Marijuana, A Missing Dog & The Watch
As we approach the halfway point in CBS’ latest comedic drama, Why Women Kill begins to deepen the bonds between our characters as they continue to face challenges along the road to their inevitable murders. Whether there’s still a twist in the tale with this idea remains to be seen but for now, the show continues to weave its blend of dark comedy with drama to great effect. In 1963, Sheila worries that Beth Ann is growing too close to April, reminding her that she’s sleeping with Rob and can’t be trusted. However, Beth Ann ignores her concerns and heads out skating with the waitress, leading them into a heart to heart and another adventure, this time involving drugs. As she storms out, she learns that it was actually Rob’s idea to do drugs, so she changes her mind and takes the plunge, gorging herself on brownies. However, as it turns out she already has plans that evening in the form of a dinner party with Rob, prompting her to rush home before the effects of the pot kick in. Unfortunately, it kicks in just as she arrives, immediately taking a fascination to the swan napkin on her table and laughing at Rob’s boss, telling him there’s no way he could make one. Noticing his wife is acting awry, Rob confronts her under the table, where she tells him she knows what he’s been up to, prompting him to become frazzled. As the evening ends, Rob’s boss tells him what a lucky man he is, while the couple silently head home together. It’s here she learns he’s been completely wound up from work and, none the wiser to Beth Ann’s knowledge of his affair, they head out skating together in the middle of the night. In 1984, Tommy and Simone have what he believes is their first date, where he gives her a watch. Simone refuses to play along though leading him to storm off in dramatic fashion. Back home, Simone and Karl fret over the upcoming wedding they’re preparing for, only to find the Bride, Amy, show up swigging wine from the bottle. It turns out her fiance has been cheating on her. The next day, Tommy shows up at the house with flowers and asks about their future, only to be met with hostility and a hasty retreat. However, Amy appears at the stairs and Simone immediately manages to convince her the bouquet is for her – leading her to ask him for a date that evening which he agrees to, much to the envy of Simone. As Amy takes out Tommy, Simone shows up and, in no uncertain terms, tells him she likes him too while Amy is distracted by Brad’s appearance, where they make up. She shows him the watch and all seems right for now between the two. In 2019, Jade anxiously prepares for the worst as her alleged boyfriend Duke shows up at the door and antagonizes Eli. However, Taylor saves the day and squares up to him, hurting Eli’s pride in the process. As he heads home, it turns out Duke has Jade’s dog, Teacup, so they show up at his door the next day. When they fail to hear Duke, Eli takes matters into his own hands and smashes the window, stealing the dog and charging off; Duke in pursuit wrapped in a towel. As they make it back home, Duke arrives and as he heads upstairs looking for her, she hits him in the leg with a hammer and tells him to leave. All of these storylines converge to the ending where we receive narration from an ominous man working in a morgue, discussing the reasons behind murder. Sticking with the same aesthetic cues that made the previous episodes so endearing, Why Women Kill continues with another good episode, although the 2o19 timeline continues to be the weak link here. Across the four episodes so far the narrative has never really got going and the sub-plots involving the Instagram Influencers and now Duke just feel like throwing everything at the fan and seeing what sticks. It’s not all bad though as both the 1963 and 1984 storylines continue to shine. With inspired acting and some lovely editing between scenes, these two plots continue to develop in a lovely manner. Going forward I hope the 2019 story can pick up pace as with all three angles firing on all cylinders, Why Women Kill could be a real show-stopper. As it stands though the show feels like it’s missing a key ingredient; a dash of brilliance for its modern day angle. If it can crack the code, we could be on to a real winner here.
