As the curtain rises on this episode of "Wild Cards," the somber ambiance of Arjun Singh's funeral permeates the air. Suddenly, an unsettling series of thumps emanates from within the coffin, leaving everyone present stunned and aghast. When the coffin lid is reluctantly pried open, Max Mitchell (portrayed by Vanessa Morgan) turns to Ricky Wilson (played by Fletcher Donovan), expressing her reluctance to leave their shared condo. Ricky gently reminds her that their father's impending release from jail and the subsequent windfall awaiting them will soon make their temporary separation worthwhile.
Through the doorbell camera, Ricky spots Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) standing outside, requesting their help in catsitting Marc while he works on his boat. Meanwhile, Cole receives an urgent call from Chief Li (Terry Chen), summoning him to a new case. Upon arrival, they are astonished to discover that Arjun Singh's coffin unexpectedly contains another individual—a woman who appears to be making distressing sounds. Max, visibly squeamish, hesitates to identify with her plight until she realizes it's merely a cadaveric spasm, as Coroner Olive (Manuela Sosa) informs her.
Upon closer inspection, Oliver detects deep ligature marks around the woman's neck, prompting Cole to unravel the mystery of how her body ended up in Singh's coffin. Their conversation with the funeral home owners yields no immediate answers; Mrs. Gunderson (Melanie Rees) and Vernon Gunderson (Jed Rees) insist they prepared the body and securely locked the coffin around 9:30 PM, afterwards indulging in a game of Donkey Kong upstairs. They implore discretion, fearing the incident could irreparably damage their small business's reputation against larger competitors.
Parker Gunderson (Patrick Lubczyk) abruptly interrupts, revealing that there's something crucial they must witness—a door forcibly opened. Amidst discussions about the functionality of their security cameras, Mrs. Gunderson informs Vernon that Mrs. Singh wishes to proceed with the funeral rites undeterred. Vernon agrees to provide Mr. Singh with a replacement casket, allowing the forensics team to scrutinize the original.
In private, Cole and Max ponder the motive behind such an outrageous act and the peculiarity of no one at the funeral recognizing the deceased woman. Their conversation with Mrs. Singh unravels further confusion; she and her husband were unaware of the victim and had prepaid for their funerals years ago, never ordering the The coffin in dispute Vernon claims to have upgraded it as a gesture of their long-standing relationship, a claim contradicted by the absence of any morning messages to the Singhs on his device when Cole requests to see them.
Enter Parker, confessing that he is responsible for placing the woman in the coffin. He reveals that she was deceased when brought in, his desperate act stemming from a crippling gambling debt exacerbated by his bookie's arrest and subsequent transfer of his debts. In an interview room, Parker confesses, his actions a desperate bid to repay his mounting obligations.
Last night, he received the directives. He was instructed to keep the backdoor ajar and relocate Singh to a more spacious coffin. Parker revealed that they had threatened to harm his parents if he approached the authorities. Subsequently, Cole verified that Parker had indeed received those messages through a disposable phone the previous night. Chief Li informed them that the bookie had succumbed to a heart attack in prison, rendering him unable to assist in their inquiry. Detective Simmons (portrayed by Michael Xavier) submitted a request to the federal missing persons database in hopes of identifying the deceased woman.
Cole received a notification from the marina, confirming that his boat's hull was in even poorer condition than initially assessed. Max generously offered Cole and Marc a place to stay with her. That evening, they spent time with Ricky. Max and Cole engaged in a heartfelt conversation about his brother's demise and the elusive killer. Cole confessed that he longed to be actively pursuing the perpetrator rather than passively waiting.
Oliver reached out to inform them that she had discovered traces of dog hair and dander embedded in the neck tissues of Jane Doe. She deduced that the victim had been murdered using a dog leash. Additionally, they found a blue contact lens entangled in Jane Doe's hair. Ricky announced that he and Marc were ready to retire for the night.
The following morning, Max awoke to find Cole busy cooking in the kitchen. Detective Yates (played by Amy Goodmurphy) called with exciting news: they had a match for Jane Doe. The husband had reported her missing and had come to identify the body. He confirmed that the woman was Janice (played by Laurence Tetreault), whom he had last seen two nights prior. He speculated that she had gone to the Millside arena, as she was a dog show judge—a role akin to being selected to referee the Super Bowl, where judges are prohibited from owning dogs to avoid accusations of bias. Simmons mentioned that forensics had tracked Janice's rental car to an abandoned location, finding no signs of a struggle. Many individuals harbored resentment towards Janice.
Max went undercover at the dog show but encountered a hurdle when she realized they weren't on the list. Ricky, ever the tech-savvy friend, hacked into the Canine Circuit to rectify the situation. Once confirmed, Wesley Barnell (portrayed by John Cassini), the president of Canine Circuit Dog Shows and CEO of Furry Cuisine, introduced himself to her. He also shared details about their new GPS dog tags. Their conversation briefly touched upon Janice before Wesley excused himself. Shortly after, Wesley spoke with Cole, revealing that Janice's key card had logged an entry at 10:03 p.m. on the night of her murder. Wesley speculated that she might have been inspecting the grooming stations and the show ring. A deliveryman's arrival interrupted their discussion. Wesley advised Cole to speak with Vicky (played by Marnie Mahannah), as Janice had been her mentor.
Meanwhile, Simmons and Yates conducted their own surveillance outside. Cole caught up with Vicky, who admitted to being close to Janice and saw nothing unusual about her. When Cole inquired about someone smeared dog food on her car a few days ago, Vicky acknowledged that the fierce competition could bring out the worst in people, specifically mentioning Mrs. Palmer.
Meanwhile, Max engages in a conversation with Mrs. Palmer and her doting owner, Myrtle (played by Eileen Barrett). Myrtle unravels the mystery behind the identical leads, revealing it as a sordid tale of colossal human egos clashing in an unsightly competition amongst themselves. Cooper (Joshua Pak) chimes in, mentioning Mrs. Palmer's disqualification, to which Myrtle retorts emphatically that this is their year to shine. In a hushed tone, Cooper confides in Max that Myrtle is convinced Janice harbored a prejudice against dachshunds, even going so far as to suspect her of sabotaging Janice's car with dog food. Simmons delves into the trash, eventually unearthing the elusive phone.
Joining Cole, Max shares her newfound insights. Yates calls Cole, informing him that they've secured Janice's unlocked phone. Upon returning, Max and Cole are met with barking sounds and discover Janice's husband, Oscar Evans (Sachin Sahel), with Vicky. Max accuses Oscar of having an affair with Vicky. Oscar defends himself, claiming they couldn't possibly understand his situation. Both Vicky and Oscar deny any involvement in Janice's demise, insisting on their alibis supported by a manager and a locksmith.
At the police station, Max reveals to Cole that the handcuffs from Passion Palace malfunctioned, necessitating the locksmith's assistance. Cole observes that Wesley, who usually texted Janice every morning with the daily itinerary, omitted doing so the day after her death. They delve deeper into Wesley's background. Watching his commercial, they notice his blue eyes hidden behind cosmetic contacts, prompting Max to suggest Ricky's assistance in tracking AirTags to locate Wesley.
They discover Wesley's car parked beside another, which Cole identifies as belonging to Gregory Thomas, a convicted felon and associate of a bookie, likely to have taken over Parker's debts. Cole recalls seeing Thomas disguised as a delivery man at the dog show and promptly alerts Chief Li of their impending raid. Inside, they uncover a clandestine drug operation hidden in Wesley's dog food. Confronted, a gunman aims at Cole, who swiftly disables him. Wesley orders his men to take cover, igniting a hail of bullets.
Cole instructs Max to escape in the Bronco while he stays behind. Simmons and Chief Li arrive to reinforce Cole, who soon apprehends Wesley. At the station, Chief Li confirms that Wesley's dog show was a front for his drug distribution network. Federal agents have traced the drugs to their intended source, leading to the imminent arrest of numerous criminals. Parker, meanwhile, faces community service. Lola's parents arrive to collect her, while Cole receives a message confirming his boat's readiness. Ricky succumbs to depression as Marc is taken away. Cole, still grappling with the boat issue, finds solace in Max's observation of Jonathan Ashford (Martin Sheen) articulating his unyielding principles—to sever ties without hesitation when necessary.
