Equals

Returning home one night, Silas witnesses officials detaining two citizens and is reminded of the SOS epidemic. The moment hints that emotions might still exist under the Collective's emotionless rule. He begins to question the legitimacy and consequences of their control.

The next day at Atmos, a suicidal employee jumps to his death and the emotionless workers coldly analyze the moment. Silas is the only group member who notices Nia showing an emotional reaction. Later in a team meeting, he again sees Nia's expression reveal emotion.

During a conference at Atmos, Silas becomes distracted, nods off, and experiences a nightmare for the first time. He goes for a check-up, where he is befriended by Jonas, an official who already has stage 2 SOS.

Silas is diagnosed with Stage 1 SOS and given a prescription. Despite the treatment, his drawings begin to show emotion and his interest in Nia deepens.

One night in the bathroom, Silas and Nia touch; she reveals she has had SOS for over a year, hiding it to avoid ostracism. They kiss and agree to continue meeting in secrecy to explore their emotions.

The next day Leonard introduces Silas's replacement Dominic to Nia. She suffers a slight anxiety attack during lunch. Silas agrees to a shift away from Nia to avoid drawing attention and raises tensions between personal risk and professional duty.

That night, Jonas invites Silas for a walk and reveals that he is part of a secret support group. Silas meets Bess, Peter, Thomas, Gil, Max and Alice and learns that many DEN patients end their lives with encouragement. He begins to understand the gravity of the system.

Nia returns to Silas's apartment and they have sex, deciding to spend more time together. The relationship becomes a risky, secret anchor against the society’s restrictions.

The Ashby ENI cure for SOS is announced and publicly released, signaling a possible path to emotional restoration. Silas and Nia fear how this may intensify the pressure of their secrecy and the consequences if they are discovered.

Nia undergoes a conception summons and discovers she is pregnant, leading to her being taken to the DEN. Silas is stunned by the news and worried about what it means for their future.

Bess, Jonas and Gilead help Nia fake her death by swapping identity implants with Eva, allowing Nia to exit the DEN while Eva is kept alive. Silas is left in the dark as Max betrays them and takes the cure. The emotional tension crescendos.

Silas learns that Max betrayed Bess, Jonas and Gilead and that the others were given the cure. He returns to the DEN where they tell him Nia died, prompting him to contemplate suicide until he receives the cure himself. The revelation plunges him deeper into a personal fight against the erasing of his emotions.

Silas returns to his apartment to find Nia alive, but his emotions are still under the imminent cure's control. They realize they have only about five hours before his emotions are erased and decide to attempt an escape.

On the Wellington train toward the Peninsula, Silas watches Nia from a distance as she seems to express emotion. He moves closer and touches her hand; she responds, signaling a fragile, renewed emotional connection as they head into the unknown.