The Day Before

Series Name
Season 1, Episode 1

Air date	September 13, 2021
Written by	Eliza Clark
Directed by	Louise Friedberg
Episode Guide
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The Day Before is the first episode in the FX on Hulu T.V. series, Y: The Last Man. It aired on September 13, 2021.

Synopsis[]

On the eve of the worst crisis in human history, Congresswoman Jennifer Brown clashes with the President. Her children Yorick and Hero reach an emotional crossroads. None of them know their lives are about to change forever.

Plot Summary[]

"3 Weeks After"

Dead bodies litter the streets and memorials honor those that have apparently died in a mass catastrophe. A monkey jumps into a taxicab and retrieves a pen for its owner, who trades a cracker for the writing implement. The man is spray painting a message on the walls of this city: “Beth, I’m alive. Come home. – Y”. A crashed helicopter falls from the rooftop of a nearby skyscraper towards the monkey, Y runs to monkey, grabs monkey, and jumps out of the way of the falling helicopter.

In a flashback to before the catastrophe, Y (aka Yorick) is practicing an upside-down escape maneuver from a straitjacket while a young boy watches. Y is still in straightjacket and he falls to the floor. The landlord knocks at the door and talks through the door demanding a rent check or he'll call Y's mom. The kid says this has to be his last magic lesson with Yorick as his dad doesn’t feel that they’re getting their money’s worth. Y says they have still have time left in the lesson, offers the straightjacket, and kid starts getting into the straightjacket.

In Washington, D.C., a congresswoman named Jennifer Brown climbs a set of steps while followed by a group of aides. She sends an aide to get journalist(s) so she can give them comments. An aide tells the congresswoman that Yorick's landlord called (so we deduce from what landlord said to Y that congresswoman is Yorick’s mom).

At a support group in Brooklyn, Y’s sister Hero walks out and meets with her brother outside, who asks to borrow some money to buy nice food to help with his proposal to his girlfriend Beth. Hero tries to discourage Y. Y says he already has a ring and that the ring is Bedouin. The sister mocks his desire to become a professional escape artist, but begrudgingly gives him some cash. Hero's friend Sam pops outside from meeting to remind Hero that is she misses too much of the meeting they won't sign her sheet (Hero has to do the group because of a DUI).

In Skiatook, Oklahoma, a mystery woman (later we learn she is Agent 355)(boyfriend calls her Jade) is building a bomb for her boyfriend (subtitles name him as Rafe and Saul), who is preparing to sell it to a group of domestic terrorists. He makes her wait in the other room because “I don’t think these guys want a black chick building their explosive device.” The woman sneaks out the back window and walks through the neighborhood, using her cell phone to set off the bomb, presumably killing both the boyfriend and his customers as the house she was in explodes. She continues running through the countryside (running past a dead deer) until she comes across a 2nd dead deer on the side of the road. She gets picked up in a black car by a man (subtitles name him as Agent 1033) who offers her a job embedded with POTUS (President Of The US) because of a credible threat and says “consider it a promotion, for a job well done.”

At the home of the President of the United States, an aide named Nora goes into damage control after she hears that Congresswoman Brown called him a misogynist on television. The President makes Nora fire a gun at a target, though she is hesitant to pick up the firearm.

At a public appearance, an author named Kimberly Cunningham who happens to be the president’s daughter is promoting a book about “Cancel Culture.” Backstage, she complains to her husband (subtitles name him John) about the congresswoman’s comments while their kids run rampart in their hotel room. Two of the boys find a dead mouse in the corner of the room, and Kimberly moves them away from the mouse.

We smash cut to a dinner party where several of the characters we’ve already met are converging at the same place. Congresswoman Brown is brought into a room to chat with the president about her comments earlier in the day. They also discuss the explosion in Oklahoma, and the president offers to “work together” with the congresswoman, but she rebukes him for being “a politician”.

In an ambulance, Hero talks with her coworker (subtitles say his name is Mike) who says he’s told his significant other about the affair he’s having with Hero.

At home, Y prepares a grilled cheese dinner for Beth, who complains about her day at graduate school. Y tells Beth he should come with her to Australia, but she says he should stay in the U.S. and work on his magic show. He gets out a ring box and Beth is taken aback as he gets down on one knee. “I can’t just ask you to drop your life and move to Australia.” Beth says Y will hold her back from meeting people, which sets him off while their pet monkey screeches in its crate, and their argument ends with her storming out of the apartment.

Back in Oklahoma, Agent 355 prepares for another mission, scouring her previous apartment and learning about her new identity as a Secret Service agent. (cover name: agent Sarah Bergin)

In D.C., Congresswoman Brown’s assistant (subtitles name her Christine) meets with a date until they are interrupted by a series of animals (a police horse and a swarm of rodents) acting out of the ordinary. The swarm of rodents moves on, but some of the rodents are now dead.

At the dinner party, Congresswoman Brown runs into Kimberly and they have it out (briefly and quietly), and then Brown reconnects with her estranged husband and they discuss Y’s financial situation, then talk about the possibility of reconciling their differences. Her husband is reluctant, offers to keep it quiet and waiting until after the midterms (hinting at divorce without saying the d-word), that he loves her but "it is time". Back inside, the president gives a speech for his wife’s (Marla) birthday as Brown watches disapprovingly (envious?) from across the room.

Nora arrives home to her messy apartment and her husband attempts to comfort her after a hectic day. Husband tries to kiss her on the mouth, but she avoids the kiss. They both hear one of their children (subtitles say girl is named Mack) scream from the other room, and the husband leaves to take care of the issue.

Hero and her coworker boyfriend lie in the back of the ambulance together and talk about their future together until he goes outside to pee, leaving her alone. A stray dog approaches and starts vomiting blood, and the boyfriend returns to the ambulance to find that Hero has discovered texts from his wife proving his story wrong. They fight to the point where Hero accidentally severs his jugular using an oxygen tank.

"The morning of"

The next morning, Agent 355 arrives in Washington, D.C. and takes a post in a briefing room as Congresswoman Brown takes her seat.

At home, Nora prepares lunches for her children.

Then we cut to the ambulance where Hero’s married boyfriend lies dead at her feet, covered in blood. Hero seems to be in shock.

Nora accidentally cuts her hand open with a knife.

Back at the ambulance, a police officer shows up on the scene and starts banging on the ambulance door.

Nora’s daughter (Mackenzie) comes down to breakfast and tells her mom that her brothers are still asleep.

Hero exits the ambulance to find the cop dead on the ground outside near the dog, which has also collapsed.

At the briefing, the president says there’s a distress call out of Israel as his nose starts bleeding and he falls to the floor.

Suddenly all the men at each location begin dying bloody deaths.

Nora discovers her husband and male children dead in their bed.

Panic grips the streets as everyone begins to realize what’s happening. A young girl watches the chaos from a crashed car as her father lies dead in the driver seat next to her.

A women (army general?) reports that Air Force Two has crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, and Congresswoman Brown attempts to calm down her aide as they head to a secure location.

At home, Y listens to the Magnetic Fields as he sleeps on the couch. He wakes up when his pet monkey throws food at him and looks around for Beth. His phone doesn’t work and his jaw drops open in shock when he starts hearing screaming and explosions coming from outside.

The Day Before

Contents

Synopsis[]

Plot Summary[]

Characters[]

Main[]

References[]