The episode opens with an emergency at the Dollhouse three months earlier. The Actives are sent to their beds, while one them wonders why they haven’t showered yet.

Head of Security Laurence Dominic comes in with a small army behind him. He calls out for Topher. "Guns. Can I have one?", he asks. Dominic really wants answers. He learns someone cut Dr. Saunders like a jigsaw puzzle, and a guy named Samuelson got it worse. We learn it was one of the Actives…Alpha, as in the "problem" from last week. DeWitt says Alpha has had a composite event, even though Dominic says that’s not possible. It is, though. Alpha has killed a lot of people, including some Actives who were showering.

Except for a scared little Active, looking up and saying "They won’t wake up." She, of course, is Echo.

Two women are sharing tea. One of them has an offer.

"Nothing is what it appears to be,"; the older person says. She is Adelle DeWitt. She offers the young woman a clean slate, by making a five-year commitment. The other woman disagrees. She says when you clean a slate, there’s always something left. DeWitt tells the girl, called Caroline, that actions have consequences, but what they do helps people and could help her, too. Caroline is skeptical, and says she just wanted to make a difference and take her place in the world. Still, she adds, actions have consequences.

"What if they didn’t?", DeWitt asks her.