Why Women Kill

Why Women Kill
Title card for season 1
Genre	Comedy drama Dark comedy Anthology
Created by	Marc Cherry
Starring	Lucy Liu Ginnifer Goodwin Kirby Howell-Baptiste Alexandra Daddario Sam Jaeger Sadie Calvano Jack Davenport Reid Scott Allison Tolman Lana Parrilla B.K. Cannon Jordane Christie Matthew Daddario Veronica Falcón Nick Frost
Music by	Mateo Messina Steve Jablonsky
Opening theme	"L-O-V-E" by Michael Feinstein (season 1)
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Marc Cherry Michael Hanel Mindy Schultheis Brian Grazer Francie Calfo Marc Webb Samie Kim Falvey David Warren Austin Guzman Curtis Kheel
Producers	Anna Culp Mark Grossan Stephen Bowman Hannah Schneider Stacey Harman
Cinematography	Michael A. Price Scott Boettle Alan Caso
Editors	Michael Berenbaum Andrew Doerfer Annette Davey Jan Northrop Shannon Mitchell Christopher Kroll
Running time	46–56 minutes
Production companies	Black Lamb Acme Productions Cherry Productions Imagine Television Studios CBS Studios
Original release
Network	CBS All Access (season 1) Paramount+ (season 2)
Release	August 15, 2019 (2019-08-15) – July 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)

Why Women Kill is an American dark comedy-drama anthology television series created by Marc Cherry. Set in multiple time periods, the series depicts the events leading to deaths caused by women. It premiered on August 15, 2019, on CBS All Access and its first season consists of 10 episodes. The second season premiered on June 3, 2021, on Paramount+. In December 2021, the series was renewed for a third season. However, it was scrapped before production could begin in July 2022.

Plot

The first season of Why Women Kill follows three women from different decades who are connected through having all lived in the same Pasadena mansion and experiencing infidelity in their marriages. Beth Ann Stanton remains content as a housewife in 1963 until she learns of her husband Rob's unfaithfulness; socialite Simone Grove discovers her third husband Karl's homosexuality and begins her own affair with a younger man in 1984; and in 2019, bisexual attorney Taylor Harding finds her open marriage tested when she and her husband Eli become attracted to the same woman, Jade. The infidelity in each marriage sets off a chain of events that ends with a death caused by a woman.

Cast and characters

Season 1

1963

Main

• Ginnifer Goodwin as Beth Ann Stanton, Rob's subservient wife.
  • Hartlyn Hilsman as a young Beth Ann.
• Sam Jaeger as Rob Stanton, an aerospace engineer married to Beth Ann
• Sadie Calvano as April Warner, a waitress having an affair with Rob

Recurring

• Alicia Coppola as Sheila Mosconi, Rob and Beth Ann's neighbor and Leo's wife who befriends Beth Ann
• Adam Ferrara as Leo Mosconi, Rob and Beth Ann's neighbor and Sheila's husband
• Lindsey Kraft as Claire, Rob's secretary.

Guest

• Spencer Garrett as Hal Burke, Rob's boss
• Peri Gilpin as Vivian Burke, Hal's wife
• Lio Tipton as Mary Vlasin, Rob and Beth Ann's neighbor and Ralph's abused wife
• Scott Porter as Ralph Vlasin, Rob and Beth Ann's neighbor and Mary's abusive husband
• Ava Scarola as Emily Stanton, Rob and Beth Ann's deceased daughter
• Catherine Curry as Elsie Warner, April and Rob's daughter who is under the care of Beth Ann

1984

Main

• Lucy Liu as Simone Grove, a twice-divorced socialite married to Karl
  • Harmonie He as a young Simone Grove
• Jack Davenport as Karl Grove, Simone's third husband who is using their relationship to conceal his homosexuality

Recurring

• Katie Finneran as Naomi Harte, a wealthy friend of Simone and Tommy's widowed mother
• Leo Howard as Tommy Harte, Naomi's son who harbors romantic feelings for Simone
• Li Jun Li as Amy Lin, Simone's daughter from her first marriage

Guest

• Charlie DePew as Brad Jenkins, Amy's fiancé
• Ken Garito as the police officer who mistakes Simone for a prostitute
• Christine Estabrook as Joyce Dubner, a hypochondriac neighbor of Simone
• Philip Anthony-Rodriguez as Hector, Simone's former hairdresser and Karl's lover
• Dale Dickey as Ruby Jenkins, Brad's mother
• Robert Craighead as Dwight Jenkins, Brad's father
• Hayley Hasselhoff as Patty Jenkins, Brad's lesbian sister

2019

Main

• Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Taylor Harding, a bisexual, feminist attorney in an open marriage with Eli
  • Kendall Denise Clark as a young Taylor Harding
• Alexandra Daddario as Jade/Irene, the bisexual lover of Taylor, and then Eli
• Reid Scott as Eli Cohen, a screenwriter in an open marriage with Taylor

Recurring

• Kevin Daniels as Lamar, Eli's agent
• Kevin McNamara as Duke, Jade's ex-boyfriend

Guest

• Saidha Arrika Ekulona as Taylor's sister
• Christina Anthony as Velma, Taylor's sister
• Odelya Halevi as Willow, an Instagram model working with Mischa and a friend of Jade
• Kevin William Paul as Mischa, Willow's fellow Instagram model, who is friends with Jade

Season 2

Main

• Allison Tolman as Alma Fillcot, a housewife in 1949 who is desperate to join the local exclusive garden club
  • Rachel Redleaf as young Alma
• Lana Parrilla as Rita Castillo, the president of the local garden club and wife of Carlo
• B.K. Cannon as Dee Fillcot, Alma's daughter
• Jordane Christie as Vern Loomis, a private investigator
• Matthew Daddario as Scooter, a struggling actor and Rita's paramour
• Veronica Falcón as Catherine Castillo, Rita's stepdaughter and Carlo's daughter
• Nick Frost as Bertram Fillcot, Alma's husband and a veterinarian

Recurring

• Rachel Bay Jones as Maisie
• Daniel Zacapa as Carlo Castillo, Rita's elderly husband and Catherine's father
• Eileen Galindo as Isabel, Rita's maid who is secretly her accomplice and cousin
• Virginia Williams as Grace, a member of the garden club
• Rondi Reed as Mrs. Carol Yost, the Fillcot's grouchy, judgmental next door neighbor who expresses disbelief for Alma getting into the Elysian Park Garden Club
• Jessica Phillips as Joan, another member of the garden club
• Kerry O'Malley as Mavis, another member of the garden club
• Cynthia Quiles as Brenda, another member of the garden club
• Jack Davenport as The Narrator
• Warren Kole as Detective Rohbin

Guest

• Ryan McPartlin as Tom Madison
• Andrew Leeds as Dr. Gibson

Episodes

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally released
			First released	Last released	Network
1	10		August 15, 2019 (2019-08-15)	October 17, 2019 (2019-10-17)	CBS All Access
2	10		June 3, 2021 (2021-06-03)	July 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)	Paramount+

Season 1 (2019)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	1	"Murder Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry"	Marc Webb	Marc Cherry	August 15, 2019 (2019-08-15)
In 1963, Rob Stanton, an engineer, and Beth Ann Stanton, a housewife, move into their Pasadena mansion following the death of their daughter. After meeting Leo and Sheila Mosconi, Beth Ann overhears Sheila reveal that Leo witnessed Rob kissing a waitress. Beth Ann refuses to believe her husband's infidelity until she sees Rob kiss the waitress firsthand. At Sheila's advice, Beth Ann goes to the diner to confront the waitress, who she learns is named April. However, Beth Ann loses her nerve and instead befriends April, although she keeps her identity secret. In 1984, socialite Simone Grove lives in the mansion with Karl, her third husband of ten years who owns a successful art gallery. At a party, Simone learns of her husband's homosexuality when she finds pictures of Karl kissing a man. Simone demands that Karl leave, but Karl instead appears to attempt suicide by overdosing on pills. After Karl is sent to the hospital, Tommy Harte, the son of Simone's best friend Naomi, admits to Simone that he saw the photos and makes a romantic pass at her. While flattered, Simone declines his advances as he is just under the age of consent. Tommy leaves, but tells Simone he has been in love with her for years. In 2019, Taylor Harding and Eli Cohen are a married couple in an open marriage. Taylor is a successful lawyer and Eli is a screenwriter with some minor success. One night, Taylor brings Jade, her apparently casual hookup, home to stay with her and Eli after Jade is threatened by her ex-boyfriend Duke. Eli initially opposes having a paramour of the couple stay in their mansion longer than one night, but Jade begins happily maintaining the household and cooking meals for them, much to Taylor's delight. Eli eventually agrees to allow Jade to stay longer when he finds himself becoming attracted to her.
2	2	"I'd Like to Kill Ya, But I Just Washed My Hair"	Marc Webb	Austin Guzman	August 22, 2019 (2019-08-22)
In 1963, April admits to Beth Ann that she's in a relationship with a married man, still unaware that he's Beth Ann's husband. After April suggests that the affair is the result of Rob becoming bored with his wife, Beth Ann attempts to make herself more appealing to Rob by updating her style and giving him a blowjob, but her efforts culminate with her accidentally injuring him. While waiting to be treated at the hospital, Rob acknowledges that he is growing distant from Beth Ann, but stops short of admitting his infidelity. Once treated for his injury, Rob leaves the mansion for an apparent dinner with business partners despite Beth Ann's attempts to make him stay, knowing that he is really meeting with April. In 1984, Simone discovers that Karl faked his suicide attempt, but is unable to force him out of the mansion when Karl threatens to humiliate her by disclosing his homosexuality to her friends. Naomi Harte reveals to Simone that she has known about Karl's infidelity for over a year, although she is unaware of his sexual orientation. Feeling betrayed by Karl and Naomi, Simone begins an affair with Tommy, who is now a legal adult. In 2019, Eli begins to suspect that Taylor is in love with Jade after he learns that they have been seeing each other for six months, breaking their established rules for their open marriage. Following a threesome amongst Eli, Taylor, and Jade, Eli's suspicions are fueled by the two women continuing their intimacy without him. When questioned by her husband about her relationship with Jade, Taylor reassures him that he simply feels insecure because of his career struggles.
3	3	"I Killed Everyone He Did, But Backwards and in High Heels"	David Grossman	Randi Mayem Singer	August 29, 2019 (2019-08-29)
In 1963, when Beth Ann learns that Rob intends to meet with April in a nightclub to celebrate the completion of a project, she visits his office and takes the project files with her. Forced to remain in the office to recreate the project, Rob cancels his plans with April, who invites Beth Ann to go out with her. At the nightclub, April reveals to Beth Ann that she is not pursuing a serious relationship with Rob and has no intention of getting married, preferring to instead focus on becoming a singer. In 1984, Simone and Karl are forced to attend a charity dinner together, with Tommy serving as their waiter. Tommy grows increasingly resentful towards Karl and his treatment of Simone, culminating in him intentionally spilling food on Karl and getting fired. Afterwards, Simone chastises Tommy for his behavior. Tommy questions the status of her relationship with Karl as they still seem friendly. Simone tells Tommy that while she fully intends to divorce Karl, she does not dislike him. Karl and Simone end the evening by tangoing at the charity dinner as Tommy looks on. In 2019, at a nightclub Taylor, Eli, and Jade encounter Willow and Mischa, Jade's former romantic partners. They offer to take Jade with them to Venice the next day. Taylor becomes jealous and attempts to prevent Jade from leaving. After Eli further pressures her about her feelings for Jade, Taylor confesses that Jade helps her cope with the financial pressures she faces from being the breadwinner, which have been compounded by Eli not helping her generate income. When Jade returns to the mansion to announce that she will be leaving for Venice, Eli convinces her to stay and to make the mansion her home, and they become a "throuple."
4	4	"You Had Me at Homicide"	Valerie Weiss	Greg Malins	September 5, 2019 (2019-09-05)
In 1963, April and Beth Ann go roller skating and afterwards eat brownies laced with marijuana. April admits that Rob has been doing marijuana for more excitement in his life. Beth Ann realizes she has forgotten about a dinner party at Rob's boss' home and will now have to go with Rob while high. She charms the hosts and fellow guests, but admits to Rob that she "knows what [he's] been doing". After the dinner, Rob asked how she knew about the marijuana, not knowing Beth Ann was actually referring to his infidelity. After Beth Ann does not answer, Rob tells her how he has forgotten how to enjoy life. They go rollerskating in their neighborhood and Rob starts to regain interest in Beth Ann. In 1984, when Simone refuses to accept Tommy's gift, a sports watch, Tommy leaves her in the middle of their date. Later, Amy, Simone's engaged daughter, cancels her wedding with her fiance Brad due to a misunderstanding. Tommy agrees to go on a date with Amy to make Simone jealous. After listening to a speech on love made by Karl, Simone realizes her true feelings for Tommy. She then interrupts their date to reconcile Brad and Amy, and mends her relationship with Tommy by wearing the watch he gifted her. In 2019, Jade's abusive ex-boyfriend, Duke, shows up at the mansion, but before he gets to the door, he is stopped by Taylor after she threatens to call the police. A while later, Jade gets a call from Duke to meet her or else he will kill their dog Teacup. Eli, Jade, and Taylor go to Duke's apartment to talk things out, but when Duke does not answer the door, Eli breaks one of his windows and steals the dog. After efforts to chase them fail, Duke goes to the mansion again to injure Eli and Taylor, but Jade surprises him and knocks him over the head with a hammer, sending him over the stair railing and onto a table, breaking Duke's leg. She threatens him if he tries to return.
5	5	"There's No Crying in Murder"	David Grossman	Jeff Strauss & Brendan Stephan	September 12, 2019 (2019-09-12)
In 1963, April auditions to sing at a local bar, and she gets the gig. April makes plans for Beth Ann and Rob to come watch her when she sings, but after Rob gets two tickets to the World Series, Rob declines April's offer. However, Beth Ann pretends to be sick and instead goes to the bar for April's performance. After, they go back to April's apartment. Rob shows up and Beth Ann is forced to hide in the bathroom. April then tells Rob that she is in love with him, but Rob starts yelling at her, saying he will never leave his wife, and he storms out. In 1984, after Simone and Tommy get lost on the way to a motel, Simone asks for directions, but a police officer mistakes Simone for a prostitute, forcing them to explain their illicit affair and reconsider a different arrangement. When Naomi finds out Tommy's been leaving the house at all hours of the night, she signs him up for a housekeeping service to water neighbor's plants to keep him busy. When Simone hears this, they start meeting in the empty houses to have sex. However, when Joyce, Simone's neighbor, comes home early while they are having sex, Simone is forced to call Karl to help her out of the bedroom. Karl drives to their house and crashes into Naomi's car, creating a distraction for Simone to leave. Karl also discovers Simone has been having an affair with Tommy. In 2019, Taylor is out of town for a conference, and meets with her sisters to tell them about her relationship change. Her sisters ask her about how Eli and Jade feel about each other. They also express concern about the possibility that they will start to like each other more than Taylor, and bring up Eli's past addiction to drugs. While Taylor's gone, Eli gets a 24-hour notice to finish his script or Lamar, his agent, will drop him. Jade inspires Eli, who's going through writer's block, but Eli is foggy and distracted, and falls asleep after writing for hours. Unaware of his substance abuse problems, Jade offers Eli pills to make him more energized, which he accepts. After Lamar says the script was the best thing he's ever written, Eli and Jade have sex without Taylor for the first time.
6	6	"Practically Lethal in Every Way"	David Warren	Joe Keenan	September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19)
In 1963, Rob and Beth Ann throw a housewarming party to celebrate unpacking. Beth Ann goes around the neighborhood inviting all her neighbors, including Mary and Ralph Vlasin. Beth Ann describes their encounter to April, who strongly suspects that Ralph is hitting Mary. At the party, Mary and Rob dance, but a jealous Ralph pulls Mary into the study and starts yelling at her. Beth Ann intervenes and tells Ralph to leave, but after he storms out, Mary follows him. Rob and Beth Ann get into an argument about how Rob did nothing to stop Ralph. As a retort, Rob yells at Beth Ann saying that she wasn't a good mother. After Beth Ann finds out their neighbor Sheila overheard their fight, Beth Ann admits that she was the reason their daughter died. In 1984, Simone and Karl go to dinner with Amy to meet Brad's family, after Amy discovers they are getting divorced she asks them to keep this to themselves as Brad's family is conservative. While at the restaurant, Simone sees Hector, her favorite stylist who seemingly dropped her as a client for no reason. Karl excuses himself from the table and is apparently hiding out from Brad's family. When Simone goes looking for him, she finds Karl and Hector making out in the men's bathroom and they return to the table. After Ruby, Brad's mother, starts asking questions about Simone's ex-husbands, an angry Simone tells the entire table that Karl is gay. Then, Karl tells Brad's family about Simone's affair with Tommy. Brad's family is shocked, and the dinner ends abruptly. Back at the mansion, Karl and Simone fight and Karl angrily admits he was in love with Hector but ended the relationship some time ago. Simone then visits Hector to talk about Karl's relationship with him. In 2019, Eli and Jade admit to Taylor that they had sex, but Taylor doesn't seem to care. Eli, Jade, Taylor, and Lamar go have dinner to discuss the script. After Lamar and Eli keep giving Jade credit for "being Eli's muse", Taylor gets angry and goes into the bathroom. After Jade finds her and asks what's wrong, she tells Jade that she was the one who spent the last two years fixing Eli's life after his severe drug abuse and overdose. Jade, feeling guilty about giving him pills, confronts Eli about not telling her that he was an addict. Eli gives his pills to Jade, but after he agrees to protect Jade no matter what, she gives the pills back.
7	7	"I Found Out What the Secret to Murder Is: Friends. Best Friends."	Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum	Hannah Schneider	September 26, 2019 (2019-09-26)
In 1963, Rob dumps April after she said she loved him, but she learns that she's pregnant and he's the father. Beth Ann and Sheila discuss telling Rob about her knowing of the affair, but during the discussion, April appears in the driveway of the mansion. Sheila opens the door and pretends to be Beth Ann. Later, Beth Ann plans to tell Rob that she knows about the affair, but she stops herself. A worried Rob asks if she's sick, and Beth Ann then tells him that she has cancer. In 1984, Simone tells Karl that she still wants to divorce him, but that she wants to part amicably. She invites Hector over and he and Karl go on a date. Tommy buys Simone a very expensive brooch, Naomi is alerted about the withdrawal and starts to think that Tommy is buying drugs. After learning the real cost of the brooch, Simone attempts to return it to Tommy while he's at track practice. Someone spots Simone but does not recognize her, and informs Naomi they saw Tommy with a suspicious person, leading Naomi to think Tommy is actually dealing drugs. Naomi breaks into Tommy's room to try and read his journal, but Simone goes to her house to try and stop her and successfully distracts Naomi by revealing that Karl is gay. Tommy invites Simone to travel to Europe with him. Though Simone initially declines, she agrees to think about it. Karl discovers he has AIDS, but doesn't tell Simone. In 2019, Eli buys cocaine from his former drug dealer as the pills Jade provided are losing their effect. Taylor starts to suspect that something is wrong when he keeps sniffing and wiping his nose. In order to improve their relationship, Taylor invites Eli and Jade to a weekend polyamory retreat. While at a gas station, Eli does cocaine and accidentally spills the powder all over the trunk, which he tries to conceal. After getting to the retreat to find that they are doing trunk inspections, Eli panics and turns the car around. His nose starts bleeding, which prompts Taylor to go to the trunk where she finds the cocaine. They return to the mansion and Taylor demands that Eli go to rehab, but after he refuses, Taylor walks out. She tells Jade to come with her, but Jade stays.
8	8	"Marriages Don't Break Up on Account of Murder – It's Just a Symptom That Something Else Is Wrong"	Lucy Liu	Alexa Junge	October 3, 2019 (2019-10-03)
In 1963, Beth Ann and Sheila visit Sheila's nephew, a doctor who specializes in oncology, to talk about what kind of cancer she should say she has. After they land on epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, she tells Rob that she has six months to live. April misleads Beth Ann and has her drive her to an illegal abortion clinic. While there, Beth Ann becomes worried about April's safety and tells her about the death of her daughter Emily, and that April reminds Beth Ann of her. Convinced that April's death would devastate Beth Ann, April agrees to leave without getting the procedure. Beth Ann tells Sheila what happened and considers taking April's child to raise, as Rob loved being a father and Beth Ann couldn't have more children. Sheila chastises Beth Ann and cuts ties with her. April storms into Rob's office and tells Rob that she's pregnant, and Rob responds by proposing to her, saying that his marriage will be over in six months. April calls Beth Ann and tells her the news, when Beth Ann learns what has happened she faints in the middle of the street. In 1984, Simone and Tommy discuss their vacation to Europe, and since he cannot afford the extravagant things Simone has in mind, she suggests that he sell the brooch and find a more creative way to show her that he cares. At a dinner party, a woman approaches Simone in the bathroom, saying she is Karl's doctor's wife and is also a nurse in his practice. She tells Simone that Karl has AIDS. After the party, Karl confirms his diagnosis. Simone decides to cancel her trip with Tommy in order to take care of Karl. Upset, Tommy steals a bottle of wine from Simone and drives away in his car, getting in an accident. At the hospital, Naomi finds Tommy has gotten a tattoo of Simone on his leg. In 2019, Taylor and Jade talk about the risk of Eli overdosing on drugs again. Taylor asks Jade to find Eli's passwords so that they can cut the cash flow to his bank account. Taylor explains that he becomes extremely generous when on drugs. Taylor considers calling Eli's father, whom he dislikes, to find out the reason he was using drugs again, but Jade shuts down the idea. Eli buys Jade an expensive car, and when Taylor gets notified that a large chunk of money was taken out of their bank account, she goes to the mansion. Taylor becomes suspicious of Jade and tells her to return the car, but Jade refuses. Taylor accuses Jade of being the reason Eli is on drugs, but Jade tells her to leave, then works to turn Eli against Taylor, telling him about Taylor's plans to call his father and cut him off, and plying him with drugs to keep him easygoing. Taylor visits Duke in jail, and in exchange for bailing him out, she asks for information about Jade. Duke tells Taylor that Jade is not who she says she is.
9	9	"I Was Just Wondering What Makes Dames Like You So Deadly"	Dawn Wilkinson	Mary Elizabeth Hamilton	October 10, 2019 (2019-10-10)
In 1963, while at the doctor with April, Beth Ann sees Mary, who has been visibly hurt. Beth Ann goes to Mary's house to check on her, and questions why she stays with Ralph. Mary admits that Ralph has a gun and threatened to shoot her if she leaves. After their talk, Beth Ann decides to leave Rob and goes to his office to say goodbye, but he isn't there. Rob's secretary Claire then tells her Rob has cheated with many women, including Claire. Claire admits that she was the reason Beth Ann's daughter Emily died; Claire went to their house to meet Rob, but after Beth Ann and Emily came home early, Claire fled out the back door and left it open, causing Emily to wander into the street. Rob knew the truth and has been gaslighting Beth Ann. Beth Ann changes her mind about leaving Rob, and forgives Claire on the condition that their conversation stay between them. On the way home, she buys a gun. In 1984, Naomi spreads the rumor that Simone has been molesting Tommy for years and tells everyone that Karl is gay. This gets Simone and Karl kicked out of their country club. Naomi furiously shows up at the mansion and tells them she will do much worse, as she knows that Karl has contracted AIDS. When the news reaches Amy, she insists that Karl and Simone shouldn't come to the wedding. One day, Simone and Karl find that their house has been graffitied with slurs and Karl's diagnosis, drawing a crowd. Karl starts getting dizzy and almost faints, Simone pleads for help but their neighbors are reluctant to go near him due to his disease, and only their gardener is willing to help. At the hospital, Simone sees Naomi and pleads with her to leave Karl out of their feud. Naomi isn't satisfied, saying she will continue her tirade, but Tommy overhears her and angrily ends his relationship with his mother. An enraged Naomi gets in her car and waits for Simone to come out of the hospital, and when she does, Naomi drives into Simone. In 2019, Jade continues to ply Eli with drugs and exploit his generosity. Eli's agent asks him to come in for a meeting with a potential director for his movie, but it is actually a cover for a meeting with Taylor. She tells Eli the truth about Jade: her name is actually Irene and she has seduced and killed multiple people. Taylor wants Eli to dump Jade and go into rehab, but while he is suspicious, he leaves and continues to blame Taylor. After Jade picks up Eli from the meeting, he questions Jade about her true identity. Jade gets distracted and crashes the car, injuring Eli, then flees the scene. Jade runs away to Duke's, who admits he told Taylor everything, they argue violently and Jade stabs Duke to death. Taylor visits Eli in the hospital. He is unconscious, but the nurse said he left a note for her with one word: "rehab."
10	10	"Kill Me as if It Were the Last Time"	David Warren	Marc Cherry & Curtis Kheel	October 17, 2019 (2019-10-17)
In 1963, Beth Ann tells Rob she has bought a gun that she will keep loaded in the kitchen due to break-ins in the neighborhood, then initiates a scheme with Mary to cause their husbands to kill each other. Mary hides her belongings, then leaves a note for Ralph that she's having an affair with Rob and is leaving to be with him. Beth Ann plies Rob with alcohol and questions him about Emily's death, but Rob continues to deny his role in their daughter's death, encouraging Beth Ann to continue with their scheme. April arrives at the mansion suddenly, having learned the truth about Beth Ann's identity. Ralph arrives with his gun shortly afterwards and argues with Rob, prompting a struggle between the two. In the ensuing scuffle, Beth Ann removes the bullets from her gun before tossing it to Rob, ensuring that he's gunned down by Ralph. A decade later, Simone meets Beth Ann, who reveals that Ralph was executed for Rob's murder, and April has become a singer, with Beth Ann helping raise her and Rob's daughter Elsie. The three of them move to New York together so that April can appear on Broadway. In 1984, Tommy saves Simone from his mother, resulting in Naomi being injured. News spreads of Naomi's actions and she is exiled by her society friends. Tommy offers to cancel his trip to Europe to be with Simone as she takes care of Karl, but Simone encourages him to travel and pursue new relationships. Six months later, Simone is forced to sell off her art collection to pay for Karl's medical bills after they lose their insurance. Karl starts stealing sleeping pills in an attempt to end his life as his condition worsens. Karl is discovered and Simone discards the pills, despite his pleas that he does not want to suffer a painful death. Seeing an AIDS victim take a turn for the worse convinces Simone to help Karl end his life without pain. The two share a final dance before Simone euthanizes her husband. Decades later, Taylor and Eli meet Simone, who has become a philanthropist active in AIDS research, while Tommy is revealed to have become a successful painter. In 2019, Eli leaves the hospital, and Taylor and Eli agree to sell the mansion and stop seeing other people so they can focus on improving their own relationship once Eli returns from rehab. Back at the mansion, they are startled by the return of Jade, who's desperate for money. Refusing to help her, Jade seemingly flees through the back door and they call the police. When the police arrive it is to inform them that Duke has been murdered. Taylor and Eli tell the police they suspect Jade is the culprit, and fearing for their lives, they rush to pack their belongings and stay in a hotel until Jade is apprehended. Jade emerges from a hiding place and stabs Eli before being killed by Taylor in a struggle. Eli survives, they sell the mansion to couple Abby and Andrew and move back into to their old condo with Jade's dog Teacup. After Eli and Taylor leave, Abby discovers that Andrew is cheating on her and shoots him.

Season 2 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
11	1	"Secret Beyond the Door"	David Warren	Marc Cherry	June 3, 2021 (2021-06-03)
12	2	"The Woman in the Window"	David Warren	Joe Keenan	June 3, 2021 (2021-06-03)
13	3	"Lady in the Lake"	Jennifer Getzinger	Joshua Michael Stern	June 10, 2021 (2021-06-10)
14	4	"Scene of the Crime"	Eva Longoria	Hannah Schneider	June 17, 2021 (2021-06-17)
15	5	"They Made Me a Killer"	Larry Shaw	Mary Elizabeth Hamilton	June 24, 2021 (2021-06-24)
16	6	"Dangerous Intruder"	Larry Shaw	Stacey Harman	July 1, 2021 (2021-07-01)
17	7	"The Woman in Question"	Joanna Kerns	Curtis Kheel	July 8, 2021 (2021-07-08)
18	8	"Murder, My Sweet"	David Warren	Austin Guzman	July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15)
19	9	"The Unguarded Moment"	Melanie Mayron	Joe Keenan	July 22, 2021 (2021-07-22)
20	10	"The Lady Confesses"	David Warren	Joe Keenan	July 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)

Production

Development

On September 24, 2018, it was announced that CBS All Access had given the production a straight-to-series order. The series was created by Marc Cherry who was also expected to executive produce alongside Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo, Michael Hanel, and Mindy Schultheis. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Imagine Entertainment and CBS Television Studios. On December 10, 2018, it was reported that the series would receive $8.4 million in tax credits from the state of California.

Cherry stated at the 2019 Television Critics Association that there will be "three deaths at the end of the series, and they will all be committed by women. But it's not necessarily the three women on this stage. The victims are not necessarily the men on this stage, and interesting enough, not one person will be killed because of infidelity. Infidelity is just the starting point for these journeys of self‑discovery."

On October 16, 2019, the day before the season 1 finale, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season that would focus on a new set of characters. Julie McNamara, CBS All Access' EVP of Original Content, stated that, "Under the creative direction of Marc Cherry and the incredible performances of the cast, the series has become one of our most streamed original series. We look forward to bringing fans even more of this wonderfully soapy dramedy in its second season and can't wait to see what themes Marc explores next."

On November 11, 2020, it was reported that the second season had been suspended production after positive COVID-19 tests of production team members. On December 15, 2021, Paramount+ renewed the series for a third season. On July 1, 2022, the season was reported scrapped just before production was set to begin.

Casting

In February 2019, it was announced that Ginnifer Goodwin and Lucy Liu had been cast in starring roles. On February 27, 2019, it was reported that Reid Scott had joined the cast. On March 4, 2019, it was announced that Sam Jaeger had joined the cast. On March 7, 2019, it was announced that Alexandra Daddario had joined the cast. On March 11, 2019, Kirby Howell-Baptiste had been cast. On March 19, 2019, Sadie Calvano joined cast as a series regular. On April 5, 2019, Katie Finneran has been cast in a recurring role. On April 17, 2019, Adam Ferrara joined the cast in a recurring capacity. On August 7, 2019, Li Jun Li was cast in a recurring role. In October 2020, Allison Tolman, Nick Frost, Lana Parrilla, B.K. Cannon, Jordane Christie, Matthew Daddario, Veronica Falcón were cast to star for the second season. In November 2020, Virginia Williams, Jessica Phillips, Eileen Galindo, Cynthia Quiles, and Kerry O'Malley joined the cast in recurring roles for the second season. On April 14, 2021, Rachel Bay Jones was cast in a recurring role for the second season.

Release

Why Women Kill premiered on August 15, 2019, and its first season consisted of 10 episodes on CBS All Access. The second season premiered on June 3, 2021, on Paramount+ and it consists of 10 episodes.

Why Women Kill: Truth, Lies and Labels

Why Women Kill: Truth, Lies and Labels
Presentation
Hosted by	Tori Telfer
Genre	True crime
Language	English
Updates	Weekly, every Friday
Length	22–25 minutes
Production
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	6
Publication
Original release	September 20 (2019-09-20) – October 25, 2019 (2019-10-25)
Provider	Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Radio
Related
Related shows	Why Women Kill

On September 20, 2019, CBS All Access released the first episode of a six episode podcast, entitled Why Women Kill: Truth, Lies and Labels, to help advertise for Why Women Kill. The final episode was released on October 25. Each episode, released weekly on Friday, shares the details of a woman who became a murderer. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher Radio. Tori Telfer, a true crime writer, narrates each episode.

No.	Title	Topic	Length min:sec	Original air date
1	"The Black Widow"	Belle Gunness	22:56	September 20, 2019 (2019-09-20)
2	"The Woman Who Snapped"	Lizzie Borden	22:13	September 27, 2019 (2019-09-27)
3	"The Angel of Death"	Amy Archer-Gilligan	22:36	October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04)
4	"The Jealous Lover"	Mary Pearcey	24:52	October 11, 2019 (2019-10-11)
5	"The Bonnie"	Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck	22:50	October 18, 2019 (2019-10-18)
6	"The Bloodthirsty Babe"	Elizabeth Báthory	24:04	October 25, 2019 (2019-10-25)

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 67% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though Why Women Kill falls short of its ambitious premise, fans of Marc Cherry and his impressive cast will find much to like in its darkly soapy and stylish delights." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

While the aesthetic of the series received praise, critics found that Why Women Kill lacked character development. Robyn Bahr of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "We're supposed to marvel at the changing roles of women over time, but it's hard to get there, intellectually, when none of the three leads feels like a semblance of a real person. Instead, Why Women Kill comes off as an ungainly fantasy of women's emotional lives, where the threat of infidelity could be the only fuel of marital unhappiness." Vulture reviewer Angelica Jade Bastién agreed with the focus on aesthetics more than plot, stating, "Why Women Kill is akin to an overly complicated craft cocktail, boasting an intriguing brightness, namely in the form of Goodwin's performance, but lacking balance in its competing flavors. It's full of baffling tonal and narrative decisions that undermine what does work about the show—a handful of the performances, the over-the-top, nearly camp production design, the costuming—and undercuts its dramatic potential with broad, nearly slapstick humor that distances us from the characters rather than illuminating who they are."

However, Greg Wheeler of 'The Review Geek' changed his view as the series progressed, and gave this favourable summary: 'Why Women Kill is one of those shows that's hurt by early reviews. I've said it many times before that a full season review rating should be reserved for just that – a full season. When it comes to this wonderful drama, this is a perfect example against judging a show by the first few episodes. What began as an artistic trio of stories dancing around a singular idea, quickly blossomed into one of the best shows of the year. Between the strong writing and well paced segments, right across to the different themes and ideas explored each episode, Why Women Kill may just be one of my favourite shows of the year, balancing the artistic juxtapositions and smart editing with the perfect finale to balance things out.'

On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 83% based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 7.33/10.

External links

• Official website
• Why Women Kill at IMDb