This post contains spoilers from Netflix's Zero Day episode 6 from this point forward.
As Monica's death makes the rounds on the news and Dreyer pushes the narrative of her responsibility of the Zero Day attack, Alex enters the war room in total stress. She asks, "Did we do this?" Do what, Alex? Be more specific! She knows that her father won't let Monica Kidder be the end of all of this. There's a loose thread and he will pull. She insists that they have to "come clean," but Dreyer is a menace.
The commission investigates Panoply's coding system and learns how Monica was able to widely spread the malware through app updates and Bluetooth. The coding had an AI engine, which seems just as scary as anything else. Mullen asks if she could have done this on her own, but he doesn't get the answer he was looking for. See, there's that loose thread Alex was talking about. Speaking of Alex...
Alex calls her parents and wants to meet them at their house to talk. She's acting odd and tells them to be careful. Just when she says that, there's another complete blackout. This time, it lasts longer than one minute. Mullen and Sheila are relocated from their home due to a threat. As they drove out the front gate, a crowd of angry protestors attacks Mullen's car. It's a terrifying situation until agents are able to disperse the crowd. Mullen rolls down his window; Lasch has come to his rescue.
Over the radio, the CIA seems to put the (false) word out that Mullen has been killed. Lasch tells him that he and Mitchell have been interested in his well-being and have reason to believe that the Zero Day attack could have had involvement from inside the government, possibly Dreyer. They weren't sure how far it went, that's why they needed Mullen, someone outside of the current circle.
Sheila seeks shelter with Valerie as Alex returns to her apartment to retrieve some of her things. Mullen's there waiting for her like a father waiting up for his kid who missed curfew. After his conversation with Lasch, he knows she was involved with Zero Day. She begins by saying they were trying to "fix things," admitting that Dreyer — and Kidder — had dozens of people involved.
Alex confesses the truth about Zero Day
She continues her confession by explaining that Kidder said she could scare people by reminding them how vulnerable we are "in just one minute." Apparently, the plan was unity, and they let Kidder follow through with her malware attack in order to make that point. Alex cries when she admits she didn't realize people would die. All she wanted to do was pass legislation, which Dreyer promised he'd help her with.
Alex got herself into a real mess, a mess she underestimated and truly didn't think through. She and her dad fundamentally disagree about the state of politics. She says things are broken now beyond his comprehension; he says they're always broken and you keep trying to fix them. Nevertheless, she breaks down and asks for direction from her father.
As systems begin to return to normal, the networks report breaking news: Mullen was the victim of an attack by Evan Green supporters. Dreyer speaks to the press about Mullen's "death," and he's so fake. He gets a real shock when — boo! — Mullen gives him a call. They meet, and Dreyer maintains that what he's done was out of loyalty, which somehow cancels out his treason? Sure, Jan.
Mullen and Dreyer's back and forth is an important conversation to listen to. It's poignant and maddening and, let's be honest, triggering. But Mullen's completely in the right. Dreyer tries to talk his way out of being arrested by reminding him that if he goes down, so does Alex. (Shouldn't Alex have gotten immunity for ratting everyone out though? At least a lessened offense?)
Mullen hangs Dreyer out to dry
Mullen meets with Mitchell in his study. She apologizes for holding "some things" back when appointing him to the commission, but she wasn't aware of how personal the outcome would end up being for him. She believes the country wouldn't be able to recover from the whole truth. Mullen then spots Alex tearfully talking with Sheila. There's a lot riding on his shoulders.
While on a run on his property, he notices something in the bird feeder he wanted filled in the first episode. It looks like a big of the technological sort, which is curious. Back in his office that night, he sees a happier version of his son with his dog on the couch. But that might be more of the looming decision at hand than his Proteus-induced mental health decline.
Valerie drops off the commission's report on the attack to Dreyer, and it's a thick document. Dreyer applauds Mullen for being a "wise man." A joint session will present the results to display bipartisan unity to the country. When Mullen returns to the commission's office, he receives a standing ovation from his staff. The item he found in the bird feeder was tested, but the results of its origin are inconclusive.
Before the joint session commences, Mullen visits Alex's office, but she's gone and left a letter for her dad. Mullen takes the podium in Congress to deliver the findings of the commission. Suddenly, his prompter features the lyrics of "Who Killed Bambi" and he goes silent before stating that the cyberweapon was originally developed by the NSA. He then diverts from the plan and tells the truth.
He stops reading his prepared statement and speaks from the heart to reveal what actually happened. Mullen then reads Alex's letter, which admits her role in the Zero Day attack and reveals she will turn herself in. To an uproar from the crowd, Mullen announces the conspiracy was led by Dreyer and names the rest of the government individuals who joined him, including Alex.
Mullen returns to his office and burns the manuscript of his memoir in the fireplace. The series ends with Mullen alone on a jog with his dog, having done the right thing but feeling no less good about it.
Zero Day episode 6 review
The series finale of Zero Day follows a lot of the similar beats that shows often take when setting up big reveals in the penultimate episode. There are some punches pulled, like Mullen leaning into faking his death for a short while and continued questions about the real culprit of the attack, but for all intents and purposes, the finale tends to go where you expect it to.
We expect Mullen to stand up in Congress and risk his legacy and reputation to share the whole truth with the American people. To stand up there and tell a half truth to protect members of the government, including his own daughter, would eat him up much more than becoming a political outcast. Honestly, as a viewer, I'm glad that he told the truth. That's what you want him to do.
By the end of Zero Day, there are still a lot of questions left hanging. Did Alex actually turn herself in or is she on the run? Did Sheila leave Mullen? Does Mitchell get her second term? Was Mullen actually a victim of Proteus? There's probably some more minor loose threads, but none of them are meant to be answered. We're mean to be left with a sense of anxious wonder and unease. How could you not after the events that unfolded?
Naturally, some viewers will hope for more from the series, but as a miniseries, this is all we're getting! Zero Day gave us just enough in its six episodes to munch on and mull over. This won't be the last we hear from the series though, since the show and a number of its stars will most definitely receive award nominations. It's deserved for what will surely be one of the best limited series of the year.
Watch Zero Day only on Netflix.