Grosse Pointe Garden Society Episode 8 Recap: The Frost

Episode 8 of ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society‘ revolves around choices and how they influence people’s lives moving forward. In the previous episode, we ended with Misty learning the truth about Birdie and Joel’s tryst, which changes the entire dynamic of their complicated relationship. We also saw Brett facing some severe difficulties with his new dream of running a car garage funded by Connor. However, he and Alice managed to rekindle their old friendship, which was a step in the right direction. The latter was also trying to keep her relationship with Doug on an even keel, especially with the secret that his mom is buying all his art. Thus, in typical fashion, the eighth episode brings some more complexities into the mix, like an estranged mother, a shady client, a potential hitman on the loose, and a marriage-ruining truth. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Catherine Loses Her Mind When a Familiar Figure Wrests Control

On a bright morning, our main characters wake up to a troubling sight – frost has descended on Grosse Pointe. Catherine is apprehensive about the flowers in their garden, encouraging everyone to pitch in and defrost the frozen flora. The crew also ensures that Marilyn is kept out of the loop as she will likely lose her mind about the state of the garden. Catherine’s troubles continue at home when she realizes that her mother is in town for a while. Elsewhere, Birdie and Misty watch Ford practice baseball at a training range. During the session, Misty brings up the topic of her spying on Birdie and Joel’s affair, which we saw at the end of the last episode. Although Birdie tries to deny the claims, Misty presents her with an ultimatum – either continue her fling with Joel or prove herself as a mother to Ford.

In a surprising turn of events, we see Brett and Connor have some drinks at a bar together. They clearly have a tighter bond since the latter started funding his garage dreams. However, three months later, the relationship seems to have soured as Brett employs some type of hitman/PI to go after Connor. The man states that people like Connor deserve everything that is headed their way. Back in the present-day timeline, Patty visits the coffee shop to buy more of her son’s artwork. But Alice beats her to the punch by starting a bidding war, which she wins. Patty leaves after saying that she will no longer help Alice with any financial problems. Things get out of control in Catherine’s home as she realizes her mother is now taking charge of the day-to-day stuff, like making breakfast. Although it annoys her to lose control, Tucker and her kids seem to enjoy it.

Birdie Plays the Game But Breaks Her Heart in the Process

Joel shows up at Birdie’s place for their regular meet-ups. However, he is shocked when he sees Birdie’s ex-husband loiter out of the bedroom in his robe. Birdie makes it clear to Joel that their relationship was simply her way of having fun, and there was nothing deeper to it. The cop leaves, hurt by Birdie’s cold and playful demeanor. In reality, it is an act to convince Joel to end their affair. Birdie wants to prove that she is a loyal mother to Ford, and tragically, her relationship with Joel is collateral in the process. She still breaks down in tears once Joel leaves as her ex consoles her. At the garden club, Catherine expresses her frustration with her mother’s arrival and how she is losing control over her own family. Birdie apathetically responds to her issues with an even colder statement, showcasing that she, too, is going through her issues. The same is true for Alice.

Brett receives a visit from his regular garage patron, Steve. The man hands him a wad of cash for the next car modification job, stating that he appreciates Brett’s discretion. The latter is unsure about Steve’s shady disposition and asks why he is so secretive. At this point, we learn that Steve is tied up in some vast criminal operations, including laundering money for which he has been using Brett. Brett is disgusted by the truth and tries to distance himself from it, but Steve tells him it is too late to back away now. Everything depends on Connor setting things right, which means he has found a way to put dirt on Brett, which is what he always wanted. For dinner, Catherine makes a stunning Beef Wellington, only to realize her children, Tucker, and her mom have had food outside. It crushes her spirits.

Doug Learns the Truth About His Recent Art Sales

We see Alice preparing a cake for Patty’s birthday. The family gets together at Doug’s place, where a clandestine war of words takes place between Patty and Alice. They both try to dig their nails into each other about buying Doug’s art. Meanwhile, Doug remains oblivious to the topic. Tired of the conversation, Keith tells his son that Alice and Patty are buying his artwork. The truth hits Doug like a ton of bricks as he gets up from the table and flings the cake straight at one of his paintings. Subsequently, he walks out. While wrapping her wellington in cellophane, Catherine confronts her mother about her recent visit and the way she has hooked her claws into everything. She hands her the bag of leftovers from the restaurant and tells her to go back home.

Doug returns from his walk a lot calmer. Although he is angry with Alice and Patty, he feels more disappointed that he thought his art was really selling. He decides to give up on his dream and become the regional sales manager at a local company. Brett shows up at Connor and Melissa’s home, angry about being set up with a bad client. When Connor pulls into the driveway, Brett flies off the handle and states that he will end Connor. Three months later, we see the man Brett was talking with earlier enter the elevator with Connor. At the garden club, Catherine receives the news from Birdie, Alice, and Brett that her recent antics have pushed the other workers too much, and they have stopped coming in as a result. Meanwhile, Birdie goes for another visit at Ford’s baseball training session, where she learns that her son is good enough to go professional.

Brett Makes the Choice to Go After Connor

Feeling bad about her outburst, Catherine visits her mom at her home. However, she finds her mother lying in bed way past midday and the entire place in disarray. We learn that Catherine’s father left the house recently, leaving her mother to wallow in misery by herself. Catherine consoles her mother, and the two reconnect after their disagreement. Worried about his security, Brett visits a law firm called Cannon & Hunt to talk about Connor’s illegitimate clients. The man he is talking to is revealed to be the hitman we thought he hired earlier. He is one of the founding attorneys, Patrick Cannon, whose firm employs Connor. We skip ahead to three months later when Connor is fired from his job and sent packing home by Patrick.

In the present-day timeline, Birdie gets a surprise visit from Ford at her place. Although she is happy to see him approach her by himself, she realizes that he has been digging into her past and finding clues that might relate to his parentage. Ford indirectly asks Birdie if he is her son, but she deflects by telling him to ask his mother instead. The exchange leaves her emotional. At Connor’s residence, Melissa asks him about Brett’s furious confrontation earlier. He seems nonchalant about it, which concerns Melissa. When Melissa asks him whether there might be truth to Brett’s words, Connor plays it off by getting angry at her for accusing him of some wrongdoing. Elsewhere, we see Alice smile as Doug prepares for his job as a sales manager. When he leaves, she opens a new writing project titled ‘The Monster-in-Law Diaries.’

At their next meeting, Brett breaks his ties with Steve, stating that he will no longer modify cars for the man. He also gives up on his garage dreams now that Connor is no longer funding him. Three months later, a haggardly looking Connor walks into the garden shop to talk to Brett about a tree stump that needs to be removed. As it is nighttime, Brett wants to close the shop and head home soon. But Connor’s persistence compels him to hand the man a pickaxe, who looks at Brett menacingly, clearly unhappy about how his career has just combusted before his eyes. The beef between them heats up even further as Connor blocks Brett’s path and says they have something to clear up. We may discover that Connor is the dead body in the next few episodes, or it could be another red herring.