Trigger warning: This article mentions sexual assault, gun violence, and other sensitive topics.
In the first episode of The Good Daughter on Peacock, Karin Slaughter lays the groundwork for the chilling story. Beginning with what Sam and Charlie experienced in their youth with their mother's murder, and catching up to their eventual estrangement and Charlie witnessing another murder. When Rusty gets attacked and fears his death, he calls Sam and asks her to come home.
The Good Daughter episode 2 begins with Sam in the backseat of car as she continues working remotely on the way into Pikeville. She looks at an online article about Rusty's stabbing and starts getting memories from the past. In a flashback, Sam and her mother shopped for new housewares after their home burned down and she openly expresses her disdain for her father's work.
Meanwhile, Charlie rushes to be with her father at the hospital. He's still alive after surviving surgery post-stabbing, but he doesn't know who stabbed him. A live news report about the Kelly Wilson case aggravates Charlie and she storms out of his hospital room. She tells Ben that she believes Rusty knows who stabbed him. Sam arrives at the hospital and walks in with a slight limp.
Charlie and Sam reunite for the first time in 10 years
As soon as Sam enters the hospital, she runs into Lenore, who greets her with kindness. Sam steels herself before finally approaching Charlie. They stand and stare at each other before saying anything. After a joke about Pennywise and a comment on Sam looking like their mother, Sam pulls Charlie into the bathroom to clean their dad's blood off of her. She gives Charlie her shirt.
When Charlie takes off her shirt, a scar on her chest is visible. Charlie catches Sam up on their father's medical history and Charlie being unable to force him to take care of himself. Sam enters Rusty's room, and he's excited to see her. He also wants Sam to step in for the hearings, much to Charlie's chagrin. They all argue, and Sam turns down the offer and leaves.
On the way out, her leg gives out and she's forced to use the cane in her purse. Charlie looks out the window and sees Sam sitting outside. She joins her outside and eavesdrops on her work. Sam apologizes for losing her temper. When Sam asks Charlie why she was at the at the school, Charlie lies. But when Charlie says "Huck," Sam immediately identifies him as Mason Huckabee.
Huck's sister was raped by Kevin Mitchell, and Rusty got the charges dismissed. The wheels are turning for Charlie on the connection, but she insists that Sam needs to go back to New York. It's been at least a decade since they have seen each other. Sam agrees to have coffee with her and then she'll leave. First, Charlie heads to court, where she finds a complete media circus.
Inside the courthouse, she runs into Cleet Culpepper, and it's not a fun reunion. She also spots Ben seemingly flirting with his coworker Kaylee Collins (Lauren Farmer). Charlie represents her client Jaxson (Dave Z. Martin), and Kaylee happens to be the opposing counsel. Sam returns to Rusty's room and he offers his sympathy that Sam lost her partner Anton (Ray Panthaki).
Sam agrees to the case and questions Kelly Wilson
Sam tries to get to the bottom of what's going on with Charlie, including her marriage to Ben and potential affair. She continues to ask questions about the Culpeppers, but Rusty insists that he needs her to advocate for Kelly Wilson. She agrees to handle the arraignment so long as he agrees to quit smoking and cut other behaviors ranging from destructive to annoying.
Charlie pulls Ben aside and apologizes to him and flirts with him about his new suit. They're interrupted by Kaylee coming in and pulling "Benny" away for court. Charlie basically threatens to kill Kaylee if she doesn't back off. Kaylee informs Charlie that Sam's about to miss her chance to prep Kelly. Once they're back at the courthouse, Charlie gives Sam tips for the arraignment.
From across the way, Charlie notices the Culpeppers staring them down. Once inside and signing in, Sam gets some teasing from Sheriff Coin before heading back to meet with Kelly. He teases her again about puling her out of the creek as she walks beyond the locked gate. Still outside, Charlie talks to Huck in his truck about his sister. She urges him to go home before he makes things worse.
Sam remembers Coach Pinkman while looking over the case files. Kelly enters the interrogation room, and the officer takes Sam's cane away from her. Kelly asks Sam about her leg, and Sam explains that at 16 years old, she suffered a traumatic brain injury. Kelly also informs Sam that Charlie was attacked by the police. When talking about her plea, Kelly seems to allude to her guilt.
She feels that because she had the gun in her hand, she did it, though she doesn't openly admit to the crime. Sam takes notes on Kelly's echoing, people pleasing, masking, and other issues. She also makes note of the boy, Adam Humphrey, that Kelly has a crush on. Sam tests Kelly and forces her into falsely admitting that Charlie hit a cop. Kelly reveals there are videos of Sheriff Coin telling Kelly what to say. An alarm blares and Kelly's pulled out of the room as Sam begs her not to talk to anyone.
Watch The Good Daughter only Peacock.
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