Episode 1 of Rabbit Hole opens with a peek into the world of our protagonist, John Weir. Seated in the confessional booth, his fingers tap nervously against the wooden surface, reflecting his inner turmoil. Lost and exhausted, his eyes betray the toll of nights spent without rest, his mind clouded by confusion. To the priest, he confesses his loneliness, explaining that his occupation keeps him from cultivating deep relationships. He yearns for someone to merely listen, as if now is the only moment that matters.
We rewind three weeks, to a scene in a bustling bar. John Weir, engrossed in the TV's football broadcast, is interrupted by Merril, another patron eager to switch channels. After a brief altercation, Weir concedes, allowing Merril to take control of the remote. Suddenly, Weir's attention is drawn to the news of crashing stocks, prompting him to whip out his phone and dial furiously.
Yet Weir's focus is fleeting, as a woman named Hailey crosses the bar and approaches him. She's killing time before a series of meetings and is eager to unwind with Weir. After a night of passion, Weir sheds his facade, revealing a harder, more calculating side. He warns Hailey that if she wants leverage over him, she'll need to work harder. He uncovers a hidden camera in the room and destroys it, revealing that his marriage is a sham, long over but still maintaining the illusion. Hailey's incredulous reaction suggests her innocence, but the truth remains murky.
As Weir departs, paranoia sets in. He believes he's being tailed by a blue Mercedes all the way to the train station. Outside, we meet Madi, revealed to be Jo Madi, an FBI investigator from the Financial Crimes Unit. She confronts Weir at his office, accusing Merril of being duped into selling his stocks. It turns out there was no TV broadcast; Weir orchestrated the whole ruse to allow his client to scoop up the discounted stocks and turn a quick profit. Madi labels it corporate espionage, but Weir spins it as merely "consulting."
After Madi's departure, Weir briefs his team on the successful scheme, their jubilation echoing in the room. But the celebration is short-lived. That night, John notices the same blue car parked in the lot again, a chilling reminder that he may still be under surveillance.
John Weir's journey continues as he meets with his next client, Arda Analytics, helmed by his lifelong friend, Miles Valence. Valence expounds on the importance of data in today's world, and how Arda Analytics strives to make sense of it all. In his office, Valence tasks Weir with crafting a narrative: to spread the rumor that the Baromar Group is collaborating closely with the Treasury Department.
Weir finds himself entangled in a web of deception, even as he struggles to maintain his relationship with his best friend. Valence, despite their past differences, asks Weir to execute a plan that will deflect attention away from Luxbrant, a company facing serious allegations of using child labor in its factories. As Weir navigates this dangerous game of lies and half-truths, the question remains: who is really pulling the strings, and what will be the ultimate cost of his actions?
Luxbrant desperately needed photographic evidence to authenticate the meeting and justify their narrative. Their target was Dana Heinrich, the CEO of Banomar Group, and they aimed to capture her in the presence of Edward Homm, the US Treasury investigator. Although the two were strangers to each other, capturing them within earshot would suffice to feed the false narrative of their collusion.
So, how would they orchestrate such a meeting? According to John, the solution was straightforward - orchestrate a car accident to forcibly bring them together. And it worked. They successfully crafted a convincing narrative and passed the details to Valance, seemingly without a hitch.
As John Weir exited the office, his attention was once again drawn to the familiar blue car parked outside. But this time, he also spied Hailey across the street, her presence setting off alarm bells in his mind. Weir instructed his team to dig into her background, revealing that she was a lawyer residing in Pittsburgh, working for a non-profit organization called the Homeless Aid Network. Her expensive tastes seemed out of sync with her income, and her snooping around Valence's neighborhood didn't align with her usual modus operandi.
Weir's suspicions grew, and he decided to confront Hailey directly. To his surprise, she revealed that she had actually swiped right on him on a dating app while he was in the bar. But the revelation was overshadowed by a breaking news report on a nearby billboard, declaring John Weir a murder suspect in the death of Edward Homm, the Treasury Investigator they had all been discussing.
Panicked, John Weir fled for his life, desperately trying to evade the authorities. As he ran, he learned that Valence had set him up, including doctoring video footage that falsely implicated him in driving Edward's car. Weir was mere blocks away from the office when, suddenly, the entire top floor exploded in a fiery blast. CCTV cameras captured Weir standing outside, watching helplessly as flames devoured the building. Desperately trying to reach Valence, Weir's calls went unanswered.
Determined to get to the bottom of things, John decided to infiltrate the office himself. Posing as a deliveryman, he coerced a security guard to hold a box he claimed contained a motion-sensored bomb. Weir raced upstairs to confront Valence in his office, demanding answers. Valence appeared rattled, glancing nervously at the camera as Weir confronted him.
On Valence's laptop, Weir found another clue - a message from ANON-01 that simply read, "DO IT. NOW." The message seemed to have a chilling effect on Miles Valence, who moments later stepped out onto the balcony, dropped his phone, and plummeted backward off the rooftop to his death below.
With Valence's death, John Weir was left in a precarious position. He had no choice but to flee down the emergency stairwell to the main entrance. Using the smoke bomb he had claimed was a motion-sensored device as a distraction, he managed to escape unnoticed. But Valence's death was quickly pinned on Weir, leaving him a wanted man.
With few options left, John Weir returned to his childhood home - the one he had seen in flashbacks throughout the chapter. There, he found Edward Homm alive and well, tied up in the basement. Taking a bite of his apple, John replaced the blindfold over the man's eyes, leaving them both in a tense and uncertain standoff.
