‘Good Girls’ Recap: ‘Take Off Your Pants’

Last week brought about a new hope for the ladies of Good Girls, but that was not destined to last long. With Mary Pat’s outburst to save herself, she has caused irreparable damage. The episode proves that if nothing else. The only problem is now we have to wonder how these events are meant to unfold. If one person isn’t blackmailing someone on this show then it’s far too tame of a week. That even goes for the so-called “good guys” of the show.

I loved that the episode starts off with letting us know that Dean is a rough first day as a stay at home dad. Of course it appeared Beth felt the same way about her day at the car lot, but I took more joy in Dean’s troubles than Beth’s troubles. Rio insists that the recent cars delivered to the lot aren’t particularly for Beth and even though she has taken over the car lot, she discovers she’s still not as in charge over everything as she once believed. To make matters worse they see Rio with a random woman, infuriating Beth who refuses to admit such. The scene of course provides a rather entertaining conversation between Ruby and her daughter though, which was beyond enjoyable to watch. A happy home life is what she deserves after everything she has done to fight for it.

A wrench is throw into Ruby’s peaceful day as Stan gets into a rather touchy predicament with Agent Turner. He wants a home cooked meal. Considering what the pair of them are hiding, Ruby sends him away with a lasagna and rolls for Agent Turner to enjoy a home cooked meal at home. Despite attempting to defuse the situation, Agent Turner finds a way into Ruby’s home with a dish that he prepared for them. After all, his mother told him never to return a dish empty so it’s his way of thanking Stan and Ruby. His words say it although when he mentions that this is payback as we note Stan’s fidgeting and much like Ruby wonder how they are going to get out of this without Stan giving up everything with all the subtle hints from Agent Turner.

As Ruby fixes dessert, Turner points out how much harder it will be on Stan than her for taking the pen cap. He wants to know how Ruby wants the situation to play out. Agent Turner does not care that he will break up a family and potentially the twenty year marriage shared between Ruby and Stan. We’ve seen what Ruby will do to keep her family together, which does not make her decision. All things considered, Ruby realizes what she has to do as Stan takes the children to the zoo. Despite assuming that Mary Pat would be the one to take them all down, which in a way she did, Ruby finds herself in Agent Turner’s office willing to tell him anything to keep Stan out of jail. He makes a promise to Ruby that she isn’t going to go down for anything, but she has to betray the woman who has become one of her best friends over the years. She must turn in Beth somehow even though he doesn’t make it clear how that will happen.

Meanwhile Beth becomes frustrated and attempting to figure out what exactly Rio seems to be smuggling with the cars and after talking to Dean she realizes the one place she didn’t look. Even though she’s frustrated with him and his first day on stay at home dad duty, he has helped her in ways she cannot imagine. To get to the bottom of things, Beth purposely wrecks a car until the airbag explodes with an obscene amount of pills. The girls immediately find a way to test the pills, which they discover are various prescription medications that most people take daily. Cholesterol pills, heartburn medication and even antidepressants. Nothing that someone would need to get high with, but Beth wants to sell anyway. Why? Because they deserve a cut, but much like Ruby I do not believe that’s the true reason.

Beth is clearly the one jealous now that Rio is sleeping with someone else. As Ruby points out she is a side piece and that does not sit well with her. Thou dost protest far too much Beth. Ruby points out the obvious. This ends badly for everyone. The idea of taking all the pills from the cars will inevitably get them shot. Instead of listening they enlist the person who tested the pills, Darren to open the numerous airbags and they organize the pills. Rio shows up at Beth’s house with a gun. Beth points out that Rio needs her more than they need him. He can’t go about his dealings without coming off as shady. So despite Rio not feeling like that their business dealings are not as upfront as they used to be, he knows that he has to give her a cut of the money somehow. Dean saves the day in a way by bringing out their daughter out to ask for Beth to sleep with her for the evening.

Dean then asks the question that I’m shocked it has taken him this long to ask. Why Rio? Beth counters with what was it about the women that Dean slept with. He was lonely, something that he had no admitted until then but still does not go over with Beth. If these two had talked to each other about the many problems they are having now might not have taken place in the first place. Though that would make for a boring show. Instead, Beth insists the deal that Rio should have given her from the beginning. A fifty-fifty split. She wanted to be the one in charge and no one can blame her for that considering that she has had very little control of her own life for some time. Upon arriving home she appears shocked to see she has nothing to clean up this time. Beth’s response to a clean house shocks us all, especially Dean.

As the scene unfolds though we know in that moment that Dean detects the change in her and his excitement somehow dies down. His rage toward Rio does not and we realize through another conversation that he wants him dead. I cannot imagine Dean becoming the demise of Rio though no matter how hard he tries. Maybe because as much as he wants to repair their marriage there’s nothing left to repair at this point. Unlike the mother daughter relationship of Annie and Sadie. Still upset that her mother is the one who her father cheated on Nancy with, Annie realizes that she can no longer be a wishy washy parent. Annie puts her foot down after realizing that Darren’s parents know of his dealings. She stops letting Sadie call all the plays because she realizes that as a parent she has to take charge, which was the common thread throughout the episode last night.

What did you think of last night’s episode of Good Girls? Do you really think Ruby can go through with setting up Beth? Will Dean gather the nerve to kill Rio? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to watch Good Girls this Sunday at 10pm EST on NBC.

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