The episode unfolds at a graceful dance academy, where a woman's prone figure lies motionless on the polished floor, her face buried in shadows. Close by stands a younger woman, encased in a gleaming ballerina costume, her right hand clutching a pistol. Through a sleek communication device, Tess Avery (played by Dolly Lewis) and Matt Alleyne (embodied by Jarod Joseph) engage in hurried dialogue with Sunny Patel (Agam Darshi), who is frantically searching for her misplaced anti-anxiety medication. Tess's mind drifts back to when Sunny had forwarded her late boyfriend's USB stick to the FBI. Meanwhile, Matt's virtual avatar meets an untimely demise within his video game.
Memories of playful times with Matt flood Tess's thoughts. Suddenly, Superintendent Bennett (portrayed by Roger Cross) interrupts their conversation with the urgent news of a shooting. Later, Sunny becomes Tess's guide to the grim crime scene. Detective Leo Li (Tony Giroux) informs her that Jake Campbell (Daniel Gillies) is spearheading the Detsky case, with Owen Cooper (Matty Finochio) offering support. Tess queries if Owen is a transfer from the 14th district, to which he confirms. The victims are revealed to be esteemed dancers: 18-year-old Melinda Lamb and her mother, 45-year-old Brigit Lamb, a Moscow International Ballet Competition gold medalist. All indications suggest Melinda as the shooter, as she was the last to use a keycard to enter the academy. The police were alerted to gunshots at 10:13 PM, prompting Leo to declare it a straightforward case of murder-suicide. Tess wonders why Bennett contacted her instead of the others. She shares her belief that young women seldom resort to firearm violence. Sunny draws attention to "spike tape" adhered to the floor, prompting Tess to order its collection as evidence.
Tess delves into Melinda and Brigit's relationship with Sadie Lamb. Sadie describes their mother as demanding and Melinda as non-violent, likening Melinda to a delicate violet and herself to a showy hyacinth. She insists that a violet would never commit murder and mentions Melinda's excitement over receiving a Prix de Lausanne invitation. Years have distanced them, with their last encounter at Stanley Park. Elsewhere, Matt excites Mia Moss (Alice Christina-Corrigan) with his plan to modify Tess's beloved "Night Assassin" video game. She agrees to be his test subject in exchange for margaritas and deep-dish pizza.
Elsewhere again, a loud bang startles Sunny, prompting her to arm herself with a fireplace poker as she surveys the surroundings before realizing the window was already up. She secures it and installs a jamb, later informing Tess of her belief that she had shut it. Tess, en route to the crime scene, feels a chill draft. Discussing the draft with Leo, Owen abruptly cuts in, offering his hand questionably. Tess jests about her high-fives before proposing someone might have used the catwalk to access the adjacent building. Owen recalls an unmonitored area there, invoking Occam's razor. Tess finds herself warming to him. He reveals Melinda was dating Miles Gatlin (Brendan Meyer), and the murder weapon was registered to Nathaniel Powell, deceased since 2008. Leo mentions the media's labeling of the incident. Unable to reach Miles, Owen flags him as a person of interest, much to Leo's hesitation. Miles arrives and, unexpectedly, confesses to the killings.Miles reproaches himself for the tragic demise of Melinda and Brigit, haunting himself with the fact that the weapon belonged to his grandfather. Sunny, noticing his restless demeanor, remarks on his agitation. Miles reveals that Melinda had pestered him incessantly until he succumbed to her demands. He recounts her incessant complaints about being stalked, suggesting that perhaps it was all a figment of her imagination. He had ended their relationship via a phone call two days prior, citing Brigit's oppressive control over Melinda's life and Melinda's furious outburst when her dance routine went awry. This led Melinda to start biting her nails and refrain from eating. Tess accuses him of abandoning Melinda when she needed him the most. In his defense, Miles insists that he loved her and merely wanted her to assert herself against Brigit's dominance.
Shortly afterward, Leo informs Tess that Melinda had been researching suicide hotlines and that she and Miles had engaged in a 96-minute conversation the day before the fatal shooting. Owen contributes that security footage confirms Miles's presence in the queue at the West Mount Theatre at 8:50 pm on Friday, with the line estimated to be two hours long. Leo asserts that Miles was indeed at the location when Melinda and Brigit met their untimely deaths. Tess, however, contends that he could have exited through a rear door. Owen counters that Miles was spotted leaving the theater after the movie at 11:11 pm. Determined to uncover the truth, Tess insists on speaking with Sadie once more.
Elsewhere, Mia offers Matt invaluable advice on enhancing his Night Assassin modification, earning his admiration. Meanwhile, Tess confides in Sadie, revealing that she was invited to participate in the Prix de Lausanne four years ago but a devastating bike accident altered her destiny drastically. Sadie, however, declines to discuss her relationship with Melinda.
Later, Sunny attempts to illustrate the beauty of a pirouette for Tess, hoping to convey the essence of why people are so enchanted by dance. Tess struggles to comprehend, arguing that dance is a visual art form she cannot experience due to her blindness. Sunny disagrees passionately, emphasizing that dance encompasses far more than mere visuals.
At the police station, Bennett informs Tess and Leo that the DNA evidence at the crime scene matches the victims' profiles. Leo confidently asserts that he was correct in his hypothesis of a murder-suicide. Upon analyzing the blood spatter patterns, they conclude that Melinda was shot first, eliminating the possibility of her being Brigit's killer. The case is now officially classified as a double homicide.Sunny awakens in a bright mood, her spirits soaring until she stumbles upon her cupboard, meticulously organized in an uncharacteristic manner. Over at the police station, Leo informs Tess and Owen that forensics, wielding the Wayback Machine, unearthed social media posts from 'lycanthrope271,' who had been harassing Melinda for over three years. Owen elucidates that lycanthropy pertains to the mythical transformation of a human into a werewolf. As Mia attains a new level of skill, Matt's fate takes a tragic turn, and he passes away. Tess promptly phones Matt, tasking him with tracing 'lycanthrope271's IP address. Leo reveals to her that they've identified the stalker as Shane Calvert, earning her commendation and a suggestion to interrogate him. She relays the information to Matt.
Inside the interrogation room, Leo confronts Calvert with accusations of attending Melinda's recitals, sending her disturbing sketches depicting werewolves dismembering ballerinas, and tailing her home. Calvert concedes to accessing her direct messages and hurling insulting remarks her way after she rejected him. When Leo inquires if 'lycanthrope271' is his username, Calvert denies using it in recent years. Leo then drops a folder brimming with copies of a thousand posts, some dating back just two months. Scanning through them, Calvert posits that someone is attempting to appropriate his screenplay concept—a fusion of werewolf and black swan lore. Leo presses him for an alibi for the previous night, to which Calvert claims he was in Atlanta.
As Tess strides home, her phone buzzes with a call from Matt. He reveals that Calvert authored the initial eleven posts as 'lycanthrope271,' while Sadie was responsible for the subsequent ones. Later, Sadie confesses to phishing Calvert but attributes her actions to a tumultuous period in her life. On the eve of the Prix de Lausanne, she slipped away to attend a friend's party, only to crash her bike and sustain a fractured femur, effectively ending her ballet career. Melinda seized her spot, and Brigit began to dominate her existence. Sadie concedes that Melinda outshone her in every way. Tess accuses her of exploiting Calvert's social media to tear Melinda down. Sadie denies any involvement in Melinda's murder and claims she was homebound when both Melinda and Brigit met their untimely ends.
Back at the police station, Leo shares with Tess that Sadie's metaphor of regarding Melinda and Brigit as flowers is a classic case of projection. He postulates that she is casting an image of herself and hopes they will be deceived by it. He asserts that the truth is far more sinister—violets, indeed, do kill. They learn of a dog walker's report claiming to have witnessed Sadie burying something in her backyard on the fateful night.
As Sunny peers intently at the security footage, her heart races as she spots an unfamiliar presence within her apartment. Over at the police station, Bennett discloses to Tess and Leo a grim discovery: a dance academy keycard, wrapped in a grotesquely blood-stained rag, buried deep within Sadie’s backyard. Shortly thereafter, Miles asserts that Melinda and Sadie hadn't crossed paths in years, his words echoing hollowly in the room.
Tess draws a parallel between Melinda’s fleeting ballet career and Pavlo’s, a Ukrainian dancer renowned for his two corgis, a detail that sparks a fleeting recognition in Miles's mind. She plausibly seeks his assistance in acquiring Sadie, her tone laden with subtle manipulation. Moments later, Tess confesses to Miles her deceit, fabricating the tale of Pavlo's dogs to test his recall. Doubts cloud her mind—whether Miles had watched the entire film or none at all. Bennett, steadfast, insists they push through the night to bring Miles down.
Elsewhere, Matt approaches Mia with a heartfelt request for her presence when he unveils his modified game to Tess. Mia, initially mistaking his intentions, is reassured when he clarifies that their bond is purely platonic. Meanwhile, Sunny meticulously examines the security footage, her disbelief turning to astonishment as she realizes the intruder is none other than her sleepwalking self.
Leo diligently works to secure CCTV footage from Balfour, while Owen calculates the distance to the West Mount Theatre, nonchalantly remarking, "Just a little stroll." Back at the precinct, Tess attempts to outwit Miles again with a repeated question, but his sharp memory alerts him to her ruse. She admits that the perpetrator is exceptionally cunning. Owen shares his findings: a swift 29-minute round trip from the theatre to the dance academy and back, aligning perfectly with the 27-minute duration of the third act. Leo presents CCTV evidence of Miles at the intersection of Seymour and Davie at 10:31 pm, precisely 20 minutes after the shooting.Brigit had persuaded Melinda to end her relationship with Miles, and now he harbors bitter resentment, saying they deserved their fate. With the evidence stacking up, Owen places Miles under arrest and escorts him out.
Afterwards, Tess tells Leo that while she wasn't thrilled to collaborate with him again, they managed to pull through. Leo, unexpectedly, reveals his ballet past and offers a whimsical demonstration, earning a smile from Tess and Sunny’s admiration. They briefly delve into Sunny’s sleepwalking issue, their conversation tinged with concern. The FBI informs Sunny of Rigby’s research partner’s impending arrest, who has confessed to orchestrating the hit. Stressed and medication-addled, Sunny fears being trapped, while Tess offers comfort, reminding her that everyone feels a touch of stagnation sometimes.
Mia lays flowers at Melinda and Brigit’s memorial, her heart heavy with grief. Later, Tess enthuses about Matt’s revamped version of Night Assassin, her excitement palpable.
