Good Girls Review: One Last Time (Season 2 Episode 9)

Things get more dire for the girls on Good Girls Season 2 Episode 9, “One Last Time,” and yet, it’s also not believable that this will really be the last time. 

There’s a strong theme of cycles and repetition on this episode. In some ways, the characters find ways to break cycles, and in others, the cycles seem to stick. 

For starters, let’s talk about Quick Cash. Earlier this season, we saw Ruby go through the process of having two loans to pay back, and then getting banned from the Quick Cash for handing out money to other customers so they wouldn’t need to take out a loan on Good Girls Season 2 Episode 4, “Pick Your Poison.”

But now she’s back and JT doesn’t make it easy for her, but he also clearly knows the trap that most of his customers are in. 

I’ve remarked multiple times on how one of the things that Good Girls does so well is show Annie, Beth, and Ruby choose each of these illegal acts and yet still attempt to maintain their humanity. Like on Good Girls Season 2 Episode 1, “I’d Rather Be Crafting,” when they elected not to steal it because of the rape kits.

The decision to rob the Quick Cash feels like a quasi-Robin Hood moment for the girls. She doesn’t like the practice of payday loans and having to go back for Stan’s bail is heartbreaking.

But the way Ruby turns the tables and turns the robbery not just into a cash grab but also a way of erasing debt feels like a small victory. Even if they can’t get all the contracts, it could still erase some debt. 

The conversation Ruby later has with JT about why he didn’t go to the cops solidifies this feeling when JT asks for Ruby’s address so that he can send his nephew to her school district. 

JT: Little nerd just needs a leg up.
Ruby: We all do!

There is so much irony in this exchange. JT said that Ruby was “no better than the rest of us,” but he also doesn’t seem to have any compassion.

While JT did add a layer of comedy the entire time he was blindfolded with his headphones on but he doesn’t seem to realize how hard it is to climb out of deep financial holes despite being a part of the system that makes it so hard.

We can’t judge him based only on what we see here, but when he reveals that he majored in finance, and somehow it’s harder to believe his ignorance. 

While all this is going on, Dean and Gregg both start caring about Beth and Annie. It’s a little less jarring with Dean, he’s done some screwed up things this season in an attempt to get Beth back.

However, this is the first time he seems to actually sit down and have a genuine heart to heart without getting defensive. 

The party of Emma at Dean’s mother, Judith’s house, also laid down some family secrets. It’s a little cliche to have this “like father, like son” trope be the explanation for why Dean acts the way he does, but Good Girls delivers it succinctly and even positions it so Dean is taking responsibility for his part. 

BETH: Did Dean tell you what’s going on?
JUDITH: He told me why he left.
BETH: What did he say?
JUDITH: That he’s too much like his father. 

Dean seems to genuinely want to change on his part, and maybe that’s part of why Beth decided she has to get out of the business. Good Girls Season 2 Episode 8, “Thelma & Louise,” gave us a little glimpse into the early days of their relationship, and it must not have been all that bad.

The thing about this interaction is that while it seems genuine, it’s hard to shake the fact that Beth’s said time and time again that she doesn’t have a deep love for Dean. When Beth tells Rio that she’s out it feels cold, and it makes me think that she’s really agreeing to this for her kids and not for Dean. 

I mentioned in my review of “Pick Your Poison,” that the difference between Dean and Rio was simple: one of them has respect for Beth. While I do feel like Dean’s realized that he’s losing a good thing, I am not sure he respects her yet.

The version of Dean we saw in Season 1, felt very flat and Season 2 does give him the chance to grow, but it’s not enough yet and I’m not sure it will ever be enough. 

I’m still waiting for Dean’s fake cancer to come back into play because that’s still unforgivable to me, but it’s easy to see why Beth wouldn’t want to throw away that history. She experiences a period without her kids, and it makes her realize exactly how much she has to lose.

Gregg’s show of care is a little more jarring. Gregg and Annie’s relationship isn’t healthy, but the fact that he can pick up on Noah’s facade is very concerning and also shows great maturity on his part. 

GREGG: I’m a d-bag. So I know when I see one. Just, be careful. 

It’s easy to see Annie’s perspective. This is coming from someone who still has feelings for her and she knows that, but as the audience knows, Noah is keeping a secret. 

And when Noah lies to Annie at the end and feeds her a story about embezzling so that she’ll trust him it gives us cause for concern. If she eventually tells Noah everything she could send them all to jail. 

“One Last Time” might be the penultimate episode of Good Girls Season 2, but Annie, Beth, and Ruby’s life of crime is likely far from over. Even if Turner closes in, the fallout will be devastating, and it’s going to leave a lot of angst in its wake. 

Stray Thoughts:

• If you want to know more about payday loans, how they work, and why you should avoid them, take a look at this article. Good Girls does a great job of showing what it’s like to depend on a payday loan, but this gives you a breakdown of how they function. 
• I love how Sadie’s preferred pronouns aren’t central to all of her interactions. Hearing Noah say “he” when he refers to Sadie is beautiful, and the fact that Gregg’s reaction wasn’t a part of that moment is surprising. I wouldn’t discount that the conversation happened, but the fact that the pronouns are woven in seamlessly is something to be applauded by the writers. 
• Is anyone worried about Ruby giving JT her address for this? I don’t think this will come up again, but I also feel like even this could have consequences. 
• I really want to see Annie’s tie-dye masks. I don’t care of this was supposed to be the last robbery. We all know next season there will likely be another robbery. Have Annie tie-dye her masks then. 
• Sara’s realization that her parents have done illegal things could be a gamechanger for the series. Ruby’s primary concern was Sara’s medical care on Good Girls Season 1. The money they earned help pay for Sara’s operation and post-op care. When the truth finally comes out it could be catastrophic. Since Sara has a clear black and white definition of right and wrong that is certainly going to affect her relationship with her parents. 

What did you think of this episode of Good Girls? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Good Girls airs Sundays at 10/9c on NBC.

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