The episode kicks off with Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald), her spirit weary yet resolute, paying a visit to Elliot Stanley (Jamie Dornan) behind bars. As soon as their eyes meet, he reproaches her for not being at home, recovering from the gunshot wound that nearly took her life. Despite the mountain of evidence stacked against him, Elliot steadfastly maintains his innocence, his conviction unshaken. Their professions of love intertwine with an undercurrent of unresolved tension; Helen admits that the weight of his undisclosed past is too burdensome for her to bear.
Elsewhere, Frank McDonnell (Francis Magee), driven by a mixture of grief and duty, tasks his son Fergal McDonnell (Mark McKenna) with an ominous mission—to avenge their father Donal McDonnell's (Diarmaid Murtagh) death by eliminating Eugene Cassidy, a role conveniently reprised by Jamie Dornan. Frank’s speech, a fiery blend of familial pride and obligation, ignites a spark in Fergal, who is later seen in his room, surrounded by crude, homemade explosives, the fruit of his dark endeavor.
Elliot is taken aback when Officer Garda (Kevin Oliver Lynch) breaks the news of his impending release. Stepping out into the fresh air, he mistakenly credits Niamh Cassidy (Olwen Fouere), waiting anxiously outside, for his freedom. However, her swift denial sets him straight; it was Frank who orchestrated his release, transforming him into a sitting duck for potential assailants. Niamh's reassurance of familial protection echoes in his ears just as a text from Fergal interrupts his thoughts.
Helen’s intentions to return home crumble when she catches sight of Detective Ruairi Slater (Conor MacNeill) and Ethan Krum (Greg Larsen), their mirth resonating harshly against the backdrop of her turmoil at the airport bar. Her anger burns brightly, yet she finds herself seeking Slater’s aid after he reveals Frank’s hand in Elliot’s release.
Elliot endeavors to convince Fergal of his innocence in his father’s demise, his words falling on deaf ears. Fergal’s indifference is palpable as he pleads for Elliot’s assistance, a request met with reluctance but granted nonetheless. Their alliance is shortly exposed when Sean (Brian Robinson), a shadowy figure keeping tabs on their meeting for Niamh, is caught off guard and brutally gunned down by Ned Tooley (Fin Dowling), who promptly escapes in a yellow sedan, his accomplice at the wheel.
The scene is set, tensions frayed, alliances questioned, and the stage poised for a dramatic unraveling.
Slater taps into his network of police contacts to locate Elliot Stanley's widow, Deidre (portrayed by Alma Kickham). Accompanied by Ethan, they accompany Helen as she interrogates her. Deidre makes no effort to disguise her disdain for Niahm or her conviction that Niahm was behind Elliot's demise. Helen uncovers that Elliot was a semi-celebrated salvage diver who had been hired by Frank, Niahm's spouse, to dive for the remnants of a crashed airplane. Deidre speculates that whatever Elliot discovered ultimately led to his untimely death. She also relates rumors about him being last seen boarding a Diamond Express Taxi with Niahm, who subsequently arrived in town alone, covered in grime.
As Elliot transports Fergal to the Cassidy Pub, he notices they are being tailed. A thrilling pursuit ensues, culminating in Elliot and Fergal plummeting off a cliff in a harrowing barrel roll. Standing atop the cliff, gazing down at the wreckage below, Ned hastily phones Liam (played by Rory Mullen) to gloat about their success and ensure the news reaches Frank. However, Ned is left befuddled when Liam reveals that Frank's instructions were explicitly not to harm Elliot. As Ned and his accomplice return to their vehicle, Elliot and Fergal are revealed to be concealed in the bushes, narrowly escaping detection.
Helen, Ethan, and Slater venture to the Diamond Express Taxi Company, where they are informed by the owner's son, Monsieur Tiot (Reginal Kudiwu), that his father was a meticulous record-keeper. The only catch is that all the records are paper-based, and Tiot is unwilling to assist them in sifting through them.
Traveling on foot now, Fergal confesses to Elliot that he had lied about not caring for his father and still harbors guilt for having wished his death. Elliot endeavors to offer him comfort. Meanwhile, while searching through the taxi records, a confrontation with Ethan prompts Helen to reconsider her relationship with Elliot.
Liam's phone buzzes again, conveying the startling news that Ned Elliot's vehicle stands barren. Simultaneously, this information races to Frank's ears, while Fergal and Elliot make their entrance at the Cassidy Pub. Fergal instantly second-guesses his decision to accompany Elliot, but the latter reassuringly vows his safety.
Inside the pub, Niamh's fury towards Elliot is palpable as she instantaneously commands Fergal to the far side of the bar, demanding an inspection of his bag. To everyone's relief, no bomb is discovered, but the sight of a handgun inside stirs quite a commotion. Elliot tries to intervene on Fergal's behalf, but Niamh, swept by anger and haste, confesses to murdering Fergal's father. This revelation incenses Elliot, yet he barely gets a chance to voice his outrage before Niamh instructs Tomasz (Raresh DiMofte) to alert Frank of their possession of his grandson. She dismisses Elliot, assuring him that Fergal will remain unharmed if Frank complies. However, Elliot stands his ground, refusing to leave.
Elsewhere, Helen unearths the 42-year-old ticket amidst Slater and Ethan's conversation about a rabbit sandwich, the latter mysteriously brandishing it. As they venture out to pursue the lead, tensions escalate between the McDonnells and Cassidys, signaling an impending confrontation. Guided by the ticket, Helen, Ethan, and Slater arrive at a roadside payphone. While Slater steps aside to answer a call from the station, Helen and Ethan engage in a debate about Niamh's potential hiding spot for the plane crash's contents. Upon Slater's return, detailing the brewing family feud, they commence their search across the fields adjacent to the payphone.
After what seems like an eternity of scrutiny, Helen stumbles upon a patch of earth bearing fresh disturbances. Concurrently, Frank storms into the pub, refusing to undergo a search as he marches inside. He and Niamh exchange barbs before she propositions Frank with a life-for-life trade, offering his safety in exchange for Fergal's. Frank counters by uncovering Fergal's betrayal and revealing the bomb that was meant to accompany him. Their argument intensifies as they grapple with the next course of action, until Helen arrives with love letters. She clarifies that these missives, penned by Frank's father, are addressed to Niamh's mother, thus revealing that Frank and Niamh are siblings. Despite Niamh's attempts to refute these claims, it becomes evident that she was already privy to this truth.
Six months into the future, Helen's exhilaration is barely containable as she strides into their home, brandishing her new business cards for her private investigative firm. She raves about the elegance of the cards and the wonderful demeanor of the Dutch, while Elliot looks visibly distressed, his gaze fixed on a manila envelope resting on the coffee table. When queried about it, he labels the file, "The Life and Times of Eugene Cassidy," leaving Helen to ponder aloud why anyone would possess a dossier on him, to which Elliot offers no response. Admitting he hasn't perused its contents, he invites Helen to take a peek. She waves it off, asserting she has no need to know, prompting Elliot to toss the file into the woodstove.
With that matter settled, she leads him to a theater, where he stands solitary and apprehensive. After offering him some words of encouragement, he begins to dance, his movements capturing the spotlight. The scene shifts between his graceful dancing and the file burning in the stove—the cover slowly incinerating to unveil a potentially hidden truth: that Elliot may have once been a special agent of some kind.
