In early 2002, Dov calls Sadie to announce his divorce and imminent wedding in Tiburon, inviting Sadie, Sam, and Marx. On the celebratory road trip, Sam casually asks if Sadie and Marx are together. They confirm and exchange I-love-yous. At Hearst Castle, Sam affects indifference but betrays hurt, belittling Marx as “boring” and comparing him to Hector from The Iliad. The trio’s banter exposes tension before they continue north.

Overnight on the coast, Sam shaves his hair, a small sign amid larger image shifts. The narrative tracks how Sam has rebranded himself as “Mazer,” embracing showmanship, a cane, tattoos, and a distinctive look to separate himself from his earlier persona as Mapleworld’s Mayor Mazer.

Back at Unfair, Sadie and Sam’s working relationship deteriorates. Sadie wants to leave Mapleworld behind and make Master of the Revels, a dark Elizabethan theater simulation centered on Marlowe’s murder. Sam wants to extend Mapleworld or make another Ichigo, prioritizing broad appeal and return on investment. Their arguments escalate, pitting Sadie’s artistic ambition against Sam’s mass-audience pragmatism.

The conflict erupts publicly when Sam mocks the concept and refuses to work on it. They bring the dispute to Marx, who sides with Sadie. Sam storms out, and Sadie declares she will develop Master of the Revels without Sam’s involvement. Later, Marx challenges Sam’s accusations of bias; Sam claims Sadie’s motives are pretentious and Dov-influenced, while Marx insists her vision deserves support.

That night, Marx asks Sadie if she truly wants to proceed solo. Sadie insists on independence and explains long-standing resentments, including feeling that Sam prioritized Ichigo over her well-being during the Dov years. Even as they acknowledge the partnership isn’t over forever, Sadie chooses to own this project. Meanwhile, Sadie and Marx raise their offer on a Venice house; their bid is accepted, and they move in, savoring a backyard persimmon tree as their shared life deepens.