Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Vera holds Elliot and Krista captive and demands that Elliot help him take control of New York. Elliot remembers Shayla's death and refuses to cooperate without assurances that Krista will be safe. When Vera asks to meet Mr. Robot, the protective personality takes over and argues that Vera's plan is badly conceived. Elliot offers him the proceeds of the planned Cyprus National Bank theft, then tries to shoot his captors while they examine the account information. The gun has already been emptied. With that escape blocked, Vera threatens Krista and decides that understanding Elliot's vulnerability will give him more control than money would.
Vera forces Krista to conduct a therapy session in front of him. Mr. Robot tries to stop Elliot from pursuing memories of his father, but Elliot demands to know what has been hidden. The childhood window incident returns in a different form: he told Darlene to hide, armed himself with a baseball bat and jumped rather than being pushed. As Krista asks why he needed protection, Elliot remembers that his father sexually abused him. Mr. Robot can no longer keep that knowledge from him. Vera approaches the devastated Elliot, describes his own abuse and tries to make their shared pain the basis of a partnership. Before he can secure Elliot's loyalty, Krista comes up behind Vera and stabs him, killing him.