Hulu’s The Act season 1 finale recap: Free

Jerald Raymond Pierce

The Act — “Look at the Stars” – Episode 108 — Gypsy fights for her life by defending her actions, while Mel & Lacey realize that behind closed doors things were not always as they seemed. Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Joey King), shown. (Photo by: Brownie Harris/Hulu)

The Act finishes its first season with Gypsy finally coming face to face with her father. The episode also features the actual events of the night of Dee Dee’s murder.

The final episode of The Act opens with a brief scene in 1997 Louisiana. The scene shows young Gypsy and young Dee Dee promising to protect each other while lying outside looking at the stars.

Cut to 2015 and Gypsy and Nick at the arraignment for Dee Dee’s murder. They are both charged with first-degree murder, which means they could get life in prison or the death penalty. Gypsy pleads not guilty and maintains that she never could kill her mother.

When Gypsy and her lawyer talk alone, Gypsy asks if she could really get the death penalty. The lawyer explains that, right now, people see Gypsy as a cold-blooded killer. Gypsy will need to appear more sympathetic to get people on her side. In order to do this, the lawyer suggests getting ahold of Gypsy’s medical records to prove that Dee Dee had been lying and manipulating Gypsy.

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The lawyer can’t just go get them because of the whole power of attorney episode. She suggests Gypsy call her dad, but Gypsy says she doesn’t have one and her mom loved her while her dad didn’t. No matter what, those medical records are key.

Later, Gypsy is seeing the prison doctor and asks her if she can help get the medical records. She says no and is very blunt with Gypsy. She’s not too keen on having Gypsy in there with fake problems when others in the prison have actual medical issues. The doctor takes Gypsy’s feeding tube out. Gypsy doesn’t need it anymore. Gypsy, finally regularly eating, is actually gaining weight in prison (which is a rarity).

The doctor, spitefully, says that Gypsy is one of the healthiest people in the prison.

Prison life goes on. We see Gypsy eating lunch alone and crying softly in her bed. While walking through the yard outside, Nick spots her and (since she hadn’t known before) tells her how Bonnie and Clyde ended—they died together. It’s not at all what Gypsy wanted to hear.

Later, Gypsy makes a phone call to Lacey to try to explain what is going on. She asks Lacey to visit so they can talk in person. Lacey is reluctant and says she has to go before hanging up.

Gypsy then calls Rod, her father. She says that she knows he doesn’t know her (which is a stark, strange change from their real relationship) but asks him for a favor. Rod winds up coming to see Gypsy in prison and, after strained hellos, he gives her the medical records.

Rod takes the opportunity to point out multiple instances where Dee Dee told doctors that something happened with Gypsy (like almost a full week of daily seizures) that never really happened. Rod says that, by speaking for Gypsy, Dee Dee made Gypsy her prisoner.

Gypsy fires back that at least Dee Dee loved her and was there for her. Rod tries to explain that he was young (17) and couldn’t handle the responsibility, but he still loves her and he had tried to visit. Gypsy doesn’t accept his excuses and says he should have tried harder. But Rod points out that Dee Dee made that difficult, especially because she moved Gypsy around so much. Rod also tells her that he had been sending them checks in the mail every month.

Gypsy starts to gather the medical records to leave, not wanting to hear more about how her mother potentially lied to her. But before Gypsy can leave, Rod shows her baby pictures of her with him. He has a picture of them at the special olympics, which is surprising to Gypsy because Dee Dee always claimed that she had invited Rod, but he said no.

Things finally sink in for Gypsy and she starts to cry. Rod apologizes for not being around more.

Rod also comes to the pre-trial conference for Gypsy and Nick. In a move that shocks Nick, Gypsy and her lawyer are using the medical records to separate Gypsy’s trial from Nick’s by arguing that, because Gypsy was abused by Dee Dee, the circumstances around Gypsy are very different than Nick’s.

The judge agrees and separates their cases. Nick starts to panic, repeating that he only did it for Gypsy.

After the conference, Gypsy asks if this means she won’t get the death penalty. This is when she learns the plan is for her to plead guilty and, hopefully, get a deal with less prison time. Gypsy, of course, maintains that she’s innocent.

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The Act then cuts to Mel and Lacey watching a news segment on Gypsy’s trial where Gypsy’s lawyer claims that Gypsy is a victim and this is a case of self defense.

Lacey blames herself for what happened because she showed Gypsy the website where she met Nick. Plus she had disregarded things that Gypsy had said as fantasies in her head. She thinks she missed the signs.

Just then Gypsy calls, but this time Lacey ignores the call.

Later, Mel says maybe Lacey actually should go talk to Gypsy to at least look her in the eye after all of the lies.

Instead of Lacey, Mel winds up visiting Gypsy.

Mel confronts Gypsy and asks when Gypsy knew everything her mom was saying and doing was a lie. Gypsy tries to explain that she trusted Dee Dee. Mel then says that Gypsy can’t always be the person Dee Dee made her in to, she has to find out who she truly is.

The Act then flashes back to the night of the murder. Gypsy and Dee Dee lie in bed and recall the night they spent looking at the stars together back in 1997 when they promised to protect each other. Gypsy starts to get emotional as they talk, but she winds up simply telling her mom good night.

Once Dee Dee is asleep Gypsy packs her suitcase and Nick texts that he’s there. Gypsy (not wearing gloves, mind you) takes the knife out and pauses in the hallway for a moment before ultimately deciding to let Nick (well, Victor) in.

She gives Nick the knife and leads him to the sleeping Dee Dee. Gypsy ducks into the bathroom as Nick goes into the room. From the bathroom, Gypsy hears Dee Dee screaming and fighting with Nick. She covers her ears and tries to block out the sounds of her mother dying. After a moment, there’s silence, followed by Nick knocking on the bathroom door.

It’s over. Nick’s killed Dee Dee. Gypsy is shaking and breathing hard. She takes the knife (again, without gloves while Nick wears gloves, I’m stuck on the gloves thing) and starts to rinse blood off of it.

Meanwhile, Nick just stands there stunned with blood on his neck and face. Gypsy gets wet wipes and cleans him up.

After, they go back to Gypsy’s room where she takes a deep breath and forces herself to be positive. After all, this is the fairytale she wanted. Nick then clears some of the stuffed animals off Gypsy’s bed and pulls her down. The two have sex. Much like all of the following events we see of her and Nick, it’s nothing like the fairytale she wants it to be.

The Act then shows the two taking their time cleaning blood off Nick’s clothes and getting Gypsy’s stuff together. Finally, Gypsy calls a taxi and the two leave the house.

This season of The Act ends with the juxtaposition of Gypsy leaving the house with her head high and a smile on with Gypsy in prison, looking completely defeated.

After the episode, an epilogue states that Gypsy wound up pleading guilty to second degree murder and is serving a 10 year sentence. Nick was convicted of first degree murder and got life without parole.

How did you enjoy this season of The Act? What stories do you hope get a limited series like this? Let us know all of your thoughts on The Act in the comments.

Jerald Raymond Pierce

Jerald Raymond Pierce is a writer and journalist whose work has appeared in American Theatre magazine, the Seattle Times, the Charleston Post and Courier and the Syracuse Post-Standard. He has his BFA in Acting from Ohio University and MA in Arts Journalism from Syracuse University.