Mary Kills People Review: Two-Part Season Finale (Season 2 Episodes 5 and 6)

On the Mary Kills People two-part Season 2 finale (Episode 5 “Come To Jesus” and Episode 6 “Fatal Flaw”) all the drama comes to a head with a shocking ending.

As is every episode of this show, the two-hour finale is jam packed with emotion and tension, but it escalates to harrowing levels which makes for a wild ride.

There are some incredibly moving scenes where the writing and acting merge into something that is beyond amazing—real tearjerker material. This is how drama should be, but so often other shows get it all wrong or just excel at one or the other. Mary Kills People consistently operates at this level, raising the bar pretty high for my standard of television viewing.

My favorite of these scenes brings back two secondary characters from Season 1: Larissa (Jess Salgueiro) and her grandmother, Beth (Hazel Gorin). It’s another exquisitely poignant death which they do as a favor for Des’ ex-girlfriend. And Beth is the most adorable granny—I don’t want her to die, but I’m glad she gets to choose how to go.

Beth: I may be blind, but I know the rhododendrons are in bloom, and outside the maple trees are turning orange, and I can smell the last of the summer geraniums. Being in here is like being a part of the world again. And I miss the world. If it wasn’t for this one here I would’ve said goodbye a long time ago.

And I’m crying again. It’s just so dang beautiful.

Another scene that kills me is Jess’ reaction to her mom ditching her at dinner—a dinner that is supposed to smooth things over. Jess (Abigail Winter) is drowning her sorrows. Winter portrays this believably and deftly as angst-ridden Jess. Combined with heartbreaking dialogue, it is an emotional high point of Part 1 on this roller coaster of a finale.

Jess: I feel like this battered wife. Like, I keep going back, and I think she’s gonna be different, and she keeps punching me in the heart.

Okay, I feel like that line is punching me in the heart.

A lot of deep dialogue like this, in my opinion, is thanks to the women writers. I don’t think we would get the same meaningful moments from male writers. The voices of the women on Mary Kills People are so authentic. And that is saying a lot because the female characters here are drastically diverse and varied.

Take, for example, Mary (Caroline Dhavernas) and Olivia (Rachelle Lefevre). These two women are quite different, and at odds with each other for the whole season. Yet, every one of their exchanges are dripping with complexity and nuance. The way their relationship develops and evolves is compelling, and one of the best parts of this second season.

That is probably why I ship them instead of Mary and Ben (Jay Ryan). Team Malivia. Who’s with me?

Their chemistry is evident, well, every time they have a scene together, but most noticeably on Part 2, “Fatal Flaw.” When thinking of two particular scenes back to back, I can’t help but crown Malivia as the OTP of Mary Kills People.

When Ben puts the wire on Mary it is intensely sexy, even though he says something super self-righteous in the middle of it.

Ben: I can do all this crazy shit, but at the end of the day I know I’m safe. I know what side of the line I’m on.

Compare that to just a few quips between Mary and Olivia, and I’m not only abandoning the Ben and Mary ship (which I had already a long time ago, to be honest), but setting fire to it.

Olivia: I’m not a stranger, Mary. You’ve been inside me. Do you want it or not?
Mary: I want it.

That is way hotter than the racy wire application.

All this makes the ending even sweeter. I love the character of Brendan (Salvatore Antonio), and I had thought he would be just a minor player. To my pleasant surprise, the final moments of the season is his beautiful death “performance” intercut with Ben (possibly) dying.

I guess it’s kind of morbid for me to say this is a happy ending, but it is to me. Brendan gets the send-off he deserves, Jess and Nicole begin to understand the beauty of what Mary does, Olivia is sticking around and being a bad ass, and Ben is out of the picture. I mean, RIP, and everything, but wow.

All loose ends are wrapped up in the most satisfying way, but leaving me wanting more. I hope there is a third season. I want the chance to live in this universe with these characters again.

Stray Observations:

• Des ditched the scruffy look! Yay!
• “Forgive us our trespasses and shit.” Naomi. Such a precious firecracker.
• “Remember to always love as deeply as you can.”
• Snow globes are having a tough break on my shows. (Pun intended.) Jess shatters the one Mary got for Cambie, and Scully dropped and broke William’s on The X-Files Season 11 Episode 5, “Ghouli.”
• “You think I’m friendless. Mary’s my friend. I’m joking. I know you both hate me.”
• Uh, how dare you not respond to Mary’s safe word, you selfish jerk.
• “I would die here.” “I’ll put you on the wait list.” Oh, these two. I love them.

What did you think of this episode of Mary Kills People? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Mary Kills People airs Mondays at 9/8c on Lifetime.

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