Ace In The Hole

"**Ace In The Hole**" is the eight and final episode of the first season of the Paramount+ series *Rabbit Hole*. It premiered on May 7, 2023.

## Synopsis

Weir is forced to play his final ace when Crowley's nefarious psyop to win support of the Shared Data Act and hijack democracy succeeds. But Crowley's counter puts both Liv and Ben in mortal danger.

## Plot

Liv is on the phone with someone, apparently John Weir. She complains about him requesting another week, saying that he was supposed to be done a month ago. She tells him they can talk about this when he's back, whenever that is, and gets in her car, saying that it's giving her a headache. A masked man sitting in the back seat points a gun to her head.

A news reporter reports that the President has signed off on the Shared Data Act, or Nora Evers American Protection Act, as it is now known. She asks if the cost of the security is too high. This and other stories appear on a large monitor at Arda Analytics. Crowley orders someone to bring the Arda engine online and to link to Intaverse company databases and social media companies provided by the Data Act. He asks for an index of the most active users by political beliefs. He then asks the system to isolate the Federal judicial roster and to index DNA test data to isolate users with anxiety disorders and depression. He declares that the index is complete and to execute. Following this, a news report declares that 3 Federal judges of the D.C. circuit court have been found dead, yet none of the cases seem to be connected. Ben Wilson, however, declares that it's begun, that Crowley has just shut down the most powerful court in the country. He continues that Crowley will likely just pack it with his own people or not reopen it, that he's taking over.

Edward Homm asks what's next. Ben tells him they were once in Mumbai, looking out over the slums and that Crowley said "They should all be put down like rabid dogs" and that the one thing the country had right was the caste system. He tells Ed that Crowley will build the country he's always wanted, creating a permanent underclass. "God help us all," he declares. John says that they should talk about next steps and Ed points out that they have documented proof of a conspiracy, that anyone could build a bulletproof case using it. Hailey asks if they couldn't just go public and Ben says that they can't, that right now Crowley controls the narrative. He says that Crowley will use fear to counter whatever they throw out there. John agrees that they must change the narrative. Hailey asks if it isn't too late and John tells her that they have a window, but it's closing, and they need to move over to the Homm Plan.

"There's a Homm Plan?" asks Homm and Ben chuckles, asking if he's blind. John says that it's pretty simple, that they reveal that he's alive and it goes viral. "The breadcrumbs we've been throwing out to Morgan Shaw will pay off in a viral moment" Ben tells him. "You're Zaius?" he asks him and he tells him it's easier to create a folk hero now than back in the day. He asks if "#Edisnotdead" was them too and Ben agrees that it was. At a news studio for "The Pulse of the Nation," a man reports to a woman named Debra Wyman-Massey, telling her that she got a bizarre message in her public account and that he thought it was a typical wingnut, but that there was an attachment. He shows it to her.

"She's in," John tells Ben and he says that there's only one thing that worries him about the plan, that it doesn't end with Crowley's death. John tells him he has to trust him, that he knows it's not a big thing in their family, but that this will work. Hailey tells John he should get some sleep. "Yeah, you too," he agrees, closing his laptop and starting to walk away. She calls him back, telling him that she was worried about him. He tells her he's sorry and that he gets it. "I don't think you do," she tells him and he says that he wasn't trying to be cute putting her on the bus, that this work has cost him everything.

"Like your friends?" she asks him and he agrees that this is so. She asks what happened with his wife. He tells her that a job went wrong and she got hurt, caught in the middle and then left him. She asks if he still loves her and he tells her she knows how he feels about her. He says he's not he most stable guy and couldn't stand losing someone like her. "I know I couldn't handle it," she agrees and he strokes her hair, then moves to kiss her. She tells him that she went to Jo Madi, that he was out of his mind and she figured he was better arrested than dead. She tells him that he had said Madi was honest, so she gave her some information to prove what was going on and asked her to arrest him. He considers this and nods. "Okay," he tells her. He tells her that he gets it, that she thought she was protecting him. "Yeah," he tells her, hugging her, and this time, he kisses her too.

Liv sits in a chair, her arms tied and sobbing. She asks those around her what they want from her, but one of the men behind her just comms that they have her, asking what's next. She asks again what they want, saying that she'll give it to them. The man tells her that they just need proof of life and cuts off one of her fingers. It is now the next morning, 7:23 A.M. Agent Madi reports to her team, saying that as the lead investigator, she thought they should do a point-by-point review of all the information. Anna enters the room, telling her she has her daughter Chloe for her. "Hard pass" replies Madi, but Anna tells her that Chloe is saying it's important. Annoyed, Madi goes and takes the call from Chloe, who says that her mother went to the store and she forgot to tell her that she wants Pringles. She tells her that she'll just have to rough it. She looks at her computer and sees a message from an unknown sender labeled as being urgent and to see the attachment. She ends the call and opens it, seemingly shocked by what she sees.

At the safe house, John tells Hailey that she's with Homm and he'll see her at 4. He tells Ben he has an important pickup for him in Yonkers. "The ex-wife you neglected to tell me about," he says. He asks how he knows about this. "You lied to me," comments Ben and John chuckles, saying that he never asked. He asks Ben not to scare Liv unnecessarily. Hailey and Homm exit, watched by a man with a telescope, recording, from across the street. It is now 7:48 A.M. and as they drive, Homm comments to Hailey that everything is like, like his marriage, even his being alive, it's all made up. He tells her he doesn't know what's real, that he killed someone. "What's that?" she asks and he tells her he's not stupid, that he knows hitting the security guard with the fire extinguisher didn't simply knock him out. She points out that the security guard would have killed him, had he not. He says that the security guard might have had a family, or at least a dog. She tells him to stop doing this. He turns, saying that there's a black SUV that has been behind them for a long time. She tells him she knows what she's doing.

Ben arrives at Liv's place. She's surprised at Ben's being English and he in turn is surprised at a picture of Sam. She says he's at a friend's house and when he gets back, they'll go. It is 8:12 A.M. and John sits at a restaurant with Debra and the guy who informed her of the e-mail. She says that she didn't quite know what to make of it, and he tells her that he's bringing this to her because she has somehow managed to maintain her integrity, despite most people only believing the news if it's the narrative they already want to hear. She asks what they're talking about and he tells her that he has a thumb drive with everything she needs to know about the people responsible for the assassination of Senator Evers. He tells her it's just the tip of the iceberg and that he can bring her Edward Homm too, that his only condition is that it's presented on live television. She agrees she has a few favors she can call in, warning him not to make her a fool. John pulls out some money. "Oh, you're paying?" comments Madi from behind him, saying that she hasn't even ordered yet. She says she was worried it was going to be anticlimactic, but it feels better than she could have imagined it. John just smiles at her.

Inside an interrogation room, he tells her that he didn't kill anybody. She points out his habit of showing up at crime scenes where people died. She tells him that murdering someone from the Justice Department is a federal crime and he tells her that Homm isn't dead. She calls it a distraction and he says he can show her a photo of Homm from that morning on his phone. "He says Homm's still alive," Madi's supervisor, Morello, tells someone on the phone. In the room, Madi tells John that he can't make a deal, that he's going down. "You win," he tells her, saying that he knows who she is and that she's honest, a good cop. Madi tells him she knows where this goes and that he can't trick her. He shouts at her, saying that he's not playing games and that he needs to make a call to know that his family is safe. She tells him she doesn't trust him. She leaves the room and he curses.

Homm asks Hailey where they're going. She tells him she has something she wants to show him. She shows him a crowd of people waving signs, telling him that those people all believe in him. One of the signs reads "He's not dead," with a picture of Homm and an American flag over his mouth. "Oh my God," he says, then he opens the car door, accidentally tumbling out. Hailey curses and stops the car, as the crowd turns around. She asks him if he's lost his mind. "It's him!" the crowd realizes and Hailey rushes him back to the car. "You were just supposed to wave at them," she tells him, as Morgan Shaw exits from a vehicle, calling it unbelievable. "This is the plan?" he asks and she tells him it is, waving at the crowd and agreeing that it is, in fact, Homm. "Ed's not dead!" the crowd chants as the video goes viral. Homm tells Hailey it was kind of amazing and she agrees that it was.

Madi tells Morello that she smells bullshit on John asking for a phone call, that whatever you think John is up to, he's up to something else. Rasche, points out, however, John is not lying about Homm. He asks what they have to lose. Morello agrees that family could be useful as leverage, asking Rasche to find out where they live. Madi, however, tells them that she already knows, that she's been there. Morello says he'll send a team to bring them in. Madi gets a text from Chloe: "Mommy STILL isn't home." At Liv's, Liv discusses teenage angst with Ben and he suggests she call her son again. She tells him she's not worried and he tells her it doesn't hurt to be extra cautious. She makes the call, but it goes to voicemail. He tells her they'll take his car. Meanwhile, John looks out the door from an interrogation room, seeing a headline about Edward Homm being spotted on a monitor outside. He bangs on the door, asking to speak to Madi. Ben and Liv enter Ben's car, only to be almost immediately surrounded by a group of armed men, demanding that they get out. A black van pulls up in front of the driveway.

Rasche enters John's interrogation cell. He asks where Madi is and he tells him she sent him. He asks why and he says that it's family stuff, that her wife or daughter are always whining about something. He asks what John wants and John says it's the same thing, that he'd like to know his family is safe. Rasche tells him the chief sent a team to his wife's house and they're bringing them in, that Madi told him. John tells him that Madi is wrong, that she only *thinks* she knows where his wife lives. "So... where are they?" asks Rasche, saying that he can bring them in and personally guarantee their safety. "You promise?" asks John, asking him to shake on it. They do and John gives him an address. Rasche exits the room and heads for a door, only to discover that his badge is missing. He curses, and a quick flashback shows John pocketing the badge and using it to exit the room. He races out, casually passing an agent along the way. In the basement, an alarm begins wailing and flashing. He goes to the door and tries to use the card, only to find that it no longer works, when Madi calls his name. "This way," she tells him.

A flashback shows that it is 7:56 A.M. Madi dismisses her "daughter and discovers the e-mail with the attachment. The e-mail contains photos of Homm and John, including John holding up a paper with a phone number - 1-888-938-4398. It is John who picks up the phone. He tells her that he'll skip right to it, that she's seen the files and knows at this point that Morello and half the FBI are involved in this and that if she ignores the information, she's on the wrong side of it. She agrees this is so and he says he's hoping that this makes it impossible for her to not take action against them. He tells her it appears that they're on the same side and she agrees, but she's not happy about it. She asks him what the plan is. Back in the present, it is now 4:00 P.M. Homm and Hailey pull up in front of Federal Fleet Services at 112 Worth Street. She tells him that it is 4 o'clock on the nose, that they made it. "Thought the studio was uptown," comments Homm, and Hailey agrees that it is, as John and Madi emerge from the door before them. "Let's go," John tells them, getting into the car. Madi heads for her own, only for Rasche to appear and ask her what is happening.

At the news station, ANB, John, Hailey and Homm arrive as a reporter broadcasts that Internet media is ablaze with sightings of Homm. The reporter, who is shown to be Debra, continues, asking if this could possibly be true. She says she can confirm that he is alive and will be there in the studio. Crowley sits, watching this on a bank of news monitors. A van arrives at his place and his men bring him Ben and Liv. Crowley tells him he was always naive and he grunts, telling him to just put a bullet in his head, that he's won. Crowley asks him what he would save by dying a hero's death. He tells him he knows how messed up the U.S. is, that they took a wrong turn a long time ago. He tells him that he's in a position to fix it, that people need to have their decisions made for them. He says it's the only way to restore balance and Ben asks if he thinks he doesn't know what he means by "balance." "It's time to bring the dogs to heel," Crowley tells him. Ben tells him the country is not his to take and he says he already did.

Liv sits, sobbing. There is a loud crash and she asks what is going on. "The door!" shouts one of the guards and the door is breached and one of the guards is shot. A firefight ensues. One of the other guards races for Liv, but is shot down. She shouts, asking what's going on and who this is. A hooded individual appears behind her. At the studio, John tells Homm it's almost time, asking if he's ready. He agrees that he is, but also admits to being a bit nervous. Hailey tells him he'll be great. A man comes to the door, telling them they need to see something. John and Hailey follow him and the man, Jess, shows them that the Department of Justice is downstairs, supposedly with an injunction to stop the broadcast. John says that it's not real, that there's no way they could get a judge to sign off that quickly. Jess tells him that their security team is down there and they won't get by. John says that this could be the point, that it's a distraction. Downstairs, as the parties argue over the legitimacy of the injunction, Kyle enters the building. He gets past the lone security person still at the desk and boards an elevator. He heads up, only for John to punch in the face as the doors open. "Come on," John tells him and he pulls a knife, only for Hailey to show up and deck him to the ground. A team appears to take him away and he shouts to John that it was nothing personal.

Down below, the two parties continue to argue. The U.S. Marshals start moving, only to be told by the security guards that they can't let them pass. One asks if they read the injunction and they agree that they did. As the argument grows heated and weapons are shown, Agent Madi and a team from the FBI appear. They declare the Department of Justice people and U.S. Marshals under arrest, Madi explaining that they are not, in fact, from the Department of Justice. Rasche tells her he hopes she's right and Madi tells him that he'll see. Upstairs, the guards examine a bag that Kyle was carrying. Inside, they discover a gun and a camera phone. One of the guards hands the gun to another, telling him to lock it up. Through the phone's camera, which is active, Crowley runs a database search on the guard. He identifies the guard as Edgar Hampton III and indexes all known data about him. He then gets a call from Crowley, who recites some very incriminating facts about his arrest history and how his father, a district judge, managed to sweep it under the rug. He asks him if his wife, Jennifer, knows. "I understand," Edgar tells him. He pulls his gun out of its holster.

Jess comes to Hailey and Homm telling them they're on air in five minutes and need to get to set. "You are ready," Hailey tells Homm, who is dressed in a crisp suit and tie. A PA tells Jess that his wife is on the line, that it's urgent. He takes the call. Debra tells Homm that they already have all the financial data loaded in and all he has to do is tell her what they're looking at. John tells Hailey that Homm will be fine as the PA announces one minute. "Who is this?" Jess asks whoever is on the line, apparently not his wife, but possibly Crowley. He asks how they could know what they're saying and tells them he'll do what they want. As the PA calls 30 seconds, Jess shouts to wait. Debra asks why they're stopping and John goes to Jess. "He wants to talk to you," Jess tells him. Crowley tells him that he has his father and wife. "Say hello, Ben," he tells him. Ben curses and Crowley tells John that he'll kill them unless he does exactly what he says. He tells him that there will be no broadcast. John says that it's understood. He tells him that his father told him that the people he cared about the most would be his greatest weakness, that if someone was coming after you, they'd be the way in. Crowley says that he should have listened to his father and John says it's not the first time he's been told that. As they continue to talk, Edgar gives his gun to Kyle, who leaves the room.

John tells Crowley that he's been waiting for this for a long time and that he's in no position to beg. He tells him that he would be really grateful if he would let his ex-wife go, that she's not a part of this. Crowley tells him that he won't, that she still means something to him and this is the point. Crowley asks him what his play is, if it's to waste time, that it's over. John tells him that his wife left him because she was kidnapped by one of his competitors who threatened to kill her if he didn't do everything they asked. He tells him that they even sent him part of her finger to make their point. Ben asks Liv just what John is saying. John continues that he had to hire a pro, a real badass, to get his wife back and that it worked, but she never talked to him again. Crowley says that none of it matters. John tells him that he may be right about that. "You see, 'cause the woman that you've got... isn't my ex-wife. She's the person I sent in to get her. The badass." A flashback now shows the truth - the woman seen in the previous flashbacks - John's true ex-wife. "Your husband sent me," Liv tells her. "Let's go." "So good luck with that, motherfucker."

As Crowley turns, Liv busts out of her handcuffs. She takes out a guard, grabs a gun, and starts shooting. "Clear!" she shouts, as she takes out the last of the guards. Ben curses, asking what that was. "Sorry about that," John tells him and Ben asks if he kept him in the dark because he felt he couldn't trust him up until now. John tells him he was playing the narrative to the bitter end, like he taught him. As Liv uncuffs Ben, Crowley sits, coughing and wheezing. John tells Ben that Crowley is all his. Liv hands Ben a gun and he tells John it's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for him. John replies that this is kind of sad, but that he's welcome. Ben goes to Crowley, who curses. Ben tells him that he's spent the best part of his life watching him, chasing him, hiding from him. He tells him that he sacrificed his family, even his sanity and he wanted there to be a wonderful conclusion, but that he can't even stand up. As Kyle listens to this conversation, Ben asks Crowley if he ever had a nagging doubt that he might have been wrong. "Of course not," he comments, asking him just how ill he is. Crowley does not reply and Ben suggests that perhaps he should just let him die, turning away. Crowley tells him that the only doubt he ever had was about him.

As Kyle enters the newsroom, gun pointed, he recoils from the sound of gunshots in his own ear as Ben fires. Hailey catches sight of him and shouts at John. Kyle lowers the gun and leaves the room. John tells Hailey not to worry about him now, that they need to get the broadcast going. The broadcast begins, with Debra declaring that they have heard pundits and politicians speaking of vast conspiracies, but very few if any have had evidence to back the claims, until now. She tells her viewers that she has with her Edward Homm, who was officially deceased, but now sits with her, alive and well with an incredible story to tell. Hailey mouths to Homm, who declares that his team has accumulated enough evidence to bring thousands of indictments and arrests against the most powerful people in the country, many recognizable. He says that it was conspiracy to control people's lives while maintaining the illusion of democracy, but more than that, that it's about trust. He says that people place trust in many things - institutions, a spouse or a family, without thinking about whether they have really earned it. He continues that we log into social media sites, surrender information, pieces of ourselves. It's an act of trust, just data, but that data in the wrong hands can be used against us. He says that we've always known, but we still do it, because we don't really have a choice. Now, however, we have evidence of how powerful people and corporations use and manipulate us, compromising our trust. "It's time for them to pay. #edisnotdead," he finishes.

John and Hailey meet with Agent Madi. She tells John that she has enough evidence to put him away for the Esper Ethicka job he pulled at the steakhouse. He tells her he's sure she thinks she does, asking if he's under arrest. "Not today," she tells him, saying that she has to spend some time with her family. "Tomorrow," they agree, almost playfully. She walks away and John asks Hailey what the look was that Madi gave her. She asks what he's talking about and he says he still knows when she's lying. She tells him she's not lying but evading, then continues that when she met Madi, she made a deal, that she saw an opening to get closure with her boss. "You had him arrest her instead of me," John realizes. John asks about the money she stole and she tells him that as far as the FBI is concerned, there wasn't any. She asks if he's mad and he says that he isn't, that he just didn't see it coming. He tells her he's a little nervous, that she's getting good. As they walk off, she tells him she's a work in progress.

At Crowley's place, Ben stares at Crowley's dead body, the blood from his head all over the floor. He sighs, commenting to Liv that he supposes he doesn't have a grandson either. She tells him that Sam is in fact her child and has been with his grandparents since things heated up. She walks away and Ben hears the faint chatter of a radio coming from Crowley's ear. He removes an earpiece, considers it, and places it in his own ear. "Who is this?" he asks.

## Cast

### Starring

* Kiefer Sutherland as John Weir
* Meta Golding as Hailey Winton
* Enid Graham as Josephine "Jo" Madi
* Rob Yang as Edward Homm
* Walt Klink as Kyle ("The Intern")

and

* Charles Dance as Dr. Ben Wilson

### Guest starring

* Lance Henriksen as Crowley
* Stephen Bogaert as Wilhelm Morello
* Alex Castillo as Olivia 'Liv' Bonen
* Riley Gilchrist
* Noam Jenkins
* Matthew MacFadzean as Morgan Shaw
* Wendy Makkena as Debra Wyman-Massey
* Ferelith Young

### Co-starring

* Milton Barnes as Edgar Hampton III
* Craig Burnatowski as Abductor #1
* Elisa Campanella as Chloe Madi
* Todd Campbell as FBI Guard
* Patrick Collins as Pulse Corporate Lawyer #1
* Colin Glazer as DOJ Lawyer
* Blair Johannes as Hunter #2
* Natalia Jonas as Pulse Corporate Lawyer #2
* Jahnelle Jones as Protestor
* Josette Jorge as Anna
* Yvetee McKoy as Hunter #3
* Bridget Ogundipe as Stage Manager

## Gallery

### Video

Rabbit Hole - Inside The Finale - Paramount+

## Behind the scenes

* In an interview released prior to the finale, Charles Dance (Dr. Ben Wilson) warned viewers "Don’t trust it. Don’t trust the finale. Don’t accept any conclusion that’s offered [to] you." He also stated, however, that "All the information you need is there, but you really have to concentrate."
* Many of the posts collated by Crowley in the opening episode actually originate from material written for the article Los Angeles nuclear attack conspiracy from the *24* Wiki on Fandom.

## References

1. ↑ Jacobs, Meredith (April 31, 2023). ‘Rabbit Hole’: Charles Dance Warns ‘Don’t Trust The Finale’. TV Insider. Retrieved on May 1, 2023.