shoots, earning her a portion of the rent. He installs a CB radio, and soon, Charlie finds herself playing a lifeless corpse in the very scene where Greta once thrived. Greta's spirit lingers as she invites Charlie to join them, weaving tales of her cosmetology dreams and Miami escapades, unaware of the dark fate that awaited her.
When Amber's (Ashley J. Hicks) parents were involved in a tragic accident, her path crossed with Fred, leading her to immerse herself in the macabre world of mortuary affairs. Believing she could secure a fresh start for Greta in Miami, Amber invited both Greta and Charlie to join them in an evening of revelry. Fred emerged from the shadows, requesting a private word with Greta. Later, he steered Charlie discreetly towards the bathroom, confessing that the day had taken a heavy toll on him. Charlie was fascinated to learn that Fred possessed the ability to encapsulate remains in any object, even revealing his secret vinyl record press installation.
That night, amidst the revelry, Greta declared her reluctance to become a "record," revealing that Fred had already crafted molds for their unique tunes, including one she hadn't chosen, Santo & Johnny's "Sleep Walk." Charlie offered Greta a ride back, and Greta's spirits lifted with the prospect of relocating to Miami.
The next morning, Charlie attempted to reach out via CB radio, eager to embark on their Miami adventure. Heading inside to find Greta, she encountered Fred, who solemnly informed her that Greta had vanished. He presented a photo of Greta's belongings neatly laid out on the bed, suggesting she might have joined the film crew. Suspicious, Charlie peered out the window, catching Fred listening intently to a vinyl record of Greta's. Fred's somber tone as he conducted the funeral for Mama Banshee only deepened her concerns. Charlie eavesdropped on his conversation with clients, interrupting to inquire about Greta, but Fred brushed her off.
When bikers offered to assist in the search, Fred declined abruptly, avoiding questions about the vinyl recording press. Charlie, undeterred, consulted a call sheet and approached Paige (Sherry Cola) from the film crew for information. Paige revealed that Fred had been watchfully present throughout their cleanup, adding that no one had seen Greta throughout the day.
Charlie and Tommy returned to the funeral home to investigate, splitting up to cover more ground. Charlie stumbled upon an electronics trash bin before reuniting with Tommy. Fred, sensing their presence, began his own search. Charlie took refuge in a coffin, noticing incriminating blood on the overhead light. As Fred flicked the switch, Charlie struggled to unscrew the bulb, ultimately falling and confronting him.
She spilled her suspicions about the remains and the vinyl record, but Fred dismissed it as movie blood. Charlie argued passionately against his alibi, culminating in an accusation of murder. Just when tensions peaked, Tommy interrupted with a text from Greta, assuring her safety. Charlie hastily apologized to Fred, who broke down, blaming himself for Greta's departure and revealing the locations of his family members around the room.
As Charlie prepared to leave, she overheard Greta's song, "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward, emanating from her phone. Recalling Greta's password from the previous night, Charlie inspected the picture sent to Tommy and realized it was dated 2022. Fred, sensing his cover slipping, attacked Charlie from behind, knocking her unconscious and erasing the bloodstains from the light bulb, leaving a chilling tableau of deceit and danger in his wake.
Charlie awakens to find herself confined within a claustrophobic box, resembling more a coffin than anything else. She shouts and pleads desperately with Fred, her voice echoing against the cold, unyielding walls, begging him to release her. Ignoring her pleas, Fred proceeds to ignite a fire, his intention clear: to cremate her alive. Charlie's fight against the confines of the coffin is relentless, until finally, the heavy lid slips off its track and clatters to the ground.
With a menacing weapon in hand, Fred advances towards her. In a moment of desperation, Charlie tosses her vape into the roaring flames, causing an explosion that illuminates the darkness and buys her precious seconds to escape. As she flees, Charlie urges Fred, her voice laced with urgency, to abandon the collapsing house. She leaves him behind, the building's fate sealed.
Fred, unmoving, sinks into the chair in his office, a silent observer as the inferno consumes everything around him. Meanwhile, Charlie races to her car, only to find Beatrix pointing a gun at her head, her expression as cold as the steel in her hand. With a voice devoid of emotion, Beatrix commands Charlie to drive.
