The images of brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are released to the public setting off a violent chain of events. Meanwhile, clues from their past tell a complicated story - how was the radicalization of the ethnically Chechen brothers and the existence of potential collaborators. The post-9/11 biases played a role in the investigation.

Following their identification, the Tsarnaev brothers killed an MIT policeman, then kidnapped a man in his car. They had a shootout with the police in nearby Watertown, during which two officers were severely injured (one of whom, Dennis Simmonds, died a year later). Tamerlan was shot several times, and his brother Dzhokhar ran him over while escaping in the stolen car. Tamerlan died soon after.
An unprecedented manhunt for Dzhokhar ensued, with thousands of law enforcement officers searching a 20-block area of Watertown. Residents of Watertown and surrounding communities were asked to stay indoors, and the transportation system and most businesses and public places closed. After a Watertown resident discovered him hiding in a boat in his backyard, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is cornered into an intense standoff. As officials navigate remaining questions and suspicions, the city emerges Boston Strong.

In episode 2, Ed explains that he has his fortress of friends, but his world is turned upside down by the death of a friend, Jamal Edwards, which comes to affect his music. We will also learn details of his relationship with his wife Cherry.

In the second episode, we see the stark differences between the modern and pristine operation on the 19th floor of the Lipstick Building and what was transpiring on the relic and shopworn 17th floor, where Madoff was running his investment advisory business and where most of the fraud was orchestrated, and from where Madoff's empire branched into the hedge fund business, which began drawing unwanted scrutiny.
In his disposition, Madoff confirms the names of four significant investors, including Jeffry Picower, a shadowy and long-time client, dating back 30 years. Although Madoff never confronted Picower or discussed the matter with him, it was suspected he knew what was going on and, because of this, had the power to torment and extort Madoff while profiting substantially from his Ponzi scheme.

The third episode emphasizes how Madoff's numbers were deemed unrealistic. Despite his competitors' investigations into these impossible figures and subsequent alerts to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency, swayed by Madoff's reputation, disregarded the numerous red flags. Choosing instead to look the other way, they allowed Madoff's operations to continue undeterred.

In the final episode, we hear how employees on the 17th floor were rewarded, and we see Madoff's $65 billion Ponzi scheme quickly collapses as investors begin to withdraw their money during the 2008 Financial Crisis. We see how Madoff's sons attempt to stop their father from writing bonus cheques for long-time investors, faithful employees, and extended family to help cushion the blow. Madoff confesses to the Ponzi scheme, and the FBI arrests him.
After pleading guilty, Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in prison. Two years after learning of the Ponzi scheme, his eldest son Mark is found hanging from a pipe, dead of an apparent suicide. His other son dies of lymphoma six years later.