Following the explosive third episode, East of Eden opens a new chapter for the Trask family and Cathy Ames. Adam and Cathy moved out West to California, where they quickly realized that Cathy was expecting a baby. After giving birth to twins, Cathy's violent altercation with Adam resulted in her leaving her family as promised, but where did she go?
East of Eden episode 4 opens in Salinas, the same area she moved to with Adam, in 1900 as Cathy speaks with Faye (Martha Plimpton) about taking on a new job at her brothel. She's now going by the name Kate Albey, but Faye's already onto her and asks one of her girls to have the sheriff look into her. Like clockwork, Sheriff Quinn arrives to ask her some questions.
However, before she could even spin up a story, he already knows that she's Adam Trask's wife since he's seen their wedding portrait. He lays it all out plainly and admits that if she had killed Adam, he would be arresting her. But he tells her to keep her real identity hidden in exchange for sending one of his boys to Jenny, not her. In the days ahead, Cathy makes a name for herself in the house.
Kate Albey makes a name for herself
She's well-liked by clients and the other girls in the house, which Faye takes note of and asks how she can keep "Kate" happy at the house. Cathy charms her way into helping Faye in running the house, including laundry and grocery bills. She soon comes up with a new system to help run the house like a well-oiled machine and make more money.
In the night, Cathy hears Alice crying. She was hurt by a rough client and Cathy promises to help her with medical care. To calm Alice down, she tells her the story of Alice in Wonderland. She also asks which client hurt Alice. When he comes to the house again for Alice, Cathy surprises him in Alice's room to deliver dominance and some threats.
By April 1901, Faye expresses to Cathy that she looks at her as a daughter but that she also doesn't like that she works in the brothel. Faye brings her the opportunity to manage the house, but Cathy insists that she has to work. Based on Cathy's smirk when she leaves the room, she has Faye right where she wants her. Cathy later lies to the girls that Faye's health is declining.
When Cathy joins Faye later that night for her "party," Cathy gives Faye the watch Adam gave her, lying that it was from her mother. Meanwhile, Faye has left everything to Cathy in her will. She explains that she has $60,000 in assets, which means Cathy doesn't have to worry about her future. They have champagne despite Cathy's reservations. Soon, Cathy's drunk, angry, and scaring Faye with her new personality. Cathy keeps making Faye drink until they both pass out.
Cathy awakens in the night and makes Faye believe she's having a bad dream. In the morning, Cathy tends to Faye while she's resting in bed. Faye invites Cathy to join her on a trip to Paris the next summer, and Cathy also agrees that she will no longer turn tricks. The rest of the girls have learned that Cathy gets everything in Faye's will and no longer show her any respect.
Cathy poisons Faye until she gets what she wants
Faye clears the air that night at dinner, which comes with the announcement that "Kate" will now be managing the house. In the middle of dinner, Cathy has a medical emergency. The doctor says that she needs her kidneys flushed out. She quickly gets back to work and comes up with a plan to buy food in bulk to store as canned goods. In the morning, she sneaks into the doctor's office.
Cathy steals belladonna, arsenic, and others from his medicine cabinet, and although she picked the lock, she pretends that the door was unlocked and sits waiting for him when he arrives. She claims that he needs more pills for her kidneys. She takes the medicines to poison Faye's drinks. Cathy has dinner with Faye in her room, having laced the green beans with one of the poisons.
They both become ill and take to the bed, and when the doctor arrives, he believes they have become ill with botulism from the canned green beans. Cathy recovered from the illness, but the doctor informs her that Faye probably won't be so lucky. The girls worry how Cathy will react when Faye dies, but they are very mistaken. In the night, Cathy breaks and buries the vials of poison.
By morning, Cathy screams out in agonizing cries as she holds Faye's dead body. The rest of the girls rush into the room and join Kate on the bed. The end of the episode brings the timeline up to 1902 as Cathy directs a contractor on the expansion of her house. She also tells him to paint the house entirely black. A new era of Cathy Ames, a.k.a. Kate Albey, has begun.
Watch East of Eden only on Netflix.
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