An Acceptable Loss 2019

As Elizabeth “Libby” Lamm, portrayed by Tika Sumpter, steps into her new role as an adjunct professor of foreign policy at the prestigious Grant University, she faces an ice-cold reception from the academic circle. This chilling welcome can be traced back to her exhilarating but controversial past as the former national security adviser to U.S. Vice President Rachel Burke, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. Her arrival ignites a storm of suspicion among her fellow professors, particularly during an unwelcoming mixer, where her assistant and another colleague confront her about her debated history. An op-ed published by Capital Dispatch regarding her involvement in a U.S. military operation on Homs adds fuel to the fire, intensifying the scrutiny she finds herself under.

Libby’s sense of paranoia becomes increasingly evident as she implements drastic measures to protect her private life. She eschews the conveniences of modern technology such as email, cell phones, and computers, choosing instead to communicate through old-fashioned means. Each night, she secludes herself in her study, where she passionately jots down thoughts and revelations in numerous notebooks, all of which are secured tightly in a vintage safe she unearthed from an antique shop. Her ever-present Glock 17 serves as both a shield and a reminder of her precarious situation, as she navigates her daily life with heightened alertness, sensitive to the faintest noise that disrupts her quiet.

Unknown to Libby, her daily struggles are compounded by the relentless stalking of Martin Salhi, represented by Ben Tavassoli, a withdrawn graduate student at the university who intentionally distances himself from his roommate, Jordan, played by Alex Weisman. Martin’s odd behavior escalates Libby’s discomfort; he begins shadowing her and fabricates a lawn service flyer as a ruse to explore her home. Under the guise of this innocent facade, he breaks in and installs hidden cameras, keeping an intrusive watch over Libby’s every move, particularly as she secures her precious notebooks.

During her usual routines at home, Libby receives an unexpected visit from Adrian, depicted by Jeff Hephner, the chief of staff for the president, who harbors a complicated past with her from his time as a policy adviser at the White House. Their history is charged, and when Adrian pressures Libby to keep quiet about the Homs operation, she steadfastly refuses, sparking a conflict that compels her to dismiss her class prematurely and rush back home.

Upon her return, she is shocked to find Martin attempting to break into her safe. Faced with the unexpected confrontation, Martin finally admits to stalking her, driven by an obsessive need to understand how someone like Libby could participate in the catastrophic Homs attack. His motivations are personal, as he lost family in that same attack and seeks answers.

With her gun raised at Martin, Libby shares snippets from her memoir, which reveals her experiences surrounding the tragic events leading to the Homs strike. The narrative she shares exposes the manipulation and aggression behind the decision-making, which she hopes will ultimately help shed light on the truth.

Flashbacks transport us back four years to the White House situation room, where Libby finds herself advising a critical team of the president, vice president, and key officials on a chilling plan that entails significant implications: a nuclear strike targeting leading figures of dangerous terrorist organizations gathered in Homs. Endorsed vigorously by Vice President Burke, this plan, dubbed Plan 712, disregards Libby’s hesitations and results in an assault resulting in the death of numerous innocents alongside the intended targets.

As Martin absorbs the shocking revelations contained within Libby’s memoir, their already volatile lives are interrupted by an incursion of covert agents. Libby and Martin are forced into a frantic escape, driven by her need to deliver her damning manuscript to her father, Phillip Lamm, portrayed by Clarke Peters, the powerful chief editor of the Springfield Register. With the night thick around them, their search for safety leads them to a beach, only for Martin to awaken to a haunting silence—Libby has vanished, leaving behind a trail of notes that suggest she might have gone into hiding.

Trapped within the gloom of a basement, Libby faces President Burke, who attempts to entice her into a political position as Secretary of State under the condition she suppress the explosive memoir. Yet, Libby stands firm, fully aware that succumbing to the president’s tactics could spell disaster for those entangled in the truth. As the president leaves, instructing her chief of staff to release Libby and to cease surveillance on Martin, tensions remain as Adrian foresees disaster should their overlap with the truth not be managed.

Nevertheless, Libby’s release places her only blocks away from the Springfield Register, where a reunion with Martin and her father is anticipated. However, a sudden bomb blast disrupts their expectations, tragically resulting in 23 fatalities, including Libby, her father, and Martin. The sinister orchestrations of Adrian emerge as the authorities hastily attribute the attack to Martin’s supposed involvement.

In the aftermath, as the FBI investigates the remains of the shattered building, a flicker of hope emerges in the form of an email from Martin, sent just prior to the chaos. It outlines his clever strategy to evade his pursuers by acquiring a burner phone, digitizing the memoir, and anonymously sending it to Jordan, urging him to broadcast the truth far and wide.