Darkness falls on Lucia State Hospital. 

That's the best way to sum up Ratched Season 1 Episode 4, which featured more wild twists, and another significant death. 

Charles meeting his maker was expected, but did Mildred throw everyone for a loop?

His critical comments about their sexual encounter were disgusting, but it almost seemed like Mildred was against Dr. Hanover when she was buttering Charles up for his big meeting at the hospital. 

Mildred has been growing frustrated about the treatment carried out at the hospital, and getting rid of Hanover could have been a good thing to save more lives. 

But that would have probably spelled certain doom for Edmund, so, whatever Mildred is doing, it's to benefit her brother. If people get in the way, they will be killed. 

Gwendolyn arriving at the hospital was a bit of a stretch, but all the seeds were planted for her to pick up on what truly happened. 

She witnessed Charles entering Mildred's motel room but failed to truly take on board that he was the man dead in the hospital. 

Mildred's quick thinking to turn the tables and make Gwendolyn look like the villain in the scenario was pure genius, but it should have shown Gwendolyn that Mildred is pulling all the strings at the hospital. 

Unfortunately, Gwendolyn is blinded by her love for Mildred, and leaving her husband was the first step of trying to get Mildred to admit her feelings. 

Mildred knows Gwendolyn is a bit of a lost soul, so inviting her out for dinner was her way of keeping Gwendolyn in line. There's an undeniable attraction between the pair, but Mildred will not hesitate to cut Gwendolyn when the going gets tough. 

It's possible Gwendolyn knew what was going on in the hospital because the blood on the carpet of Dr. Hanover's office should have been a giveaway. 

Gwendolyn is a master at keeping up appearances, as evidenced by her marriage, and if she thought she was escaping a lie, she's only found herself in a worse one. 

The Governor's reelection campaign is in tatters, and it's all thanks to Edmund's reign of terror. With the death penalty on the table, he needs a trial for Edmund, or he will lose a lot of voters. 

People want justice, and for that to happen, Edmund will have to stand trial. That's not something Mildred wants to happen, so she will continue to manipulate not only Hanover but also Gwendolyn. 

Mildred is playing a dangerous game. She feels invincible because recent events have all been in her favor, but she may be no match for Lenore. 

The cocky tone as she called Lenore and outed the fact that Charles dead proved that the nurse was too comfortable. Lenore comes from money, so she could be more unpredictable than Mildred. 

It's doubtful she will embark on the mission to get revenge on Mildred alone, but Mildred has all the documents, including a check from Lenore, to implicate her in a murder-for-hire crime. 

The hospital does not need any bad press, but it's poised to happen eventually. Crossing people in high places is not a good thing because of the resources they have at their disposal. 

Huck's comment about Mildred being the Angel of Mercy seemingly took us all the way back to Mildred's first kill, and it pained her to carry out the act, but she felt like she was helping someone. 

The positive is that Mildred is not pure evil, so that's something. There is a part of her that strives to do a good job to keep people safe, and that was reiterated when she orchestrated the plan to get Ingrid and Lily away from the confines of the hospital and on a train to start a new life. 

Mildred has built an ally in Huck, but their good deeds will not go unpunished when Bucket starts to realize they're working together to overrule her. 

Bucket hates people talking back to her, as evidenced by the way she flipped out in front of Ingrid over them breaking the tub. 

Maybe the ideal death scene for Bucket would be to be locked in the tub and learn first-hand how it feels. She has shown zero compassion for any of the patients, and thinks that following orders will keep her in Dr. Hanover's good books. 

What she doesn't realize is that Hanover and Mildred are bonded in a way she will never understand ... unless she realizes that they've been killing people. 

Bucket hates Mildred, so she would be ecstatic at the prospect of outing their part in everything. That's the kind of person she is. 

The biggest surprise of the episode was the revelation that Mildred and Edmund have had sexual relations in the past. Clearly, Edmund should not be released, so I do hope that justice is served in the end. 

He's a danger to society, and there doesn't appear to be a way to fix him. Dolly, bless her heart, is playing with fire every single time she gets close to him. 

That's all I got, Ratched fans. 

What did you think of that big death?

Does Gwendolyn know more than she's letting on to Mildred?

Hit the comments. 

Ratched streams globally on Netflix. 

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.