In season three, Ryan, for the first time ever, begins to suspect that his greatest enemy, the man responsible for an endless list of atrocities, may not be the biggest foe he’ll face – in fact, Joe just might be a prelude to horror he’s never imagined.
With Joe Carroll awaiting execution on death row and all signs of his following erased, Ryan Hardy has moved on from the dark events of his past. But his newfound happiness is shattered when a series of brutally staged tableaus threatens to tear open old wounds. Ryan and his team are forced to unravel a twisted web of violence before it destroys them all - leading them to face a terrifying truth: Joe Carroll was just the beginning.
Ryan believes he has found the connection between Andrew and Mark, but he and the FBI are still unsure if - and how - Joe Carroll might be connected. Meanwhile, tension between Mark, Kyle and Daisy mounts and Ryan soon finds himself in a dangerous situation, in which facing the truth is the only thing that will set him free.
After a devastating loss, Ryan, Weston and Max aim to hunt down who is responsible and make them pay, leading Ryan to take a risk with deadly consequences. Meanwhile, Mark questions the loyalty of Kyle and Daisy, causing tensions to rise amongst the group.
As Mark, Kyle and Daisy plan to make a personal attack on Ryan, the FBI receives a tip leading them to a secret location, which gives them a leg up in the case.
On the day of an important trial, things go awry, causing the FBI to split up to hunt down a missing person. With his team breaking apart, Ryan enlists the help of a former enemy to defeat a greater one.
With their latest target on the run, Ryan and Mike follow a tip to a small town to investigate and confirm he isn't seeking protection. While in town, they both discover an even larger threat who has managed to avoid suspicion up until now. Meanwhile, Max struggles to make a confession.
With only a few days before Joe Carroll's execution, Ryan and Mike shift their focus to a new threat. Meanwhile, after being approved to start work again, Max rejoins the task force and comes dangerously close to a deadly menace.
The FBI closes in on a suspect whom they believe to be the culprit behind the latest murders, but Ryan believes the killer is still out there, leading him to dig deeper into dangerous territory. Meanwhile, Joe undergoes evaluation in the days leading up to his execution and a new threat tries to cover his tracks.
After the latest shocking discovery, Ryan finds himself being tracked by the new illusive killer and a game of cat-and-mouse begins leading them both back to Joe Carroll, for different reasons. Meanwhile, Max and Mike look for a stolen clue and Mark makes a shocking decision.
With Joe Carroll's execution day upon them, the team remains on edge, expecting that he won't go easily. Their fears are realized when a hostage situation at the prison forces Ryan to go in alone, as the whole world watches.
The investigation leads the team to a dangerous serial killer linked to Theo, while Theo and Penny seek refuge from an unknown source with the means of helping them disappear. Meanwhile, Ryan struggles with recent events, sending him into a downward spiral, and the search continues into which agent has been accessing Daisy’s laptop from inside the FBI.
An increasingly reckless Ryan continues his search for Theo, as Mark and Daisy discover information that leads them closer to the FBI than ever and puts Mike in a dangerous situation.