In Zero Day (2025), a gripping political thriller set in the United States, an unprecedented event shakes the nation—every electronic system across America shuts down for exactly one minute. The sudden blackout sparks widespread alarm, with even the CIA baffled by its origin and unable to devise an immediate response.
Amid rising uncertainty, President Mitchell takes decisive action, forming a special investigative committee to uncover the truth behind the ‘Zero Day’ attacks. To lead this crucial mission, she turns to former President George Mullen—a respected figure whose leadership still commands public trust. Though retired, Mullen reluctantly steps back into the political arena, determined to unravel the mystery. As the investigation unfolds, he encounters relentless obstacles, forcing him to navigate a complex web of deception and danger in pursuit of the perpetrators.
This article contains spoilers.
Zero Day (2025) Episode 1 Recap:
The episode opens with former President George Mullen in a dimly lit room trying to find something. As Mullen struggles to find something, the door is pounding hard, and someone tries to get inside. We go back to three days before the incident. As usual, Mullen begins his normal routine of swimming and going for a run. At breakfast, Mullen converses with caretaker Hector about his wife appearing at the appellate court. After breakfast, Mullen meets with a ghostwriter who is visiting to help Mullen write his autobiography. In the office, there are many photographs, and among them is a picture of Mullen with John Flanagan.
To inspire Mullen, the ghostwriter encourages Mullen to write about his time with Flanagan. Mullen and Flanagan grew up together, and after discharge, Flanagan was shot dead. This inspired Mullen to become a prosecutor. Taking the opportunity, the ghostwriter is curious why Mullen refused to run for election even though he knew well that he would win again. According to Mullen’s response, it has something to do with his dead son. When the ghostwriter presses further about the son, Mullen kicks her out. On the way, the ghostwriter talks to her editor, Ben, saying Mullen’s son’s death must be serious. At this time, all the electronic gadgets are turned off. On the ghostwriter’s phone, a message appears that this will happen again.
What does President Mitchell request from Mullen?
A train accidentally runs over the ghostwriter’s car, killing her instantly. The news reports say that it is a cyber-attack, and because of power outrage, there have been numerous accidents across America. In the Russian consulate, a man talks to someone about multiple systems and grabs a gun. Thankfully, Mullen’s wife gets home safely. It’s a day after Zero Day (the day of the cyber-attack). Roger comes with a message from the White House for Mullen, requesting Mullen to go on the ground and calm the people down. Hesitantly, Mullen agrees, and at the site, the crowd starts spewing conspiracy theories. To calm the crowd and unite the people of America, Mullen steps in and empathizes with the fears of people. His great speech calms the citizens.
Elsewhere, the man from the Russian Consulate meets with an IT contact who demands Felix’s presence. On the second day after Zero Day, Mullen meets Madam President Evelyn Mitchell, who wants Mullen to take the lead in a commission to find the perpetrators of the cyber-attack. Later, Mullen meets Jeremey from the CIA to get more information about the attacks. At the Russian Consulate, the IT guy comes through and sends Felix’s location to the man. At the party for Mullen’s wife, Nathan confirms (Mullen’s contact) Felix’s involvement in the cyber-attack.
Why is Mullen confused and angry?
Meanwhile, Alex thinks people and the press will eat Mullen alive as the world is different now compared to Mullen’s time. Suddenly, Mullen is affected by paranoia listening to the song ‘Who Killed Bambi’ and asks Hector to change the music. However, there isn’t any music playing. As Mullen and his wife talk, Mrs. Mullen encourages her husband to head the commission, although it is dangerous. That night, Nathan calls with some important information, which Mullen writes and places inside the safe. The next day, Mullen agrees to lead the Zero Day Commission. Again, Nathan calls, so he hurries to the safe frantically.
Meanwhile, Mullen’s security is worried he has had a medical emergency as he is not responding. With some difficulty, Mullen opens the safe and looks at the notes. Inside are words like ‘who killed Bambi’. Now Mullen is sure someone has opened his safe and replaced the book. In anger, Mullen asks Hector if anyone has entered his office. However, Mullen notices that in place of Hector, there is another man named Wayne. Confused, Mullen starts to shout, and Mrs. Mullen tells Mullen that Hector retired five years ago.
Zero Day (2025) Episode 2 Recap:
The episode begins with Mullen taking the helicopter to the Zero Day Commission office while recalling the events of the previous night. Elsewhere, the IT man destroys all electronics in his house before leaving for the hacker’s meeting point. There, the IT man sees the Russian man who has wiped out the entire crew and is now chasing after the IT guy. While Mullen is on the way to the base point, Mitchell gives Mullen 72 hours to find something; otherwise, Mitchell will point fingers at the Russians. During the first briefing sessions, PR lead Melisa requests the team not to leak any information to anyone as she will handle the press.
From the justice department, Carl is in charge of coordinating the investigation. Now Carl has pictures of the IT guy, who is unidentified yet. The Russian man Alexi Lebedev was also caught on CCTV camera, and he is also known as a GRU officer. Mullen asks the team to talk to the hacker before revealing any information to anyone outside the room.
Meanwhile, Mullen asks Roger to verify the ghostwriter’s (Anna’s) death. The hackers left a code word pointing towards the Orange Revolution, for which Russia blamed America. The security forces find the IT guy’s match, but his identity is restricted. Later, Roger is forced to meet with a man named Lyndon. Back in the day, Roger was Lyndon’s mole, and now Lyndon expects Roger to work for him. Furthermore, Lyndon finds it fascinating that Mullen still trusts Roger.
Why is everyone upset with Alex?
Before leaving, Lyndon asks Roger to make sure Mullen focuses on Russia. On the news, a woman, Kidder, who owns many social media apps, says the commission needs her help to find these cyber-attackers. Later, Sheila (Mullen’s wife) confronts Mullen about his outburst, but Mullen brushes it off. Suddenly, President Mitchell calls and informs Mullen that she will address the people from the Oval Office in 48 hours, and by then, Mullen needs to make some progress. When Roger visits the New York City Morgue, he sees that Anna’s body is missing. When Roger tells Mullen about it, he reveals that he had seen Anna in the press conference 24 hours after Anna’s apparent death.
The next day, Carl updates Mullen that the hacker (IT guy) is an undercover NSA agent. At home, Sheila asks the former Chief of Staff, Valerie, to join the commission to help Mullen. Meanwhile, Dreyer addresses the press, saying he has set up an oversight committee to watch over the Zero Day Commission, which Alex leads. Seeing the news, Mullen is upset and sends Roger to talk to Alex. Elsewhere, Alex is watching the IT guy talk to a girl in a diner. The mission of the GRU officer is to get rid of the hacker. Meanwhile, the hacker makes plans to leave the country. At night, Sheila informs Mullen about hiring Valerie, and it is non-negotiable. At Alex’s house, Alex tells Roger that it wasn’t her decision to lead the committee. Later, Alex and Roger sleep together.
What does Mullen reveal to the press about the cyber-attack?
Meanwhile, Mullen gets the hacker’s identity – Patrick O’Keefe. Having the identity, the Army and the other forces find Patrick trying to leave the country by boat. At the same place, Alexi is trying to kill Patrick. When the police catch Patrick, Alexi is run over by another GRU agent, killing Alexi instantly. When Roger gets home, the GRU agent is waiting and gives evidence that Russia is not involved in the cyber-attacks. At the office, Roger gives the information to Carl and asks him to verify it. Time runs out as Mitchell is ready to go on air.
Suddenly, Mullen calls for the press and says that this is an inside job and no other foreign government is involved. There is a home-grown terrorist organization called Reaper, and the program is a government one called Proteus. In the end, Mitchell is upset as pointing fingers at Russia would have unified America. However, Jeremey from the CIA says Mullen is right about the organization as well as the Proteus program, but the program is not what Mullen thinks it is. Saying that Jeremey brings out a top-secret file.
Zero Day (2025) Episode 3 Recap:
The episode opens with Evan Green getting ready for his show. There are haters and people behind any decision made by the government. However, Evan Green despises Mullen and everything he is doing regarding the cyberattacks. After the news of the Reapers, Mullen tracks down many people connected to the network, and the security forces arrest around 48 of these hackers. It’s a new morning. Usually, Mullen takes his pills, but this time, he reads the side effects and disposes of the pills. At the office, Valerie has taken over, putting Roger on the sidelines.
How does Mullen get Erik to confess?
Later, Mullen asks Roger to get proof that the person buried is Anna. Through Valarie and Roger’s dig at each other, we learn that Valarie and Mullen had an affair and Roger is recovering from drug habits. In the Congress Office, Richard Dreyer asks Alex to get an explanation for the arrests from Mullen. Meanwhile, Evan Green reveals that the police have arrested a kid named Paul, who has no connection to the Reaper. In other news, Evan also reveals that Lyndon made money before the cyberattack took place. When Alex asks for an official explanation from Mullen, Mullen asks her to inform her colleagues that he won’t be giving any justification.
At the burial, Roger gets a DNA sample from Anna’s body. There, Nathan approaches Roger and asks him to tell Mullen to quit as he cannot win this thing. Furthermore, Nathan questions if Mullen has started to see or hear things, leaving Roger puzzled. Now, Carl reveals that Paul was indeed arrested, but the cops entered the wrong room as they were looking for Paul’s brother.
Immediately, they release Paul from custody. The cops have arrested a man named Erik Hayes, who has a part to play in the cyber-attacks. Mullen decides to question Hayes himself. After some calm conversation, Mullen describes the things that will happen to Hayes’s friend, father, and son if Erik does not cooperate. As thousands of people have died in one minute because of the attack, three people’s lives getting destroyed is a small price to pay.
Who provokes Mullen to arrest Evan Green?
Bringing up family scares Erik, who reveals that there is another man who calls himself Leon. This man is behind Zero Day. Every time Mullen is in distress, he starts hearing the ‘Who killed Bambi?’ song. A mob protests outside, asking to release people. From that area, Lyndon’s men take Roger with them. Unfortunately, Evan Green is covering stories about Lyndon, so Lyndon wants Roger to pay him back and commit treason.
If Roger does not do that, then Lyndon will reveal that he is a snitch. Meanwhile, Carl and Valarie think they should check out the farm in Idaho. However, Mullen sees a connection between Erik and Evan Green as they both live by George Orwell’s quote from 1984. All of Mullen’s prescriptions have been refilled, and Roger has now given some evidence to Mullen.
Through the pictures Lyndon has provided, it is clear Anna is also involved, as she is Evan’s follower. While Valarie and Carl don’t think it’s ideal to focus on this, Mullen orders them to arrest Evan. Later, Roger checks Mullen’s diary and sees that Mullen really hears and sees things. That night, Evan is arrested and put in custody. The next day, Richard informs Alex about the arrest and asks to meet him soon. By then, Roger visits Alex and pretends that the idea of arresting Evan is solely Mullen’s. In the last scene, Mullen faces Evan, who is locked up, calling him an idiot.
Zero Day (2025) Episode 4 Recap:
The episode begins with American Homestead Bank freezing the accounts and shutting the servers as it has been a victim of cybercrime. To prevent this from happening to other banks, the government has stopped the servers. Using this as an opportunity, Richard tries to say Mullen is not in his right mind to Mitchell, who refuses to listen to Richard. Meanwhile, Mullen and his team interrogate Evan, who refuses to cooperate. So, Evan’s lawyer, Bob, is brought in to make sense of Evan. In Alex’s house, Roger is so tired of everything that he is jokingly planning to run away with Alex. Suspicions rise towards Evan as he erases his hard drive, and nobody knows what is in it.
What is Proteus?
Meanwhile, to change the narrative, Melissa suggests having a meeting with Kidder, and Mullen agrees. Desperate to find answers, Valarie meets a former scientist, McKenna, who worked on Proteus. This was a neurobiological weapon that violated the Geneva Convention. The weapon can be used from a distance to cause brain trauma, and nobody can determine where the trauma has stemmed from. When Carl interrogates Evan, he gives some names. Later, Valerie tells Mullen about Proteus. The symptoms include hallucinations and a memory gap, which Mullen has. The weapon is targeted at a specific area, and since it was triggered when Mullen was home, Valarie and Mullen decide he should stay in the office.
Elsewhere, Roger checks out a radio that was found on an Idaho farm. At the White House, Richard tells Mitchell to use family crises as an excuse to make Mullen quit the commission. Because of Roger, Alex knows Mullen is not mentally fit, which Alex tells Sheila. The meeting with Kidder does not benefit Mullen in any way. Meanwhile, Mitchell informs Mullen that such attacks on banks have happened before, and Richard has hidden this data from Mullen. From the radio, Roger can hear some coded information which he notes down. In a bar later, Lyndon’s men approach Roger to get evidence to prove Mullen is mentally unstable so they can make sure he calls it quits.
How did Roger die?
At the office, Roger hesitates to take Mullen’s diary. Meanwhile, Mullen takes a psych test to prove his mental capability to Sheila. The test results are positive. This time, Mullen wants to take extreme measures to make Evan speak, and they torture him. The only thing Evan reveals is the tax evasion frauds he has committed, which were saved on the hard drive. This time, Roger wants to come clean and tells Alex that he has hacked her phone to reveal the truth about Alex’s ex. After Roger goes back home, Lyndon’s men arrive to collect the evidence.
However, Roger says he has changed his mind. So Lyndon’s men kill Roger and push him inside the tub. While talking to the press, Mitchell says the cyber-attack on the bank is not related to Zero Day, and this group is called Sinecure. The next day, Mullen is reminded of his son Nick’s death as he died of an overdose. Even in Roger’s washroom, there are drug packets everywhere. Lyndon’s men are making it seem like Roger died of an overdose and not murder. In the last scene, Mullen looks at his diary and is annoyed by his writing.
Zero Day (2025) Episode 5 Recap:
The episode opens with Evan Green’s release from custody. The public is outraged as torture methods were used on Evan. At home, Mullen is regretful of all the things he couldn’t do with Nick. After a while, Mullen asks Sheila to be honest in front of the oversight committee as she does not have to defend Mullen. At the White House, Richard feels superior as he has bipartisan support. Furthermore, Richard asks Mitchell to make Mullen quit and swear in Richard as the leader of the Zero Day commission. To Richard’s surprise, Sheila was incredible, and her testimony gained popularity among the masses. Now, Valarie is afraid of the effects of Proteus as Mullen insists on going to Roger’s funeral.
At home, Alex and Mullen have different opinions; Mullen thinks Nick died because of an overdose, but Alex says Nick killed himself. In the end, Mullen apologizes to Alex for all the wrong things he has done. At the office, Mullen finds a letter left by Roger. The contents of it are all the things Roger heard on the radio. Through that, it is obvious that Lyndon is involved, but everyone on the ground is sure there are more people. After bringing in a cryptologist, the team will be able to decipher the codes. Immediately, Mullen and Valarie inform Mitchell about the findings. Since a lot of things have happened, Mitchell can only give Mullen 24 hours to arrest someone.
What happens to Kidder?
Meanwhile, Richard is annoyed as Mullen has not quit. Now, Alex is trying to reach Mullen as she is worried about him. Since the voices on the radio are morphed, Mullen sets a trap for these offenders. It was stated that Roger had left some documents and that someone needed to clean them up. Through this, they catch Blake Felton. Looking through Blake’s file, they realize he works for Kidder’s company. After getting backlash from the public, Mullen sends Carl and the team to Kidder, but this time, they play by the book. However, Kidder starts to livestream, trying to portray the officers as offenders of the law. Inside the house, Kidder tries to reach out to people on the radio to rescue her. However, there is no response.
So Kidder talks to Mullen and Valarie, asking for immunity. When Mullen does not agree, Kidder reveals that Valarie’s daughter has sent a request to find her genealogy. Through that, Kidder knows that Mullen is Lily’s father. By then, there is a shootout as some men attack the police. Carl is seriously injured. The cops manage to control the situation and arrest Kidder. Now Mullen speaks to the press, saying the malware was deployed from Kidder’s house and that she is the mastermind behind this attack.
Later, Mullen asks Valarie to introduce Lily to him once this mess is sorted. Alex panics and asks Richard to pull it off. However, Richard asks to communicate in another way. Now, Alex pulls out a radio similar to what the hackers are using. Later at night, Mullen gets the news that Kidder has killed herself.
Zero Day (2025) Episode 6 Recap:
The episode opens with reporters covering Kidder’s death while a panicked Alex meets with Richard. In the room are other members of the government who are unwilling to come clean. Seeing a frantic Alex, Richard assures him that everything is taken care of and she has nothing to worry about. After Kidder’s arrest, the tech team is able to understand how Kidder managed to get into all of the systems, creating havoc. With that information, the tech team can find out how to fight against such crimes in the future. While everyone believes Kidder is the mastermind behind the Zero Day attacks, Mullen thinks something is missing. A while later, Alex calls Mullen, asking to meet, but before hanging up, she asks Mullen and Sheila to be careful.
At that moment, there was a blackout again, but this time, the tech team found a way to bring back power and communications. During this blackout, Tom from the forces asks Mullen and Sheila to join him as there are threats against them and a mob outside their house. When they leave, the mob blocks the gate. However, Mullen asks the police not to harm the citizens. Unfortunately, the mob attacks Mullen’s car. Thankfully, the CIA comes to the rescue. By now, there is a misunderstanding through the hacker’s communication, as it is said that Mullen is dead. In the car, Jeremey says Mitchell and Jeremey knew something was going on, but they needed Mullen to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Sheila seeks refuge in Valarie’s house.
Zero Day (2025) Ending Explained:
Who is the real mastermind behind the Zero Day attack?
However, Valarie does not confirm or deny Mullen’s death to the team on the ground but encourages them to solve the issue at hand. When Alex gets home, she is afraid to see Mullen sitting in the dark. Now, Alex confesses to everything. The power comes up, and the news reports say that Mullen could be dead. When the reporters ask for Richard’s words, Richard gives a fake emotional speech.
A few minutes later, Mullen calls Richard and asks to meet in private. Richard talks about some political utopias that are hard to achieve. Since Alex is involved, Richard promises that all those who are involved will step down once the term is up. If not, they will take Alex down with them. Although Mullen wants to speak the truth, he knows Sheila won’t be okay. As expected, Sheila is unwilling to lose another child. Because of this, the commission report is being delayed.
During this time, Mitchell visits Mullen and apologizes for everything she didn’t reveal, as she didn’t anticipate how personal this would get for Mullen. While on a jog, Mullen finds a device in a feeder and gets suspicious of it. The commission report is complete, and Valarie gives it to Richard, who is happy with the report. On the day of the announcement, Alex has left a letter for Mullen. During the announcement, Mullen starts to hear music, but he fights it. The announcement goes as planned, but halfway through, Mullen decides to speak from the heart. Furthermore, Mullen reads Alex’s confession. After this, Mullen tells the public that government members from both sides were involved in the attack, and Richard was the one leading them. In the end, Mullen continues his retired life.
In the process of speaking the truth, it seems like Mullen has lost his family. One child is dead, another in prison, and towards the end, we don’t see Sheila. Valarie tells Lily the truth, and it is up to Lily to decide if she wants to be in touch with Mullen. There isn’t a solid conclusion for Proteus as they brush it off, as either Mullen has been attacked or he is tired and overwhelmed, which plays with his mind. Thankfully, Richard and others will also be put behind bars for the crimes they have committed. Mitchell may continue to serve another term. It was also proved that many photographs given by Lyndon were deepfakes. The government will have to continue with the investigations to see how many more people were involved in these cyber-attacks.
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Why did George lose 5 years without knowing it in Episode 1?
As we learn later in the series, Geroge may be the victim of a neurological weapon ‘Proteus’ which caused this issue. Since the trigger was at home and George was at home the neurological weapon caused memory gaps and memory manipulation.