Episode 5 of Renegade Nell kicks off with Nell, disguised as a man, arriving at her uncle's abode alongside Roxy and George. She pours out her tale to her uncle and pleads for Roxy and George to stay under his wing for a spell. He acquiesces, but with a caveat - they must blend in seamlessly. As Nell prepares to depart, her disguise catches the eye of a man from a traveling theater troupe.
Elsewhere, Nell meets Rasselas, who is keeping tabs on the man from whom she stole her attire. They hand him a sum of money and flee the scene. Meanwhile, Sofia hones her dark arts on apples and insects, much to Poynton's satisfaction. He reveals that he's discovered a spell capable of locating and entrapping Nell, but it requires a personal item of hers. Sofia's mind flashes back to the hairpin she retrieved after her skirmish with Herne.
At Uncle Jack's, George peers out the window, watching Japhia and her theater troupe perform a captivating play. Jack brings Roxy and Nell some nourishment, but his mood darkens as he dwells on Sam's demise.
Nell and Rasselas rack their brains for a way to spring Devereaux from prison, but Billy refuses to lend a helping hand. Frustrated by their lack of progress, they decide to depart soon. Rasselas asks Nell for permission to officially court Roxy, but Nell demurs, citing Roxy's tender years. Suddenly, a flustered man barges into the pub, inquiring if there's a doctor present. A prisoner requires an amputation. Nell seizes the opportunity and poses as a doctor.
She's ushered to the prisoner's side, who appears lifeless. After a thorough examination, she diagnoses Typhus, warning that it could have spread to other inmates. She leverages this discovery to examine Tully and ensure he's not succumbing to jail fever. She's then escorted to Devereaux's private chamber, where she convinces the guard of his illness.
The guard departs, and Nell administers Devereaux a potion designed to lull him into a deep slumber, allowing her to feign his demise. His escape will be orchestrated in a coffin, sneaking him out of the clutches of the prison. However, Devereaux favours a more orthodox plan, one hatched by Lady Eularia, who has engaged a highly skilled lawyer to secure his freedom. As fate would have it, the lady herself arrives at that precise moment.
Nell proclaims Devereaux to be in perfect health, her facade intact, and exits the scene. Alas, Lady Eularia's keen eye detects that the doctor is, in fact, a woman, and suspects it to be Nelly Jackson herself. Devereaux strives to dissuade her, but she remains resolute and dispatches her companion to alert the head guard. The guard rushes in, ordering Nell to attend to one more inmate. Billy urges her to depart, but it is too late.
The guard tricks Nell into a prison cell and slams the door, locking her inside. Nell attempts to bend the bars, but her efforts are futile. Billy, her ally, is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Poynton and Sofia initiate their sinister spell, its effects beginning to manifest.
Within the prison's confines, Billy whispers to Nell, urging her to observe her surroundings. She speaks with the women and children incarcerated there, learning that their crimes are trivial - stealing bread or blankets to safeguard their loved ones. Billy reveals that they were sent to fight for these innocent souls, not for Devereaux. Suddenly, he merges with Nell, and this time, she bends the prison bars with ease. She proceeds to unlock every cell, liberating the prisoners.
However, Poynton's spell takes hold, and a black liquid oozes down the prison walls. Gooey hands stretch out, grasping for Nell. Rasselas rushes into the prison to find Nelly, but the entire structure is now shaking and crumbling. Poynton and Sofia conjure walls, trapping Nell within a maze of illusions. Billy reassures her that it's merely a phantasm and urges her to flee. Nell obeys, and miles away, Sofia stumbles and falls.
Some time later, Nell awakens on the street, dazed and confused, unable to locate Rasselas. Meanwhile, back at Jack's abode, George awakes to find Mr. Japhia, a member of the theatre troupe, seated by her bedside. He aims a gun at her, leaving a chilling cliffhanger at the end of Renegade Nell Episode 5.
