State of Play (2009) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Sonia Baker was killed because she had become a liability to PointCorp. She was originally recruited by the defense contractor to spy on Congressman Collins, but she fell in love with him, became pregnant with his child, and was no longer useful to them. Rather than risk her revealing their operation or talking to Collins, PointCorp ordered her elimination to silence her.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish PointCorp as a ruthless corporation that will do anything to protect its government contracts.

• sonia baker
• pointcorp
• spy
• congressman collins
• assassination

The assassin hired by Congressman Collins killed Sonia Baker. Collins had hired this former soldier (whose life he previously saved) to surveillance Sonia after becoming suspicious of her. However, the assassin worked for PointCorp, and they used his position to carry out Sonia's murder, making it appear as a suicide.

Foreshadowing: Cal recognizes the assassin from a military group photo featuring Collins, providing the key connection.

• sonia baker
• assassin
• metro
• congressman collins
• murder

Collins hired the assassin because he grew suspicious of Sonia after noticing changes in her behavior. Since she was his chief researcher and was conducting opposition research on PointCorp, he wanted to know if she was working for someone else. He didn't know at the time that she was actually spying on him for PointCorp.

Foreshadowing: Collins admits to Cal that he hired someone to watch Sonia, though he frames it as protection.

• congressman collins
• assassin
• surveillance
• sonia baker
• suspicion

PointCorp orchestrated most of the killings to protect their profitable defense contracts. They killed Deshaun Stagg because he had photographed incriminating evidence (the gun and bullets in the briefcase) showing Sonia with their PR executive Dominic Foy. They then killed the pizza deliveryman as a witness, and had Sonia killed when she became a liability. The assassin they controlled carried out these orders while also working for Collins.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that PointCorp has a near-monopoly on government surveillance and defense contracts.

• pointcorp
• conspiracy
• defense contractor
• murders
• dominic foy

The pizza deliveryman was killed because he was a witness to Deshaun Stagg's murder. He had seen the thief being shot by the man with the metal briefcase and had fallen into a coma from his injuries. PointCorp couldn't risk him waking up and describing the killer to police, so they sent a sniper to eliminate him while Della was attempting to interview him.

Foreshadowing: The investigation constantly references the need to silence witnesses connected to the initial crimes.

• pizza deliveryman
• witness
• hospital
• sniper
• pointcorp

The photographs taken by the deceased thief Deshaun Stagg revealed two crucial pieces of evidence: a gun and unusual handmade bullets hidden inside the metal briefcase, and a picture of Sonia Baker with a well-dressed man later identified as PointCorp PR executive Dominic Foy. These images connected the separate crimes and exposed the link between PointCorp and Sonia.

Foreshadowing: Stagg's death at the beginning of the film appears random but is later revealed as a deliberate hit.

• photographs
• mandi
• deshaun stagg
• sonia baker
• dominic foy
• evidence

Cal realized Collins' involvement when he recognized the assassin from a military group photo that included Collins. Confronting Collins directly, he learned that Collins had hired the assassin (a soldier whose life he once saved) to surveil Sonia. When police arrived to arrest the assassin, he was shot dead before revealing that PointCorp had been directing him all along.

Foreshadowing: Cal's investigation repeatedly circles back to military connections and Collins' past.

• cal mcaffrey
• congressman collins
• assassin
• discovery
• military photo

Yes, Sonia was recruited by PointCorp to spy on Collins and gather intelligence about his investigation into their mercenary operations. However, she genuinely fell in love with Collins during this process, carried his child, and wanted to leave PointCorp. This made her a threat to PointCorp, leading to her elimination.

Foreshadowing: Dominic Foy's involvement with Sonia in the photographs hints at a deeper connection.

• sonia baker
• spy
• pointcorp
• congressman collins
• betrayal
• pregnancy

Deshaun Stagg was killed because he had stolen a briefcase containing evidence that PointCorp wanted hidden. While attempting to flee with the stolen goods, he was caught and murdered by the assassin. The briefcase contained photographs and a gun that could link PointCorp to their illegal activities and to Sonia Baker.

Foreshadowing: The mysterious man with the briefcase is later revealed to be the same assassin throughout the film.

• deshaun stagg
• thief
• briefcase
• pointcorp
• assassination

Cal McAffrey exposed Collins' involvement in the conspiracy, leading to his arrest for ordering the deaths of Sonia Baker, Deshaun Stagg, and the pizza deliveryman. While PointCorp was ultimately behind the killings, Collins was implicated because he had hired the assassin. Cal wrote the exposé story and gave Della Frye prominent credit on the byline.

Foreshadowing: The investigation progressively builds evidence connecting Collins to the assassin and the cover-up.

• congressman collins
• arrest
• cal mcaffrey
• exposed
• conspiracy
• ending