A usually reserved Beth Ann attempts to spice up her marriage. Simone turns to Naomi's son Tommy for solace after finding out Karl hasn't been as good at covering his adulterous tracks as he let on. Eli checks an item off of his sexual bucket list, but his happiness is short lived when he realizes there's more to Taylor and Jade's relationship than he initially thought.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of CBS All Access' Why Women Kill.
"I'd Like to Kill Ya, But I Just Washed My Hair" was written by Austin Guzman and directed by Marc Webb
At times, this show absolutely runs the risk of being too didactic. It can be too focused on articulating the changing mentalities across the decades in society to remember it needs to tell a specific story that resonates in a compelling way. This hour is all about the sexual ambitions of each couple. With Beth Ann, she is so hesitant about changing up anything because Rob taught her everything she knows about sex. She is prudish and doesn't wish to entertain the book of sexual suggestions Sheila gifts her. And yet, her daring act is a simple blowjob in the shower. That may not seem scandalous at all. But it does conclude with Rob falling through the glass shower door and needing to go to the emergency room. That doesn't help fix their intimacy issues. In fact, it seems like Beth Ann is only pushing Rob further away. Of course, the show wants the audience to have pity for Beth Ann. She is trying to keep the charade going in the hopes of saving her marriage. She doesn't care about April. She just wants to feel safe and secure in her marriage to Rob. Instead, she is left with only lingering doubts because she is unsure if any business dinner is actually about his job as a space engineer. Elsewhere, Karl is essentially trying to blackmail Simone into going along with the arrangement he has long enjoyed despite how oblivious she has long been. He had the freedom to feel happy with her while carrying on numerous affairs across the years. She thought it was a normal part of aging that led to the lack of a sex life between them. Instead, he was just hiding his true sexuality. He wants to continue doing so because he sees this life and marriage as beneficial to everyone. It just means he continually feels the need to deceive Simone. He says it's because she only responds to big gestures. That is certainly fitting of her. But it's so destructive as well. He faked his suicide attempt just in order to earn sympathy. Simone doesn't want her fellow socialites to pity her and swarm her with gossip about how her marriage fell apart. But Simone has power too. Naomi may have known that Karl was having an affair for years but she never suspected that it was with another man. At this time, people just aren't programmed to see that as even a possibility. Instead, it's something scandalous that should be removed from their worlds entirely. That stands in sharp context to the 2019 storyline in which these gender norms are completely accepted and normalized. It isn't a big deal that Taylor and Eli have an open marriage and Taylor is bisexual. Sure, it's better that the show addresses the inevitable threesome with Jade sooner rather than later. That could only have been teased for so long. But it's also interesting to see how that kind of sexual freedom can actually create a whole new set of insecurity issues. In the past, Beth Ann and Simone were made to feel that they weren't good enough. They had to take their power back. Simone does so by having sex with Tommy. It may be an act out of spite at first. But she appreciates it eventually. Meanwhile, Beth Ann struggles to feel this stable and loving connection with Rob again. In the present day, Eli is the one who feels like he is being left behind simply because Taylor and Jade have a stronger connection. He sees that plainly now. Of course, that also makes it hard to read what is exactly going through Taylor's mind as she looks out the window at the conclusion of the hour. She hasn't really been the character driving that particular story forward. Instead, it's mostly been told from Eli's perspective. That too shows how gender roles have switched in several ways. But more insight into Taylor is needed at this point especially since all of this is going to end in murder at some point. The final destination appears to be three murders that all take place in the central house. That's confirmed at the top of this hour that shows that there are people in this community who actually experienced all of the tragedy that happens across these three distinct stories.
