This post contains spoilers from The Beast in Me episode 2 on Netflix from this point forward.
The Beast in Me began with quite the rousing first episode as Aggie Wiggs (Claire Danes) and Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys) unexpectedly collided after unique personal tragedies. Years ago, Aggie's young son Cooper died in a car accident, while Nile's wife disappeared. He's popularly suspected for her murder, and now Aggie has her eye on Nile for the possible murder of Cooper's killer Teddy Fenig.
Struggling to make any headway on her new book, Aggie opts to swap subjects and pursue a book about Nile's life, really diving headfirst into the belly of the beast. The second episode opens with Aggie visiting the crime scene where Teddy's suicide note was found. It's unclear exactly why she thought her appearance would be a good idea based on how his mother reacts.
After quickly leaving when Teddy's mother blames her for his death, Aggie runs into Nile on the way home. He pushes again about his jogging path and he asks her about Teddy's death, which only makes her suspect him more. Back at home, Aggie calls the FBI to contact Abbott, but he's at a hotel room sleeping with Agent Erika Breton (Hettienne Park). So, that's complicated.
Aggie suspects Nile killed Teddy Fenig in The Beast in Me
Aggie finally gets into contact with Abbott to flag her suspicions about Nile, and they plan to meet in Central Park to discuss further. She presents him with the concept that Nile could have killed Teddy Fenig after she shared her history with him. Abbott can't look into this based on her suspicions, but deep down, you can tell that he doesn't totally think her theory is far fetched.
On the way out of the city, Aggie observes a protest against Jarvis Yards led by city council member Olivia Benitez (Aleyse Shannon). She sees firsthand how hated Nile really is by large groups of people. Abbott also does some research about Teddy. See? He's curious and will probably end up helping. The next day, Aggie pitches her idea about a book on Nile to Carol. She's skeptical but on board.
Before Aggie makes her official pitch to Nile about the book, we see him devouring a roasted chicken. It's deeply unsettling. She makes an excellent proposal for him to be the subject of her new book. Despite him bringing up the idea, he still wants to think about allowing Aggie to give him a voice and trusting her in the process. When she returns home, she finds Teddy's friends rushing away after throwing a rock through her window. She calls 911 but hangs up before reporting.
Nina vets Aggie on a walk in the woods before Nile makes a choice on the book offer
Nina Jarvis (Brittany Snow) knocks on Aggie's door the next morning with a peace offering pie and an invite for a walk in the woods. She agrees and invites Nina into her house while she changes. Nina, an art gallerist, takes special notice of Shelley's artwork on Aggie's wall. During their walk, Nile's security breaks into Aggie's house and finds a slip of paper with Brian Abbott's name on it.
There's an interesting chemistry between Nina and Aggie, with Nina seemingly subtly flirting. Anyone else picking up on that? Aggie twists her ankle, which leads to an awkward moment between the two. Nina also offers some of her backstory. She was friends with Nile's first wife Madison and worked with her. They only got together after Madison's disappearance. Something's still odd, though.
Aggie nearly catches Nile's security guy in her house when she returns home. Nile calls her to confirm that he's accepting her book offer. Nina seemed to tip the scales. Back at the FBI, Abbott talks with Breton about their relationship. She seems to push him away. Aggie calls Abbott with the news about the book, though we catch back up with Breton getting into Nile's security man's car. Creepy!