[splash]
♪
[cluster of tweets heard]
[cluster of tweets heard continues]
Female #1 [V.O.]: Studying on a Friday night. 'Cause I'm hardcore like that.
[door shuts]
Female #1 [V.O.]: Fragile masculinity is adorable.
Female #1 [V.O.]: Like a teacup pig.
♪
[male on video] Male #1: May I remind my opponents,
of the distinction between anonymous
and [unintelligible dialogue]
[male on video] Um...
Male #2: Hey man, are you alright?
[Female tweets] You see the moment he realizes he's lost
everything and will never walk free of humiliation again.
[male & female tweet] Hope he brought a change. -Crying emoji, crying emoji, crying emoji.
Male # 1 [V.O.]: In light of recent events I am taking a social media hiatus
to focus on my studies.
[male on video] Male #1 [V.O.]: Can everyone please leave?
[female clears throat]
[male on video] Get out!
Female #2: Masculinity, so fragile. You assert meaningless dominance over public space.
[interrupts] Hey.
Do you mind using headphones?
[male on video] Male #1 [V.O.]: Please.
[male on video] Male #1 [V.O.]: God. God. -Are you okay?
Sorry, man. There's this hilarious video of
this guy shitting his pants at the debate tournament.
Yeah. He looks very familiar. I just wanted to check.
Aww, where you going?
Male #3: May I?
Thank you very much.
Did you watch it? - Female #2: No. It's not worth anyone's time.
[chatter]
I think we're actually here early.
It's my worst nightmare.
Male: Excuse me. This is quiet study.
My name is Patrick, but most people call me "Pohprah"
It's a mixture between Puff Daddy and Oprah.
Hey, I know I know you from somewhere.
Nice try, buddy. But after the day I've had you're not even making a dent.
I just need my- Has anyone seen my phone?
I need my phone. Has anyone seen my phone?
Pohprah, do you think you're doing a scavanger hunt or something?
[louder chatter/noise]
Read a fucking book.
[hyperventilating]
[footsteps approaching]
Male: It's Nabila, right?
[whispers] I'm Dan.
[whispers] Are you having a panic attack?
I'm fine.
Shitty night for me too.
Literally.
I'm a meme now.
Pants shitting debate Republican.
That video has been up for like 10 hours.
No escape.
But you know.
Thanks for the reminder.
You know it's weird to me that you know who I am.
Sorry.
You know if it's any consolation,
total strangers know my name now, too.
But neither of us can sue for defamation unless we put prove
actual malice, which is not easy.
All because were public figures. Arguably.
Because of this stupid stuff.
Great.
So why didn't you?
Oh, I--
...might have been drunk. But don't tell anyone.
Are you good?
I'm fine.
It just takes me a minute to-
I don't do so well around crowds anymore.
I feel ya.
♪
[chatter]
[alarm blaring]
[chatter/alarm blaring]
[alarm blaring]
Hey! Stop! I'm in here.
Hey! Stop!
Stop!
Help!
[alarm blaring]
[music]
[camera shutter click]
♪
[female tweets] Someone was murdered last night.
[male tweets] My class was cancelled but do I still have to take a test?
[cluster of tweets heard]
[male tweet] I never thought I would feel unsafe at school.
[male reading screen] Dead body on campus.
Open call for deductions.
[male tweets] I should have gone to an urban campus.
[cluster of tweets]
Structural Violence and Complicity inside of the Social Media Panopticon.
Why you shouldn't share that photo.
[female tweets] If you haven't been finger banged in the Mick-or-Mack
parking lot, were you ever really a freshman here?
It's been a while but I still miss him all the time.
I'm trying a new highlighter because I want to look like an alien
princess but also a pure prism of light.
[cluster of tweets heard]
[male tweets] Personally I prefer when the rookie partner
is by the book and the old guy is the loose cannon
with nothing left to lose.
[female tweets] Everyone needs to stand together and be strong.
So we all got an email saying the meet up location
for the annual retreat had been changed to Library Adjunct B103.
So this Gay Men's Chorus Retreat.
We thought so, but we walked in and it was chock-full of randos.
Rando.
Look, there's me.
Who took this?
You just want my help I'm not being detained,
nothing looks suspicious unless I blow you off and go back to class.
I took a picture; I didn't stab anyone to death.
You don't feel a little bad?
I don't feel bad.
In general.
[cluster of tweets]
[female tweets] This ends with someone's head in a box.
Good morning.
I was thinking you'd cancel.
You know, with everything.
I always try to make my students a priority.
Well, I mean, I would've been okay if you had canceled.
I know you're skeptical of these meetings.
But I'd like to think they help.
How are you feeling?
Compared to when?
Compared to eight months ago.
Well, technically I'm worse than when the piece first ran
because I didn't realize I had ruined my life yet.
[computer ding]
But I'm definitely better than after that.
When? [Ding] - Um.
When the basketball team got suspended
from the tournament after your article?
Yeah.
Are you still living at home?
Yeah, I'm getting to that.
I was doing better.
That is, until he found a dead body on Friday. [computer ding]
I am deeply sorry that happened to you.
The photo disturbed me.
Deeply. [computer ding]
Nabila: Has everyone seen now?
I could say I'm just keeping tabs on the things my students are interested in,
but I'd be lying.
And after a week like this, it is hard to be off Twitter.
I'm off Twitter.
Well.
Your grades are good.
No incidents.
I haven't had a death threat on your behalf in...a while.
So I want to say our school mandated check-ins can end.
Clean bill of health.
What about my transfer?
Well, the schools you are looking at are competitive.
Especially if you want to move into another journalism program.
So, aim lower.
Or prove you can hit target.
Admissions officers love a come back narrative.
Yeah.
We - we really didn't talk about Friday.
My door is always open.
Thanks, but I don't really think I'm gonna trip
over anymore corpses on my way out.
Famous last words, right?
[beep]
[secretary on intercom] Dean Flores, excuse me Dean Flores?
I have Channel 4 and Channel 6 about the death,
and Detective Gray wanting to speak with you about a Shelton Bruni?
Shelton?
Ah, we better do the detectives first.
Girl: Vote Allie Kosko.
Girl: Allie tries harder.
Allie: Have they even heard of kerning?
No. No one has but you.
It was definitely worth it to get all of these reprinted.
Your trusted emissary returns with ideas. It's strategy time.
What do you have for me?
[Allie V.O.] You're a maniac and you should be ashamed of yourself.
It's disrespectful to the victim,
his family, and this school to circulate a photo of his body.
Does this seem genuine, or like I'm trying to be genuine
in a calculated way to get more votes.
Yeah.
Wait, which doesn't it sound like?
[Allie V.O.] Piggybacking on a violent crime for attention should also be a crime.
[Shelton V.O.] I only see five retweets on your latest
"Vote for Allie Kosko!" so I totes get where this is coming from.
[ding]
[Allie V.O.] Being a bottom-feeding sociopath
doesn't automatically make you good at politics.
[Shelton V.O.] Neither does having a face your
rich ass old husband is going to cheat on you.
Don't care. Would smash.
[Allie V.O.] Secretary Clinton icon; I'm f likes.d.d person for
[Female voice] Fist. Fire Emoji, fire Emoji, hundred Emoji.
Mouse emoji. Three prayer hands Emoji. - Male: Retweet.
[@BLEED YOU V.O] I like @Allison Kosko
he's a good student council. veryone click on her.
Hey.
Oh uh...
Hi.
Eric.
From the murder.
[clears throat]
So you actually found him, right?
What was that like?
Traumatizing.
Even for me.
I was on your side the whole time. Sports fans suck.
My takeaway was "people suck."
Well, hey.
Have you been on Twitter?
I don't have a Twitter anymore.
Thousands of hate-filled racist misogynists after me last year.
So, I [clears throat]
I actually threw my computer and phone into the sea.
Um, I mean, that's kind of awesome.
[chuckles]
Here. This is what I get for being hardcore.
[chuckles] Nice.
But to answer your question,
Yes, I did see the gore porn.
I TA a class on coding,
So I'm always in the MARB on the computers.
If you want to stare over a consensual shoulder.
Maybe.
I have been learning how useless our public school computers are.
Mine are state of the art public school computers.
Only five years behind.
That sounds too good for a T-9 girl.
[Shelton V.O.] Shrill chiding at someone who is good at social media
makes you sound bitter that no one's paying attention to you.
[male tweet] Actually, my dad is a police officer, and he said-
[Vivian tweeting] Oh good, deflect and derail a woman's salient points.
That's 101 shit, my dude.
[Allie tweeting] "Shrill,""Chiding," "Bitter"-
We're one "hysterical" away from sexism bingo.
Hey if you're almost done
I gotta start setting up for tonight's show. -Hang on.
[Shelton V.O.] Did I miss something,
or did someone blow a dog whistle for uptight bitches?
[female voice tweeting] I'm dying. I'm dead. Skull Emoji.
Exercise is critical for toning and feeling your best.
But if you're interested in weight loss,
You need to focus on what you eat.
One thing I do is take a photo of every single thing
I put in my body and post it.
That way I will feel too ashamed to eat pizza.
♪
Good morning.
Hi. Are you following me?
Um, actually, you are the one following me.
On Twitter.
You follow me on Twitter.
I saw your tweet that you'd be here.
I didn't think that I'd- [grunts]
I didn't think I'd see you again, but here we are.
I just wanted to ask you if--
Okay, stop. Ask what?
Ask if you'd get drinks with me.
That's it?
Yup. I wanted to ask you the old fashioned way.
Oh.
Well, maybe.
I'm pretty busy.
[buzzing]
[Allie text] Calling women "uptight bitches?"
You finally out-pigged yourself.
[Allie text] Straight women of campus, stay faraway from this man.
Pig emoji.
[Shelton V.O.] Straight men of campus... you know what?
Never mind. Y'all are safe.
Can I borrow your computer?
Sorry, AppleCare doesn't cover thrown into the ocean by a crazy lady.
The "Titanic" plan cost too much.
Don't be a jerk. -Hey, I am just playing it safe.
I like taking care of my things.
Please?
It's Friday night, so you're probably looking to Google yourself and cry.
That's unhealthy. I don't want you to do that.
For your information, I'm working on a project.
It's not like I have to wonder what you'll be doing with your Friday night.
I like myself.
[female #1 voice] 243 retweets on the second tweet you did to Shelton this week.
[female #2 voice] People are definitely into this drama.
[female #1 voice] And they're moderately into you.
You created pockets who don't find you too abrasive or -- --
[Allie interrupts] I'll care about whatever you're saying in just a second.
I'm responding to three constituents who want to know what I'm running for.
Female #1: Well, you're getting a bunch of Follow Fridays.
Those are kind a like votes, right?
Straw polls.
Telling other people to follow Allie's Twitter is at least an endorsement.
Awareness of you is very high,
but awareness of the student council election is not.
Hey, who is this Vivian girl?
[Vivian V.O.] Actually, it's hilarious that you would bring up Marxs right now because-
[interrupts] Okay, this is out of control.
Literally everyone at the school is out of their mind.
I wish that I had never said anything.
Shelton is an a-hole.
[Darby tweet] I don't identify as a feminist.
I'm just not offended by a lot of stuff.
[Shelton V.O.] Then you won't get mad at me for saying I want to
turn you into a pretzel and lick the salt off.
[ding]
[Shelton text] Great talk. Before this week I didn't think it
was possible to suck the fun out of everything.
[Shelton text] Sorry. Wrong person.
[doorbell ringing]
Hi.
I think you have the wrong house.
Delivery Guy: Oh, sorry.
Have a good night.
♪
[Allie text] Sometimes the only cure for politics of shots.
[man mumbles]
♪
[cars honking]
[voices echoing]
♪
[party guest chatter]
What the hell is going on?
You made it! Thank God.
How did you know about this?
The October party isn't until next week!
James texted me. He got the Evite.
I send out house Evites!
Allie: Hey, idiot!
Use the bigger knife.
Allie: In the cabinet!
[sigh]
[Music]
Allie: Absolutely not!
[Music]
[Music continues]
[gasping]
Partygoer: Oh! That's nasty!
[screaming]
[screams echo]
[phone ringing] Debra Flores, Dean of Student Relations.
Yes, of course it's safe.
Yes. I can help withdraw your daughter's enrollment.
So this time we're going to try to execute the same basic functions,
but you'll notice this way is much quicker.
Here we go.
Dumb fight about Socio Shelton about literally nothing that
somehow lasted a whole week.
And this person @BLEED YOU says
"I think Allie is good student council everyone click on her."
Completely neutral, but completely creepy.
Twitter is fun.
All she did is call out Sheldon for being a ghoul.
Then she gets everyone talking about her.
Which seems like exactly what you wanted.
Then you get all the spam.
And then she gets killed.
Maybe it was Zayn Malik.
I want Zayn Malik to murder me.
That doesn't mean anything.
I want Zayn Malik to cut off my face and put it on his face
as a moisturizing mask on his spa day.
That is intimate.
[chuckles] Yeah, definitely.
Seems like they just didn't know.
They were just following what the email said.
Or whatever, Evite.
I'm sure fun for Evite.com
Didn't spring for the platinum networking security package or whatever.
You're writing a story?
No. Maybe.
This is just for me.
Why did you flag me down?
We were both there when Dan was killed.
I like mysteries.
I don't like violence.
But sacred bond of witnessing a murder.
Yeah, I don't have any friends either.
So.
What now?
Hey.
You don't remember me, do you?
You're the girl from the thing.
Assuming you mean the death of Dan Grimmer.
Don't you think there was anything, I don't know, weird about that?
What is this, Detective Club?
Let's all just stay in our lane.
Okay? I was just trying to help.
Help who?
Of course it was weird.
A man was stabbed to death in the library by an unknown person.
I'm just as traumatized as you.
But I don't have any special info.
You're big on Twitter, though.
I only have like 4,320 something followers.
Okay.
Look, I think that the two killings could be connected through Twitter.
What? #Murder.
That sounds like what a 38-year-old marketing guy comes up with
just before he gets fired.
Okay, never mind.
Sorry I bugged you.
[reading] Students viral NCAA exposé ends in disgrace.
"I rushed to conclusions," said the journalism student.
[texting] It's funny because she clearly hates herself.
[tweet] It's actually not funny because she clearly hates fat people.
[tweet] FYI, it's definitely okay with me if you're not stick.
[tweet] I'm not one of those guys.
[message sent tone] Shelton: Sorry if I came off weird on Friday.
[beep]
I have an extra-large eggplant for Dorothy Bell Santos
Wrong room.
No breaks.
I was told she'd be teaching in Studio C Tuesday morning?
Didn't order any pizza.
Coming up on intervals!
Can you just sign for it? It's already paid for.
Okay, thank you.
[Female voice tweet] Fitness instructors... -I think my Zumba
instructor was going through a break up or something today.
Submerging my legs in ice. #Intense
[@BLEED YOU tweets] @trackstardar best Zumba teacher on campus
take her class 9/11AM Tuesdays Thursdays Studio C #FreeDarby
Darby?
I didn't-
Delivery Guy: Daisy? Sorry, Darly?
Ace's pizza. Here you go.
[Male voice] She has Anatomy lab in the Clyde at 10 on Fridays.
Send Dominos.
[Male voice] Is anyone tracking her Wednesday schedule, yet? Also, forget Dominos.
[Female voice] #FeedDarby and save her from her miserable life.
[Darby tweeting] Can whoever is sending me pizzas please stop.
It's not funny.
[doorbell ringing]
[doorbell continues to ring]
[gagging]
[Darby tweeting] If you follow me you know I don't eat pizza.
And this is really wasteful.
♪
[pop]
#FeedDarby.
Says where I am at all times.
People watch me come here.
Yeah, look how many fans you have.
Follow Friday from @BLEED YOU.
Okay, that's not one.
I am such a failure.
I haven't even told my mom I relapsed.
Have you considered... not telling her?
[Distant voice] Hey! I have five pizzas here!
Hey people are trying to sleep!
[laughing]
Thanks for letting me hang out.
I was hoping they wouldn't find me here.
But I am straight-up being stalked.
Well, I'm only 50% monster.
And, you're amazing.
Look, checking your phone all the time is giving you massive anxiety.
Deactivate Twitter and go free.
[laughs]
Okay. Okay. It's a good idea.
If I'm not back for my phone by 11, send out a search party.
Be careful on that fire scape.
I'm actually really pretty athletic and agile.
♪
[cluster of tweets]
[Female voice] Around here with a #FreeDarby and save her from her miserable life.
There should be a handful of more tweets for Vivian to be upset about.
[Vivian text] Hey girl, call me ASAP.
540-555-6503
[Vivian text] Super urgent; concerned for your safety.
[Vivian text] I'm not crazy.
[Vivian text]Hope you're okay. Vivian Weiss.
[alert]
[footsteps]
♪
[screams]
Hiker #1: It's going to be up here somewhere.
Hiker #2: At this rate, there's no way we're gonna be able to find it.
I think this is a bust. That Google alert was a fake.
Hiker #2: We were taken in.
Hiker #1: Marcel!
Hiker #1: Come here!
Time's up.
Off your butt.
Give it back.
Where you going?
Mom asked me to go to the store.
Hey. -What?
Do you want any snacks or anything?
Just get those salty granola things. [clears throat]
♪
[Female voice] Attention! If you get Follow Fridayed
by an account called @BLEED YOU.
You will be their next victim.
Do not engage with or follow that account.
Obviously.
Where you going?
Nope.
I won't keep you.
I just want to know if this, if this was you.
How long did it take you to figure out my Twitter handle?
Yep. I'm a big old dork.
But I'm wondering why you're trying to impede
an ongoing police investigation?
You mean, why did I warn people about @BLEED YOU on Twitter?
I don't know, because I wanted to try to broadcast
a public safety announcement quickly and effectively.
Sorry if you tried faxing it already.
I have been on email for 20 years, man.
I figured it out by spending an hour on Twitter after three people had already died.
The sheriff's department is treating Miss Bell-Santos's death as an accident.
Accidental impaling.
We can't comment on the details on an ongoing police investigation.
Well, clearly you're at least watching Twitter. Finally.
We can't comment on the details on an ongoing police investigation.
Okay. Well, look forward to reading about an arrest
in the morning paper that a filthy servant boy he brings to
me on of those super-tall bicycles.
And then when I get back to this century I'll continue to actually help people.
I don't have an appointment.
Have you ever had an appointment?
Your shoe is untied.
Dean Flores?
Vivian Weiss?
You surprised me.
I am looking forward to Friday's announcements.
It's a big step. - I had a two o'clock.
I had a two o'clock to go over your talking points for Friday.
That's right. I'm sorry.
I've had the Board of Trustees, the police, parents calling me.
But I am trying to make students my priority.
You're the reason I do this job.
And this is important.
Yes, Internet safety. - Online harassment.
Starting to sound like a contradiction in terms, huh?
But yes, I agree. It is a big step.
Although murderers, psychopaths are probably not deterred by school rules.
Yes, but only systems truly beget violence,
and you're changing the system.
I love your passion.
Love that it hasn't been burnt out of you.
Email me the talking points and I'll go over them for Friday.
All that matters is that the school is the first one
with an actual progressive policy against the online
harassment and abuse of women.
Dean Flores: Thank you.
Testing. Testing. This is Bob Woodward.
♪
Detective Anthony: So when do we upgrade from person of interest?
Detective Gray: He'll do something dumb.
Hey, I noticed in your write-up that you didn't define Follow Friday.
You're going to have to fix that.
Aww, Gray. Do you need me to explain what Follow Friday is?
It's like on Friday he says "Follow Friday"
and you post a bunch of accounts you want people to follow.
Is there anything there?
I'm checking?
Blah, blah, blah.
These kids are into some boring-ass shit.
My day we did blow and crashed Trans Ams.
Well, it got us out of the house.
Do we know this?
Holy crap. Let's go.
[Anthony makes siren noise]
Don't do that. That's not funny.
I am required to make a verbal statement regarding campus policy
changes affect the school. So here it goes.
In light of recent events, the administration has updated
our internet policies for the 21st-century.
I know that to you, there is no barrier between online interaction
in the real world -- it is the real world.
Miss Weiss has been an invaluable ambassador between
us old crypt keepers and you young people.
An aging, out of touch establishment should defer
to the youth vanguard on matter of justice.
Let's unpack this.
So, here I am...
Heckler: Why do you follow so many students?
So for instance...
Oh?
Okay, "Goody slore?"
Really? Am I a goody - goody or am I a bad slutty whore?
Heckler: Actually, you're a bitch! [crowd laughs]
If by that you mean "assertive," then yes.
This is the opposite of what we're trying to achieve here.
Effective immediately.
Man, people do not like this Vivian girl.
I could have told you that without reading.
...Inappropriate behavior perpetrated by or against
members of the student body will be [pause]
[phones buzzing]
"Gunshots; armed suspect at large. Students should gather in Glassman Auditorium."
Wait, that's a horrible idea.
Dean Flores: Everyone, stay calm.
This is a sign that our alert system is working, which a good thing.
We don't know what the situation is yet.
I am locking down this building.
Everyone, please sit on the floor and stay in this room.
Will proceed --
[screaming]
[screaming continues] ♪
Eric: You alright?
[gunshots]
This is completely FUBAR.
Come on people! Is there a shooter or isn't there?
If I'm getting massacred tonight, I kind of want to know.
Twitter is failing us. It time for ocular recon.
No! No! Wait a minute! -I'll text you when it's safe, okay?
I'm gonna go liaise with the university security to find out about this campus alert.
Stay here.
♪
[door shuts]
[gasp]
[banging/noises]
♪
[noises getting closer]
♪
[footsteps approaching]
♪
Detective: Yes.
I want new photographs and a full work-up of that area.
Put the camera away!
Do not listen to her.
Take the picture! Take another picture!
[scoffs] [texting]
[Vivian tweeting] Never fear, the feds are here.
Presumably due to the incompetence of our municipal investigators.
Eric: "...Presumably due to the incompetence of our municipal investigators."
Who made her like this?
I don't judge peoples coping mechanisms.
So...
Tell me some hacker stuff.
Okay.
So, you notice that when @BLEED YOU tweets,
It gets copied by all these dummy accounts, like a swarm, right?
And that the main @BLEED YOU account is impossible to trace.
They're just routing through a bunch of different countries, whatever.
So this guy knows what he's doing?
I mean, he's a psychopath, but he's not an idiot.
I wonder if the FBI are doing any better.
[chuckles] They're doing worse. Look.
The new task force is headquartered at the police station,
VA dot gov bought their network security through Fisher-Price.
The only upshot is that the feds know they can't trace @BLEED YOU
to a specific location or computer.
Look, hacking this serial killer is...I don't want to say impossible, but...
Okay, so what can you do?
You mean, what can we do?
We need to find out who it is in real life.
You seem excited.
Okay. Don't laugh at me. But I have this hobby.
Look.
In figure A, it's at the victims feet,
But in figure B,
It's migrated to his left hand.
So, what do you guys just do detective club from the comfort of your own chairs?
You make it sound silly.
No, we just analyze publicly available information,
you know, news articles, press releases,
crime scene investigation photos,
we share our findings with law-enforcement if appropriate.
So, what's your success rate, out of curiosity?
Well, we provided intel that may have contributed to the
arrest of a convenience store robber.
The police were misidentifying his disguise as a Spiderman costume,
but it was Deadpool.
Wow.
[Proudly] And I am the moderator.
I'm tough, but fair.
What does that mean?
I mean, I had only my personal bias interfere with my moding.
No. I mean, what does it mean to be a moderator?
Mainly, I just suspend people from the forum if they get all sweary or threatening.
There's always a bad apple.
Wait, click on that one right there.
"Shelton Bruni, lady killer or lady - killer?
Shelton has been at or near the scene of nearly every crime so far.
Submit supporting evidence in the comments."
Do the feds have him as a suspect?
Person of interest.
This is pretty great stuff there, right?
Unless you're Shelton.
.
[female tweeting] One time, i heard him say that that being a straight man is a handicap
[male tweeting] Guys that are too handsome creepd me out. It's like, what are you hiding?
[female tweeting] I bet he constantly talks up his game
to intrigue you, and then he sucks at it.
[female tweeting] Or he doesn't do it until you've lived together for a year
and picked out stuff at IKEA.
[female tweeting] That is 100% serial killer behavior.
[Vivian tweeting] Oh my god. Crying Emoji.
[@BLEED YOU tweets] TOTAL SERIAL KILLER BEHAVIOR.
[male tweets] I find his pitchfork comments to be constantly off-base.
[@BLEED YOU tweets] TOTAL SERIAL KILLER BEHAVIOR.
[Vivian tweets] I mean, a serial murderer is gonna be a white guy.
[male tweets] Let's not forget the term "innocent until proven guilty."
[Vivian tweets] Yeah, dude, we aren't on a jury.
Why don't you go "actually" someone else.
[banging]
[music]
[clock ticking]
Hey.
-Oh. Hey!
Do you really think it's right to drag Shelton so much on Twitter?
I mean, I know he sucks, but the FBI is on it.
And there's no real need to break out the torches and the pitchforks.
I believe in the grassroots movements over empowering the carceral state.
I'm honestly surprised that you are willing to trust the government.
Whatever.
Look I think the killer is selecting victims based
on how popular they are on social media,
how prominent they are, how many mentions they get from everybody.
And if I'm right, that means you're endangering Shelton, and possibly yourself.
If he doesn't like the attention, he can get off Twitter.
But you know he does.
Besides, they suspended the murder account after I spread the word.
@BLEED YOU is dead.
Detective Gray: You sure you don't want a lawyer? I bet Dad wouldn't over bill you.
I'm confident you guys will figure it out.
Great, so are we.
You seemed pretty calm for someone whose girlfriend was recently impaled.
She wasn't my girlfriend.
Which one?
Because we happen to know that you were sexually intimate
with Miss Bell-Santos and with Dean Flores within the last four weeks.
And they say your generation is lazy.
I have an active social life. So do a lot of people.
Well, not a lot of people leave a trail of bodies in their wake.
First female victim, Allie Kosko.
I never touched her. Thought about it.
That's reassuring.
But you quarreled.
We took some pot shots at each other on Twitter.
I wanted likes. That's not real.
Let's just cut to the chase, huh.
[knocks]
[door opens/door closes]
[scoffs]
Ah. Silly me.
To think I wasn't under surveillance of the police state.
Save it.
Look, I already told him.
She left her phone at my house to go for a hike.
She thought she was coming back.
So did I.
So either the first thing she did that morning was texting
nude photos of herself from eight months ago,
or it's the first thing you did when you took her phone.
[male V.O.] Continually harassing a private citizen for their sexual behavior...
that's sexism in action.
Except no one cares, because Shelton Bruni happens to be a man.
[male #2 V.O.] I want to murder this Vivian chick.
[Eric writing] Hey guys, mod here.
Friendly reminder, threats are not in the spirit of community crime-solving.
What's up?
Nothing. My forum.
Oh, your crime stoppers. How are your babies?
They're good. They actually just found your suspects.
Hmm.
I built you a program.
Well, not just for me! But show me. - All right.
Boop.
Already, it's think now.
I made it draw from IP addresses and Wi-Fi networks within our geographical radius.
And it's counting the number of mentions.
And it's going to give us a name in like five seconds.
Maybe longer.
[music]
[sniffs]
[sirens]
Marcel: Allie's ambition literally burned.
Sometimes a little too hot,
like being too close to the sun.
But I would give anything for her Virgo insanity one last time.
Candles up front.
Everything, even the most tragic, random-
Mourner #2: Hey man! Be respectful. Shelton: Hey!
Aren't you a suspect in all four murders?
Marcel: Oh, look who it is.
Just passing through, man.
You reek like alcohol. I hope they've been giving you a hard time down at the station.
This isn't even mine.
Whatever. Everything comes back around.
...everything happens for a reason.
Hey!
[screaming]
Shelton: Stop! Stop! Someone help!
[screaming]
[music]
[beep]
[music]
[whispers] Oh God.
Eric: Well, you're right.
Nabila: Not right enough.
I'm sorry it took to long to work.
Look at this shit.
They're claiming the murder.
It's a new account,
If that's the same guy he's trying to let us know he's not going anywhere.
I thought you said the build wasn't that complicated.
Look, you're right.
The build wasn't that hard once I got it going,
I just- I like spending time with you.
You're so much better than I am.
I felt there had to be an excuse for it.
Okay. I'm not really sure how to--
No.
Wait, come back.
God.
[dispatch radio chatter]
[music] [sirens]
Stay back.
I have a tip. I mean, I have information.
You want to help.
All right, Detective Anthony is our community task force liaison for press,
family members, conspiracy theories, prank callers.
Just direct all your comments to him, please.
That's me.
Give me a call if you think you know anything.
Okay.
Hey, sorry I'm late. Hope you didn't miss class or anything.
I just thought you should know that every single person that
has gotten killed has been "popular" on Twitter.
Not like Kim K, just very relative to who they are.
With hugely exponentially more numbers of mentions leading up to the murders.
Even Dean Flores trended in the area for a minute before she, died.
Everybody was just Follow Fridayed by that account,
But first they got talked about by us.
Well, I assure you that are interdart -,
interdepartmental task force is doing everything
My friend made this program.
It predicted Shelton's death.
Everybody had been all over him at the time,
because he thought he did it.
It was too late, but it works.
It gave Shelton's name this morning.
You going this way?
So I don't think there's a connection between the victims,
or that the murderer in selecting people like the Green River killer was or whoever.
I think that they're waiting for Twitter to select people.
That would be some new perversion.
[clears throat] I'll tell the team, but I'm warning
you about Marks, she's old-school.
We're pursuing all leads, but I don't blame her.
It's tough to come out here and get respect from the good old boys as a wo-
as a lead investigator.
You have my card. Send me the thing.
So for the next series you're just going to swap the variables.
Is uh, is Eric teaching today?
No, I'm covering for him. Are you -?
Okay, well.
Eric?
[music]
Hey, I'm sorry about this morning.
You just surprised me.
We can talk about it.
I do need you to call me back pretty ASAP.
[female voice] Mama, I know, listen.
Why are you suddenly upset with both of my children living at home?
I lived at home when I got married and so did you.
Darius is finding his path. Nabila, she's back in school.
And at least she leaves the house a little bit now.
No, I don't know what's wrong with her.
Got you something.
I was going to wrap it.
Thanks.
Just don't go chucking it into the sea this time.
Am I going to live that down?
Absolutely not. It's too good. [Nabila laughs]
[clock ticking]
[female voice] Why won't the FBI release any photos with more viscera?
See, here's one of my all-time favorite crime scenes.
I like it because you can see intestines.
Scroll down for the close-ups.
[male voice] It's sexist to assume that a female is not a serial killer.
Just because there are female serial killers.
[male voice] Uh, the blood countess Elizabeth Bathory much? Owned LOL.
[male voice] That lesbian chick Charlize Theron played in MONSTER. Owned part two.
[male voice] I mean, they've all seen it.
[male voice] Vivian sucks. She's a fun vampire.
[female voice] I just feel sorry for the girls who act up because they aren't hot.
[male voice] I don't know what you're talking about, dude.
Vivian is a solid seven.
[male voice] The quote unquote official investigation is going nowhere.
We're supposed to believe the FBI aren't just bumble around as usual?
[male voice] if we get any further, I feel no obligation at all to share
our findings with law-enforcement.
[female voice] Community policing is a citizen's obligation.
[male voice] That should include punishment for criminals.
[typing] This is getting a little out of hand.
Where's our mod?
[music]
[female voice] Thank you. The mod is like, 12.
[male voice] I think we're on our way to solving this one.
I'd say call the police, but LOL.
[female voice] If you give the task force our good Intel,
They'll trade it for magic beans on their way into town.
[male voice] Literally always wanted to SWAT Vivian.
Violating someone's privacy is an infraction worthy of public punishment
[male voice] We have the power to send the SWAT team to her front door.
[phone ringing]
911, what's your emergency?
Uh huh.
Can you repeat that, please?
I'm saying someone is going to make a 911 call about a mass killing or a mass shooter,
possibly something about a bomb or something
that would trigger a rapid response, tonight.
And they're lying and you shouldn't listen to them.
Yes, I'll hold.
Vivian: "whore."
Blocked.
"You're a seven out of 10."
I'm a nine.
Blocked.
[car approached]
[music] [banging]
[door brakes open]
[music] [glass shatter]
You guys just- [cocking guns]
[gunshots] [shouting]
Go, go, go, go.
[music]
Officer: Dropped the phone, now!
Hands where I can see him!
Hey! What's going on?
Officer?
[cocks gun/shoots]
Officer: I'm sorry, ma'am. False alarm.
It happens all the time.
[music]
[thud] [cough]
[coughing]
♪
[crying]
♪
[typing]
Nabila: I read that if you make a mistake in public, you can't apologize in private.
I figured out pretty quickly that if you make a mistake in public, you can't apologize.
You can't even disappear.
But I'll try one more time, for luck: I'm sorry.
I screwed a lot of people over with my dumbass article.
I was wrong, but it got me a platform.
I'm using that platform now to remind you all that the killer is still out there,
And they're picking people off for being popular on Twitter.
We all know it.
We all have nothing better to do.
And we're all endangering our peers.
Log off.
[male voice] Oh good, I missed this delusional crybaby.
I'm getting the popcorn.
[female voice] Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
[male voice] I don't think I need to listen to a literal terrorist-
[female voice] My boyfriend at the time was on the basketball team and actually--
[male voice] @bila nariman, @bila nariman, @bila nariman.
Stop everything you're doing right now [sigh]ok at this
[Darius reading] Sew yourself into a sturdy sack made out of burlap along with
the rest of your litter and roll yourselves into the Caspian Sea.
Unless you're too lazy.
I'm not sure how I'm supposed to react to that.
Okay, now look at this.
This is an "At" I got like eight months ago.
It's the exact same.
Down to the misspellings.
And it happened like a bunch more times this morning,
all from egg accounts.
Actually, it happen 79 times. In 22 minutes be exact.
I'm being swarmed.
@BLEED YOU is a program; it's automated.
It's a robot.
Isn't this the sort of thing you're supposed to do with your new boyfriend?
He's not my boyfriend.
And can you - would you just listen to what I'm talking about right here?
Okay. So the killer is a robot?
No! Well, probably not.
They're using a robot to select the victims. It's not organic.
So someone is either copy-pasting really old stuff and
posting it really, really fast, or it's just automated Internet hate.
They can do that.
Yeah. I know you're excited, but like, you're getting Follow Fridayed, right?
Oh, I definitely am.
But it's not Friday yet.
12 midnight, right?
Then I get stabbed.
♪
Can you just tell mom I'm going to be at a friends house tonight?
Huh?
Eric? Uh?
Erica stone.
[sigh] and...
Tree-saw. Theresa Flannigan.
Can you just tell her I'll be back next week, okay?
Bye.
[sigh] [clears throat]
[music]
Nabila: I said I had a crime to confess.
Aren't you going to try to get it out of me?
Just tell me what you're doing here, ma'am.
Will you promise not to kick me out?
No.
All right, fine.
I have reason to believe that I'll be the next one targeted by the Twitter murderer,
beginning tonight, and I would like to sit this one out in a safe room
until the killer's apprehended.
So you're requesting protective custody.
Yes, please, sir.
People can't just walk off the street and stay here whenever they want.
I might die, sir.
Even so -
I didn't hear a confession.
What do you say we detain her until she plays ball?
You're going to have to surrender your phone.
Hate breaking the news to you kids.
So, do I just wait here until somebody brings me to a jail cell?
Oh, we're not going to put you in a jail cell,
but I can lock the door if you want.
♪
[Glass shatter/ muffled screams]
Detective Gray? [muffled screams continue]
[music]
I don't think we can keep you any longer.
You were wrong.
What happened?
[music]
Female Officer: Posted shortly after you checked into our hotel.
Now, we have not checked the veracity of this video yet.
Male Officer: Until we know where this was taken, we can't retrieve the body.
Male Officer: Look closely.
Does that room look familiar?
Female Officer: If there's a body. Like I said, it could be anything.
Don't say "body."
How long did you know the uh, Eric?
This is their M.O. This is what they did to Shelton. They took a video.
Female Officer: Focus.
Eric and I were friends.
He was helping me investigate.
Why would you think you would be next?
Eric and I made this program to track down the number of mentions got on Twitter.
To see how it linedup with the people that @BLEED YOU was Follow Fridaying.
We thought they were connected.
And then I got back online after Vivian got SWATted,
and the people started mentioning me a lot, to harass me, to threaten me,
I noticed that it was the exact same stuff I had gotten a long time ago,
It was like a robot was saying it.
I figured I would be next because of all the mentions, so I came here.
[music]
[click]
[music]
♪
[gasp] Oh my God.
The build wasn't that hard once it got it going.
I have this...hobby.
Eric. From the murder.
[Nabila tweeting] This account is run by Eric Cordon,
who disappeared last night and is now at large.
[music]
[male voice tweeting] 2904 Colonial Tract Lane, Chickahominy, Virginia, 24016.
♪
[engine starts]
[crickets] [music]
[ding]
Mom? Darius?
[music]
Sorry, Dad.
♪
[car honking]
[loud thud/struggle]
[male voice] Ouch! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Nabila: Did you come here to kill my family?
[male voice] Wait! No! no, I'm here to investigate.
[male voice] I'm sorry
I don't know what I was thinking.
I've been following the Follow Friday case; we all have.
All the evidence is online!
And honestly, I was worried about you.
We got out of control last time. So I just...
saw the address and went.
Well, maybe don't break into people's homes to check on them
when they're already expecting to be murdered.
I think your mom left the door unlocked.
You do realize your moderator was probably the killer, right?
That's new information.
And that he's probably after me right now?
Feel good about yourself now, huh?
What is going on?
.
Now's your chance to wrap it up with a bow or whatever you call it
I don't call it anything
Look, I think it was Eric the whole time.
He's the one that made the program track people's mentions on Twitter.
Which is, essentially, what the killer was using to target his victims.
He was logged into the account and everything.
I think he faked his own death.
Nobody was mentioning him at all, and it completely broke
pattern for him to be Follow Fridayed.
So you claim.
Go down to the server room, room B5110. And you'll find all his shit.
He's still logged onto that account,
the program he made is still running,
and you'll probably find more stuff I don't even know about.
I'll be here behind all these fire arms behind these thick walls.
So, where is Mr. Cordon now?
How should I know?
What? You want me to go out to a public place, tweet my location
so he'll come and confront me and kill me,
while you guys just wait around in the wings to jump out and arrest him?
Put together a team.
Mom: Where are you going? Darius: Sit back down with us.
[sigh] I just need some air.
[phone ringing]
Eric. Eric, please just turn yourself in.
If you killed all those people. Or even if he didn't, they seem to think that you did.
Don't call me back. Just come to the police station.
[car honking]
I want to tell you that you're way, way crazier than I ever thought.
Give me my phone.
You obviously can't have it right now.
Get inside. We'll talk in there.
Are you going to kill me?
I said to get inside!
[struggle/slap]
Get inside.
[Nabila crying] Please, just don't hurt my family.
Eric: Keep your voice down.
Just get it over with.
Nabila!
[chatter]
[male voice] Hey! [gunshot]
[screams] Get down! Get down!
FBI! Get down on the ground! Now!
NOW!
You told everyone I was killing but I'm not.
You have to believe me. -Nabila: I don't.
And even if I did, which I don't, I would have a lot of follow-up questions.
Cause you show up here covered in blood, a gun at me after you
kidnapped me and dragged me to the abandoned theater.
I didn't do it, alright? I am not the killer.
Well, you're making a terrible case for yourself.
Put the gun down.
[door creaking] Eric: Go, go, go, go, go, go.
[accelerated music]
Okay.
[music]
[Eric whispers] Nabila!
[thud] Eric: Come here. Back here.
Get down here. Come on.
You really hurt me, you know?
I reject you, romantically.
So, you kidnapped me, threaten me with a gun,
and expose me to a mass murder. Even-Steven.
I'm not dead yet.
Tell me what happened?
I never told you that I was working to hack the killer's Twitter account.
I didn't know if I could do it.
But I'm genius, so...I did it.
Then I Follow Fridayed to myself from the account,
So the killer would think his program spit out my name
and come kill me instead of you.
I tried to figure out a way to spend a safe night in jail,
but I didn't think to ask politely because even though I'm a genius,
I'm apparently dumber than you.
Cops!
Nabila: It's okay.
I tried to get them to put me in the drunk tank,
but I didn't know who else was in there.
The killer could be anywhere.
[Eric whispers] Shut up for a second.
[footsteps]
Eric: Okay. Well, at that point, I had no more geniuses.
So I got the dumb idea to fake my own death and post it.
[gunshot]
I thought there was more than one murderer.
We don't know. They're all anonymous.
Nabila: So you could be one of them.
You could be all of them.
Wha - Wha - That's some cockcamamie bullshit.
Look.
You had service in here this whole time?
"Three slain at Nebraska college in apparent Follow Friday killings."
People are feeding off of this.
It's bigger than one person -- maybe it always was.
It's everywhere now.
Or it's a copycat looking for attention in Nebraska.
[loud noises]
No, listen. Evert time someone gets Follow Fridayed by one of these accounts,
they hack some events so a bunch of people show up somewhere, and
no one can tell who killed the victim.
What if it's different people?
What, like murder franchisees?
They decided to pick up the Follow Friday torch and do their part?
That's not how murder works.
Even for Charles Manson. [loud noises]
Are you sure nobody followed you here?
Eric: No. Did you tell anyone we were up here? -No!
Come on. Come on. Come on. Let's go. Let's go.
Eric: Oh, shit! Someone locked it.
Nabila: You use to work here, right?
Is there a way out?
I'm working on it.
[rustling]
[grunts] Go, go, go, go.
[music]
[thud]
[female voice] Shit is going down at the theater!
[male voice] We urge everyone to avoid the area tonight.
There's an armed suspect at large.
Nabila?
[music]
[screams]
Oh my god. Oh my god. Eric.
Oh my god. [crying]
Are you okay?
[Eric gasping] Nabila: Ssh! Ssh! It's okay. [Eric coughing]
It's okay.
I'll be right back, okay. [Eric gasping/crying]
[music]
[camera shutter clicks]
Come and get me.
[screeching tires]
[music]
[struggles]
[music]
♪
Get down.
[gunshot]
[music]
Officer: Who is he? Do you know him?
Nabila: No idea.
[music]
Darius: Ready to flee the country?
Darius: You know, Mom is serious about moving this time.
Just to another state.
So, what, after all that,
it was just some guy?
Yeah, just some guy.
They searched his shitty apartment,
found computers, knives, manifestos, you know.
The whole world was against him and he felt invisible
so he has to invisibly destroy a bunch of lives.
There's nothing special or scary about the Internet, just the people on it.
Hey, look.
Please don't show me another phone right now.
You've changed your Google results. -What?
You're in the news cycle as a plucky hero.
Now use those wordy chops on a harrowing first-person essay to seal the deal
and no one will remember you as the girl
who single handedly sabotaged the NCAA tourney in college.
All for the low, low cost of life long PTSD.
[sigh] [ding]
Just when you thought you were out.
[male tweeting] I would have gotten away with it, too,
if it weren't for you meddling kids!
[male voice] I know that bitch did it.
[cluster of tweets]
[all tweets] Hashtag Follow Friday.
[typing] [music]
♪♪