We flash back to when Elliot was first arrested, for hacking Krista's ex-boyfriend and stealing his dog. Against the specific advice of his lawyer, he pleads guilty to the felony charge of stealing the dog and computer hacking. He's sentenced to 18 months in county jail. We see that Ray was the jail warden and Lone Star one of the guards. We also see as Elliot meets Leon, a fellow prisoner, who gives him advice on sticking to a routine and offers to get him anything he might need. Elliot asks for a notebook.

Elliot is released early in his sentence thanks to a hack that released non-violent offenders. Darlene meets him when he's released, bringing him food and hugging him tightly and whispering something to him.

Angela fishes a USB drive out from where it is hidden. A woman calls Mr. Green's office to lure his assistant out, claiming to have sensitive documents. Angela then sneaks into Green's office and puts the USB drive into his computer, almost getting caught by a man who mistakes her for Monica, the assistant. Using the info obtained from the hacking USB drive, she gets Green's log-in information and copies over all of the files about the Washington Township Leak which killed her mother onto her own USB drive.

Darlene explains to Elliot what she discovered about Cisco reporting back to Dark Army and that Trenton and Mobley have disappeared, thinking that Dark Army might be "cleaning house." Elliot doesn't think that makes sense because he believes Dark Army is behind his early release. They go through their mother's nursing home in order to lose a man they believe is tailing them, but Elliot insists on stopping in to see their mother. He thanks her for "helping him survive" the past few months. She says nothing to him.

Whiterose and her assistant visit the grave of Lester Moore, the previous CEO of E Corp, leaving flowers. Her assistant informs her that Elliot has been released. Whiterose reveals to her assistant that she had the previous CEO killed in a plane crash when he threatened to shut down her project in the wake of a scandal. She pees on his grave nonchalantly. She says she's inclined to also resort to assassination now to keep her project alive.

As Elliot is in the bathroom he hears Darlene and Cisco arguing about her having hit Cisco with the bat. Cisco explains that sending photos to the Dark Army of Darlene with him keeps her safe. She is angry that he hasn't explained phase 2 or what was done with the femtocell to her. Elliot hears Mr. Robot (aka, himself) intervening and telling the two to calm down, eventually "coming to." He asks Cisco for his Dark Army contact so they can find out what happened to Mobley and Trenton. Mr Robot informs Elliot that Elliot simply shut down and stopped responding, so he jumped in to speak with Darlene and Cisco.

Whiterose meets with Price as the Minister. Price informs Whiterose that despite what Angela did, the bailout didn't go through and the federal government will be taking over the Washington Township plant. Whiterose is upset about this, making veiled death threats. Price explains that a new CEO will not stop the plant from being taken over and suggests that China loan E Corp the money at no interest in order to save Whiterose's plant. Whiterose agrees to go back and speak to China, but warns Price not to threaten the plant again. Price angrily threatens to rain chaos on Whiterose, wanting Whiterose to lose rather than himself to win.

Elliot works on hacking Xun, one of Whiterose's workers, in order to figure out what Dark Army did with the femtocell. Mr Robot remarks that he feels off, as if they are overheating. Elliot convinces Cisco to help arrange a meeting between himself and Xun so he can ask about phase 2 in order to get Dark Army talking about them so they can listen in.

Angela brings the information she found to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, noting that the levels of toxicity of the plant are still much higher than normal. He agrees that this falls under the category of a specific threat to public health and explains that there could be money in it for a whistleblower in a situation like this, but she explains that she doesn't want money -- she only wants "it" to happen fast. He leaves to bring the files to the deputy director.

Elliot has a freak out on the train on the way to meet Xun with Cisco, hallucinating himself trapped in a train car as a man plays an electronic mini-piano dissonantly. 

Back at Cisco's apartment, Darlene listens in on Xun's phone while watching Nancy Grace talking about the FBI's Operation Berenstain. Darlene realizes that she is missing one of the tapes used in recording her latest fsociety video.

When Xun arrives with his men, he immediately turns to leave, not expecting to see Elliot there. Elliot shouts at him to tell Whiterose that he wants to know what Stage 2 is. Xun and his men leave.

Angela sits in a room alone for a long time. There is a brief brownout and then the Deputy Director arrives to introduce herself and take Angela to a room to talk to her colleagues. Angela notes all of the cameras everywhere and changes her mind about talking to them when the Deputy Director knows that she worked at E Corp and tries to get information about how Angela obtained the documents. She quickly leaves.

Cisco and Elliot return to the apartment. Darlene informs Cisco that one VHS tape was left behind at the smart house. Cisco offers to go get it since the feds are after Darlene. Darlene notes that Elliot looks burnt out. Elliot continues to flash between himself and Mr Robot, seeing Mr Robot talking to Darlene in an out of body experience. She offers to let him sleep there but he prefers to go home. She warns him to be careful going back there, as the place may be bugged. He leaves. At the smart house, Cisco looks for the tape and finds a gasping person, but we don't see who it is.

Dom shows up at Angela's apartment with sandwiches and barges in, acting overly friendly and complimenting her apartment. Angela asks Dom whether she is working for "them" and demands she leave. Dom refuses to leave and tells Angela about a dream she had where a beautiful woman choked her underwater. She explains that Ollie told them about the CD right away when they interviewed him two months earlier and that she's had Angela tracked ever since, including to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission earlier that day. She encourages Angela to come clean with her before another, less kind agent puts it all together and throws Angela in jail. She leaves Angela her card.

Cisco returns to the smart house to find the VHS tape. Meanwhile, back at his apartment, Darlene listens in as Xun meets with Whiterose about his meeting with Elliot and Cisco. Whiterose is confused when Xun mentions that Elliot wanted to know about stage 2, explaining that stage 2 was Elliot's idea. Whiterose realizes that they might be listening in and kills Xun's phone. Darlene is shocked by a pounding on the door and opens it to an unknown person we don't see.

On his way home, Elliot sees Tyrell's SUV. The window rolls down to reveal Joanna Wellick, who greets Elliot as "Ollie" -- the name he gave her when he stopped by Tyrell's apartment shortly after the 5/9 Hack.