Episode 2 of Zero Day kicks off with George gearing up for his journey to his new Manhattan headquarters. He reenvisions the fateful night when Natan's call shook him to the core, yet his memories are foggy, only crystallizing around the fact that he penned the infamous "Who Killed Bambi" lyrics. Meanwhile, in another corner of the narrative, a shadowy hacker carries out a sabotage, obliterating his hard drives before fleeing to a clandestine Bronx hideaway. There, he encounters a grim fate: the Russian official, who has already eliminated his fellow hackers, lies in wait. The hacker narrowly escapes with his life as the Russian agent aims to silence him too.
Switching back to the commission's lair, George faces a looming deadline—72 hours before the White House's ultimatum forces Evelyn's hand in blaming Russia. The initial briefing commences, but George's presence is a mere shell of his usual self, a detail not lost on Roger's watchful eyes. Melissa, the PR maven, demands a statement, and Carl promptly supplies her with bombshell news: footage capturing the hacker's massacre alongside Alexi Lebedev, a GRU officer. Given the fragile diplomatic ties with Russia, George is adamant about locating the hacker first and securing his narrative.
Roger checks in on George, who insists he's in top form despite the evident strain. New developments unfold: the hackers left a cryptic codeword, rumored to reference Ukraine's Orange Revolution, though George deems it overly overt. Concerning the ghostwriter, Anna, he tasks Roger with revisiting her demise, his memory jogged by a fleeting glimpse of her during his commission's inception. Furthermore, the military uncovers a facial match for the hacker, but crucial data remains under lock and key.In close proximity, Lyndon, a hedge fund maven, arranges a clandestine meeting with Roger. Having taken a short position in the market mere days before Zero Day, Lyndon possesses inside information on all fronts. It transpires that Roger, burdened by a past obligation, serves as Lyndon's informant too. Lyndon seeks updates on their commission's progress and insists their attention remain riveted on Moscow. Roger assures he will endeavor to comply, yet his demeanor hints at a desire to sever their ties. Furthermore, he expresses discontent over being assigned by George to the Anna matter.
Meanwhile, George returns home to find his wife, Sheila, glued to the news. CEO Kidder of a cutting-edge tech firm has reportedly extended assistance to George, news that Melissa, seemingly, remains unaware of. Sheila is apprehensive about George's recent mental collapse during the study session, yet he steadfastly refuses to relinquish his position.
Complicating matters further, Mitchell alerts George to a cyber-attack on Russia within the next 48 hours. Simultaneously, Kidder discourses on cyber adversaries beyond Russia's borders. George awaits a response from Natan, striving in vain to recreate the memory of their telephone conversation. To add insult to injury, Evan Green, a news anchor, disparages George as senescent and unworthy of leading the commission, reminding viewers of his last-minute withdrawal from the presidential reelection race.
That very night, Roger ventures to the morgue and discovers Anna's body missing, stirring a tempest of unease.
On Day 5, Carl unveils a bombshell: the hacker is one of their own, an undercover NSA agent. Roger updates George on Anna's disappearance, prompting the latter to ponder whether he had indeed glimpsed her at the press conference, a day after her purported demise.
Back at their residence, Sheila implores Valerie, their former chief of staff, to join the commission. Valerie, however, expresses disinterest. But Sheila, placing her trust in Valerie's abilities, believes she is the guardian angel George needs amidst the pack of predators surrounding him.
She stands justified as Dreyer has established an oversight committee, helmed by Congresswoman Alex, who vows to keep the commission in line. The internet erupts in skepticism, casting doubts on George's credibility. Desperate times call for desperate measures; the commission dispatches Roger to engage with Alex.
Amid George's disgruntlement over Sheila's hiring choice, Roger pays Alex a visit. Their familiarity is palpable as Roger expresses empathy towards Alex, who laments overseeing someone as intransigent as George. It transpires that Roger was the sole loyalist left when George abandoned his reelection bid. In an unexpected twist, Roger and Alex share a more intimate bond, indulging in a sexual relationship.
Returning to the investigation, George subtly coerces Admiral Bernard into handing over the file on the undercover hacker, Patrick. Providentially, they apprehend him just in time, thwarting Alexi's plans to eliminate him. As the GRU official exits, fate deals him a fatal blow—a truck driver runs him down.
Roger informs Melissa of his unsuccessful attempt to placate Alex. When he drops by his place, he spots the truck driver, who turns out to be another GRU agent. The agent insists Russia isn't involved, claiming Alexi acted beyond his authority and was subsequently eliminated. As a gesture of goodwill, they offer a lead to the true perpetrators who hired Felix's group for Zero Day.
Concurrently, Patrick undergoes interrogation, revealing the hackers were hacktivists aiming to expose the perils of digitalization. Someone duped them into crafting the Zero Day bug. The GRU agent's intel implicates the Reapers, a terrorist organization based in North Dakota. With this intel, Mitchell manages to abort their cyber attack on Russia.
However, Evan Green persists in lambasting George, comparing him to war criminals and quoting a past incident that occurred during a call with Natan. George realizes he was watching Green's program at that moment, enabling him to reconstruct the night and recall Natan mentioning Proteus as a weapon. He holds a press conference to update the nation on the Reapers and Proteus.
Mitchell is displeased, arguing that Russia could have unified them while conflict would only breed problems. As Zero Day Episode 2 concludes, Jeremy from the CIA brands George shady, affirming that while the Reapers are a genuine terrorist organization, Proteus is a government program. Mitchell is astounded and produces a top-secret file.
