Reality Emilia Jones grows up in Texas under the care of her mother Billie Connie Britton, a compassionate social worker, and her father Ron Zach Galifianakis, an unemployed writer who clings to his own dreams. From a young age, Reality shows a keen interest in social justice and languages, a combination that shapes her choices and outlook. After high school, she joins the Air Force hoping to provide aid in Afghanistan, but she is instead stationed at Fort Meade to run surveillance on the Taliban. One night, Reality and her coworker KayLee Thompson Shannon Berry stumble upon a translation about a suspicious package, and their discovery triggers a violent incident that results in five people being shot. To cope with the aftermath, Reality channels her energy into fitness and volunteering, and her personal life starts to blossom as she begins seeing Andre Danny Ramirez, a local bartender who dreams of becoming a veterinarian.
The Winner family dynamic deteriorates: Brittany Kathryn Newton marries her conservative boyfriend Taylor Sam Duke, while Billie pursues a divorce from Ron, who sinks into depression and becomes dependent on alcohol and pills. Two years later, Reality finds herself increasingly drawn to the world of whistleblowing, sparked by Edward Snowden’s leaks and the questions they raise about truth and power.
Frustrated by the violence surrounding her work, Reality applies for an NGO that offers humanitarian aid in Pakistan, only to be rejected due to a lack of a college degree. Her relationship with Andre ends, and in an effort to cover Ron’s healthcare costs, Reality signs on with Pluribus, a contractor for the National Security Agency. The NSA office is overwhelmed by Fox News coverage about supposed Russian interference in American elections, and Reality uncovers evidence of such interference in the agency’s files, saving a copy for herself. On his deathbed, Ron encourages her to stay true to her beliefs, a moment that reinforces her resolve.
Reality prints out the incriminating evidence, sneaks it out of the Pluribus office, and mails it to The Intercept. Days later, the FBI arrives at her doorstep, and she is interrogated, arrested, and denied bail. The ensuing legal case paints her as a terrorist due to her language skills and sharp humor, and she is placed in solitary confinement. Billie works tirelessly to humanize Reality in the media, while Reality faces a five-year federal prison sentence, where she finally gets to reunite with her mother and sister and ponders whether the leak was worth the cost.
