Why Women Kill Season 2 Episode 6 Review: Dangerous Intruder
Carissa Pavlica
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Oh, what tangled webs we weave.
Why Women Kill Season 2 Episode 6 wasn't exactly unpredictable, but it was still a lot of fun.
Alma's timidness and kindheartedness have all but disappeared, and it's not a good look on her.
As predicted, Alma realized there's a certain usefulness to Bertram's particular skillset in offing people.
Just as Bertram was prepared to turn over a new leaf, his wife wanted him to do a little killing on her behalf. And, just as the doctor (or former preacher) ordered, Bertram followed Alma's orders.
Alma: All I'm asking for is one final act of mercy. Please, save my friend.
Bertram: Alright. I'll do it.
Alma: Oh, bless you, Bertie. You know what would be nice on this pie? Some ice cream.
Alma isn't an idiot, though, and she managed to fool Bertram into thinking that he was doing a good deed. Bertram's MO has been putting people out of their misery, and the way Alma put it, he would have a one-two punch.
Carlo was clearly in distress, clinging to life when there was no hope, Alma suggested. And with the way he treated Rita, putting Carlo out of his misery would also put Rita out of hers. How divine!
Bertram takes Alma at her word because he failed to recognize how much she has changed. Unfortunately, it seems that even with the right clothes and a new attitude, Alma is rather invisible.
Bertram doesn't see his wife, whether she's meek and mild or ferocious and well-coiffed. It seems likely that he'll pay for that mistake, and it's not like we care since he's got a lot more to pay for that she had nothing to do with.
Synchronicity ensured that Isobel had implanted the idea of killing Carlo to get him off their backs into Rita's head on the very day Carlo was murdered.
Isobel had no problem suggesting poison, and she revealed that in addition to being cousins, this duo had killed before. She slipped that nugget into conversation oh so easily, but it didn't pass by unheeded.
Rita wasn't willing to go that far (again?), but by the time the night was over, it didn't matter. Carlo was dead. Ding dong!!
Alma's carefully laid plan to dispose of Carlo went afoul when Scooter's plans to bed Catherine fell out the window.
Scooter: She's not so bad.
Rita: Excuse me?
Scooter: Oh, I thought she was an old pickle puss at first, but once she lets her guard down, she's actually got a really nice smile. And she's only, what, five years older than you?
Scooter is riding the waves between Rita and Catherine. He's still sexually interested in Rita, but he also sees Catherine's appeal. She plies him with gifts. She's an animal in the sack. What's not to like?
But their change in plans led to Vern photographing Catherine in her compromising position while Alma was in the house.
The way Vern snapped photos as the lightning flashed was skillful and added even more excitement to what was happening because all it would have taken was a quick look in his direction for Catherine to catch on to his act.
Unless I'm wrong, Alma's head was in at least one of Vern's photos. She was gawking at Catherine and Scooter at the very time Vern was snapping away.
When Alma first concocted her plan for Carlo, a part of me was holding out hope that some of the old Alma remained. She was once so eager to befriend Rita that she would have done anything to gain her trust. What better way to do that than to kill Carlo for her?
Alma: Are you hungry? I brought us some snacks and cocoa.
Bertram: Taking of a human life is a grave and sacred task. It's not a night at the drive-in.
My second thought was that Alma would try to kill Rita at the same time he killed Carlo.
It never dawned on me that Alma was setting up Rita to take the fall for Carlo's murder. One, it would put her and Bertram into the lens of doubt. Two, I didn't think she was so far gone.
Alas, the Alma we met on Why Women Kill Season 2 Episode 1 is no more. She's devious without being cunning. She inserted herself into a situation that could be her downfall over the same kind of petty vindictiveness that drove her to despise Rita.
She's biting every hand that has reached out to her by framing Rita for murder from her husband to the ladies of the garden club she so wants to be a part of.
Unfortunately, when people fall down that rabbit hole, they rarely have the capacity to make the connection. Through her actions, Alma has unwittingly made herself every bit as despicable as Rita Castillo.
Thankfully, her daughter isn't in the same boat, and she's making good decisions, even if it takes her a little while.
Upon receiving the unsettling news about her pregnancy, Dee broke things off with Vern. Without telling him why she was doing it, it didn't leave the best impression. But Dee's heart was in the right place.
It was a conversation with Rita, of all people, that talked some sense into Dee, and she withdrew her idea to share the news with Scooter and returned to Vern instead.
Did you see the look on Rita's face after she told Dee to run far, far away from Scooter and not to let one mistake turn into a lifelong mistake?
She was speaking from experience, and although her initial thought was likely to distance Dee from Scooter, by the time they had finished talking, Rita meant every word.
The only times we've seen Rita with compassion have been when she talked with Alma or Dee. It's clear she's missed female companionship, and if she'd been more open to the possibilities, her life could have turned out differently.
Dee's hesitation with Vern didn't matter to him. By the time she returned, he had already received the news of her pregnancy from Rita. That was hardly ideal, but it gave him time to view the situation from all angles.
Dee: Oh, Vern. What am I going to do?
Vern: Here's a thought. Marry me.
Once he realized that he really loves Dee, marrying her and raising someone else's baby didn't matter to him in the least.
I've said throughout Why Women Kill Season 2 that Vern is the heart of the show and acts as the audience's on-screen counterpart.
The same goes for Dee, and their union is the best thing to come out of incredibly desperate times.
Hit me up with thoughts on the incredibly tangled web of deception being woven this season. I'd love to hear from you!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
