The Lords of Discipline

Will McLean arrives as a senior cadet at the Carolina Military Institute. He remains aloof as the brutal hazing of new cadets unfolds around him. Lt. Col. Bear Berrineau asks him to protect Pearce, highlighting the conflict between pride and protection within the institution.

Two targets of the Ten, Poteete and Pearce, are subjected to escalating abuse. Poteete is left standing all night on a high ledge, and Pearce is attacked with the number 10 carved in his back, with razor blades hidden in his athletic shoes. McLean's attempts to shield them are thwarted when communication channels are compromised.

Durrell warns McLean not to be soft, signaling that the Ten's power reaches even the highest ranks. Despite the pressure, McLean continues to struggle to protect Pearce, facing interference and mounting danger.

McLean and his roommates kidnap Dan McIntyre, a former Ten member, to extract the location of the Hole where cadets are tortured. They threaten him and compel him to reveal the site. The move signals a shift from hazing to active confrontation with the Ten.

McLean's group reaches the Hole just as Pearce is threatened with immolation. They distract the Ten and, in the mêlée, McLean unmasks one of the Ten: John Alexander. The act exposes the Ten's reach and their hold over the school.

In retaliation, Pignetti is expelled by an Honor Court controlled by the Ten. Alexander issues a flood of demerits against the rest of McLean's faction, placing them at risk of expulsion and further tightening the Ten's grip on the Institute.

McLean offers to resign if Alexander shows leniency toward Santoro and Tradd. Alexander agrees to the concession, demonstrating the uneasy balance of power among the cadets and the authorities.

McLean returns to the St. Croix house and discovers Mr. St. Croix's journals. They reveal that Durrell is a past Ten member and that Tradd is also a member, showing the Ten has operated for years with institutional support.

McLean confronts Tradd at the St. Croix house and throws the house key at him, exposing his role in keeping the Ten ahead of McLean. The confrontation confirms the deep ties that shield the Ten.

McLean marches into Durrell's office and declares that the senior class must graduate, the Ten must be disbanded and exposed, and Durrell must resign at the end of the year. He threatens to send the journals to the press to back his demands.

Durrell agrees to the terms for the sake of the Institute. The Ten is to be disbanded and exposed, Pignetti is reinstated, and Durrell will resign at the end of the year. The plan aims to restore some integrity to the institution.

McLean remains at CMI until graduation day to see the deal through, but he is disgusted by the corruption and chooses not to attend the graduation ceremony. His decision marks a personal break from the system he challenged.

As McLean leaves the Institute, Bear hands him his class ring and tells him that he earned it. The gesture acknowledges his courage and moral resolve in the face of systemic corruption.