Grosse Pointe Garden Society Episode 5 Recap: Pollination

Old relationships are tested while some new ones are forged in episode 5 of ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society,‘ titled ‘Pollination.’ In the previous episode, Catherine was visited by Gary’s wife, who informed her of her husband’s mysterious disappearance, while a massive fight took place between Doug and Brett in the future timeline. The tension and mystery continue to simmer in the fifth episode as our main characters have to navigate some serious challenges in their personal life. Tucker and Catherine find it difficult to move past the latter’s fling with Gary, while Birdie can’t figure out what to do with Ford. At the same time, Brett and Alice’s friendship goes through a rough patch as the former starts dating another woman. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Birdie Struggles to Make Any Inroads With Ford

The episode begins with Catherine sitting pensively in her house, worrying about what Gary’s wife told her in the previous episode. Catherine tells Tucker about it, who is least bothered about her wife’s secret former lover. Meanwhile, we see Gary being thrown out of the van in the same parking lot where he was abducted. Bruised and beaten, he looks around once before starting to run. Elsewhere in the town, Birdie and Joel are having another date. They share stories of each other’s personal lives – Birdie talks about her numerous exes, while Joel talks about a polygraph test he failed. Ford spies upon their clandestine meeting. Meanwhile, Alice and Doug are back together as a couple. The latter tells her he wants to show her something – an entire room full of puppies to play with. The gift pleases Alice to no end. Far away, Brett has a terrible time with a date.

The next morning, our four main characters are setting up bird feeders in the garden. Brett’s phone catches fire with the matches he is getting on his dating app. Alice is slightly miffed at his lack of attention towards her. The others decide not to bring it up. Ford meets up with Birdie at the restaurant. The latter tells him that he won’t get the scholarship money if he doesn’t get his college applications in order. However, Ford just wants her out of her life and tells her so before leaving. Catherine is surprised to see Gary back at work. She flags him down and sees the bruises on his face, including a knocked-out tooth. He tells her to stay away from him and not relay the news to her husband. Six months later, the four are trying to decide who will be the one driving the dead body.

In the last episode, we thought the dead body might be Doug. It is still not made crystal clear if it is him or not. Catherine volunteers to drive the body as she is the one at fault. Birdie is picked to accompany her as the passenger. The car runs out of gas during the ride, but Catherine urges Birdie not to panic. Back in the present-day timeline, Catherine tells Tucker about finding Gary at the workplace. Tucker is unfazed upon learning that he has been beaten and bruised. Catherine is worried that Tucker may have been involved somehow. Meanwhile, Brett’s latest date is a single mom with a kid. She has a flirtatious exchange with him in the kitchen the morning after they have sex. He tells her that she should come over again. Clearly, he feels a genuine connection with her.

Catherine Makes a Startling Discovery About Tucker

After being blown off earlier by Brett for game night, Alice is invited out by Catherine and Birdie. Alice says she was not hurt by it, as Brett deserves to have a life of his own. Catherine accidentally burns some of her appetizers, which triggers the fire alarm. When Catherine tries to turn the smoke detector off, she breaks it by mistake. As the pieces shatter to the floor, the trio discovers a camera hidden inside the detector. Catherine believes it has to be Tucker’s doing because he installed it recently. The following morning, she confronts Tucker about the camera, who finally comes clean about spying on his wife. He no longer trusts Catherine, as her love for Gary was genuine, albeit in the past. She has no rebuttal to stop his paranoia. He also reveals that he is the one who got Gary kidnapped and beaten up.

Birdie meets with an ex of hers, where they talk about their past life. She tells him about her problems with Ford and that maybe she isn’t cut out for motherhood. However, he reminds her that if she really wants to be his mother, she has no choice in the matter. Catherine finds a solution to her relationship problems with Tucker. Realizing that there may be a camera hidden in every smoke detector in the house, Catherine wears some lingerie and teases whoever is watching her on the other side. She hopes it is her husband. However, it still makes her self-conscious to be flaunting her so unabashedly. Brett goes out on a date with his new girlfriend at a restaurant. It is momentarily interrupted by Alice and Doug, who are also here to dine at the restaurant. Brett introduces his new girlfriend to Alice and Doug; her name is Cricket.

Alice is stunned to learn that Brett and Cricket were physically at the game she was watching on TV the other night. Cricket got them both tickets via a student in her class – she is a teacher. When Tucker comes home later that night, Catherine asks him if he is watching through his hidden cameras. He refers to her green lingerie, which makes her happy. The two start making out, reconciling some of their recent problems as they head upstairs. Meanwhile, the future Catherine carrying a dead body in her car gets some gas for the vehicle. However, a problem surfaces as she realizes that neither she nor Birdie has any cash on them to pay for the machine. They decide to frisk the dead body’s pockets to find anything valuable. Catherine finds some drugs, which she says she can sell for some cash.

Brett and Alice’s Friendship Reaches Breaking Point

Doug tells Alice that he likes Cricket and thinks she is a great match for Brett. Alice has the complete opposite opinion and thinks Brett can do much better. Doug accuses Alice of being jealous. Cricket also tells Brett that she senses something deeper between him and Alice. He assures her that Alice is married. However, Cricket says that Alice is the type of girl who doesn’t like her best friend being with some other girl. Birdie is flagged down by a cop car while driving around Grosse Pointe. It is actually an excuse for Joel to try to understand what she told Ford because the boy has stopped going to class. She tells him that Ford told her his parents’ marriage is a “dumpster fire” at the moment. Joel and Birdie kiss before the latter splits, saying that their son is “smarter than the both of us.”

Catherine continues her game of secretly teasing Tucker through the hidden cameras. This time, she dresses up in a risqué maid outfit while cleaning the living room. The tease session is interrupted by the cleaners suddenly intruding on her privacy. Back in the future timeline, Catherine negotiates for some gas money with the station vendor. She sells the pills inside the bottle. However, it is not enough, as he wants her to also hand over her bracelet. Catherine begs him to take her earrings instead, but he states that his mother doesn’t have piercings. In the present day, Tucker is giggling after hearing about Catherine’s earlier encounter with the cleaners in her risqué costume. The two decide that it is time to move past Catherine’s mistake and focus on rebuilding their relationship.

Alice visits Brett at his workplace to discuss their recent issues. Brett tells her that maybe it is time for them to break up their friendship. She is devastated at learning his stance on the matter. Elsewhere, Birdie decides to take a leap of faith by visiting Ford’s mom to talk about her son throwing his life away by not attending class. She says that they have to do something to help him. As Gary puts some boxes into storage, he brings out a pill bottle from his pocket. It is the same one Catherine fished out in the future timeline. Maybe Gary is the dead person. Six months later, Catherine and Birdie meet up with Alice and Brett at the burial spot. Catherine’s bracelet is with the gas station vendor, who finds an inscription inside with Tucker’s name.