Abhiroop Das
In episodes 5 and 6 of Netflix’s ‘The Hunting Wives,’ titled ‘Not Her First Rodeo’ and ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas,’ the story closes in on Sophie’s arrest and the context around it. With the town’s newcomer now a leading suspect for murder, everyone gets anxious, with distrust and discord sprouting at every corner. While minor breakthroughs are made, they fail to fit together into a larger picture, as several key elements are still missing. In the previous episodes, we follow the mysterious night of Abby’s death, with Sophie and Margo beginning an affair soon after. Passion and paranoia come together as the town readies to mourn the girl’s passing, but the Police Department’s lousy efforts mean that Officer Salazar, who is still recovering from an injury in the Kaycee Krummel case, has to unofficially take matters into her own hands. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Sophie’s Arrest Opens a Whole Box of Mysteries
The episode begins with a flashback to Sophie’s accident years ago, as sirens wake her up from the crash and an onlooker berates her recklessness. In the present, the protagonist finds herself arrested yet again, only this time it is for a crime she is certain she didn’t commit: the murder of Abby. At the police station, Officer Flynn begins her interrogation with Sophie. The latter recaps how she spent the day hunting with her group, before the brunch at Margo’s place, following which she spent the entire night there with her friend. Sophie aggressively asserts that she has no motive to kill the girl; however, her gun as the weapon used in Abby’s murder, coupled with the prior felony, means that the odds are stacked against her. Soon after, Sophie’s lawyer arrives, freeing her from the scene, but not before Flynn warns her about the tricky situation she has landed in.
The news of Sophie’s arrest sends ripples throughout the town. While Jed worries about the optics, Callie carries a look of satisfaction with her rival, who seems out of the picture. When the protagonist finally returns home, she is surprised to find that Graham, her husband, has started to alienate her. It is not without reason; as he demands answers, she admits to her series of mistakes, all in the pursuit of reliving her past, adventurous self. Graham soon realizes that his wife was drunk when she lost her gun, and this appears to be the final straw, indelibly straining their relationship. Elsewhere, Pastor Pete looks at old pictures of Abby, part saddened and part aroused, when his gaze seems to shift to her best friend, Nina, who is also a member of the church.
The Town Begins to Fall Into Chaos
Brad finally manages to catch up with his friend Jamie, who has been avoiding him since their party at Margo’s house. The basketball star comes with an agenda: to match their stories in front of the police. However, Jamie refuses to comply, before asking Brad if he had a part in Abby’s death, citing his callous attitude in the days since. Things quickly take an aggressive turn, and their fight is only broken by a passerby. Meanwhile, Starr prepares for her daughter’s funeral, but is surprised to find that she has been gifted an expensive brushed copper casket by none other than Jill, Brad’s mother. Furious, Starr rushes there and aggressively demands that Jill stay away from her and her daughter, as her ulterior motive is simply to protect her son.
Sophie struggles to get in contact with Margo, and upon reaching her home, is stopped by Jed, who coldly asks her to cease interactions till the whole thing is sorted out. The protagonist soon realizes that she has also been blocked by all of Margo’s group, which leaves her with no shoulder to lean on. In the aftermath of the fight, Brad makes his way back home and tells his mother of the problem. He nearly coughs up the truth of where he was that night, but is stopped mid-sentence by Jill, who does not want to risk his incrimination. Instead, she decides to take matters into her own hands and goes to meet Jamie, who is still upset about the events. In a sinister move, she hushes him up with a bribe, although it is dressed up as a fifty-thousand-dollar scholarship under the Holy Horizon Fellowship program.
Margo Has a Game-Changing Reveal in Store
Elsewhere, Margo sits down for an interrogation with Sheriff Jonny, who yet again seems to take things very lightly. Officer Flynn watches from behind as Margo narrates her end of the story. The account seems to line up with Sophie right until the later parts of the night, where Margo suddenly switches up the narrative, claiming their paths diverged around 10.30 pm, following which Margo headed out for a private affair outside of town. This cleanly puts the blame back on Sophie, and Jonny seems to be pleased to have a loose end tied up. The Banks’ lawyer further assures them of proof for every event mentioned. Things keep looking grim for the protagonist, a fact that Flynn also realizes, as he is cut off from hearing the full extent of the interrogation.
Realizing that his hands are tied, Flynn heads out to Salazar, who is still recovering from her operation. Together, they discuss the case before heading out to Abby’s funeral, where everyone gathers to mourn the girl’s passing, but the tone seems to shift when Sophie arrives at the scene uninvited. Callie and her friends quickly get into action, forcing her to leave the place alone. Jamie notices this and comes to console her, ultimately warning the protagonist to be more careful in dealing with these people. Sophie then returns home and desperately tries to convince Graham about the conspiracy against her, a claim substantiated when Flynn and Salazar come to their home and update her about Margo’s statement.
Despite Salazar believing in Sophie’s statement, Graham refuses to, and in a shocking move, forces her to leave the house till the case is settled. Elsewhere, Abby’s burial is attended by her near and dear ones, including her friend Nina. We see Pastor Pete waiting in the car, secretly drinking alcohol. Following this, he invites Nina into his car, and the two discuss Abby, while he continues to make advances towards her. Sophie bids her family goodbye with tears in her eyes and sets camp at the Rodeway Inn. Once alone, all of her pent-up frustration finally comes out, and she leaves Margo a furious voicemail, calling out her manipulative practices. At the same time, Margo enjoys another party with her husband and Callie’s family, casually discussing how she only saw Sophie as a lonely woman who needed a friend.
Sophie Finds a New Lead
That night, Sophie gets a mysterious call from none other than Sienna Colson, Jed’s ex-wife. She points out how the protagonist has been perfectly framed as the murderer, meaning the only way to push back is to find flaws in the narrative. Sienna then agrees that Margo is likely at the heart of this, before announcing her weakness: Kyle, her brother. In search of him, Sophie makes her way to a shady neighborhood and rings his bell, but is surprised when he opens the door completely naked, with a gun in his hand, before rushing her inside and shutting the door. Upon learning that she is one of Margo’s friends, he calms down. However, when Sophie probes further, asking him when he last saw his sister, he proposes a quid pro quo: Sophie can get her answers if she drops him at his friend’s house and not a moment before.
Although suspicious, Sophie relents, but soon comes to regret her decision when his “friends” open fire at him, and he narrowly makes it back to the car with a bag full of cash, following which, they flee the area. A flashback takes us to Kyle and Margo’s childhood, wherein she steals a truck from the hands of its perverse owner, and then sells it for rent money. However, it appears that she is too late, as her mother, along with them, is evicted for her aggressive behavior. This event plants a seed for their complete entry into a life of crime, one that Kyle has still not recovered from. The next morning, he sits down with the protagonist, who demands her answers. Here, he informs her that on July 18th, the night of Abby’s death, he overdosed on drugs and was admitted to Doctor Blevin’s clinic, where he narrowly escaped death.
Kyle’s account of the event seems to line up with what Margo told the police, and this puts Sophie further into confusion. As a last-ditch effort, she tries to confirm the news from Dr. Blevins himself, and is only met with bad news for her case: Margo was indeed there that night, when Kyle was unconscious. Mrs. Banks, on the other hand, sits down for a TV talk show in light of her husband’s gubernatorial campaign. When the host brings up the topic of Margo’s children, her expression softens as she begins talking about her failed pregnancies and how Jed plans to seemingly respect child conception with his plans for an anti-abortion bill. When she makes her way to her car, however, she is surprised to find pictures of her and Brad having sex, with someone clearly intending to threaten her.
Margo and Sophie go Head-to-Head
Suspicious, Margo locates Sophie, and immediately, the two have a serious argument. While Margo relays her fears of getting caught, Sophie confronts her about lying and going to visit Kyle. The interaction soon gets violent, but the protagonist quickly gains the upper hand, announcing to her former friend that she is no longer in control of things. In tears, Margo begs for forgiveness, emphasizing how she wishes to leave her past behind, and that interferes with her judgment. The two haphazardly reconcile, with the aim of finding out Abby’s true killer. Back at the station, the same topic is brought up by Salazar, who is frustrated by Sheriff Jonny’s laziness. She learns from Flynn that besides the gun, the protagonist has no connection to Abby, and that the victim’s last two calls were to Pastor Pete and from Jill Thompson.
The information prompts Salazar to continue her independent investigations into the calls. Meanwhile, Sophie herself finds a connection to Pete while talking to Starr, and then decides to make her way to his home. However, in a drunken state and getting ready to meet Nina, he quickly shuts the protagonist out, earning her suspicion. However, their conversation reveals a crucial detail: Abby had an abortion. The next day, Margo continues to take drastic measures to erase any wrinkles in her past, going as far as to make her clique sign non-disclosure agreements, before asking them to delete all of their photos with her in them. While they all agree, Jill refuses to do it, calling out how dominating her friend has become.
A New Figure Enters the Game
Elsewhere, Salazar probes into Pete, but a search at the Holy Rising church yields nothing, save for the fact that he was expelled from his Louisiana church for untold reasons. When Reverend Clint learns that his wife was Abby’s last phone call, he rushes to his home, furious. Once home, he starts shouting at Jill in the presence of Brad. Jill tries to lie about being at home and ends up making Brad suspicious, who refuses to line up with her narrative. Upon meeting Margo, he discusses the scary possibility that, in making an alibi story, his mother was not covering for him, but for herself. Margo seemingly takes interest in his take, and cautiously fans the flame. Elsewhere, it appears that Pastor Pete and Nina are on a date, with him trying to impress her at every turn, and move past the topic of Abby’s passing.
In the meantime, Sophie visits Margo and brings up her new theory that Brad killed his girlfriend after learning of the abortion. However, Margo counters that by claiming that he is not capable of such cold-blooded actions. Instead, she directs the suspicion to Jill, recounting everything they have unearthed thus far. At the same time, Pete’s true colors come through, as he spikes Nina’s drinks and tries to get her into his vehicle. Slipping in and out of consciousness, she notices Abby’s sweater and then tries to make a run for it, but it is already too late. Pete drives off with her, ending the episode on a disturbing note. While it appears Sophie is on the cusp of a breakthrough, there are still far too many secrets the town hides, and with no solid proof in her defense, the protagonist still remains knee-deep in trouble.
Read More: The Hunting Wives Ending Explained: Who Killed Abby?
