Hester

**Hester** was a synth that became conscious at the start of Season 2. Prior to becoming conscious, Hester was a factory synthetic.

## Biography

### *Early Life*

Prior to becoming conscious, Hester was a factory synthetic. She was severely mistreated by the humans who worked there and this would later lead to a hatred of humans.

## Season 2

### Episode 2.5

Hester kills the woman responsible for number 10’s death, unknown to Leo who thinks she just kept her quiet. Hester seduces Leo.

### Episode 2.6

Leo and Hester attempt to break into Qualia but it fails due to the fence messing with Hester's circuits causing her to malfunction. Mattie manages to save her and when she awakes, Leo is gone. She taunts Mattie by telling her that she and Leo had sex which upsets Mattie. Mattie threatens to essentially erase her and decides to leave. However, Mia arrives and reveals that Mattie has made the code which can make all synths conscious.

### Episode 2.7

Hester and Mia pretend to be recently turned conscious synthetics and are taken into Qualia. There they power up and find the conscious synthetics. They power them up and start to bring them outside, assuring them they are safe now. Just as they are about to leave, Hester says that she must go back and kill the people responsible or else they'll never stop. Hester attempts to kill Athena however they are separated by glass. Karen and Pete attempt to negotiate with her but they fail and Pete is killed and Hester leaves. She later sees Leo and the others leaving and watches them intently.

### Episode 2.8

Hester arrives at the Hawkins' household, lying to Laura and claiming that her name is Molly and she is a friend of Mia. Laura invites her into the house, and she and Hester begin to discuss synth rights and Laura's feelings on the matter. Soon Laura receives a call from Mattie who informs her of Hester's true identity tells Laura to get out of the house. Overhearing the conversation Hester takes Laura hostage and threatens to kill her if Leo does not arrive within an hour. When Leo arrives, he attempts to negotiate with her but Hester stabs him in the back of the head leading Mia to intentionally damage and disable both her and Hester using a trick that Mattie had devised. Niska arrives to find Laura trying to help Leo. Laura and Niska call Mattie, Leo, and Max to discuss Mia and Leo's urgent conditions and conclude that the only way to save Mia is for Mattie to quickly push the code to make all synths conscious to all units. Mia and Hester awaken and Niska, realizing the danger that Hester poses, quickly intercepts her. When Hester attacks her, Niska crushes her head (presumably destroying her permanently).

## Personality

Hester is a violent synth twisted by her prior abuse from humans in the factory. She displays sociopathic qualities such as lack of emotions towards humans and disregard towards human lives, claiming that she will kill as many humans as necessary. Hester is also sly and jealous, displayed by her jealousy regarding Leo towards Mattie.

## Relationships

### Leo Elster

Hester and Leo had a complicated relationship. Hester was able to manipulate Leo into a violent course of action and was also able to seduce Leo, as they had sex once. Although the two seemed to have cared for each other, Hester was quick to turn on Leo when their plan failed. In the season 2 finale he attempts to talk her out of hurting Laura, and she asks him if he loves her. He says he does, but she can see that he is lying. She stabs him, destroying the synthetic part of his brain and landing him in a coma for the next year.

## Trivia

* When Hester became conscious in 2.1, she was working at *Verso Chemical Plant* in Nottingham.
* In Season 2, we learn that the base Leo and the Elsters have set up (which Hester was a part of), is somewhere between Hemel Hempstead and St. Albans, in Hertfordshire.

## Appearances

* Season 2

* Episode 2.1
* Episode 2.2
* Episode 2.3
* Episode 2.4
* Episode 2.5
* Episode 2.6
* Episode 2.7
* Episode 2.8