Assigned to a government task force studying the string issue, Anthony decides to press his advantage. When the task force reports to the president, they recommend that disclosure of string status be included in the background check for powerful positions. One task force member points out the advantages of recruiting long-stringers for military duty, since they cannot die while their strings have not run out. The president pushes back on some of their recommendations, deciding that, for now, string status disclosure will only be mandatory for some government officials and current members of the military. Still, when Anthony tells Katherine about the meeting, they gleefully agree that this new direction will work out well for them.

Maura and Nina watch a cop show while waiting for a news conference about new string policy. On the show, the police pursue two violent short-stringers, and Maura worries about how short-stringers are being portrayed in the media. After the press conference, they are both upset by the announcement of the STAR Initiative, which mandates that short-stringers cannot apply for certain positions. Nina thinks the change is temporary, but Maura knows better. The support group is the only place she where she feels free to express her emotions, and her experience is complicated by being a Black woman, discriminated against whenever she expresses anger or frustration.