Murdaugh: Death in the Family episode 6 opens with a foreshadowing of June 7, 2021, where we see a lifeless Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, with Alex talking to a police officer about him being unarmed.
It implies that he found his wife and son murdered at their family's dog kennel. In the horrifying moment, viewers get the first glimpse at the gruesome crime that would lead to years of heartbreak, disgust, and the eventual creation of documentaries and shows like this one.
At present, Maggie is staying at the family's Edisto Beach house, having discovered Alex's affair in the last episode. While Maggie is clearly upset, a sense of relief is also evident in her emotions. The constant bickering and drama that came with being around Alex is so close to being behind her.
When her sister comes to check on her and recommends a divorce lawyer, she's hesitant. She has spent half her life as a Murdaugh and has conformed herself to fit into what comes with having that last name. It is clear that while the relationship is something she will grieve, she has hit her breaking point, leading to her eventually leaving a voicemail to the divorce lawyer.
At home, Paul is seen out drinking at the bar with his friends. They imply he should get an apartment with them, but at first, he declines. This feels like an implication of his guilt and how he feels undeserving of good things in his life due to his past actions. We can see that when he starts to see Mallory Beach, the victim of his boat crash, in any blonde girl at the establishment.
While driving home, he quickly looks down at the newspaper clippings he has of Mallory in his truck, when he abruptly hits a dog that was crossing the street. In a panic, he rushes to get the dog to the nearest vet, where he breaks down in the car, wailing "I'm sorry" repeatedly. The dog survives, and the vet says, "You did good", which is exactly what Paul needed to hear in this moment.
This remorse doesn't come out of nowhere. Paul has repeatedly been shown having these outbreaks of guilt, whether it was to his brother Buster, or just the way he handles situations and walks through life. He is clearly hurting and wanting to become a better person, while moving on from a chapter of his life where he caused so much hurt. This character growth and his ability to be self-aware feels especially important in this episode, knowing that these will be some of his final moments to reflect on what he has done in life.
The title card reads "7:00 AM: The Day Of." Alex is at home spiraling. Between his father's health deteriorating, a grand jury looking into his finances and cover-ups, and his wife leaving him, we see him at his true rock bottom. In a drug and alcohol binge, he is seen in his office in a hazy state. When the CFO walks in and mentions a $750k check that is unaccounted for, implying that he might've taken it, he kicks her out and falls to the ground.
We then see Alex call up Paul, telling him that the dove field could use some work, suggesting that he should come home and help him. When Paul declines due to prior commitments, Alex insists, leading to Paul agreeing to stop by later on that day. Alex goes on to convince Maggie to come home to comfort the family, as the death of his father is imminent, and they should all be together to support each other.
Once Paul and Maggie return home, Alex is clearly intoxicated and starts bickering with his wife about leaving him. Paul and Maggie decide to step out to the front porch and catch up. Maggie apologizes to Paul for birthing him into this life, where he was destined to have the genes of someone as awful as his father. Alex stumbles into the doorway, suggesting they should go down and check on the dogs down at the kennel on the estate.
At the kennel, Paul is shown Snapchatting a friend on Snapchat, while Maggie stops to look at the flowers, which would unknowingly be their last moments alive. Paul looks up from his phone at the sound of a gunshot going through his chest. He miraculously stands up to be shot again, leading to his death. Maggie, horrified about what she just heard, rushes over to assist, where she is also then shot and killed just feet away from her son.
We then cut to Alex, who is seen briefly at his mother's house, where he makes his presence clear to the housekeeper. On his drive home, he makes deliberate phone calls to Maggie, where he says he will be home shortly. His arrival leads to a full circle moment to the top of the episode, where he is seen breaking down in front of the police officer that someone has murdered his family.
For those who are aware of this case, it is hard not to notice how deliberate every scene before and after the murder was.
For those who are not, Murdaugh: Death in the Family episode 7 titled "On The Road You Take To Avoid It" airs Nov. 12 at 12 a.m. ET on Hulu.