Episode 1 of "The Kollective" unfolds in the Congo, specifically at the grueling Colton mines. The indigenous population toils as miners, under the relentless and armed oversight of both foreign and local supervisors, who treat them with the harshness akin to slavery. Among them, a young child, desperate and resourceful, slips a small rock into his mouth, concealing it as a beacon of hope to sell and alleviate their mother's pressing medical expenses.
In Kinshasa, the city buzzes with activity as journalist Steve Lush, accompanied by Claude, a local chauffeur, speeds towards the airport with high hopes of escaping the country's clutches and unveiling a groundbreaking story. Tragedy strikes soon after takeoff, however, as the plane plunges into the earth mere kilometers from the oppressive mines.
Across the globe, Etienne, a programmer nestled in the comfort of his home with his daughter Arielle by his side, catches wind of Steve Lush's untimely demise on the evening news. He promptly sparks a conversation within "The Kollective's" group chat, alerting members Delia, Joshua, Lucas, and Aaron to ponder the possibility of delving into Steve's suspicious death. Joshua, sensing a deeper conspiracy behind the crash, orchestrates a meeting at Aaron's London abode to further deliberate.
The initial gatherings are tinged with an air of formality, Joshua introducing Delia as his significant other with a hint of awkwardness. However, this discomfort soon gives way to a surge of animated energy as they delve into their research, pondering whether there's merit to their inquiry. Although the notion that the plane was brought down to silence Steve seems far-fetched to the group, Joshua stands firm in his conviction, sensing there's more to uncover.
While the majority decides to await the black box investigation results before proceeding, Joshua reconnects with Maya, a colleague who once worked alongside Steve and his late father. Maya reveals she has access to an anonymous source hesitant to engage with mainstream media but potentially open to discussing the matter with Joshua.
Intrigued yet cautious, Joshua convenes the Kollective crew for a meeting with Maya at her office the following day. After she outlines her plea for them to investigate Steve's death, they collectively decline, adhering steadfastly to their founding principles of factual news reporting and independence. They refuse to align themselves with a newspaper backed by a powerful corporation, maintaining their integrity and autonomy in the face of potential compromise.
However, Joshua is far from ready to let the narrative slip away. The haunting parallel of his journalist father's untimely demise fuels his relentless pursuit of the truth. Official inquiries have attributed the plane crash to mechanical malfunctions, a mere facade as he sees it. In his quest for clarification, Joshua implores Maya to share the contact details of the anonymous tipster.
Upon returning home, Joshua dials Claude's number. She promptly forwards him a video of the air disaster captured from an alternate perspective, revealing the aircraft splitting in two—an impossibility if technical failures were indeed the culprit. Claude, brimming with discouragement, laments that Congo's fate seems destined for perpetual stagnation, urging Joshua to disregard the footage and steer clear of the investigation. Defying the pleas of his lover, Delia, Joshua resolutely decides to venture into Congo and uncover the truth behind the crash.
In Kinshasa, Joshua reconnects with Claude, who hands him another video—this time, footage of a missile truck in close proximity to the crash site. Joshua recognizes that the recording alone lacks the potency to conclusively tie the missile to the downing of the plane. He yearns for more tangible evidence.
He circulates the video within the Kollective group chat. Etienne and Lucas, leveraging their technological prowess, deduce that the clip was filmed roughly 10 kilometers from the crash site. Etienne further affirms that, given the plane's altitude, a missile launched from the truck's location could plausibly have struck it before it commenced its descent. Lucas masterfully enhances the image, revealing a clear shot of the truck driver.
Later, Claude unveils another video to Joshua, potentially the catalyst behind Steve Lush's tragic end. The footage, surreptitiously captured by Cedric, a mine worker, depicts two foreigners murdering locals who supported Lusamba, the favored presidential candidate of the masses. Upon realizing Joshua's unwavering commitment to the investigation, Claude escorts him to meet Cedric.
Cedric recounts how, subsequent to filming the incriminating evidence, he was branded a liar, a rebel, and a criminal, falling into the clutches of the authorities. They subjected him to electric water torture and cigarette burns, aiming to silence his advocacy for Lusamba. The government's aversion to Lusamba's campaign stems from his pledge to nationalize the Colton mines, a move that would redistribute wealth among the populace. Cedric's tormentors were Russians, with the truck driver, Ivanov, being one among them.
Thus, Joshua finds himself entangled in a web of deceit and power, determined to uncover the dark truths that shroud Congo's political landscape.
Later on, Joshua tasks Lucas with locating Ivanov, to which Lucas employs his mystical prowess and uncovers the man's full name: Boris Ivanov. Renowned as a journalist and the helmsman of Le Doute magazine, Boris's background strikes Joshua and Lucas as an intricately woven disguise, adding an extra layer of enigma to their tale.
That very night, Claude transmits to Joshua a video depicting a truck exiting a base, laden with four missiles, on the eve of Steve's departure. This clip serves as the final puzzle piece, for the truck harbored four missiles the day preceding the plane crash, yet it bore only three afterwards.
Just as the narrative takes this twist, a group of men forcefully enters Claude's taxi workshop. She urgently instructs Joshua to vacate the hotel and make haste for the airport. As the intruders storm in, Claude finds refuge in a concealed nook within her premises. Despite his best efforts to flee, Joshua is eventually apprehended.
In a cliffhanger conclusion to the episode, Joshua, rendered unconscious, is abandoned at a humble chicken coop perched on the fringes of the slums by a luxurious automobile that speeds away into the night.
