In Episode 11 of Hacker's first season, Shaw embarks on a journey to Wyoming, determined to track down a missing college student named Blake Barker. Blake vanished the night after a heated altercation with another student during a wild party. His mother, Polly, her heart heavy with worry, offers Shaw a reward for his assistance in the search.
Blake is a pivotal member of a high-stakes graduate project, delving into the intricacies of protein cell folding under the esteemed guidance of Professor Lyle Hewitt. His research has garnered significant interest from major pharmaceutical companies, making him a prized commodity in the academic world. Lately, Blake has been grappling with anxiety, its cause remaining a mystery.
Reluctantly, Polly shares a haunting tale from her childhood, revealing that her brother once ran away similarly, only to be found days later, lifeless. Could Blake's disappearance be linked to a similar fate? Shaw's estranged sister, Dory, happens to be a professor at the university, and he reluctantly approaches her for help, despite their year-long silence. Shaw has uncovered new information about a project his father was involved in, but Dory, more focused on the present, insists they meet for dinner.
During his meeting with Lyle, Shaw discovers a startling revelation: Blake has been falsifying his research results. Although there was no direct confrontation, it's clear that this deception played a role in his disappearance. Lyle isn't forthcoming with much information, but Shaw manages to isolate Blake's lab partner, Jada, for insights. She mentions Blake's presence at the party, piquing Shaw's interest further.
Working tirelessly with Bobby, Shaw delves into Blake's phone records to uncover who he might have been seeing. Meanwhile, a chance encounter at a bar leads Shaw to a crucial clue: a cowboy hat lying abandoned on the road, the same one Blake wore the night he vanished. Inside the house, Shaw stumbles upon a device containing compromising photos of Blake, taken by him himself. Sex toys hidden in a cabinet lead Shaw to the store where they were purchased, adding to the mystery.
Bobby's phone call brings more revelations: Blake had been in frequent contact with a girl named Irene Hertzyl. She had invited him to the party but never showed up, explaining why Blake had mistakenly grabbed the wrong girl during the fracas. Shaw now has a photo of Irene and heads straight to the store where she works.
As Shaw enters the store, Irene greets him with a smile, but her expression quickly turns to shock as he confronts her about Blake. Irene confesses that she had been blackmailing Blake, a job she and her husband, Chuck, had picked up from the dark web. She doesn't know the specifics, but she mentions that the mysterious client needed "leverage" over Blake.
The mystery deepens as Shaw digs deeper into Blake's disappearance, piecing together clues and confronting unexpected truths. Will he be able to find Blake and uncover the truth behind his vanishing? Only time will tell.
As Shaw's gaze fell upon the ominous splatter of blood staining the rug in the store, he urgently compelled Irene to retrieve the CCTV footage from the previous night. With eager anticipation, he watched the tape, revealing a harrowing scene of Chuck brutally bashing Blake's head against the counter and dragging him away to an unknown destination. Irene shook her head in bewilderment, clueless as to Blake's whereabouts.
In a state of disappointment, Shaw abandoned his plans for dinner with Dory and instead arrived at his RV, his heart heavy with concern. He urgently tasked Bobby with reaching out to a mysterious contact on the dark web, arranging a clandestine meeting. The shadowy figure who emerged was Dax, Blake's former lab partner, who revealed the shocking truth: Lyle was the mastermind behind the entire scheme, including the falsified numbers.
Forced into an uneasy alliance with Dory, Shaw and his partner theorized that Lyle might be hiding Blake in one of the underground bomb shelters. As Shaw and Dory drew nearer to their prey, Lyle and Chuck frantically tried to coerce Blake into revealing the location of the pen drive containing incriminating evidence.
The tense confrontation came to a head when Shaw confronted Lyle, who held Blake hostage at gunpoint. Shaw spoke calmly but firmly, trying to reason with the desperate criminal. But Lyle's fury got the better of him, launching him into a violent attack. Shaw, however, was prepared and retaliated swiftly, engaging Lyle in a fierce struggle.
In the aftermath of the confrontation, Blake was safely reunited with his relieved mother, while Lyle was arrested and faced the prospect of a long prison sentence. Finally, Shaw and Dory were able to enjoy their delayed dinner, their conversation turning to the past and their father's untimely death. Dory gently reminded Shaw of the importance of moving forward and visiting more frequently, emphasizing the need for the siblings to stay connected and not be trapped by the past.
As Dory rode away with their uncle to the city, Shaw made the conscious decision to stay behind. He chose to be with their mother, offering her his unwavering support in her difficult time. Dory's words echoed in his mind, a reminder that while their mother may have played a part in their father's demise, it was time for them to move on together, as a family, and forge a new future.
