Episode 3 of Renegade Nell opens with Nell and Devereaux attempting to blend seamlessly into the aristocratic crowd at the Springbourne mansion. However, Billy repeatedly disrupts Nell's attempts to maintain anonymity, urging her to flee the premises. Just as the situation seems untenable, Sofia and her men arrive on the scene, trapping Nell and Devereaux in a perilous situation.
Amidst the chaos, a mysterious undead knight emerges, his gaze fixed and cold. It is Poynton, his consciousness trapped within the knight's armored form. The knight launches a furious attack, but Nell's usual strategies seem powerless against him. Her blows land with force, yet the knight merely heals his wounds. Somehow, however, her attacks seem to have a profound effect on Poynton himself.
With a determined effort, Nell manages to overcome the knight and escapes with Devereaux. Sofia quickly realizes that the undead warrior was indeed Poynton. But their escape is far from secure, as Jarrold and his men give chase. Just in time, Roxy and George arrive and the group flees in a carriage, while Devereaux splits off in a different direction to confuse their pursuers.
Nell valiantly fights off most of the men, but George stumbles upon a gun in the carriage and attempts to shoot one of the assailants, only to be hit in the crossfire. Devereaux's luck runs out as well, as he is captured and brought before Sofia.
Meanwhile, the girls' carriage enters a haunting stretch of forest, a plague-ridden village known as Rassalas. The landscape is littered with skeletons and ruins, creating a chilling atmosphere. They find refuge in one of the abandoned houses, where Nell quickly sets to work extracting the bullet from George's wound.
Elsewhere, Devereaux stands trial for his past crimes as Isambard Tully. Poynton, meanwhile, lies ill and is informed that he has suffered a stroke. The doctor's advice is stark: it is time for Poynton to retire from his life of violence and intrigue.
As the episode reaches its climax, the tension mounts and the fate of Nell, Devereaux, and their companions hangs in the balance. Will they escape the clutches of their enemies? Or will they be forced to face the consequences of their actions in this dangerous and unpredictable world?
Then, we are ushered into the presence of the queen, who convenes with her esteemed council. The men gathered around discuss sightings of Herne the Hunter, a beast rooted in superstition and rumored to herald the demise of a monarch. Their whispers hint at the undead knight, a figure of both fear and fascination.
Upon learning that Nell had decapitated this beast, the queen suggests that Nell be pardoned of any past transgressions and enlisted as a bodyguard. Meanwhile, in the court, Devereaux's seemingly endless list of crimes continues to be recited, each one more damning than the last. He attempts to plead for bail, but his request falls on deaf ears. Instead, a trial is scheduled for a later date, hanging over his head like a dark cloud.
In the village, decrepit and rundown, George is wracked by a fever, his body trembling uncontrollably. Nell turns to Billy for help, but he shakes his head, admitting his helplessness. Desperate, she resolves to search for a physician, taking Rasselas as her companion.
Elsewhere, Sofia meets with Poynton, and their exchange confirms that it is indeed him inhabiting the body of the undead knight. Poynton reveals that he chose the guise of Herne the Hunter as a private joke aimed at the queen, a mockery of her superstition and fear. He assures Sofia that he will recover from this ordeal, his voice confident even in the face of such adversity.
Inside the carriage, Rasselas steers the horse steadily as Nell speaks softly to Billy. She laments that everything has gone awry since his arrival, but he is no less bewildered than she is as to the reason for his presence here. As he recounts the legend of Herne the Hunter, a sense of foreboding hangs over them, and Nell wonders if she is destined for something greater at the conclusion of Renegade Nell Episode 3.
