The trial surrounding the tragic murder of Reena Virk is poised to commence, and the media frenzy surrounding it has reached feverish heights. The so-called Shoreline Six teenagers have been convicted of aggravated assault and sentenced to spend a year in Victoria's Youth Detention Centre. Suman (Archie Panjabi), while concurring with the verdict, finds herself grilled by reporters. The anguished mother of Reena (Vritika Gupta) solemnly reminds everyone that, while these youths will one day be released with a chance to rebuild their lives, Reena will never have that opportunity.
Roy (Matt Craven) expresses satisfaction with the outcome for the six but emphasizes that Warren and Kelly (Javon Walton and Izzy G.), specifically, bear the heaviest responsibility for what transpired to Reena. As both are charged with second-degree murder, Rebecca (Riley Keough) is interviewed and questions the sufficiency of evidence pointing to Warren's guilt.
Warren, on a phone call with his father, ponders over his uncertain future. It is then revealed that his father is planning to wed his girlfriend, and while Warren is invited to join them, he declines. Packing a bag and ransacking the liquor cabinet, Warren takes a swig from a bottle before smashing it to pieces. He has been evicted from his home, left with no destination. Ironically, this fateful day coincides with the murder of Reena.
A year later, Rebecca is busy chronicling Warren's journey in her forthcoming book. As she delves into his mindset, Josephine (Chloe Guidry) excitedly watches herself on the news inside the detention center, whereas Warren fumes and demands the TV be turned off. In the visitor's room, Warren is surprised to see Rebecca has come to see him. He had been expecting either his father or Samara (Isabella Leon). Their conversation is filled with awkward small talk, and while his peers seem to be moving forward, Warren feels resigned to his fate. Rebecca reminds him that if he tells the truth, he won't be tricked into saying something that could jeopardize his hearing.
At the police station, Roy informs the Crown Attorney that Samara is currently out of reach in Northern Alberta, and they have no idea when she will return. Cam (Lily Gladstone) clarifies that Samara hasn't absconded but is accompanying her mother for cancer treatments. Roy suggests pursuing the cooperation of Dusty (Aiyana Goodfellow) as an alternative and instructs Cam to pursue this lead.
As Kelly conversed with her parents and legal representative, maintaining her innocence and isolation, she adamantly asserted that her life was in imminent danger. Shortly after, Kelly discreetly passed Josephine a note, whispering that she had devised a plan to extricate them both from their predicament.
Cam encountered Rebecca in the hallways of the detention centre, but remained silent as they passed. Later, she met with Dusty in her cell, where the teenager revealed her newfound passion for "The Lord of the Rings." Cam, however, had more pressing matters to discuss. She informed Dusty that she had been summoned to testify in Warren's trial and would be questioned about her written statement. Dusty anxiously inquired if they knew that her statement, which implicated Warren in Reena's murder, was untrue. Cam cautioned Dusty that her false accusation could lead to additional jail time. Dusty, torn between loyalty and truth, felt trapped regardless of her choice. Her emotions ran high as she remembered Reena's trust and their friendship, vowing to do what was right, regardless of the consequences.
Josephine threatened Warren, warning him to refrain from betraying Kelly during the trial. She stressed that his silence might lead to his acquittal and reunite him with Samara.
Meanwhile, at the Godfrey residence, Charles perused a description of Warren penned by Rebecca. He found it perplexing, as the portrayal seemed overly lenient and admiring towards someone involved in a murder. He queried Rebecca about her choice of perspective, wondering why Reena's absence was so prominent in her writing. He accused his daughter of avoiding Reena's memory. Rebecca explained that Raj had informed her of the Virk family's ultimatum, forcing her to choose between Reena and Warren. She confessed her discomfort with the situation. Charles left her with a thought to ponder: Was it her reluctance to make a choice or her unwillingness to hear the Virk's side of the story?
Gathering her courage with the help of a marijuana joint, Rebecca nervously approached the front door of the Virk household. Manjit greeted her warmly, and he and Suman sat down with her. Rebecca assured them that she would never publish the false accusations leveled against Warren by Reena, which seemed to ease Manjit's concerns. Suman, however, was more skeptical. She inquired if Rebecca truly believed that her book could bring justice to Reena. When Rebecca attempted to deflect the question, Suman pressed further, wondering how the author could write about her daughter while befriending her killer. Rebecca became increasingly uneasy under the scrutiny and struggled to maintain her composure.
Suman eagerly inquired about what Warren had revealed to her regarding that fateful night. Manjit, on the other hand, was eager to learn what Reena's friends had whispered about her behind her back. Rebecca, with a shrug, informed them that few had a profound understanding of the real Reena. She attempted to quote a teacher's words, but Suman couldn't help but point out the obvious — for someone claiming to write a book about her daughter, Rebecca seemed to know precious little. (Finally, the glaring gap in Rebecca's narrative pursuit was addressed. She had made scant efforts to delve into the essence of Reena, the central figure in this tale, whose life was brutally cut short by thoughtless and heartless teenagers.)
Back at the detention center, Kelly found herself cornered by two members of the Shoreline 6. They accused her of blaming them for Reena's death, and Kelly, with a calculated provocation, egged them on until they lost their temper and lashed out. They shoved her roughly across a table, drawing the attention of a nearby guard. Josephine, without hesitation, came to Kelly's defense, supporting her claim of assault.
At Roy's house, Cam stumbled upon her father in the garage, pummeling the heavy punching bag with furious blows. Cam revealed to her dad that Dusty had decided against testifying because they hadn't called her to the stand. She confessed that she had coerced Dusty into making the statements she had. Roy, perplexed, wondered why his daughter would risk ruining her career so close to its pinnacle. He reminded Cam that only one girl had suffered that fateful night.
Warren approached Dusty and informed her that he had heard she was no longer required to testify. Dusty explained that she had been plagued by nightmares about Reena and believed that the only way to banish them was to speak the truth about what had transpired that night. As the Crown Attorney laid out the known facts of Reena's final night in court, Warren's mind wandered back to that chaotic evening, following the crowd as the teenagers chased after their prey.
On the witness stand, Warren was grilled about the fateful night of Reena's demise. He admitted to being deeply intoxicated for most of the day and claimed to have no recollection of that evening. His face etched with anguish, he pondered if he could ever forgive himself for the blank slate in his memory. Gently coaxing him, the Crown prosecutor urged Warren to delve into his hazy memories and piece together what had transpired. He assured him that if he spoke the truth, there would be nothing to fear.
Warren's testimony brought the courtroom back to that grisly night. The girls, in a frenzy, had attacked the helpless fourteen-year-old Reena as she lay defenseless on the ground. Warren, one among them, kicked her brutally. Left to the mercy of her supposed "friends," Reena's fate was sealed. Later, still reeling from the alcohol, Kelly found Warren and begged him to accompany her to track down Reena. Noticing the bloodstained hand of Kelly, Warren reluctantly agreed.
In the courtroom, the Crown prosecutor probed into what transpired after they reached the other side of the bridge. Warren recounted how Kelly viciously assaulted Reena further, ultimately pushing her into the water and drowning her. Warren steadfastly denied any physical involvement, claiming he repeatedly begged Kelly to stop. When asked if he had physically intervened to halt Kelly, Warren conceded that he had not.
The Crown prosecutor queried if Warren had dragged Reena into the gorge, to which he replied with a perplexed shake of the head, claiming ignorance. Asked to assess his level of responsibility in Reena's demise, he assigned Kelly a seven and himself a mere three.
Rebecca and Cam struggled to sleep, haunted by the revelations in court. Rebecca, desperate for comfort, sought Cam out and begged for entry into her room. The next morning, Cam revealed that Warren had asked her to return her brother's suit. This unexpected conversation served as a bridge for deeper discussions. Cam emphasized that despite her confusion about Warren's mindset, he and Gabe were worlds apart. Rebecca insisted that she saw beyond the mistake, a boy who needed her. She struggled to understand why others couldn't see beyond Warren's fatal error. Cam sternly reminded her that Warren's actions were far from a mere mistake; they constituted the murder of a fourteen-year-old girl.
At the detention center, Kelly triumphantly announced her impending release due to their concocted scheme of claiming her life was in danger. Josephine, realizing that only Kelly was being freed, reminded her that this was merely the first step, with the ultimate goal being Josephine's release. Josephine speculated on Warren's nightmares about Reena, wondering if Kelly suffered similarly. Kelly dismissed Warren as a fool and skipped off to freedom, leaving Josephine and Dusty trapped in the detention center.
In the courthouse bathroom, Suman encountered Rebecca and revealed a profound truth. She reminded Rebecca of Warren's chilling testimony, posing a haunting question: if Reena had resembled Rebecca, would Warren have carried out his actions? Suman's insight was chilling - Warren hadn't seen Reena as a human being; she was weak, expendable, a sacrificial lamb. Before departing, Suman implored Rebecca to grasp this truth if she ever hoped to write about her daughter's life with understanding and justice.
The judge summoned Warren to the stand, questioning the veracity of his testimony. Finding him guilty of second-degree murder, the court erupted in applause as Warren was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Rebecca, tears streaming down her face, embraced Warren as he was led away. Turning, she faced the shocked gazes of Manjit and Suman, who could not believe what she had done. Even Cam, her once-close friend, could not look at her, her actions too heinous to bear.
