The third season of the thriller series Absentia kicks off with former FBI agent Emily Byrne and her ex-husband Agent Nick Durand stumbling into a horrifying secret that puts their fragile new family directly in the crosshairs. In the episode titled “Tabula Rasa,” which premiered on July 17, 2020, on Amazon Prime Video, the pair’s unauthorized investigation reveals a brutal black market organ harvesting operation, setting off a chain of violent events. This discovery marks the beginning of a dangerous new international conspiracy that threatens everything Emily has tried to rebuild.
A Tense New Family Life After Trauma
Emily is living with Nick and their son, Flynn, as she serves the final days of a suspension from the FBI. They are not a reunited couple but are attempting a platonic living arrangement to provide Flynn with a stable home after the death of Nick’s second wife, Alice. Emily struggles with post-traumatic stress, experiencing nightmares and flashbacks. Her hyper-vigilance leads her to secretly investigate Flynn’s new swimming coach, breaking into his apartment out of fear for her son’s safety. Meanwhile, Nick is working a disturbing case involving the bodies of young men found dumped with organs surgically removed.
Old Wounds and a Buried Secret
The fragile peace within the household is further strained by the grief and secrets surrounding Alice’s death. Emily’s brother, Jack Byrne, visits for a family dinner and is caught breaking down emotionally while smelling Alice’s clothing in a closet. This moment leads Emily to realize the truth: Jack and Alice were having an affair. Furious, Emily slaps Jack and warns him that Flynn must never find out, desperate to protect her son from more pain.
“Flynn has been through enough,” Emily tells Jack after confronting him about the affair, highlighting her primary drive to shield her child from further trauma.
Nick also faces pressure from his new superior at the FBI, Special Agent Julianne Gunnarsen. Julianne, who was cleared of wrongdoing in Alice’s shooting, notes that Nick has stopped attending mandatory counseling sessions and warns him to move past his trauma. In a private conversation, she also confronts Nick about Emily, claiming Emily has been watching her house and must stop.
The Midnight Discovery of a Horrific Operation
The episode’s central action begins when Nick’s confidential informant, a woman he meets outside his home, delivers an urgent warning. She tells him a major event related to his organ theft case is happening that very night and gives him an address. With no time to call in his FBI team, Nick makes the risky decision to bring Emily along on the unauthorized raid.
At a warehouse location, they find a scene of horror. The facility contains rows of empty mattresses and bodies wrapped in plastic. They witness an active, makeshift operating room where surgeons are removing organs. As Nick fights a guard, Emily chases a fleeing surgeon who escapes in a van with a cooler. She clings to the driver’s-side window, forcing the vehicle to crash. The surgeon runs away on foot, abandoning a bag filled with organs.
Nick tells Emily the grim reality of what they’ve uncovered: it looks like a large-scale “organ harvesting ring”.
Back at the FBI office, Julianne reprimands Nick for involving Emily, who is still suspended. She reiterates her demand that Emily’s surveillance of her must end. Later, Nick questions Emily about the spying. She defends herself, stating Nick wasn’t on the rooftop the night Julianne shot Alice and implying she still doesn’t trust their boss.
A Violent Cliffhanger at Home
The informant meets Nick again, now terrified and saying they have “messed up.” She insists she needs to flee immediately and runs off. Soon after, Nick calls Emily while heading home. During the call, he is ambushed by three men and violently attacked. Emily hears the assault over the phone and immediately calls their colleague, Agent Cal Isaac, for help before rushing home.
She arrives to find the house trashed and Nick gone. One attacker is still inside. As Emily confronts him, he stabs her. The attacker walks away, leaving Emily wounded on the floor as the episode ends.
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Streaming Details and Series Context
Absentia Season 3, including the premiere episode “Tabula Rasa,” became available to stream in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video on July 17, 2020. The series follows FBI agent Emily Byrne, who was declared dead after disappearing while hunting a serial killer. She reappears six years later with no memory of her captivity, returning to find her husband remarried and her son raised by another woman. The show ran for three seasons and was canceled in 2021. As of late 2025, the series is also available to stream on Netflix in certain regions.
The season premiere sets a dark and urgent tone for the final chapter, intertwining a gruesome international crime with the deeply personal unresolved tensions within Emily’s family.
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