Why Women Kill season 2 premiere recap: The dark comedy returns

Why Women Kill Season 2 has officially begun, and the series doesn’t miss a beat getting back into the dark humor of its predecessor. This time around, things are a bit different–in more ways than one.

We’ve got a brand-new cast, a new setting, a new time period, but there’s one thing that hasn’t changed–the killing. While the series continues to tell the tale of interesting murders, they did switch something up with its second season on that front. Two episodes in and it looks we’re seeing why men kill.

It’s a drastic change considering the name of the series, but we’re here for it. Why Women Kill Season 2 is off to a wild start, and what I enjoyed more than anything else is the change in cast. This time around we’ve got Fargo’s  Allison Tolman, Once Upon A Time’s Lana Parrilla, and Shadowhunters’ Matthew Daddario.

Instead of jumping around multiple decades, the story is based in 1949, and follows one housewife’s desire to be something more, and join the world of ritzy parties via the town’s popular garden club. It’s quite a marvelous treat to see the series return, so without further ado, let’s talk about the two-hour season premiere below!

Why Women Kill Season 2 premiere recap: The Garden Club

Meet Alma Fillcott (Allison Tolman)–a basic housewife following the rules day in and day out. She desires to live a more lavish life or at least one in which she’s accepted by the women of the upper echelon.

Alma finds her way in when she learns that the founder of the Elysian Park Garden passed away. There is a spot open now, and she’s hoping to find a way in. But that’s easier said than done considering the stark differences between her and the women of the Garden Club, who must nominate someone in order for them to join the club.

The club’s President, Rita Castillo (Lana Parrilla), takes pity on poor Alma after her attempts to chat up the club. It’s a very awkward encounter but it snags Alma an invite to Rita’s party that weekend which will also be a memorial for the late founder.

Alma’s neighbor, Mrs. Yost (Rondi Reed) is quick to put a dark cloud over Alma’s dreams of attending the party. Basically, she tells her that she is not good enough to go and in order to fit in, Alma is going to drastically change herself.

Alma’s husband, Bertram (Nick Frost), the town veterinarian, gives Alma some money to go out and get herself a dress. Unfortunately, the fuschia one she wants is a whopping $800! Doing what we would have expected of her, Alma buys similar fabric and decides she will make the dress herself.

But in doing so, she embarks on a journey she would have never imagined…

Why Women Kill Season 2 premiere recap: Who is Enid Dolan?

While working on her dress, Enid goes into the attic to find a needle and stumbles across a cameo (a brooch of sorts) that has a tag with the words, “Enid Dolan, Feb. 14, 1945” on it. More on that in just a bit.

Alma makes it to the party, doesn’t impress Rita, but does catch the eye of another garden club member, Grace (Virginia Williams), who is enamored by Alma’s brooch. Apparently, her aunt had one just like it but had died a few years back and was found lifeless on the sofa. It strikes a nerve with Alma because Grace mentions her aunt’s name was Enid, and then there’s the tiny fact that the brooch has the words “To Enid, Love Jack” engraved on it.

Clearly, this was Grace’s aunt’s brooch so Alma gives it back to its rightful owner, much to Grace’s surprise. It was probably the right move on Alma’s part because Grace is smitten with her actions and later suggests to a club member that they should nominate Grace.

Curious about the brooch and where it might have come from, Alma goes into the attic to look around. She discovers a hole in the wall covered by a panel that has a box with random trinkets inside. Each and every one of them has a label with a name and a date, just like Enid’s brooch.

Why Women Kill Season 2 premiere recap: Bertram Fillcot

Now, let’s go back to Alma’s beloved husband, Bertram. He’s loved by everyone in town and seems like a harmless guy. That is until we realize there is something extremely strange about him. At first, he’s just doing usual vet things, like having to put animals down when they’re too sick to go on. While putting down a dog named Biscuit, he turns on some music to make the process less daunting. Biscuit’s owner, Maisie (Rachel Bay Jones) is smitten with Bertram from the get-go and invites him to see her sing at the club she works at. But of course, he’s married.

Later that night, Bertram gives Alma the money she needs and upon seeing her so excited, he’s hopeful that they can head up to their bedroom. But Alma is entirely too excited at the prospect of a new dress so Bertram decides to “go for a walk” instead, aka go to the club where Maisie is performing.

The two have a seemingly flirty night filled with drinks and laughter, which ends with Bertram dropping Maisie off at home. He doesn’t go in, but the next day he does go back with a bouquet of flowers. While at her apartment he learns that Maisie is sick with cirrhosis, and then things take a dark turn.

He pops open a bottle of wine and the both of them drink until moments later Maisie feels faint and numb. As it turns out, Bertram is euthanizing her similar to what he does with the pets that come into his office. His philosophy is that if pets are put down during pain, why not humans?

He’s very casual about it all and walks out with a memento from Maisie’s apartment before leaving. Bertram returns home to see that Alma is sleeping and puts the fan into the box of trinkets. Much to our surprise, Alma is very much awake, and she looks like she’s seen a ghost, or rather her husband’s souvenirs from his murders.

Why Women Kill Season 2 premiere recap: When Alma met Bertram

The second hour of the premiere starts off with a flashback to Alma and Bertram’s school dance. She was in love with another boy from class, but when she realizes he is with another, she runs out of the dance and meets Bertram. Who, by the way, is perched up on a tree helping a baby bird.

It’s quite honestly hard to believe this is the same guy who goes around killing people. That is why Alma has such a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that Bertram could be hiding such a big secret. But it’s all confirmed when she sees Maisie’s fan with her name and yesterday’s date on it.

Why Women Kill Season 2 premiere recap: Rita and Vern

Meanwhile, we see more of Rita’s world which encompasses her lover, Scooter, and her frail, old, and very rich husband, Carlo (Daniel Zacapa). Rita’s quite a strange character and hires a private investigator named Vern (Jordane Christie) to follow around Scooter, who she believes is cheating on her.

Scooter is indeed cheating on her with *drumroll* Alma and Bertram’s daughter, Dee (B.K. Cannon) who works at the local diner. She’s completely unaware of the strange things that are going on within her house, but that is perhaps because she is too busy having fun with Scooter.

Rita doesn’t seem to care much about Carlo and is even ecstatic when he falls down the stairs and essentially becomes a vegetable after suffering from a stroke. What she doesn’t foresee is Carlo’s daughter, Catherine (Veronica Falcón) moving in with her dad to take care of him full time.

Before she realizes that Catherine plans to move into the mansion, Rita asks Scooter to move in, but for the time being, he’ll have to behave as her chauffeur. He’s not on board with the idea but is enticed when she says that she will finance a film for him if he does.

Why Women Kill Season 2 premiere recap: The confrontation

Alma eventually decides to go to Maisie’s apartment and discovers her dead on the sofa. At first, she’s not too suspicious but when she sees the outline of Maisie’s missing fan on the wall, all her fears come true.

At the same time, Grace stops by Bertram’s vet office to give him chocolates for Alma, a present for returning the brooch. Of course, this freaks Bertram out because he knows that Alma might know his secret. Lo and behold when he gets home, Alma is waiting for him on the stairs.

It’s a strange conversation but the two go back and forth about whether or not Bertram’s actions are justified. He doesn’t think it’s a bad thing, but there might also be something very, very wrong with him. Bertram explains that his actions came from the very first person that begged him to put her out of her misery. Ever since then, he’s been doing so.

Later that day, Alma stops by the diner to ask Dee to stay with a friend at night because she plans to deal with Bertram’s situation. She lets Dee believe that the reason her parents are fighting is that Bertram is cheating on Alma, which is an easier thing to say than the alternative.

Back at home, Bertram is getting ready to take his own life, but Alma comes home before he does. All the while, Mrs. Yost is observing all the strange behavior that has been going on at the Fillcot home. Being the snoopy neighbor she is, Mrs. Yost digs through their trash and then proceeds to climb the trellis to eavesdrop on the fighting couple.

All the while, Alma is yelling at Bertram and makes him promise that he won’t ever kill again. She slams their window shut which closes right on Mrs. Yost’s fingers. She falls off the trellis and right on top of the shears in the yard.

Instead of calling the police, Alma decides it’s a better idea to bury Mrs. Yost in the backyard because there will be too many questions as to what Mrs. Yost was doing in the first place. And if they start digging, they’re going to learn all about what Bertram has been up to.

What a season premiere, right?!

Did you enjoy the Why Women Kill Season 2 premiere? Tell us in the comments below!