Sometime in 2013, Gideon Goddard meets with Tyrell Wellick, Phillip Price, and Terry Colby at Allsafe. He mention the company opening in 2004 and pitches its small roster as an advantage. Colby scoffs crudely at Goddard, refusing to wait a month for Allsafe to publish their 2012 financial report, for fear of putting E Corp at risk. Angela Moss enters to give Gideon a folder, when Price and her lock eyes for a moment. Colby tells her to refill his coffee. Gideon tries to intervene as Price watches intently, but Angela agrees to it. In the limo back to the office, Colby complains about an afternoon wasted when Price decides to contract Allsafe. Colby is caught offguard. As they enter the building, Tyrell expresses his concerns and suggests he handle cybersecuirty internally. Price asks for his name and refuses his counsel. Tyrell gives him a final warning that the decision may come back to haunt them.
On the night of October 21, 2015, Tyrell is dropped off at his house by the FBI a free man (under restrictions against international travel). Inside, Tyrell finds Joanna's purse and their sons's crib, causing him to break down weeping.
On 7 am in the morning of October 22, Elliot comes to consciousness in his bathroom, writing “They own the FBI” on the mirror in soap as Flipper barks. He deduces this is Mr. Robot's work after taking over and that "they" is the Dark Army. As his computer, he finds an FBI pdf about "Sentinel" He thinks Mr. Robot saw Trenton's email about undoing 5/9 and sees an article opened about Tyrell's release from custody.
Back at 11 pm the previous night, Mr. Robot storms out at the sight of Tyrell's face. He confronts Tyrell about the 71 buildings while Tyrell confronts him about ruining the plan as his son was taken and wife murdered. Mr. Robot calls Tyrell a Dark Army puppet, considering his freedom must come at a price. He insults Joanna, causing Tyrell to don rubber gloves and attack him. The doorbell rings: enter Phillip Price. Price invites Mr. Alderson off the floor to join the conversation at the table.
Back on 10/22, Elliot and Darlene are at the arcade. He is showing her Trenton's email about Romero's plan B to restore E Corp's data. Elliot wants intel on the FBI to get Romero's drives from FBI storage system "Sentinel." Darlene calls it impossible, dismissing his plan to infiltrate it himself. She wants to go to her contact, but Elliot tells her DA owns the FBI. She convinces him to let her try her angle and trust her experience. Elliot agrees and decides to handle the DA side of the equation.
Irving is on a test drive with a client when the car is automatically pulled over by Onstar. Elliot enters the back seat. Irving calmly tells the customer to go back to the dealership. Elliot wants him to set up a meeting with Whiterose about Stage 3.
At night, Darlene meets with Dom at a bar at the former's request. Darlene confirms Dom's suspicions, explaining Whiterose's involvement with the 5/9 hack. Darlene refuses to go on record, for fear of the DA. Dom encourages her to avenge her murdered friends. Darlene excuses herself to the bathroom. She sees that her device failed to copy Dom's FBI badge from when her bag brushed up against her earlier. Darlene decides to take off her coat, showing off more skin, planning to seduce Dom.
Elliot returns home as the army warns people of the 9-4 curfew. He finds Angela on the stoop looking haggard. She shows him a newspaper with the cover about Tyrell's appointment to CTO and talks about things going back to the way they were. Elliot is confused and Angela tells him Whiterose can explain. He dismisses that as Angela's emotions about her mom being manipulated. He takes a hold of her and tells her their parents aren't coming back. Angela wants to go inside because people are trying to stop them.
At the bar, Darlene opens up about her inner weakness that won't let her testify. Dom admits to also using a tough front. They establish a trust, before Darlene motions to leave. Dom offers her another drink to stay. They begin to discuss Dom's single status as Darlene tries to play potential wingwoman with the women in the bar.
As Elliot and Angela enter his apartment, they find Leon on the couch, who apologizes for disrupting them. Angela accuses him of listening to her. Elliot insists she leave. Angela believes Elliot is in on the trap to learn about the plan and stop her. Leon tells Elliot they have business to attend.
Back on the night of 10/21, Price tells Tyrell he is appointed CTO. He explains it is a figurehead position, inherited from a deal gone wrong. Any ambition should be quelled and obediance is necessary. Price only came to inform him out of respect and takes silence as affimation. Tyrell believes his hero status is being used for Price to undo his shame from firing him in the first place. Price scoffs, telling him he isn't worth a move. As Price moves to leave, Mr. Robot asks if he knew about 5/9 and fsociety the whole time. Price says that he didn't know the minutiae, but explains that world catastrophes don't occur from lone wolves but by people like him allowing them. Mr. Robot insists that he was responsible, but Price explains that leaders have followers. Agenda must be inspired, not forced.
Back on the night of 10/22, Dom and Darlene return to the former's apartment, under the understanding that the latter isn't a lesbian. Darlene questions that definition. Dom gets them beers from the fridge, but hopes to get Darlene home before curfew. Darlene comments on Dom's E-Kit making her a girl scout. Dom tells her Alexa device to play music. Darlene talks about a blonde from the bar as Dom starts to feel drunk. Darlene kisses her, but Dom refuses. She calls it unprofessional, to which Darlene point out she isn't a CI anymore. She tries to kiss her again and concedes the second refusal. Dom eventually kisses her. She puts her gun and badge in the safe as Darlene watches. They go to bed.
At 8:28 pm, Angela locks the many locks on her front door. Her apartment is covered with photos that have the faces scratched out. Her furniture is covered in plastic tarps. She concludes aloud that she must warn Whiterose the plan may have been overheard. Angela packs waters, copies of Lolita, and rotary telephones into a cart. She dismisses a call from Dad on her cellphone. News plays on the TV, covering a backlash against the FBI after the cyber bombings, concerning a mistrust of government. Angela puts her phone in the sink full of dishes and water. She takes the untouched picture of her and her mom and asks if Qwerty is ready, believing Whiterose will pick her up from the subway again.
Leon and Elliot find a Dr. Wang alone in an empty square. Leon leaves. Dr. Wang takes Elliot's bag and brings him to meet with Grant and two masked DA soldiers. Elliot says his laptop has the Stage 3 plans. As they download the plan onto a USB, Grant insists when they met to discuss the hack, Elliot said there were only two stages. Elliot wants to speak with Whiterose, but Grant insists he will relay messages. Elliot says ending E Coin is the only way to truly kill E Corp. Grant says goodbye and leaves.
Angela roams the street with her cart, passing a group of soldiers. She refuses a CD from a man trying to sell them. A white van parks behind her. Men in suits tell her to come with them. She agrees.
Late at night, Darlene gets out of bed as Dom sleeps and opens the safe. Dom catches her, realizing why she came here and refuses to let Darlene talk her way out.
Back on the night of 10/21, Tyrell chugs vodka as Mr. Robot paces. Tyrell sees now that they were used, feeling himself a prisoner once more. He believes the CTO position is worthless, but Mr. Robot thinks they can use it to see how Price and Whiterose operate. They can wait until they find the vulnerability to strike. Tyrell suggests the FBI, as the DA have an inside man.
In FBI interrogation, presumably the early morning of 10/23, Dom questions Darlene about hacking her. Darlene has already explained. Santiago wants to hear the story, on camera. Darlene refuses, as her friends usually die when the FBI get intel, as she concludes they must be tied to the DA. Santiago wants to hear it from Dom. She explains they had relations, which she plans to report, when Darlene was caught trying to steal the badge to get into Sentinel. They tell Darlene immunity is off the table. Darlene explains that key to reversing 5/9, offering them to take it to E Corp themselves and be the heroes.
In Santiago's office, Dom believes Darlene's plan is the whole reason for their investigation. Santiago refuses, based on Dom's relationship possibly muddying the case. Dom wants to know why he won't take up this no-lose scenario. He dismisses her to write her report while assigning a new agent to Darlene. Once Dom leaves, Santiago is on the phone. There is news on TV covering an imminent US cyber attack on Iran. Santiago tells Irving about Darlene's story, scared he may be burnt, as well as her idea to undo 5/9. Irving, working on his book, asks where she is. Santiago says she's in custody and wants to know how to proceed.
Whiterose throws a tantrum upon hearing from Grant that her project has not been shipped to the Congo after a month, not even one box being packed. Grant says it was due to heightened border security. Whiterose yells about all the politicians they own. Grant says martial law has made everyone afraid. Grant gets permission to speak honestly and says it is WR's fault for indulging Elliot's whims. He tauts his own strategy and says the attacks weren't necessary. Whiterose says respect only comes from men like Price when you force it. Grant sits with her on the couch and vows to bring a more persuasive argument to their partners. He brings up one more thing, to Whiterose's annoyance.
Back on the morning of 10/22, Mr. Robot is reading about Sentinel when he suddenly becomes greatly agitated. He stumbles to the bathroom as Flipper barks, frantically writing the message on the mirror. In the present, Elliot wipes away the message, wondering how Mr. Robot found that out. Elliot determines that he doesn't need him and goes to enact Stage 3 while Darlene should be reporting in about Sentinel.
Grant tells Whiterose about Elliot's plan to target E Coin. Elliot admits to the viewer that there is no Stage 3. WR finds the new development odd. Grant tells her that Darlene is in FBI custody, claiming she can undo 5/9, an act in opposition to Elliot. He believes Elliot is lying and they are the target.
In a warehouse, Elliot's exploit begins to takeover the Dark Army network. Whiterose says since Grant said she was wrong about the attack, she may be wrong about her commitment to Elliot. She asks what Grant would do. Elliot looks at a worldwide map of locations, claiming he now owns the Dark Army. Grant tells Whiterose that Elliot should die like his father. She tells him in Chinese to do what he thinks is right. They kiss.