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The TV series Zero Day ended with shocking revelations about the people responsible for the devastating cyber attack that killed over 3,400 people. After the disaster, President Evelyn Mitchell set up the Zero Day Commission, led by former President George Mullen. His goal was to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable.
However, Speaker of the House Richard Dryer and Congresswoman Alexandra Mullen, George’s daughter, oversaw the commission’s work to ensure it didn’t cross ethical boundaries. But as George dug deeper, he discovered that the real culprits were Dryer, Alexandra, tech expert Monica K, hedge fund manager Robert Lyndon, and several members of the U.S. Congress.
So, why did they do it? What was their goal? And did George succeed in exposing them? Let’s break down Zero Day Season 1.
Why did Richard Dryer want the Zero Day Commission?
Richard Dryer believed the United States was falling apart. He saw one side obsessed with conspiracy theories and nationalism, while the other was focused on social issues like gender pronouns and defunding the police. In his eyes, neither side was making the country stronger.
To send a message, he and his allies planned to shut down all devices in the country for one minute, hoping it would make people realize how fragile their society had become. But his real motive was to get President Mitchell to create the Zero Day Commission and to make sure he had control over it.
If Dryer had been in charge, the commission would have been used as a tool for mass surveillance and the arrest of anyone he considered a threat to national stability. He wanted a system that allowed politicians and law enforcement to eliminate “undesirable” individuals without consequences. But he convinced himself that this extreme approach would only be temporary.
Thankfully, George Mullen saw through Dryer’s scheme. He used the commission to uncover the truth and exposed Dryer in front of Congress.
Who killed Monica K and Roger Carlson?
While Dryer and his political allies were the masterminds, hedge fund manager Robert Lyndon played a major role. He used the attack to manipulate the stock market, making millions by short-selling U.S. oil before the crisis.
Lyndon also wanted to get rid of political commentator Evan Green, who frequently called him out for his corruption. So, he pressured Roger Carlson, a key investigator, to plant false evidence linking Green to the cyber attack.
At first, George believed the accusations and even tortured Green. But he had doubts and never officially charged him. Fearing that Green might return to his talk show and expose the real conspirators, Lyndon asked Roger to spread rumors about George’s declining mental health, hoping to remove him from the investigation.
When Roger refused, Lyndon had him poisoned and drowned, staging it as a suicide.
As for Monica K, she played a crucial role in the Zero Day attack. Her company, Panoply, developed the apps that made the cyber attack possible. Dryer promised her legal protection in exchange for her help.
But when George’s team uncovered her involvement, Dryer betrayed her. Monica tried to blackmail George by revealing his affair with Valerie Whitcell and the fact that Valerie’s daughter, Lily, was actually his child.
Before she could strike a deal for immunity, Dryer had her killed in prison, making it look like a suicide.
During George Mullen’s presidency, the CIA and the U.S. government secretly developed a nerve agent called Proteus, a chemical weapon designed to disable enemies without them realizing it. However the project was shut down, and most of the scientists involved were silenced.
After the Zero Day attack, George started experiencing symptoms similar to the effects of Proteus, making him believe the project had been revived.
However, it was more likely a psychological response to his guilt. His son Nick had died, and he regretted his role in developing such dangerous technology. Proteus became a metaphor for George’s remorse and the weight of his past decisions. Instead of letting it consume him, he decided to take action and prevent future threats.
What happened to Alexandra Mullen?
Alexandra, George’s daughter, believed the Zero Day attack was meant to bring people together. She thought shutting down the internet would force citizens to talk to each other instead of spreading hate and division.
However, she failed to realize how serious the consequences would be. Over 3,400 people died because of the attack. Worse, her research into Dryer’s group was so weak that she didn’t even realize Robert Lyndon was involved.
She considered herself a defender of democracy, yet she unknowingly participated in a plan that threatened it.
After Roger Carlson and Monica K were murdered, Alexandra finally saw the truth. She asked her father for help, but it was too late.
Despite her family’s pleas, George knew he had to indict his daughter. She left him a letter saying she was willing to take responsibility for her actions.
By the time George read her letter in Congress, a news report confirmed she had been arrested, and the FBI was investigating Dryer and the other conspirators. Zero Day didn’t reveal the final outcome of the investigation, but Alexandra learned a hard lesson, democracy cannot be saved through extreme measures.
Why did George Mullen burn his manuscript?
After exposing the conspiracy, George didn’t feel like a hero.
His daughter had been one of the criminals behind the attack. His son was dead. His marriage was broken.
George did the right thing by turning in Alexandra, but it cost him everything. He had spent years making difficult choices in the name of justice, often crossing moral and legal lines. He realized that his legacy wasn’t something to be proud of.
Burning his manuscript symbolized his desire to leave the past behind. He didn’t want people to remember him for his mistakes as president or as the head of the Zero Day Commission. Instead, he wanted his final act, exposing the truth to be what defined him.
Even though he planned to step away from politics, it was clear that the battle wasn’t over. The people he exposed would not go down without a fight.
The ending of Zero Day was a powerful statement about the dangers of unchecked power and political extremism. Richard Dryer and his allies believed they were saving the country, but their actions only caused chaos and death.
George Mullen’s journey was one of redemption, but it came at a heavy cost. He had to turn against his own daughter and accept that his past decisions had shaped the present disaster.
Even though justice was served, the story left room for uncertainty. Would those responsible truly be punished? Or would corruption and power protect them?
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Read more: Zero Day Episode 1 recap: America is under cyberattack
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