The Girlfriend Recap: Lock and Key

In this episode, I had anticipated that the two viewpoints, well-established in the pilot, would unfold sequentially instead of concurrently. Regrettably, we’re stuck observing two reiterations of the same events each time. However, there’s a noticeable increase in pace: The latter half of this episode, narrated from Laura’s viewpoint, advances significantly beyond where we left off with Cherry. Despite being a psychopath, Cherry manages to blend into the Sanderson family vacation relatively smoothly. She maintains a safe distance from Carlota, the Spanish housekeeper who is evidently skeptical of her, and even exhibits self-restraint when it comes to attacking Brigitte. Interestingly, Brigitte, Isabella’s daughter, seems to be much closer to Daniel than Cherry may have assumed. In fact, they shared an intimate bond – losing their virginities to each other.

Daniel persists in making Cherry travel business class on British Airways for the short flight to Malaga, although it’s not usually required. Cherry graciously declines but accepts the money sent to her account and chooses a more practical approach. She purchases an affordable SpeedyJet ticket and spends the remaining funds on stylish vacation outfits. Despite traveling in casual sweatpants, she changes into a trendy dress upon landing at the airport, mindful not to disrupt Daniel’s impression that she always looks fashionable. Their surprise at Cherry’s early arrival is evident as they didn’t see her on the morning flight with business class, and Isabella, Brigitte, and Laura start gossiping about it in the kitchen, hinting at subtly humiliating Cherry in front of everyone by implying she took the money unnecessarily. Isabella suggests doing a little investigation, which essentially means embarrassing Cherry publicly.

Nothing seems to be improving Laura’s already gloomy disposition. The recent incident where she witnessed Cherry physically attacking someone hasn’t helped matters. To add insult to injury, her show is receiving poor critiques. Despite this, Howard, her supportive spouse, suggests that they give Cherry the advantage of the doubt. Yet, mere minutes after her arrival, Cherry begins lying. She feigns ignorance about the reviews for Laura’s show, even though she carries a magazine titled “Laura Sanderson’s Show Fails to Impress.” Instead of expressing concern, Cherry appears to relish in Laura’s misfortune by inquiring about the next performance. Howard informs her that they (he being involved in the business?) will be taking a break for now.

In the midst of everything unfolding, Cherry, the character we’re following, is sporting the bracelet she previously took from Laura. This detail becomes significant as it serves as a recurring element throughout the episode. In the morning, before playing tennis with her family, Cherry conceals the bracelet within a drawer in her bedroom instead of wearing it. From a narrative standpoint, this action seems inconsistent; Laura had already spotted the bracelet in her purse and would’ve also noticed it on Cherry’s wrist. One might wonder why she’d hide it if not to demonstrate defiance towards Laura? During this process, Carlota observes Cherry hiding the bracelet and places it back in Laura’s room. Later, when Isabella notices Laura wearing it, a tense exchange ensues as Laura claims she thought she’d lost it but must have left it behind at the Malaga house, giving Cherry a meaningful glance. However, these intricate details seem almost contrived, like a classic plot device such as a stolen piece of jewelry. In a thriller, precise plot mechanics are crucial – think of them as the well-oiled gears that keep the narrative running smoothly. Here, though, those meticulous plot elements appear to take a backseat in favor of a rather predictable plot twist involving a stolen bracelet.

As a film critic, I found “The Girlfriend” truly shines when it delves deeper into character exploration. It’s intriguing how Cherry’s ineptitude at tennis sparks suspicion among her peers, even drawing a chuckle from Howard. However, the absurdity of tennis being compulsory at St. Florian’s is not lost on Isabella or me. Yet, Cherry manages to send a ball straight towards Brigitte, causing an embarrassing mishap in their midst. Back in their shared space, Cherry confides in Daniel about her awkward blunder with Brigitte, admitting she didn’t intend to hit her with the tennis ball. Daniel assures her that there’s no longer anything between him and Brigitte: “She’s the closest thing I have to a sister.” A moment of reason from Cherry, as she finds this sentiment “oddly peculiar.” The duo then decide to venture out for a bike ride, seeking the beauty beyond their confines.

In the enchantment of a tranquil, deep-blue woodland pool, Cherry feels compelled to be truthful with Daniel. She voices her concern about fitting in with his family. Blissfully naive as he is, he reassures her: “You don’t need to feign being someone else.” He further demonstrates his commitment by disclosing an exhaustive list of every woman he has ever been intimate with, intending to keep no secrets from her. As they revel in their companionship, laughing, bonding, sharing confidences, and eventually skinny-dipping, Laura disturbs them with persistent texts about dinner. Thus, Cherry shuts off his phone unnoticed by him.

Laura was firm in her stance as she arranged for a skilled chef named Alfonso to prepare Daniel’s favorite meal at home, given that everyone around him continually takes care of his wellbeing, ensures he has everything he needs, and prepares his preferred dinner. It’s no surprise that Daniel is easily influenced – who could imagine malice in a world filled with Alfonsos? However, it disappoints Laura greatly when Daniel chooses to be elsewhere with his girlfriend instead of attending dinner on time. The situation becomes more troubling when it appears that he has been injured – a scrape on Daniel’s knee causes Laura concern, despite Cherry’s valid explanation that he is about to become a trauma surgeon himself. People joke about Laura’s overprotectiveness; her excessive affection for Daniel is seen as amusing.

(The aim here is to maintain the original meaning while simplifying the sentence structure and using more common, everyday language.)

Daniel wasn’t the one it didn’t apply to, though. The following morning, Cherry mentioned to him that Laura’s distress over Daniel’s knee had seemed a bit eerie. Daniel responded by saying Laura just enjoyed helping people, and then he left angrily. In time, Cherry found an unexpected supporter in her disagreements with Laura – Howard. They found each other in the room that was once Rose’s, Howard’s late daughter who passed away before Daniel was born. Moved by their conversation, Howard asked Cherry how she truly was. With a keen understanding, she guessed that people often perceive a mother’s grief as more severe, leaving Howard to bear his sorrow alone. This moment created a genuine bond between them, so powerful that during breakfast, Howard offered to introduce her to a friend who was moving into affordable housing, which was the field Cherry was aiming to break into.

In the midst of Howard and Cherry’s peaceful interaction, Laura intrudes to express her discomfort about anyone entering Rose’s room. She’s in a sour mood, as she uncovered some sensitive details during her exploration of Cherry’s possessions: tags on all her dresses, an unfavorable review of her show in Cherry’s suitcase, and even discovered her SpeedyJet ticket. As she passes by Rose’s room, she overhears Cherry implying that Laura takes up too much space in the family. Meanwhile, Daniel is out running, so Laura instructs Cherry to inform him that she desires a chat with him upon his return-a clear display of dominance. Essentially, Laura wants to instill a sense of being watched in Cherry.

In simpler terms,

Afterward, she carries on. Upon returning to her room, she discovers her plane ticket is missing. However, Cherry has a plan to get back at Laura, which involves acting inappropriately. From a downstairs patio, she phones Daniel, who observes her from their balcony. They both start masturbating and continue for some time until Laura approaches Daniel for a hug. This leaves Cherry in fits of laughter. In her recollection, she chuckles and rolls over as the sprinklers come on. In contrast, in Laura’s memory, Cherry gives her a cold, defiant stare, implying that she doesn’t mind getting caught, which eventually leads to Laura turning on the sprinklers. Regardless, both Cherry and Daniel find the situation amusing. Notably, this is the second time in two episodes that Laura has caught Cherry and Daniel engaging in such behavior, making one wonder who the true pervert might be.

Cherry wishes to have some personal time with Daniel, but it’s a day for yachting. Frustrated, she expresses: “Why do you always hang out with them? You’re 27 and on vacation with your girlfriend.” However, the most intriguing moment Daniel has ever shown was when he assertively yet kindly corrected Cherry by saying, “Actually, my girlfriend is on holiday with my family.” Well done, Daniel! Stick up for yourself.

On the yacht, Cherry often feels nauseous due to seasickness, while Brigitte and Daniel enjoy playing in the water together. Laura comments, rather insensitively, that Cherry looks terrible. Instead of joining the two elderly women, Cherry attempts to join Brigitte and Daniel on stand-up paddleboards but struggles to keep her balance. When Laura appears on the deck, Cherry feigns drowning as a joke. Watching from afar, Laura seems amused with a twisted smile, but in reality, she leaps into the water to “rescue” Cherry. However, Cherry urgently requests that Laura not inform Daniel about her lack of swimming ability.

In this paraphrase, I aimed to make the language more accessible and friendly while preserving the original meaning of the text.

In a comforting manner, having satisfied her protective urges and her desire to help, Laura is prepared to offer Cherry an opportunity. If Cherry possesses areas that require improvement or vulnerabilities that need addressing, they might develop a harmonious relationship. They disembark the boat together and decide to share a glass of wine. During their conversation, Cherry admits using the flight money for clothes, and they vow to cease deceiving each other. Later, they enjoy rabbit for dinner, with Cherry impressing Laura not only with her skill in distinguishing fresh meat but also her fluent conversational Spanish. Laura feels compelled to buy Cherry a dress and perfume that Daniel supposedly adores. She humbly confesses, “I’ve always wanted a daughter I could treat to shopping.

At home, buoyed by their newfound camaraderie, Laura queries Cherry about the altercation she witnessed outside the office earlier. Cherry feigns honesty, claiming the man was a troublesome ex-colleague who had been pestering her, the sole reason for her violent outburst. “I’m not typically a confrontational person,” she explains, as she forcefully beheads a rabbit with a large butcher’s cleaver. Laura remains so convinced of Cherry’s innate kindness that when Daniel arrives, she reproaches him for failing to assist Cherry upon their return from the boat. In retrospect, it seems quite absurd. Imagine nearly drowning, and your partner is oblivious because he’s too engrossed in paddleboarding with an old flame. Perhaps Cherry’s behavior can be understood under those circumstances.

In a trusting moment, Laura confides in Cherry that following Rose’s death, she became deeply in love with a woman named Lilith. At this time, she was planning to leave her husband Howard when she discovered she was pregnant with Daniel. Despite her affection for Lilith, Laura decided to prioritize her family and has kept the truth hidden from Howard. Now, she is pondering whether their somewhat open marriage played a role in these events. Nevertheless, Laura mentions that Howard remains oblivious to much of it. Cherry assures Laura that her secret will be protected by her. Amused, Laura jokes, “I guess I thought you were the one who tossed my cat out the window!” To which Cherry responds humorously, “Oh, I have no idea what you’re referring to …

The night concludes with much drinking and dancing, leading Daniel and Laura to exchange an overly passionate lip-lock. The following morning at breakfast, Howard announces that they’ve booked a wine tasting, but Laura, still buzzing from the previous day, urges Cherry and Daniel to stay home alone instead. Brigitte doesn’t fancy going either, but she has no say in the matter. At the winery, Brigitte shows Isabella and Laura an Instagram video of Nicholas and Millie’s wedding, which went viral due to a bleeding incident. Laura remembers Nicholas from his fight with Cherry, hastens back home, and speeds off. Upon return, Cherry is lounging in the pool, only intensifying Laura’s anger. Laura confronts Cherry about Nicholas, vowing to tell Daniel everything. “I thought we were keeping secrets,” Cherry warns. Daniel returns from a run to find them talking and gushes, “Aw, my two favorite ladies!” How serene it must be to be as clueless as Daniel. What a lovely state of ignorance.

Department of Investigation

Perhaps the phrase “Howard doesn’t know the half of it” might suggest a possibility – Daniel may not be biologically related to Howard. This is purely speculative, but if Cherry were to figure this out, it could lead to an intriguing revelation.

In “The Girlfriend”, there’s an abundance of water-related imagery throughout the narrative, hinting at a dramatic conclusion that may revolve around water, possibly even a violent event such as a murder. For those seeking a sensual, suspenseful, psychosexual thriller with a poolside setting, I recommend Jacques Deray’s 1969 film “La Piscine”.

I find myself pondering over the intriguing personality traits of Cherry that seem rather contrasting. On one hand, she appears so petite, terse, and seemingly impatient with her mother. Yet, she radiates a warm aura, reminding me of a kind lady. If Cherry’s culinary skills are sharpened by a knife, it is undoubtedly due to the nurturing care of her mom. I can’t help but wonder if a little more understanding and respect might be in order?

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2025-09-10 19:58