On Halloween night 2014, Darlene returns to the city and knocks on Elliot's door, wearing what would become the fsociety mask. She prevents him from going out by using their code word "init1" to indicate that she is in big trouble. They smoke weed and watch their favorite obscure horror movie from their childhood, The Careful Massacre of the Bourgeoisie. The mask was worn by the film's serial killer. Elliot reveals that he was fired around Memorial Day for a violent outburst at work and was sentenced to anger management therapy. The conversation turns to visiting their mother, which Darlene hasn't done in a while as their mother badmouths their father. As Darlene wishes she remembered him better, Elliot shows her the Mr. Robot jacket. He puts it on, as well as the mask, and starts considering taking the Allsafe recommendation from Angela in order to take down E-Corp from within. Darlene is freaked out how much he has thought his out. He explains that the aftermath will be the hard part.
In the present, Elliot wakes up and gets ready as Darlene takes the subway to see him. They talk at the table while their mother watches the news in the living room. Elliot disapproves of Darlene by putting herself in danger by continuing with fsociety, causing her to wish for Mr. Robot to help.
The FBI are investigating the Fun Society arcade as Dominique leads her boss, Ernesto Santiago, and coworkers inside. She has deduced that from Leslie Romero's FBI list, each page had an agent from the NY office who interviewed Gideon Goddard. The team has found the siphoning power line as well as evidence of the End of the World party on social media. They are bringing in the people in the photos. The DJ Mobley name has led to an average DJ from Las Vegas. Dom reveals the key piece of evidence as a bullet casing from behind one of the game cabinets.
Joanna Wellick and Mr. Sutherland meet up with Kareem Hernandez, the valet who found Elliot in Tyrell's car, in the Wellick's SUV. (“eps1.9_zer0-day.avi”) Kareem is paranoid about the FBI and Gideon's murder. He agrees to keep telling their story, but admits he will flip if he gets busted. Sutherland hands over the hush money before Kareem leaves. Sutherland lets Joanna know their funds are running low and that E-Corp has frozen Tyrell's severance package.
Angela is outside the E-Corp building waiting in line at a food cart while listening to her positive affirmations. The Inconspicuous Man and Woman can be seen nearby. From the building, Jim Chutney and Saul Weinsberg are led out in handcuffs by the police, much to the applause of protestors outside.
Elliot and Ray Heyworth are playing chess in his office. Ray lets Elliot know he needs practice and gives him the board to play himself. Ray advises that Elliot get something off his mind and confess somehow. Ray admits to doing dark things himself. Elliot wonders if confession would help as Mr. Robot appears threatening suicide. Elliot thinks about protecting Darlene, but Mr. Robot reminds him that the Dark Army will not take it lightly.
Angela and Antara Nayar meet at a bar booth, watching news of the E-Corp arrests. Angela determines that all Phillip Price has done for her, her job, apartment, the evidence, is leverage on her. She determines that it has something to do with the lawsuit settlement negotiations so she wants to look through them with Antara.
Elliot plays chess in his bedroom. Mr. Robot challenges him to a game where winner gets control, dangling the knowledge of Tyrell and the missing three days.
Elliot is at therapy with Krista. He is thinking about the offer. When Krista wants to talk to Mr. Robot, Elliot refuses to legitimize him. Elliot gets upset and acknowledges all his mental and psychological shortcomings. Krista advises against destroying a part of himself in this game.
The Whiterose is putting on makeup in her room while talking using his man voice to Phillip Price in his office. Phillip is drinking. They discuss using "her", Angela, to achieve something for the Whiterose's purpose of keeping the plant open. Price is annoyed at the ticking clock, claiming pressure needs to cook in order to push the President to swing a UN vote. The Whiterose hangs up when Phillip asks for more time as her assistant Grant enters the room. She speaks in Chinese and her feminine voice, displeased that Price is opting for his E-Coin strategy. They discuss Stage 2, which is six months' minimum from complete. Grant shows her an FBI file about Dom's discovery of the arcade. The Whiterose wishes to be informed. She asks for an opinion on earrings and kisses Grant.
Joanna is at the Knowles house, looking at a picture of Sharon. Scott enters, angry and drinking wine. She offers a deal to incriminate Tyrell in the death of Sharon in exchange for the severance package. Scott is willing to give Tyrell's child what he deserves: nothing.
Darlene gets off the subway and is paranoid about a man walking behind her. Outside, at night, she is paranoid of an another man and loud noises, when a group of people with fsociety masks walk by. One grabs her and tells her an address. It is Cisco. He dumps her phone and meets her at a bar. He informs her that the FBI found the arcade and links it to Romero. Darlene asks if this is the Dark Army, which Cisco denies. Darlene wants to keep Elliot out of this due to his fragile state, but Cisco says the situation is already broken and she needs to tell him. Darlene asks that he let her be upset.
The two have sex in the bathroom. Cisco tells her that the Dark Army are nervous that somebody flipped. Darlene denies it. He says Romero was looking into Operation Berenstain, a heavy surveillance project. Darlene wants to leave the city, but Cisco says that would look guilty and be death sentence. He asks that she stop acting tough and let him help her.
At the diner, Leon is talking to Elliot about the Good Samaritan law from Seinfeld. Leon notices the chess board and asks what it's for. When Elliot says existence, Leon asks what Elliot dreams about and is fighting for.
Derek and Joanna are in a state of undress on a couch in the hotel room. He is telling her of taking her to Madrid when she starts crying. She says she is dating him because he is a poor bartender and aspiring DJ. He could never afford the lifestyle she is accustomed to, but those things never made her happy anyway so she loves him just the way he is. She kisses him.
Elliot is in bed preparing to dream. He talks about the future he envisions: a romantic dinner with Angela, reuniting with Lloyd Chong and his beautiful girlfriend, Cisco and Darlene becoming engaged, dinner with the Wellick's, Tyrell, Joanna and their older son, apologizing to Bill Harper and getting a hug. All his friends and family, as well as Ray, Leon, Qwerty the fish, and the viewer gather around a dinner table in the street. They applaud when an E-Corp tower in the background collapse. This is his future worth fighting for.
Elliot and Mr. Robot meet in the park to play chess. They reach a stalemate. Elliot reminisces about how his father first taught him to code using a chess computer game, before determining that Mr. Robot is neither real nor his father. They come to two more stalemates and Elliot realizes the statistical improbability. Elliot wants to reset, but Mr. Robot throws the board away and reminds him that his friends and future are outside of his imposed isolation.
Phillip is waiting for his car in the garage when Angela emerges from the shadows. She demands an office and a promotion. She has discovered that E-Corp has never changed on a single point of the lawsuit settlement: the third-party inspections on the Washington Township plant. She is willing to convince the class to remove the contingency in exchange for her demands. Phillip denies all this as his car arrives, and strokes her hair. Angela tells him that she's not wrong. He tells her to go home.
Darlene talks to Elliot on the phone. She uses the init 1 emergency and tells him to find a computer and get on IRC. Mr. Robot walks up. Elliot confirms that it is him, not Mr. Robot, whom she wants.
In Ray's office, Mr. Robots pleads with Elliot not to confess. As Ray enters, Elliot says he wants to help with the computer problem. Ray calls in his bodyguard Lone Star, tells Elliot of biblical figures who heard voices, and hands him a folder. Lone Star sits in the corner as Ray leaves and tells Elliot not to look where he shouldn't.
On IRC, Darlene tells him that the FBI found the arcade, Berenstain surveillance is happening, and Romero is dead. Elliot tells her to wait for his instructions before he begins hacking the FBI.