The public image that the Murdaugh family has been desperately trying to save is deteriorating in Murdaugh: Death in the Family episode 5.
With journalist Mandy Matney (Brittany Snow) publishing an article on Buster Murdaugh's (Will Harrison) possible involvement in the murder of his classmate Stephen Smith, the family yet again finds itself caught in a tidal wave of scandal that is begging to pull everyone under.
Mandy has taken a job at FITSNews, granting her full autonomy to investigate and publish stories about the Murdaughs without repercussions from those under the family's influence.
Her investigation leads her to shift her narrative from Paul to his brother Buster, whose fall from law school and potential romantic relationship with Stephen Smith has started a new wave of damage to the family name.
A flashback then revisits a time before Stephen's death, where it is revealed that he had been texting someone whom he refers to as his "prince", implying this is Buster. With Stephen's death being so mysterious, it is starting to become clearer that he could've been killed to prevent him from speaking about their fling.
While Stephen's loved ones are begging for answers, the Murdaughs are set to attend the annual Watermelon Festival. This backfires when a friend of Stephen's confronts them while they are boarding their yearly float, publicly calling out Buster's potential involvement with Stephen Smith, forcing both brothers to make an early exit from the festival.
Meanwhile, Maggie Murdaugh is starting to grasp the reality of her husband's painkiller addiction. When Alex arrives back at the family residence, heavily intoxicated, Maggie takes it upon herself to quietly share his location with her phone.
Later, that location leads her to a rundown motel, where she watches an undisclosed man walk another woman up to a joyful Alex's motel room door, confirming her suspicions of his unfaithfulness.
In one of the most raw moments of the show yet, both Paul and Buster are shown standing in front of Stephen Smith's memorial, showing a connection between the brothers that, for once, feels genuine. Paul admits to Buster that he feels just as dead as those who have passed away at the fault of the duo, leading to Buster admitting that he was expelled from law school due to plagiarism.
The episode closes with Sandy Smith, Stephen's mother, confiding in Mandy about a phone call she received from a "classmate of Stephen and Buster's," claiming that everything said about Buster being involved was untrue and an act of spite.
The exchange highlights the Murdaugh family's ability to manipulate any story surrounding them, setting the narrative for just how twisted the story will become and how much viewers have yet to uncover.
New episodes of Murdaugh: Death in the Family air Wednesdays on Hulu.