No Good Deed Recap: Cracking the Case

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As a seasoned detective with years of experience under my belt, I must say that this tangled web of deceit and mystery has left me both intrigued and baffled. The lives of these characters are like a jigsaw puzzle, each piece fitting into place to reveal a picture far more complex than one would initially assume.

It appears that the situation in “No Good Deed” is becoming unstable, yet in a liberating sense, not in a catastrophic way like fearing imminent collapse. In fact, with Margo and JD’s antics, we can’t help but wonder if both figurative and literal structures could tumble down by the show’s end. Lydia and Paul needed a shake-up, and selling this house seems to have done just that for them, even though their lives are still uncertain and raw. As they say, no growth without struggle!

At the top of “Best and Final,” Lydia is fuming at Paul for keeping the fact that Jacob had stolen from his job site a year prior to his death from her but refuses to tell him that’s why she’s mad. She drops Mikey off at his place to start to patch things up with Nate and then heads out to watch Emily perform her little singer-songwriter set at a nearby bar. We know the two of them really haven’t spoken or seen each other since Jacob died, and things are definitely awkward; it’s extremely depressing. The song she performs seems quite pointed — she basically repeats “I’m still here” over and over, except for one line when she says, “It’s not fair that I’m still here,” which is alarming!

After they eventually settle down to talk, the discussion initially moves at a leisurely pace, and it’s clear that Emily still harbors resentment towards her mother for neglecting her over the past three years. However, she gradually softens a bit. She shares with her that leaving that house has been the most beneficial decision she’s made, and perhaps it could be beneficial for Lydia as well. “I understand,” Emily responds, sensing Jacob in the air, particularly when she plays music. She believes that music is what has helped her endure everything that has happened.

After bringing up the topic of their sorrow, Lydia confesses something she hasn’t shared with her husband: “If I allow myself a fleeting moment without missing him, it feels as if I’m accepting that he’s not around.” Mikey had pondered whether Lydia was merely avoiding handshakes and playing the piano as a means of self-punishment for what transpired. Perhaps many of Lydia’s actions we’ve observed are self-inflicted penance, as she fears any hint of joy or optimism would be disrespectful to her son or an attempt to forget what happened to him.

At home, Paul struggles with his personal sorrow. Once more, it was Mikey who seemed to be the astute observer on this series, suggesting that Paul often brushes issues aside without addressing them, a habit he’s had for a long time. This pattern is evident in his efforts to sell the house, regardless of the price. (Avoiding emotional turmoil and attempting to evade a murder accusation.) Currently, we observe him oscillate between the desire to flee the house to escape the pain and the acceptance of the past events that took place there.

When Gwen, who was involved with Margo romantically and attempted to join forces with her to renovate the Morgan house, re-emerges, she’s aware that JD’s bid on the property failed due to his lack of evidence of funds. Since she can repay Margo for any damages caused, Paul might consider accepting her offer, despite it being less than what he was asking. It doesn’t hurt Gwen’s case either that she knows about Jacob’s murder in the house and suspects someone in the family may be involved. To make matters worse, she appears to be a despicable person, even going so far as to threaten Lydia’s Mandarin tree. Nevertheless, selling the property swiftly to Gwen could alleviate many of Paul’s current issues.

Paul, too, expresses his sorrow in a tangible way. The anguish etched on his face as he paints over the growth marks on the door frame is palpable. He pauses for a moment to collect himself and eventually picks up a letter Dennis gave to Greg. The letter is touching and sincere, discussing how buying the Morgans’ house is terrifying due to the strong desire for it and the devastating thought of losing it. It speaks about love that makes one brave yet fragile, on the verge of shattering because it’s irreplaceable. Such a heartfelt letter is hard to resist. And then he mentions the Mandarin tree as a place where his son could climb and reach for the sky? What an evocative image! Paul realizes he must give them the house. Just as he reaches this decision, Jacob’s phone, which was in Mikey’s evidence box and had been left charging, buzzes with a new voicemail from Lydia. She has called him 389 times since his death, a number that undeniably tugs at one’s heartstrings. He listens to his wife leaving a message for their son, asking him to find her wherever she goes.

Eventually, both Lydia and Paul are under the same roof simultaneously, leading to the intense confrontation we’ve been anticipating. They’re emotionally drained, allowing them to express their long-suppressed feelings in a raw and painful manner. Lydia accuses Paul of failing to communicate with their son, Jacob, choosing instead to punish him rather than talking things through. It seems clear that the theft was Jacob’s way of seeking attention from Paul, who vehemently denies any blame in this matter. Instead, Lydia is blamed for introducing a gun into their home; according to Paul, if she hadn’t, their son would still be alive.

“Don’t you genuinely dislike me?” He wants her to stop, but she persists because she couldn’t understand his feelings towards her for three years. Now it’s clear: “You truly despise me.” When he denies it, she becomes angry and demands honesty. His response is explosive – he yells about how the last few years have been a living hell for him and that he wanted to leave but felt guilty about abandoning her because no one in their right mind would want to be with the changed person she has become. Romano and Kudrow deliver powerfully here, releasing all their accumulated anger, sorrow, and guilt at once. This is the climax we’ve been building towards for seven episodes, and it’s quite impactful, as you might say.

In a moment when you ponder what might calm things down, here comes Emily, who’s been present all along. In hand, she carries a box containing evidence they obtained from Mikey. Her eyes are red with tears. “Why do you have all this?” she queries her parents. “To safeguard you,” Lydia replies.

That fateful evening, it was Emily who mistakenly believed Jacob was a burglar and fired the gun. Regrettably, her brother was the one who lost his life. Since then, they’ve been concealing their secret to shield their daughter from potential consequences if the truth were revealed. They’ve all been burdened with this weight since that tragic night.

What if their entire account of what transpired is incorrect? As Paul sifts through the evidence box, he discovers a spent bullet casing. This is peculiar because Emily only fired once that evening, yet Paul has previously found a bullet casing from that night, which was hidden inside Jacob’s pillowcase containing stolen jewelry. How could there be another bullet casing if it wasn’t ejected from the gun Emily used? Could there have been a second shooter?

In essence, the series No Good Deed has given us a potential culprit for the finale, thanks to our untrained investigators, Leslie and Sarah. While much of what they picked up from Phyllis can be described as peculiar by Leslie’s standards, they do manage to gather some intriguing information.

When Sarah discovers that the Morgans agreed to Dennis and Carla’s offer, an unexpected turn of events, leads her to delivering their baby instead. She returns home dejected, believing she has unraveled Jacob’s murder mystery. She managed to obtain the autopsy report due to legal procedures, revealing that Jacob was killed by a .40 caliber gunshot – the same type wielded by JD in that photograph from the magazine article. We needed a second shooter, and he could potentially be the man from Rising Tides. Perhaps.

Closing Costs

Carla gives birth to a handsome baby boy named Jimmy, who was named after Dennis’s dad. However, as Dennis begins to emotionally break down due to his belief that he is going to die from sarcoidosis and becomes increasingly vague in Jimmy’s memory, the woman can no longer keep the secret from him. She reveals that he isn’t dying and didn’t inherit sarcoidosis because his father wasn’t biologically his dad. This shocks Dennis, but then he receives news that they got the house. It’s a bittersweet situation, with both good and bad news.

In a bid to justify her falsehoods about her identity, Margo admits feeling ashamed of her background and insists that most of the space heater incident story is accurate, except for the part where Bobby died; instead, he survived but suffered severe disfigurement below his waist, resembling a Ken doll. JD interrogates Bobby privately and discovers that indeed, the Ken doll description holds true. However, what stands out more is that Margo, or possibly Luann, carefully planned their encounter and manipulated JD to further her agenda. She had been tracking JD’s movements until an opportunity arose for them to meet. At this point, she continues to stay married to him only due to the prenuptial agreement; she is merely biding her time to claim her share of the assets.

It’s not appropriate behavior when Margo, in a fit of panic over potentially losing control, chooses to abduct Harper instead. Shame on you, Margo!

When Paul attempts to reach Lydia, it’s Mikey who picks up her phone, yet he presumes she must be nearby since he can hear her clearing her throat. “I don’t know whose throat that is!” she exclaims indignantly.

Just like Margo or Luann, I hail from the town of Possums Hollow where even the mayor was a real possum and held an elected position.

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2024-12-13 23:55