Pratik Handore
The sixth episode of Paramount+’s ‘Rabbit Hole‘ follows John Weir (Kiefer Sutherland) as he embarks on a new mission, one with a high risk but also high rewards. Meanwhile, we get a look at the volatile politics of the United States, especially because of Crowley’s interventions. The episode’s ending combines several dangling plot threads and delivers a shocking cliffhanger sure to leave viewers puzzled. However, the ending of ‘Rabbit Hole’ episode 6 sees John make a surprising discovery that might lead him into a trap. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Rabbit Hole Episode 6 Recap
The sixth episode, titled ‘The Playbook,’ opens with a flashback to 1983, showing Young Ben and Young Crowley in Central America. The duo is working on trafficking a man while discussing politics. In the present day, John and his group watch footage of Senator Nora Evers quickly gaining support in her Presidential election campaign while several of her competitors drop out. Evers is championing the “Shared Data Act,” which is a debatable topic among the general public and politicians alike.
Meanwhile, John continues to experience traumatic flashbacks, this time about his team’s death. John replays the incident in his head and concludes that Ben is responsible for his team’s death. Although Ben apologizes for intervening in John’s plan, John starts distrusting his father. Simultaneously, we learn that John’s group is on a mission, as they are trying to get a meeting with Senator Evers. Ben tricks Evers’ bodyguard, Lanneman, into believing he is the Senator’s escort. However, Evers is surprised to find John in the car.
John threatens to share the questionable sources of income funding Ever’ campaign with the media, destroying her chances of becoming the President unless she helps him. However, Evers refuses to help John in his pursuit of Crowley since the latter has far more compromising information about her. Evers reveals that the evidence of her misdoings is locked in a highly secure vault under Crowley’s orders. John offers to retrieve the briefcase containing the evidence in exchange for Evers’ help in taking down Crowley.
Evers sends Lanneman to watch over John’s group as they retrieve the case, much to Ben’s dismay. Furthermore, John drops Ben from the mission, angering his father but highlighting his distrust. Meanwhile, John explains his plan to the group after Edward Homm identifies the vault facility as 1550 Gerard, used mostly by wealthy people with dirty money. John’s plan involves entering the facility and duplicating the escort’s master key while Lanneman identifies the vault as only he knows its number.
Elsewhere, Homm watches streamer Morgan Shaw spreading theories about his survival and link with John Weir. Meanwhile, a mysterious old man pays two assassins to take out an important pawn. Simultaneously, Kyle, aka The Intern, prepares to undertake an unspecified mission and threatens to break up with his girlfriend, Eliza Wells, if she refuses to help. As a result, Eliza reluctantly agrees to help Will in his mission, and they head out to a protest.
For John’s plan to work, he needs Hailey’s money to make a deposit, allowing him access to the vault. After much deliberation, Hailey agrees to give John her money, and he sets the plan in motion. John uses Hailey as a distraction to access the vault containing evidence against Evers with the master key. Hailey uses an infrared signal to mess with the security system, allowing John to retrieve the briefcase. However, John forgets to remove the master key from the vault. As a result, Hailey makes a bold move and enters the vault to retrieve the key. John successfully retrieves the case, but Lanneman steals it at gunpoint.
Rabbit Hole Episode 6 Ending: How Does John Get the Briefcase?
Although Lanneman betrays John, he already planned for such a scenario and swapped Evers’ briefcase with his own and placed it in his second safe at the vault. In the end, John retrieves the briefcase and sets up a meeting with Evers to discuss the further steps. However, Evers fails to show up at the decided location as she is preoccupied with a rally. We then learn that Will and Eliza are at the rally, and the assassins hired by the mysterious old man are hiding in the distance. Eliza shoots Evers dead and runs away while the assassins snipe out Lanneman. Later, Will reveals that he had handpicked Eliza and manipulated her into killing Evers before choking her to death.
Ultimately, Ben deduces that Crowley is behind Evers’ assassination. John explains that Crowley never needed Evers to win the election. He turned her into a martyr to gain support for the Shared Data Act, as it would make him even more powerful. Meanwhile, the police identify Eliza Well as the shooter, and we see her body disposed of underneath a bridge. However, the biggest shocker comes in the final scene as John receives a text from a secured chat forum claiming the person had to make “it” look convincing.
The final scene implies that the text is from Miles Valence. John has never fully come to terms with Valence’s death and betrayal. Furthermore, the text from Valence suggests that his death was fake, and he did it to protect John. In the episode, we see John losing his mind over Valence and his team’s deaths. Hence, he had been texting Valence through a secure channel. Although the ending hints that Valance is still alive, it could also be a trap set up by Crowley. Hence, it remains to be seen if John finds answers or sinks further down the proverbial rabbit hole.
Read More: Rabbit Hole Episode 5 Recap and Ending, Explained
