In the opening scene of Episode 1 of Unconditional, we are introduced to the bustling Moscow International Airport. As the mother-daughter duo of Gali and Orna prepares to embark on their journey, they encounter a surprising setback. A group of police officers suddenly appears, scrutinizing Gali's passport and ultimately deciding to detain both of them. Before they are separated, Gali whispers something in Orna's ear, though we are not privy to the contents until later.
After a few hours of being held in custody, they miss their flight, but Orna is given the green light to leave. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Gali, who has been arrested after drugs are discovered in her backpack. Orna attempts to plead with the officers and wishes to see her daughter, but she is taken to a Moscow police station, leaving Orna with no choice but to head there.
The officer eventually scribbles down a note with the address, which simply states "whichever jail has room for her." Unfortunately, there are over 30 police stations in Moscow, and Orna is unsure where to begin her search.
Alone in a foreign land, Orna seeks help at the Embassy of Israel. The woman behind the counter rolls her eyes and explains that such incidents are quite common. She's confident that Gali will receive a minor punishment and be expelled from the country shortly thereafter. The likelihood is that she'll be released within 24 hours, so Orna just needs to be patient for now.
It's a public holiday, so there aren't many officials working, and the woman quickly reminds Orna that forcing the situation won't expedite things. Orna has no choice but to wait, knowing that either things will resolve or get a lot worse.
Orna hires a lawyer named Yevgeni to explain the situation, but he seems like a sleazy opportunist looking to make a quick profit. In reality, the real defender arrives—Maxim Kiselyov, who has been appointed as Gali's defense lawyer. The authorities intend to charge Gali with drug trafficking, and things don't look good for her.
The Ministry of the Interior has classified the case, and Maxim explains the dire consequences. Sometimes, the authorities laced the offered refreshments with cocaine, just enough to ensure a positive drug test, which they can later use in court. If Gali is convicted, she'll be sentenced to 8-12 years in prison. If they ask for a plea bargain, she'll get 2 years in prison. These are the options she has to choose from, and Orna must decide whether to take the deal or not.
Orna isn't sure, but she's pretty convinced that before they were separated, Gali told her not to touch the food. Flashbacks interspersed throughout this episode jump back to Mumbai, India, two weeks earlier.
Gali and her mother, Orna, are on a trip together. While sightseeing, Gali explains that she apparently promised her friend, Yaara, that she'd meet up with them during the trip. She's located in a nearby village, and Orna isn't about to head off to the resort alone. They hop onboard a bus together to the village. Only, apparently Yaara's bus is stuck en route, so she bails on them.
Gali decides they should leave first thing in the morning while they hang at their motel room once they arrive. Back in the present, Orna decides to call Yevgeni, looking for an alternate plan. Yevgeni meets with Orna that night and they drive up to the prison. Orna wears a tight dress as requested, which gets her in the front door after-hours.
It's tense, especially as she's led through the prison alone, until she finds a woman who certainly isn't Gali. Apparently, Yevgeni told them a "junkie girl from the Middle East," which doesn't exactly narrow it down. Unfortunately, in the commotion, Orna loses her daughter's bracelet.
In the morning, Orna heads to Moscow City Court where Gali is put on trial. Maxim is here defending her and points out that there was no Hebrew translator present during the interrogation, so nothing said within the interview room can be used - it's all inadmissible. Furthermore, Orna has a character witness and decides not to pursue a plea deal. One of the prosecutors whispers something to the judge, and as a result, he changes his tact and decides to go for the maximum penalty of incarceration. The court grants a three-month remand but it's not looking good. The prosecution wants her locked up for 18 years.
Maxim warns that if she stays, she could be arrested as well and believes Orna should head back to Israel and get her government involved. As the episode closes out, we cut back to those flashbacks in India one more time.
Gali sneaks out in the middle of the night while Orna isn't feeling too well. However, Gali seems to have stashed a number of passports inside a stuffed teddy bear belonging to different men.
