Justine Stebbins, a young woman visiting New York City, arranges a date with Robbie Vickery (Adam Driver.) She is later found murdered in her hotel. Lupo and Bernard soon discover that Justine was an escort who regularly "toured" in different cities. They are led to a graduate student named Alex Conway, who works with Robbie at a research lab. Alex may be targeting escorts for armed robbery to pay for his gambling habit. Robbie told his co-workers all about Justine, so Alex knew who she was and where she was staying. The detectives arrest him in a sting operation.
Alex says he is conducting research into sex work, and books escorts so he can interview them as test subjects. A judge throws out the case against him. But Cutter and Rubirosa connect Alex to multiple armed robberies in another state, including one with similarities to Justine's murder. When confronted with the evidence of Alex's crimes, his fiancee Carrie Newton admits that she gave him a false alibi for the night of Justine's murder. Alex and his manipulative lawyer Ray Backland decline a plea.
At Alex's trial, Backland deliberately provokes Robbie in order to make him look like the real killer. Rubirosa and Cutter soon realize that one of the jurors, Jordan Pinter, is under Conway's influence. The detectives learn Carrie has seduced Pinter and convinced him to favor Conway. She denies telling Pinter how to vote, and the judge doesn't find enough evidence to call a mistrial. McCoy wants to offer another plea, but Cutter is determined to convict Alex. While cross-examining him, Cutter suggests that Alex is losing grip of his control over Carrie. Alex yells that she does whatever he tells her, including sleeping with one of the jury. The disgusted judge sentences him to a minimum 25 years.
Rubirosa is annoyed that Cutter told the court about a past incident (in the episode "Tango") where he exploited a juror's attraction to her to influence the case. Carrie promises to wait for Alex and shows off a new tattoo of his name, but he just stares blankly at her.
- Amoral Attorney: Backland is kind of a real bastard, attempting to play the court to target someone else rather than his client for the crimes.
- Berserk Button: Robbie's is being reminded that he's working class, while his co-workers are all well to do grad students. Alex's is not having control over other people, especially Carrie.
- Disposable Sex Worker: Alex's view of Justine and everyone else he targeted.
- Love Makes You Crazy: Carrie is absolutely obsessed with Alex and willing to do anything he tells her, no matter how illegal or immoral.
- Slasher Smile: Alex gives one when he is arrested.
- The Sociopath: Skoda's professional opinion of Alex (and possibly Cutter.)
- Unsettling Gender-Reveal: This is Bernard's reaction when he discovers Alex's latest target is a trans woman.
- Uptown Girl: Alex is upper middle class, but Carrie is a wealthy corporate heiress who's still a step above him socially.
