Just like that, the cat is out the bag.

Rio was doing his due diligence on Good Girls Season 3 Episode 4, keeping his eye on Beth and his men, and it led him right to the funny-money jackpot.

So, once again the ladies are about to find themselves in familiar territory; right under Rio’s thumb.

Let’s backtrack for a moment and discuss how we ended up with Rio being let in on Beth’s little secret.

As per usual, when it came to her life these days, Beth did what she had to do to survive. And that meant she had to drop the pregnancy rouse and move on to plan B.

Rio: What are you doing, Elizabeth?
Beth: I lost it.
Rio: When?
Beth: Does it matter?
Rio: Alright, then.
Beth: So, what comes next?
Rio: Nothing good.

• Permalink: What are you doing, Elizabeth?

Bartering for your life is a tricky thing to pull off, but lucky for Beth, she got a number that while high was far from unreasonable. Rio could have easily just said no to Beth and killed her or set the price incredibly high.

He also could have collected whatever he asked for her and killed her anyway. But Rio doesn’t want Beth dead.

If he did, she would have been dead by now.

That’s not to say he has feelings for her or anything like that, because it feels more and more like their romantic connection just isn’t going to make a comeback. But there’s something about Beth he can’t seem to shake.

Their whole interaction in the bar, when Beth told Rio that she lost the baby, was fraught with so much tension and chemistry.

We could spend hours debating the body language and every look because the scene was that powerful.

It surely gave Brio shippers a glimmer of hope, especially when it came to Rio’s reaction to the news.

He was noticeably affected by the news and appeared to be genuinely upset. What once may have been seen as an inconvenience to him suddenly took on another meaning entirely.

Cleaning the cash continued to benefit the ladies until Rio got a hold of the mover, who was singing like a canary.

And you sort of can’t blame him because he has no loyalty to the women.

They help get him paid, but he wasn’t going to protect them when his life was on the line.

The idea of Rio back in business with Beth, Ruby, and Annie feels exciting at first, but then again, it also feels a little stale. We’ve been there and done that with Rio threatening the women over and over, and them bending over backward to make money and stay alive.

This season has been very strong, but I’m hoping for a curveball where this storyline is concerned because it’s a story we've already seen.

Ruby and Stan found themselves in quite the predicament with Sara, who was rebelling a bit, like teenagers do, but also scaring the crap out of Stan.

A parent will do anything to protect their child, and that can include keeping things from them to keep them safe. But kids are perceptive, and Sara was certainly able to pick up on the fact that Ruby was up to something.

Both Stan and Ruby have a right to be upset with Sara for not only stealing but lying on top of it. However, I’m not sure it’s right to place all the blame on Ruby.

Ruby could have never traveled down the path she’s on, and Sara could have still chosen to steal that pen. There’s really no telling.

Ruby’s decision to lie to Stan could come back to bite her later, but it’s understandable why she did it. On top of her guilt, she didn’t want Stan to see Sara differently.

She didn’t want Stan to see his daughter the way he was beginning to see his wife.

Side note, can we get Ruby and Stan just blissfully happy for more than an hour at a time?

Annie appears to be getting a lot of her therapy with Dr. Cohen, and it would be a shame if that had to stop. But when you cross that awkward line sometimes, there’s just no coming back.

Poor Annie was trying to tell the good doctor about the trouble Beth was in without telling, and before she knew it, she was commiserating with the man over the horrors of cancer.

It led to a hug that Annie big-time misinterpreted. Or did she?

Dr. Cohen: Sometimes a hug is just a hug.
Annie: Okay. Thank you so much, Dr. Cohen.

• Permalink: Okay. Thank you so much, Dr. Cohen.

Yes, the hug was a little too long. And are you even supposed to be hugging your therapist like that?

Dr. Cohen’s assessment that Annie was following her partner of going after unavailable men may have been correct, but it’s also correct that there’s a spark between the two.

Both things can be true and probably shouldn’t be ignored.

Like a lot of people, Annie is afraid to get hurt. And her defense mechanism is sarcasm and cheap thrills, and perhaps this encounter with Dr. Cohen is the springboard she needs to start making some changes.

And maybe it wouldn’t hurt for Beth to join in on therapy too since a lot of Annie’s insecurities are rooted in her relationship with her sister.

But therapy and self-growth may have to wait.

It’s back to business first for the emotionally drained trio, and let’s hope they’re prepared to do what it takes to keep Rio satisfied again.

Odds and Ends

• It makes all the sense in the world that Dean would be scared to death for his family. And it has to be infuriating to think the man that almost killed him is once again interfering in his life. But it’s never going to be as simple as just buying a gun and hoping to scare Rio away.

• There are always great moments sprinkled in each episode that are hysterical, and this one had Ruby’s reaction to finding out Annie was in therapy. Now we better see Annie running soon!

• The guy watching Beth becoming best friends with Beth’s neighbor was random and perfect at the same time.

• Leave it to Good Girls to make you wonder how many of those signed jerseys you see hung up on bar walls are authentic.

With Rio surely about to bring chaos and fear back into their lives, this felt like the choppy waters before the mega-storm.

Turning it over to you guys, I’d love to know what you guys thought about the installment.

Is Sara turning into Ruby?

Did Annie get the wrong impression, or do you see the chemistry with the doctor?

How will Annie and Ruby react to Rio being apart of the business again?  

Drop your comments down below, and watch Good Girls online so you can join in the conversation. 

Whitney Evans is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lover of all things TV. Follow her on X.