Lazarus Episode 3 Recap: 100,000 Skinners, Hidden Clues, and a New Lead in Istanbul

Episode 3 of Lazarus kicks off with a startling revelation: around 100,000 Dr. Skinners are now showing up across global surveillance systems. Someone has hacked the system, replacing people's polygon masks with Skinner’s, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint the real one. This intricate strategy reveals a crucial detail: Skinner has not undergone plastic surgery to alter his face. He still looks exactly the same, making him simultaneously everywhere and nowhere.

Searching for Clues at Skinner’s Hideout

Meanwhile, Chris and Leland infiltrate Skinner’s residence under the guise of being cleaners. Their goal is to find any leads that might reveal Skinner’s whereabouts. Chris stumbles upon a mysterious pill marked with the number 5 down the back of the sofa. She jokes it could be a "cure for Hapna," but aside from that odd find, the search turns up little of value.

Elsewhere, Doug teams up with Axel to track down an old mentor, Claude Cline, who worked alongside Skinner during their university days. They believe Claude might hold key information that could help locate Skinner.
Their search leads them to a homeless community, where they seek out an informant known as Jerry—who now goes by Jill after undergoing surgery and reinventing herself.

Doug manages to convince Jill to reveal Claude’s location by opening up about his loyalty and past struggles. When they finally meet Claude, he confesses he parted ways with Skinner due to the latter’s overwhelming obsession with his work.
Unable to keep up, Claude took shortcuts, falsified his research, and was ultimately disgraced and fired from the university. Despite his fall from grace, Claude does offer a new lead—Skinner’s grandmother, Belinda, who lives in Istanbul.

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A Clue in Istanbul

The Lazarus team picks up on suspicious activity in a high-crime area of Istanbul where all cameras have mysteriously gone dark. Seeing this as a likely lead, Axel and Leland travel via the Hyper Cube, a high-speed transport that gets them to Istanbul in mere hours.

Upon arrival, Leland struggles to keep pace with the ever-intense Axel. His delay results in being cornered by local goons at gunpoint. However, after mentioning Belinda and her famous baklavas, they are brought to her residence instead of being harmed.

Skinner’s Hidden Presence

Belinda reveals that the last time she heard from Skinner was three years ago through a video message, where he promised to return once things calmed down. While searching Belinda's home, Axel discovers a hidden camera—suggesting that Skinner is nearby and possibly monitoring their every move.

Conclusion: A Cat-and-Mouse Game Just Getting Started

Episode 3 of Lazarus deepens the intrigue, layering the mystery with false leads, hidden cameras, and old grudges. With the real Dr. Skinner still at large and likely watching from the shadows, the stakes have never been higher. The team’s journey to Istanbul may have brought them closer to Skinner, but it’s clear that finding him—and stopping his plans—will be far more complicated than they ever anticipated. As the chase heats up, the lines between hunter and hunted are beginning to blur. 

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