The episode begins with a man, lost in the darkness of the night, sailing on a boat. He vents his frustrations over the radio about his recent divorce from his wife. Unbeknownst to him, he is speaking to his friend, Lonnie, at port control. Suddenly, Lonnie warns him of something coming his way before the connection is cut off with a burst of static. The birds take flight, and the man turns to face the darkness, only to find himself met with a blank canvas of night.
Back in town, a group of teenagers are enjoying their evening, smoking in a car and listening to loud music. But their revelry is interrupted by a sudden burst of static on the radio, followed by a blackout across the town. A quake shudders through the ground, causing panic and concern among the residents.
Mayor Tom rushes to check on his son, Evan, who has disappeared from his room. The next day, the local station reports that the quake was the first in 20 years, but thankfully no one was hurt. Tom heads to the town hall to find out about the power outage and is frustrated to find that no one shares his sense of urgency. Rosemary, who works at the town hall, prefers to gossip rather than check in with Mitch about the lights. Finally, she informs Tom that Mitch promised to restore power at least in the south area of town and that he needs to talk to Wayne, who wants to close the restaurant for the day.
Tom calls Wayne and convinces him not to close the restaurant, explaining that he is expecting a journalist from The New York Times and has been trying to get one sent to town for almost three years. He makes a reservation for dinner and requests that Kathy doesn't serve them. Tom goes on to tell Patricia what a feature in The New York Times can do for the town, highlighting how it will help them get more tourists and bring in revenue they desperately need.
Ruth, his secretary, interjects, informing him that the sheriff has called twice. It emerges that Shep Clark is missing. Tom, unconcerned, assumes Shep is simply sleeping off his hangover somewhere. The sheriff also mentions the need to close the port due to the lingering fog. Tom notices that the 11 am boat has arrived early, relieved that the journalist has arrived.
Lee, the boat captain, informs Tom that he has sent the writer to the Historical Society. Tom rushes over and finds Gerrie entertaining Arthur, the writer, with tales of the town's history of cannibalism, witch hunting, and other dark events. Tom attempts to justify the town's dark past, urging Arthur to disregard the superstition that bad things happen there. He hands Arthur a map and promises to meet him later that evening at Wayne's restaurant for dinner.
Tom returns to the town hall to coordinate everyone's efforts. He is eager to secure that New York Times feature and is surprised to find his secretary, Ruth, already home, taking a nap.
Wyck interrupts the meeting and urges Tom to stop ignoring the ominous signs of the island. According to him, the earthquake, the fog, and Shep's disappearance are all signs that something is amiss. Wyck wants Tom to sound the alarm, but Tom dismisses it as superstition. He mocks Wyck and asks him not to interfere with what's good for the town.
As they continue their discussion, Tom receives a call from the mayor. He lies to everyone, telling them that the police have found Shep. He heads to his office and continues his call with the sheriff. The sheriff expresses doubt that they will find Shep and is already preoccupied with teenage delinquents running amok in town. Patricia realizes Tom is lying and reminds him of a story about a serial killer who broke into her home. Tom reassures her that the killer targeted teenage girls, so she was technically safe.
Tom returns home to find Evan smoking. He tries to reason with the boy, and we learn that his wife has died, and Evan is his stepson. Evan admits he's bored with little to do in town, and Tom promises to change that.
Suddenly, a deafening alarm echoes through the air, causing Tom to hastily depart. It transpires that Wyck has decided to take matters into his own hands. Tom pleads with him to silence the alarm, only to be called out by Wyck for his deceit regarding Shep. Wyck agrees to engage in a conversation, provided Tom listens without interruption.
Wyck shares with him and Patricia how the earthquake and the fog are signs that the island is stirring to life. According to him, the fog has already claimed Shep, and something dire is about to unfold. Wyck recounts several instances from the town's history where the fog has wreaked havoc, describing the first stage as the eyes turning white, followed by a loss of senses and delirium.
Patricia finds these claims a bit far-fetched, as does Tom. Despite Tom's attempts to reason with him, Wyck remains steadfast in his beliefs. Tom begins to ponder if it's personal - perhaps Wyck can't stand seeing someone else in charge.
Wyck brings up Tom's teenage days when he and his friends used to play doorbell-ditch at his house. Wyck claims he only saw Tom lying to his friends about pulling the prank. This revelation prompts Wyck to realize that Tom can't be a leader - to him, Tom is a coward.
Just then, Shep walks into the bar and falls. They rush him to the hospital, where doctors claim that he suffered a nasty fall. They insist on keeping him under observation until the swelling in his head subsides.
Tom goes to Shep's room to check up on him and finds Patricia, who is still seething about the serial killer comment.
Tom delves into Shep's medical chart, promptly noticing the peculiar absence of alcohol in his system. As he gets closer, Shep's eyes suddenly turn white and he grabs Tom, beginning to choke him. The ensuing struggle sees Shep falling off the bed, still relentless in his grasp. Eventually, Shep dies, and the doctors rush in to attend to him. Despite their efforts to revive him, Shep never returns to the realm of the living.
The incident leaves Tom deeply unsettled. He returns to the office and speaks with the town's coroner, inquiring if he noticed anything odd at the hospital before Shep's death. Patricia interrupts the call, reminding Tom that he is running late for his dinner with Arthur. However, Tom finds it difficult to focus on the dinner due to his preoccupation with the incident. Fortunately, Arthur seems fascinated by the town and its superstitions. As they talk, Tom notices the fog shifting and rushes to call Evan to ensure he's home.
The lights go out again, and a few people start leaving. Tom tries to persuade them to stay but loses his composure as they refuse. As they reach the door, he shouts, "There is something in the fog." The lights come back on, and Arthur's demeanor changes. He accuses Tom of staging gimmicks to give the town of Salem an aesthetic appeal. Tom stays until closing time and Wayne asks him to lock up. On his way out, Kathy, who is still there, gives him his receipt.
The episode ends with a glimpse of a tunnel in the town. We see a chair that looks like it came straight out of a medieval torture chamber. There is also an eerie sound emanating from a closed, rusty, metallic door across the chair.
