Episode 1 of "THEM: The Scare" kicks off with a haunting retro tune echoing through the air, accompanying the sight of a helpless captive.
Currently, Dawn Reeve, a detective of the LAPD, leads a double life as a doting mother to her teenage son, Kelvin, and a devoted daughter to her loving mother, Athena. She rushes to the latest crime scene - a foster home shrouded in mystery. Inside, they discover Bernice Mott, the foster mother, contorted and shoved beneath the sink cabinet, her lifeless body a jarring contrast to the serene home.
The crime scene reveals more than just a gruesome discovery. Cracked glass shards litter the floor, a broken clock ticks lifelessly on the wall, and cleaning supplies spill out into the hallway, hinting at a violent struggle.
Dawn eagerly takes on the case, but due to a past mistake - a physical altercation during the notorious Southside Slayer case - McKinney steals the lead role. His hasty and cursory approach to investigations irritates Dawn, who prefers a more thorough approach.
McKinney's interrogation of Malcolm, the young boy who reported the murder, is particularly harsh. He accuses Malcolm of killing Mott, suggesting that her abusive nature must have driven him to violence. As Malcolm breaks down, Dawn intervenes, urging him to seek legal representation.
Meanwhile, Edmund Gaines, a struggling actor who spends his days working at an arcade, prepares for his next audition. He's tasked with playing a gangster, but his soft-spoken nature only elicits laughter from the cameraman. Edmund holds a secret admiration for Rhonda, the agency's secretary, who shares a warm rapport with him. Yet, as he waits patiently through the night, rehearsing his violent lines while watching the cameraman hug Rhonda goodbye, his heartache is palpable.
It's Dawn's special day, and the Reeves family gathers for a festive birthday dinner. However, the festivities are overshadowed by concerns. Athena's once-steady hands seem to be faltering, and Dawn's ex-lover continues to haunt her with unwanted contact. As they dine, a strange phenomenon occurs - the lights in the kitchen and garage flicker intermittently, casting an uneasy shadow over the evening.
Elsewhere, Rhonda brings her son, Kenny, to the arcade for some fun. There, they encounter Edmund, who quickly bonds with the pair. Rhonda is deeply moved by his kindness and offers to scour through scripts in search of a perfect role for Kenny. They exchange contact information, and Edmund's face lights up with joy.
Meanwhile, Dawn finds herself visiting Malcolm's sister, Kia, who harbors a deep fear of Bernice. A flashback reveals Bernice's own past trauma, when she was terrified of a mysterious man. In an attempt to keep the foster children, including Malcolm, safe, she gathered them all and forced them to watch TV, hoping to keep them awake. But sleep overcame them all, except for Kia, who awoke to the sound of bone-chilling screams and the sickening crunch of breaking bones as the man attacked Bernice.
Back at the Reeves' home, the flickering lights return, this time in the garage. Kelvin, engrossed in his drumming, barely notices. Upstairs, Athena's hands tremble as she chops carrots, and she is startled by a sudden scream that sounds like Bernice's. Dawn returns home to find both of them asleep, and her curiosity piqued, she delves deeper into the mysterious case. She crouches into the cabinet beneath the sink, recreating the victim's final position. As she listens to a recording of her own comments from the crime scene, the audio begins to distort, and a chilling voice asks, "Are you scared?" - a haunting conclusion to THEM: The Scare Episode 1.
