Never underestimate a man you once tried to kill.

Beth and company found out the hard way on Good Girls Season 3 Episode 5 that their actions have consequences. Well, that’s something they’ve known but seem to forget all the time.

Their actions led to a shocking death the fallout from which is sure to reverberate throughout the rest of Good Girls Season 3.

With Rio back and aware of the money scheme, the ladies went from being the bosses to the lackeys once again.

Just think about that for a second. They were in charge of their operation, including how much money they printed and who washed it for them. And when Rio found out about it, everything went up in smoke.

The power Rio has over these women is on another level, and the fact that they just step up and work their butts off to appease him without pushback is crazy.

But then again, what can they do?

It’s easy to blame everything on Beth because she had the opportunity to get rid of Rio once and for all and failed, but that’s not a fair assessment.

What happened between Rio and Turner was out of her control, and she deserves credit for at least trying to get out from under Rio’s thumb.

But it never becomes more clear how out of their league the ladies are then when they deal with a seasoned criminal like Rio. They want to stay alive, and they want their families to stay alive, so they do as they’re told and hope to make it through each day.

Rio would be smart to eliminate them by taking over the making of the money, but Beth was smart enough to hide the plates, although that ended up biting her in the butt.

Dean has every right to feel frustrated and frightened, and you can’t blame him for wanting Rio as far away from Beth as possible. But he knows better than anyone that with Rio things are life and death.

So if your wife is standing right in front of you pleading with you not to do something, perhaps you should listen to her.

Dean has come such a long way throughout the series, but it’s moments like those that harken back to the old Dean who always thought he knew best.

Dean: We can't go back.
Beth: He's gonna kill me.
Dean: You don't kill something you love.

• Permalink: You don't kill something you love.

And it’s especially difficult because it’s a decision that feels more rooted in jealousy than anything else.

This idea of Rio being in love with Beth doesn’t hold much water when you put everything into perspective, but it’s also coming from Dean, who doesn’t even remotely understand the complexities of their dynamic.

Rio and Beth have a sexual attraction, and there may even be some begrudging adoration on both sides, but above all else, Rio is loyal to the game.

When has he ever put Beth’s well-being above the bottom line? If you can genuinely think of a time, let me know in the comments, but it’s hard to immediately recall him ever doing that.

A kind gesture here or there does not equal love.

Rio’s charm and intelligence were on full display when he came into the paper store and chatted up Lucy. The way he can turn on that charm, and flash that perfect smile, is almost chilling.

Lucy had no idea what was coming her way.

Lucy doesn’t know Rio the way Beth does, so it’s easy to understand why she’d be hesitant to trust Beth, especially after the ladies kidnapped her bird, but it was still frustrating to see her walk towards her death.

People are disposable to Rio. And once Lucy served her purpose, he had to get rid of the loose end.

We didn’t get to spend much time with Lucy, but she was funny, quirky, and a good person, and she did not deserve what happened to her.

The women are going to have to deal with the fact that they put her into a dangerous situation against her knowledge, and it ended up getting her killed. That’s a heavy burden to carry.

And what about her boyfriend? He’s going to go to the police eventually, and then the police will back snooping around again, and no good can come of that.

Things really went from zero to sixty in no time flat.

Outside of witnessing a murder, Ruby was continuing to struggle with Stan, and I just want them to catch a break.

Stan: Tell me where that remote is and we're good forever.
Ruby: Just don't give up on me.

• Permalink: Just don't give up on me.

It doesn’t feel like their marriage is on the brink, but Ruby also isn’t stupid, and she can sense the shift.

Stan doesn’t see her the same way he did before, and maybe that’s okay for a while. But it’s also possible that one day, it’s not.

The greatest thing about Stan and Ruby’s relationship has always been the love they have for one another. You can feel it, and you can see it when they interact.

And on a show like Good Girls, they aren’t many relationships like that.

But they’re at a pivotal point in their marriage where they need to make an effort to fight for it. The talk in bed was a good start, but it’s not like that just fixed the problem.

There are more talks to be had, and more compromises to be made.

Annie was spiraling after her encounter with Dr. Cohen, and as she usually does, she was avoiding her emotions in favor of meaningless sex.

Annie was embarrassed, and her pride was bruised, but the whole situation with Chris/Kevin should hopefully lead her back to Dr. Cohen and their sessions because it was doing her a lot of good.

Annie is a wonderful mother, and deep in her heart she’s not a bad person, but she doesn’t always see the way her actions impact Ben. And continued work on herself could only strengthen the bond with her son.

It’s hard to predict where things will go with Annie and Dr. Cohen, but hopefully, she’s back on a beanie bag relatively soon working through her emotions and developing much healthier coping skills.

Hey, maybe she can hook up Beth and Ruby with some sessions because they could all use the outlet to deal with the craziness of their lives.

Odds and Ends

• Okay, but did anyone else feel bad for the bird? He got kidnapped, locked in a bathroom, and now he’s just been gifted to a bunch of children. Poor thing.

• Dean was so annoying. I always find myself taking back my earlier assessments of starting to like him.

• I know the role doesn’t call for him to smile a lot, but boy, Manny Montana’s smile lights up a room.

• RIP Lucy. You were a kind woman with a loving boyfriend, and you had the misfortune of getting thrust into something blindly. And it’s something that got you killed. It was nice getting to know you.

With Lucy’s death, it feels like the police will be back in the picture pretty soon. And as bad as Turner was, who knows what kind of pressure the women will see this time.

Were you shocked by Lucy’s death?

Are you worried about Stan and Ruby’s marriage?

What’s next for the ladies and their working relationship with Rio?

Drop me a line so we can discuss it all! And make sure to watch Good Girls online, so you're not behind!

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