Good Girls Review: Vegas, Baby (Season 3 Episode 7)

Ruby, Beth, and Annie are simultaneously sliding further into their mess and trying to get out of it on Good Girls Season 3 Episode 7, “Vegas, Baby.”

Coming away from this episode, it’s becoming very clear that the more they try to disentangle themselves from Rio the more things go wrong. That’s good because that means there’s still a show, but at a certain point this is going to reach a peak and either Beth or Rio is going to have to yield.

Looking at this episode as a whole, I am more convinced than ever that we’re either moving towards Beth and Rio having to work together towards a common enemy, or one of them being taken out of the game.

There can’t be a show without conflict and Beth and Rio’s relationship is strong, but Beth is getting more confident and it’s becoming clear they can’t coexist in the same space. One of them has to go, and if we want Good Girls to continue, our three main characters have to ultimately succeed in some way. 

This means, their counterfeit operation has to ultimately become sustainable for them and they have to call the shots. That means that sometimes they have to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. 

Max is an interesting vehicle to explore this. He’s in mourning, and finding out that the Bolands have Au Jus on Good Girls Season 3 Episode 6, “Frère Jacques,” is not helping the process. Seeing Max in his apartment surrounded by detritus is heartbreaking. 

Honestly, after seeing the board full of his notes I almost thought he may become a new Boomer or Agent Turner, investigating the girls on his own until he had enough evidence to go on. It’s refreshing that they didn’t go this route and instead presented him as a mirror for Beth.

From the little we saw of Max and Lucy together, they had similar kind energies. While it’s easy to see why Max wanted to get revenge, having him go down that path would have been too much. In the same way that Lucy’s death is leaving a permanent imprint on Beth, Annie, and Ruby, having Max kill Rio would have been something he couldn’t come back from.

The scene in the car after Max fails to kill Rio is the perfect summation of the plot. Max doesn’t really want to kill Rio but he’s looking for closure and a way to relieve his pain. Beth understands this and knows that taking a life isn’t as simple as it seems. 

BETH: It wouldn’t have made you feel better. It just makes you feel nothing.
MAX: That sounds nice. 
BETH: It’s not. 
MAX: How do you know? 
BETH: I just know. 

Even though, in the end, Beth didn’t kill Rio, she was living with the fact that she did during Good Girls Season 3 Episode 1, “Find Your Beach.” The Beth we saw on that episode was fundamentally different and she hasn’t been the same since. I don’t think she wants that for Max. 

Still, if they can’t help Max get closure through revenge, the least they can do is give him Au Jus.

In some ways, the kid’s reaction to losing their new pet is similar to how Beth, Annie, and Ruby have had to approach going into business for themselves. They think they have something of their own to nurture and take care of, but in the end, the bird has to go back to its owner. 

It’s for the best that Max puts this behind him and goes off with Au Jus. I am torn between wanting to see this character come back later in the season, and having this be put to bed. Max is a good character, and if he does come back I can’t imagine he’ll be able to set everything aside again. 

Now, JT was a welcome return. When JT recognized that payday loans were exploitive last season, he went from being a jerk at the payday loan office to having a similar mission to Beth, Annie, and Ruby. He’s a cog in the system, and helping them perfect their fake money and rip the system off seems like his way of subverting that. 

But he’s not about to do anything that could jeopardize or incriminate himself. The robbery heist and his initial trepidation to go along with it told us that much. Still, he should have known that when he gets that deep with these women it’s going to go very wrong!

Which brings me to Ruby getting shot. This detail just drives the point home that this season is not playing around. Yes, Ruby was shot in the leg. Yes, she’s going to be okay. That’s not the point, it could have been worse. 

The more these women crawl into bed with and go toe-to-toe with Rio’s gang, the worse it gets. Ruby realizes that it could have been worse. So does Beth. That’s why she goes forward with trying to train Max to kill Rio, but knowing something can end badly and actually taking steps to avoid things getting worse are two very different things.

(And this is Good Girls, so let’s be honest, they’re not hanging up their aprons anytime soon.)

The most heartbreaking storyline on this episode is Stan. The realization that Crystal is holding these private parties to steal from rich people hits him hard. 

Like Ruby said in the previous episode, Stan is a cop. That’s what he always wanted to be, and it’s what I think in his heart of hearts he is.

He doesn’t wring his hands too much over this, but he does question if this right. When he ultimately decides to say he’ll participate, his entry into this world mirrors Ruby’s.

On Season 1, Ruby’s motive was Sara, her kidney disease, and her impending transplant. Now with another hospital bill, and the realization that maybe Stan can make enough money at these parties to get his family out entirely I think he understands Ruby a little more.

I think this is killing him, but he’s accepted that this is what pays, for now. 

It’s disheartening to see, and I can’t help but get the feeling that Stan’s scheme is worse. If anyone catches on that the girls are doing this, then Stan’s history as a cop might shine a spotlight on him as a suspect. He could end up right back in jail again. 

Of course, a part of me wonders if maybe he’s leveraged the information to do some undercover work with the club.

Both scenarios are possible, and time will tell. We’re not even halfway through the third season yet.

Stray Thoughts:

• I really appreciate the reference to the Canadian that Ruby accidentally shot during Season 1. That was a nice touch. The reference to the first robbery in the pilot was also a nice touch, however, it’s also a little concerning. 
• I am actually starting to think that with things coming full circle like this that maybe the writers have tied up Good Girls Season 3 to give us a satisfying end. I don’t want that to be the fact, I want these women to take over Rio’s empire and keep being their morally forthright selves, except with crime, but I am bracing myself for the possibility that this show may see one or more of the families move. 
• Beth’s attempts to train max are unsettling in this light because it means she’s willing to use Max to solve one of her business problems. The similarities between her and Rio, had he actually gone through will killing him would have been too real. 
• On the same note, I think all future episodes should have a Rocky-style training montage, even if the punchline is that the person doing it would be the worst hitman ever. 
• “Man pops up like a genie” is the best way to describe Rio’s entrances, ever. 
• Emptying out someone’s house is next-level revenge. Vegas must be looking pretty good now. 
• I continue to be impressed by Dean. I am glad he stood up to Gayle and was able to take a stand for his leads. For once, he seems to really be putting his family first and has moved past the caricature he was presented as in the first season. 
• What children hear that they can get any pet they want and don’t immediately jump on a puppy? I am sure that if they actually get the snake there’s going to be a whole snake/rat metaphor coming down the pipe. 
• Annie’s inventive tourniquet that she used to save Ruby’s leg was awesome, and I am glad it led to her checking out how to become an EMT. Being a field medic might be the perfect career move for Annie, and I am glad she’s showing initiative in her “Jesus Year.”
• The shirts that Dr. Cohen gives out are hilarious, but that kid’s comment about how the shirt “doesn’ work” is also hilarious. A shirt and a fun saying aren’t going to help, you need to put in the work to “right your ship and find your port.” 

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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