The show begins with Meredith Coleman (Janina Gavankar) yelling at Emma as she jumps in the water. Meredith scolds her for swimming unsupervised as Neil Coleman (Tom Riley) approaches with a fishing pole and tackle box. She informs him about Emma swimming unsupervised. He tells her to relax. She corrects him, saying we weren’t here when she went swimming. He reminds her Emma is not the one who cannot swim while assuring she is okay. Emma is excited to go fishing until he loses his patience with Meredith when she warns about the hook.

With Emma gone inside to fetch a beer, Neil and Meredith argue. He believes her fear will negatively impact Emma, getting in her face when she tells him to stop cursing. She warns him about his out-of-control temper. He asks her if she wants to see out-of-control, gently pushing her left shoulder. During the interaction, a fishing hook stabs him in the stomach. She immediately apologizes before he shoves her into the water. Her arms are flailing wildly as she calls his name just in time for Emma to return. She is floating in the water while he idly watches. He gulps down a swig of beer, noticing that Emma has returned. She has a concerned look on her face.

Anna (Kristen Bell) returns to reality, wondering how she could be so wrong about him. A news segment shows Neil being released from prison after it was determined Meredith’s death was an accident. Anna looks at the computer screen, asking Neil, “You fu**ing think you go away with it, don’t you?” Meredith’s obituary shows she has a sister, Hillary Lathan (Nitya Vidyasagar) of Middlebury. She questions how to find Hillary who has a Facebook profile. An image of Hillary holding up an issue People Magazine provides Anna with what she is looking for, Hillary’s address.

As Anna backs out of the driveway, Buell (Cameron Britton) approaches, alerting her he found the body. She stares at him in horror. He holds up a dead animal, giving a rundown of what he believed may have happened. He says mystery solved before he walks away. She continues backing out of the drive when Sloane (Mary Holland) approaches, scaring the bejesus out of Anna. She apologizes for frightening her before explaining the purpose of her visit. After promising not to stop by again instead of calling, she asks about the support group. Anna claims to be headed to another support group right now. Sloane asks if she can accompany her. She explains the patrons are not permitted to bring guests.

Anna arrives at Hillary’s house, getting out of her with a casserole dish. She introduces herself as Meredith’s friend from a pottery class. Hillary stares in confusion before inviting her in. Anna says I hope you like casserole. She says I love it. Sitting at the dining table, they go through her photo collection of Meredith and Emma. Both agree Emma looks like Meredith, not Neil. Hillary denies ever seeing Neil lose his temper, but it wouldn’t surprise her. She never trusted Neil, believing he may have cheated on Meredith. Hillary hasn’t seen Emma since Neil took her away from Middlebury. Emma has experienced another tragedy since the death of her mother. Emma’s teacher at St. Phillip’s fell to her death from a lighthouse during a school trip. She hurriedly shuts the photo album, saying I don’t think I can do this anymore. Anna thanks Hillary before she leaves.

Anna arrives at St. Phillip’s, where she meets with a man. She tells him a fallacy. She, her husband, and her third-grader are moving to Middlebury. She claims to be concerned about school safety, reminding him of Ms. Patrick (Lyndon Smith.) He explains what happened the day Ms. Patrick fell from the lighthouse. A student (Amare Black) interrupts, complaining about his stomach. He claims the nurse accused him of lying. Faulkner asks if he is lying. He says I don’t know. She asks if Neil chaperoned the children on the day Ms. Patrick died. Faulkner is confused by her questions, asking if she knows Neil. While he is occupied with the student, Anna makes her escape.

She conducts an online search for nearby lighthouses. She arrives at the Clyburn Rocks Lighthouse. As she looks over the cliff down below, Wallace Faulkner (Marc Evan Jackson) approaches from behind, grabbing her shoulder. He warns her about the danger of falling into the sea. Startled, she thanks him, asking if he is employed at the lighthouse. He remembers the day Ms. Patrick died. He asks if she is a reporter. She lies, “Yes.” He questions why she isn’t recording their conversation. She utilizes her cellphone to record his interview. He starts by telling his name. She asks if Ms. Patrick’s class had a chaperone. He doesn’t remember. As she is walking away, he stops her to ask when the interview will air. She tells him soon, maybe tonight.

Students are ordered to line up for a class picture. After an older lady (Eve Sigall) takes the picture, the student scatters to check out the lighthouse. Anna approaches the woman, asking if every class has their picture taken. She says the school gets the picture. Anna asks if she keeps a copy. She doesn’t keep copies but does keep the negatives. The lady develops multiple images before she is ready to quit. Anna pleads with her to do just one more, which just happens to be Ms. Patrick’s class. The students are lined up, with Neil standing directly behind Emma.

Anna has a vision of Ms. Patrick’s class posing for a photo. Ms. Patrick and Neil enter the lighthouse. Once they reach the top, they begin making out. She asks if he will be honest if this is too soon. He appears shocked, “What.” She reminds him of his wife. He shrugs it off, says I thought you wanted us to be together. She does but is hesitant because of his wife. He says this makes everything easier. She questions if he killed Meredith, pushing his hands away. He asks what she is going to do. She says I will go to the police.  A struggle ensues, ending when she falls to her death below. He notices blood on his right shoulder. Anna comes back to reality. She pays $5 for the photo.

Upon arriving home, Anna notices a strange woman walking up to the entrance of Neil’s home. Anna hides behind her car as Neil opens the door. Emma greets the lady before she enters the house. Anna thinks the lady is a babysitter. She pours herself a glass of wine. When she prepares to settle down, she just happens to look out the window to see Neil struggling with something heavy. He places the bag in the trunk of his car. Anna trips out, believing the bag contains Lisa’s body. She gets in her vehicle to follow Neil. He drives down an alley and stops in front of an establishment. She continues to watch him after getting out of her vehicle.

He tosses a plastic bag in the dumpster, staring in her direction as she quickly hides behind a building. He is shocked to discover that she followed him. She says I know what you did, grabbing his bag while he tries to stop her. She accuses of killing Meredith and Lisa. He is shocked by the assumptions, claiming Lisa is still alive. Upset, he admits to loving his wife who he misses daily. He thought she would understand how he feels. His loss is so huge that it feels like the world disappeared immediately. She intently stares at him. He mentions Emma’s loss, which includes her mother and teacher. He hysterically asks how much a family can take.

When she asks about his scars, he calls her “unbelievable.” He opens his shirt, pointing at a shoulder scar, which he claims was from a dog bite. An abdominal scar is from an operation to remove his kidney for his brother who died later when his body rejected the kidney. She looks a little guilty. He asks if there is something else bad from his life that she wants him to remember. She wants to believe him, but still needs to see what is in the bad. He sets it down on the ground, “Knock yourself out.” She is shocked to find a ventriloquist inside the bag. He picks up the ventriloquist, explaining how he wanted to die when Meredith died. He asks what else do I have to lose I could have become a drunk.

A man (Brandon James Childs) from the comedy club says you are on deck. He pleads with her to keep his job a secret from the neighbors. She breaks down as he struggles to carry his bag inside.

Upon arrival at her house, she receives a phone call from a lady asking for Douglas Whitaker’s assistant. The background check did not render information for Lisa Maines. When the lady tells him about Rex Bakke (Benjamin Levy Aguilar), he grabs her from behind. He orders her to enter the house as the episode comes to an end.

 

The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window Review

The episode reveals Emma’s teacher was killed during a school trip to Clyburn Rocks Lighthouse. Anna’s visions may not be far from the truth, but Neil displayed sincerity when he described the loss he felt when his wife died. We are not too far from the finale, so it won’t be long now before the truth comes out.

Character development is moving along nicely, with new characters being added with each episode. The camerawork is flawless, unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said about the acting. Some of the acting is unbelievably bad. I’m not one to bash actors but in this case, the acting is at times intolerable.

The episode deserves a 6.5. Get more The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window recaps here. Support ReelMockery by clicking the link.