As the episode of Wild Cards unfolds, piercing screams echo through the air as women discover Veronique's lifeless body, a chilling scene that sets the tone. Detective Yates (Amy Goodmurphy), her voice steady yet laced with urgency, informs the gathered crowd that the victim was fatally wounded by a stiletto. Commissioner Russo (Karin Konoval), Chief Li (Terry Chen), and their colleagues scrutinize footage extracted from a reality show titled "The Luxurious Ladies of Linden Avenue." Russo explains their collective presence, noting the incessant media attention the incident has garnered.
Detective Simmons (Michael Xavier) sheds light on the show's recent girls' trip episode, revealing that the women rented a mansion devoid of cameras in the upstairs regions and individual bedrooms. Each woman claims to have been confined to her bed for the night, isolating the suspects to the cast and a minimal crew. Intriguingly, the murder weapon belonged to Veronique herself, who had engaged in a heated altercation with her peers, threatening to stab them in the back with their own stilettos.
Yates announces the temporary halt of filming to allow for a thorough investigation, yet hints at resuming operations the following day. Russo, mindful of her mayoral campaign's potential demise amidst this media circus, insists that if production cannot cease, Max (Vanessa Morgan) must infiltrate the group to gather insights.
Max ventures into the mansion, introducing herself to the ensemble with a blend of professionalism and intrigue. Ricky Wilson (Fletcher Donovan), serving as a police consultant, delves into the profiles of the cast members. He describes Veronique as the domineering force, with Talia (Kyle Richards), her closest confidant and the one who discovered the body, standing by her side. Talia, sans children and a five-year sobriety milestone under scrutiny due to whispers of relapse, shares a bond unparalleled in the group.
Jasmine (Millan Tesfazgi), a former New York party girl now married with an enviable life, recently released a single titled "Too Drunk to Remember Your Name." Countess Katarina (Andrea Stefancikova) hails from an obscure Slavic country, adding a layer of mystery to the mix. Clementine (Haley Victoria Hunt), a newcomer described as somewhat unremarkable, reveals that the trip serves as her divorce party. Ricky, assuming the role of on-site tech, shadows the proceedings.
Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti), dispatched by the network to clean up the mess, convenes with Greg (David Attar). They discuss Clementine, whom Greg brands as a network nepotism beneficiary. Skeptical of the women's guilt, Greg expresses ignorance regarding the secret Veronique intended to reveal in the finale. Cole, willing to take over the confessionals, accepts the task.
Max subtly probes the women about the murder, prompting Clementine to open up about her divorce. Meanwhile, Jasmine and Katarina engage in a heated dispute, with Talia and Clementine attempting to intervene. As the women meditate in a shared moment of calm, Max whispers to Jasmine, inquiring about her suspicions. Jasmine, emphatic about her stake in maintaining her perfect life, doubts Clementine's innocence, citing her overly composed demeanor as suspicious.
On the fateful night of the murder, Jasmine witnessed Clementine strolling across the grounds from the comfort of her window. Ricky imparted to Cole the inside scoop: Katarina's focal narrative on the reality show revolved around her bitter rivalry with Jasmine. He coached Cole to broach the topic of Boris's arthritis, hoping it would serve as the key to unlock her guarded heart. Shortly thereafter, Katarina and Liam (portrayed by Andre Anthony) joined Cole, and without delay, Cole steered the conversation towards Katarina's beloved pony, Boris.
Katarina asserted that they had retired early on the evening of Veronique's demise. She dismissed the notion that Jasmine could be a murderer, instead revealing that she had seen Clementine heading towards the kitchen at the precise moment of the crime—she distinctly remembered it being ten past eleven. Later, Max phoned Cole with a twist: Jasmine had claimed to have seen Clementine wandering the grounds at 11:11. Cole relayed Katarina's account of witnessing Clementine in the kitchen at 11:10, sensing a disparity in the timelines.
Suspecting foul play, Max opted to confront Katarina directly. Upon arriving at her room, Max stumbled upon a compromising scene—Katarina and Jasmine locked in an intimate embrace. They pleaded with Max to keep their secret, revealing that they were secretly married and that Jasmine's husband was notoriously possessive and jealous. Katarina confessed their years-long love affair, explaining that their on-screen feud was merely a charade to stay on the show and sneak in moments together. Just before their trip, Veronique had confronted them about their relationship, yet they both vehemently denied any involvement in her murder, insisting they were together at the time. Katarina reiterated that Jasmine had observed Clementine from the window.
Max left them in a hurry, her mind reeling. Ricky's observation that they were indeed together was confirmed by the sight of Jasmine donning Katarina's robe and vice versa in the photos taken that night. Cole then made plans to question Clementine in the confessional room, but his intentions were thwarted by Talia, who had beaten him to it. Cole, unable to interview Clementine, turned his attention to Talia, inquiring about the night in question.
Talia, still raw with emotion over Veronique's loss, expressed her anger and shared that she had gone to administer a sleeping pill to Veronique when she discovered her lifeless body. She emphasized her five-year sobriety as her proudest accomplishment, vowing never to jeopardize it by succumbing to outside pressures. She also hinted at foul play, claiming someone had tampered with her drink. Cole prodded further, asking if Talia was privy to the bombshell Veronique intended to drop at the finale, to which she firmly denied any prior knowledge.
As Talia's interview concluded, Clementine eagerly anticipated her turn, only to be met with yet another disruption—the women were organizing a filler party. Max informed Jasmine that she had already secured her 'filler,' but before Clementine could undergo the procedure, she insisted the nurse check for air bubbles. To their horror, they discovered acid in her syringe. The nurse, mystified, claimed ignorance, explaining she had been away from the syringes while getting her microphone attached.
Cole suggested reviewing the security footage in another room, which revealed the nurse's innocence. Determined to uncover the truth, Cole opted for a different tack. Meanwhile, Yates and Simmons, misunderstanding the situation, accused Clementine of staging her own attempted suicide. Unbeknownst to them, Greg was quietly recording their conversation with Clementine.
Simmons levels a grave accusation against Clementine, branding her as Veronique's killer. In her defense, Clementine declares this to be her divorce party—her moment to shine under the spotlight. She categorically denies any involvement in Veronique's demise. Earlier in their trip, Veronique had confidentially revealed to Clementine that she had conducted a background check on her, finding her devoid of secrets. Meanwhile, Clementine was engaged in a desperate phone call with her estranged husband Larry, hoping to reconcile, when the tragedy struck. Subsequently, Clementine is apprehended and handcuffed, facing a charge of reckless endangerment.
Cole and the others confront Ricky about Clementine's drastic actions, delving into the revelation that Veronique had hired a private investigator to delve into Clementine's past. Yates and Simmons visit the investigator, only to find him deceased in his office, with a concerned employee informing them that his laptop, containing invaluable information, is missing. The investigator had a habit of storing duplicates of all his files in the basement.
Cole finds Max's attire for the finale dinner particularly impressive, while Ricky warns that Max might be toying with dangerous territories. However, Cole confirms that Clementine's alibi checks out. Separately, Yates and Simmons share stunning news—Veronique was romantically involved with Liam. Cole and Max quickly deduce that Liam, who was present in the mansion at the time of the murder, could be the one who recorded the incriminating video. They devise a plan to have Ricky re-examine the footage.
Adding to the intrigue, Yates and Simmons reveal that Talia too harbors secrets. As Cole and the rest observe the video more closely, they notice Greg instructing someone to head to Veronique's room. Cole informs Ricky of their need for more time, expressing confidence in his ability to assist further. Greg then announces the finale dinner, inviting all the ladies to share something personal about Veronique.
Jasmine, unable to contain her discovery, bursts out with a bombshell—the camera boy, Liam, was intimate with Veronique. She speculates that Liam, fearing exposure of the affair, might have been the one to silence Veronique. Talia, shockingly, confesses that Liam is her biological son, whom she had helped secure a job on the show, keeping their relationship a closely guarded secret. She admits to feeling unworthy of a relationship with him. The room is left stunned by this revelation, with tensions escalating rapidly.
The day preceding her demise, Talia uncovered the affair between Veronique and Liam. She alleged that Veronique had a penchant for discarding her youthful lovers once she tired of them, and that Liam would have met the same fate, with Veronique eager to oust him from the spotlight. Driven by this belief, Talia confessed to confronting Veronique in her room, intending to end her life. However, Max refuted this narrative, insisting that Veronique had already passed by the time Talia arrived.
As Yates joined Ricky's side, Max highlighted that Liam had been prompted to visit Veronique's chamber that fateful night. Liam suspected Greg might be behind the suggestion. Ironically, it was at this precise juncture that Talia encountered Veronique. Max contended that Greg was aware the scream emanated from Veronique's room because he was her murderer. He revealed that Veronique was on the brink of exposing a damning secret about Greg's mistreatment of Talia during a film shoot two months prior. Ricky then played the footage, which clearly showed Greg spiking Talia's drink. Max elaborated that Greg craved a juicy relapse storyline.
Liam entrusted the incriminating tape to Veronique, who confronted Greg on the night she was killed. Max proposed that Greg, anticipating job loss upon the footage's revelation, chose to eliminate Veronique and frame the other women. To support this claim, Yates announced the discovery of a private investigator's laptop at Greg's residence—a man Greg had killed to ensure the footage remained exclusive to him. Greg subsequently manipulated Veronique and Liam to shroud his true intentions.
In a moment of defiant admission, Greg proclaimed his reign over the empire, boasting that the show's drama and intrigue were solely due to his machinations. Acknowledging his guilt, Greg was subsequently apprehended by Cole, who revealed his own status as a police officer, accompanied by Max who admitted the same.
Talia, amidst her grief, introduced Liam as her son, expressing their determination to rebuild their bond. Elsewhere, Jasmine confessed her weariness of pretense to Katarina, yearning only to be by her side, content with living a normal life as long as they remained together. With the case closed, Cole authorized Max to stand down, and they watched the show together with Ricky, lamenting that its true colors would remain unseen by the public. Ricky reminded Max of a clip showing Cole helping her with her zipper, urging her to sort out her feelings as George's release loomed in two weeks, signaling the end of their project and potentially her departure from Cole's life. Left to ponder, Max viewed the clip alone. Later, Ricky received a grand clock, marking another twist in their unfolding saga.
