‘Good Girls’ Recap: ‘Vegas, Baby’

Last week, viewers discovered how quickly the tides have turned. What seemed like a simple solution has the potential to put more eyes on the girls now more than ever. As the show opens this week, Beth reveals the money she took was so the ladies could pay their bills. Ruby points out that it isn’t wise to steal from a man who recently ordered a woman’s demise.  

Despite Ruby’s concerns, Beth determines that everything will be okay because he can’t come in and ruin everything they were about to try and build. The saddest part of this moment is when Stan comes into the room, and Beth goes to hide the money. He says criminals don’t have to hide anything from him. His remark makes me sad that is where he has found his life at this point.  

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Oddly enough, Stan leaving for work is not even the saddest part of this week’s open. We all knew that Max would not be able to let Lucy’s death go. The show reveals he has a bulletin board filled with theories surrounding the bird. As Max walks away from it, and the camera pans out, the shot reveals numerous sticky notes that cover the board.  

The tracking only adds to the sadness as shot shows to audiences that he has put his all into figuring out the truth behind Lucy’s disappearance. There are numerous cartons and containers spread along the floor. A gun rests beside Max on the couch as he appears utterly disheveled by how the events have unfolded. 

The one fact he knows is clear is that Beth is somehow involved in Lucy’s disappearance. He does not know how to, but he will figure this out somehow, someway.

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As the show continues, Beth looks in the mirror. She seems oddly pleased with herself upon coming downstairs. While she is trying to seduce Dean, he immediately ruins the moment when he tells her that Lucy’s boyfriend followed him back to the car. He reveals that Max kept yelling at him that the bird was his and calling Dorito by her real name.  

Immediately knowing who followed him, Beth reveals the bird’s real name. Dean seems shocked that Beth knew what the guy was yelling at him, but we all know the reason is he knows there is something behind Lucy’s disappearance. Beth, Ruby, and Annie meet with Max at a restaurant as he puts his hand into the bag on a gun.  

He insists that Rio needs to die. I cannot say I blame him considering what he has taken Lucy away from him. He goes on about having a cousin who would be willing to take him down, but he doesn’t have the kind of cash to pay him. $30,000. Knowing he somehow has to avenge Lucy. And after all, he has nothing else left to lose.  

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At that moment, despite not having the money, Beth asks who his cousin happens to be. Beth decides that she’s going to skim from a couple of more runs to make this happen for them. That way, they will no longer have to deal with Rio or anyone else from his organization. However, Rio does not give them any more money for the next run. He doesn’t trust that they aren’t stealing from him. Right call, but bad for our girls. A plan B is awaiting not so patiently in the wings.

As they go to the advanced payday store to attempt and get the loan, JT (Julian Gant) turns them down. JT then suggests that they rob another store, Beth and Ruby tell him that they don’t do that anymore. Annie, of course, is in protest of this notion because she swears it would be effortless to rob her store. While she’s not wrong, she cannot be the one involved and would need someone to steal from her.  

JT admits that he wishes that they would have lead with that because he would be able to help them then. Putting on a pair of pantyhose, he gives a cliched performance to only Annie, but at least he’s ready to get it out of his system as Ruby and Beth stand guard outside of the store. However, once Ruby and Beth head inside, they realize that there’s someone with a gun. Beth uses reason before everything gets ugly just to let the guy go instead of involving anyone else.  

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As JT runs out of the store during Beth’s distraction, the man shoots. When he asks if everyone is okay, the camera pans down to Ruby’s leg. Everything is not okay. The bullet has hit Ruby’s upper thigh above her knee instead. Annie does everything in her power to make sure Ruby is okay. The paramedics praise her for getting the bleeding to stop. Ruby knows that Annie is responsible for saving her life is not a good debt to have as they roll her away and into the ambulance.  

Stan is visibly angry when Beth and Annie arrive and rightfully so. As Beth tries to explain that it wasn’t supposed to go down that way, he says, “Tell that to my kids.” They begin to talk about everything that has taken place; Ruby remarks that they should just let Max take his shot. Knowing that he’s going to miss, you can see the wheels turning in Beth’s head.  

Going over to what I presume is Max’s place, they sit outback. She is about to give him lessons on how to shoot a gun. As he initially fires the gun, he drops the weapon, but by the end of the training, we realize his destiny is to miss.

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Meanwhile, Stan did not realize how much he was going to take in from doing the party. At first, he seems unsure about everything because he used to be a cop. However, the stripper that we have gotten to know this season Krystal (Noureen DeWulf) explains that Stan’s worth it and that things change. However, upon learning how she managed to attain the money later on, he’s not so sure anymore.

However, considering how bad that Ruby and he needs the money, that is all that should matter at this point. Using the cash later in the episode, we realize that Stan has changed from the man we once knew. He now has a gameplan about the parties and how to get their cut. If she’s in, he is more than willing to help. 

Stan is not the only man who has changed this season. Dean hears about one of the other employees getting promoted to Vegas. When talking to Eric about it, he asked how Jeff managed the promotion, and it’s because he slept with Gayle. When confronted by Gayle later on, and almost fired for his actions, later on, Dean turns it around.  

In all reality, he tells her like it is and that he’s going to continue taking Jeff’s leads and set the store they work at into the number one leader in southeast Michigan’s regional sales. As he walks out, having proven his point, he takes a moment to ask if she wants the door shut or closed. Knowing he has a point, she asks him to leave.

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Meanwhile, requesting a meeting with Rio at the bar, Beth introduces him to her ink guy. Her ink guy is Max. Beth opens up the opportunity to make the problem go away in terms of cost. Instead of pointing the gun at him anymore, Max chickens out and says that he apologizes because he shouldn’t have raised the prices on him. Beth asks him if that is all wanting Max to take his shot.  

She knows Max isn’t going to get close to him again. And much like her, I am confused as to why Max did not take this opportunity. Afterward, in the car, he admits that he wet himself, he also asks Beth if she was mad at him for not going through with it. She says, “It wouldn’t have made you feel better; it just makes you feel nothing.” Max does make one small request.

Upon arriving home, Beth explains to the kids that they have to give Doritio up. She already had a home, and Beth was not privy to that information. Insisting that they can get another pet, any their choosing, they, of course, pick a snake. As Dean picks up the birdcage, he remarks that this is the last thing that Rio takes from them.  

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Calling for a movie night, he said it’s about Samuel L Jackson on a plane and educational. I cannot help but laugh as I know he is ultimately trying to deter them away from getting snakes. There’s not a better way to not have a snake in a home than to use that movie to traumatize children is there? Yes, there has to be, but hopefully, the kids aren’t too traumatized afterward.

However, as they head back home from what I assume is dropping off the bird, they are traumatized upon realizing that someone has robbed their home of everything inside. Reaching the counter, she sees a letter written to her. It merely says, “Don’t ever steal from me again.” When Dean asks what it says, Beth looks up at him as the kids wait beside her. 

Not a word is spoken, but Beth knows that Rio will continue to take from them as long as he’s int he picture.

What did you think of tonight’s episode of Good Girls? Were you shocked when Ruby was shot? Do you think JT will continue to help the girls? Will Stan get in too deep with Krystal that he cannot get out? Will Beth finally learn it’s not a good idea to double-cross Rio? Let me know your thoughts on tonight’s episode below.

Better yet, make sure to tune into Good Girls on NBC every Sunday at 10 pm EST to see what our ladies are up to weekly this season.