The investigation regarding the Merritt Monaco murder mystery gains direction in the second episode of Netflix’s crime drama The Perfect Couple, as newer secrets involving the victim continue to surface. With a reality check as to how the privilege 1% abuse their power to control and manipulate the narrative in their favor, the episode gives us a glimpse into the apathetic, morally vacant reality of the Winburys, hidden within the façade of benevolent aristocracy. The episode, titled “She Would Never Do That,” also pinpoints the first possible suspects of the crime as well, as a strong enough motivation is highlighted in the course of the episode.
Spoilers Ahead
The Winburys Control the Narrative
As mentioned in the first episode as well, bride-to-be Amelia was hiding some secret, which she wasn’t able to share with the authorities after the discovery of her best friend, Merritt’s murder, and the second episode begins with her going through a remorseful breakdown as she blames herself for the events that took place. The exact reason why is revealed much late into the episode, as the previously undisclosed connection Merritt shared with the Winburys is known.
With the wedding cancelled for now, the celebratory mood in Summerland has suddenly turned into a morose one, but more than the grief over someone’s death, the family members are bothered about the unwanted presence of the cops. It is assumed that Merritt had probably gone out to the sea in a wooden kayak, which originally belongs to Tag, and from the bruises on her corpse along with a men’s jacket, the authorities suspect that she was accompanied by someone while kayaking, who killed and drowned her for reasons still unknown. Merritt’s phone is recovered as well, which is sent to the lab so they can analyse it for possible connections to the crime.
Thomas and Tag are more concerned with their estate’s pristine landscape getting roughed up by a police convoy, and none of the Winbury family members can even pretend to be upset about the heinous incident. Tag actively tries to shift the direction of the investigation by making assumptions like a drunk Merritt being responsible for her own sordid fate, and Detective Henry quickly catches on to his statement as she tries to pry out more related information from him. However, Chief Henry, a close acquaintance of the Winbury family, assuages the situation and informs Tag that the search and questioning are just part of a formality. Carter and the local police are a bit tolerant with the Winburys, as their hefty annual donation has given the local PD a facelift, and Detective Henry is quite appalled at this. Carter convinces her to let him approach in a gentler way, as he warns that the moment the affluent and powerful ones get a whiff of the fact that they no longer control the narrative, they will use every resource at their disposal to derail the investigation.
Greer goes a step beyond her husband when it comes to the cover-up, she, along with her family members, show sympathy to a grieving Amelia, but at the same time the matriarch doesn’t hesitate a bit to command that in their official statement to the press they are going to state that Merritt committed suicide. With her new book soon to launch, Greer Winbury cannot afford bad press, especially not the kind that ensues the death of an influencer during a family event. Amelia is disgusted and gets even more shocked when Benji presents her with an NDA issued by Greer’s lawyers to ensure her silence. She tries to argue with her fiancé, but it doesn’t take much time for her to realize that, in this situation, she’s the only one in her corner.
Shooter’s involvement remains a mystery
Benji’s best friend, Shooter, is visibly disturbed in the aftermath of Merrit’s murder for reasons unknown, and makes an attempt to escape from the island. Shooter’s fingerprints have been discovered on Merritt’s phone, which prompts the authorities to latch on his tail and stop him from escaping. Shooter had taken a photo of Merritt and Will using her phone, which might explain his fingerprints on the phone—but is there more to the story? In any case, his attempt to escape indicates a troubling history that might or might not be connected with the murder but surely is concerned with the Winbury family in a certain capacity. Thomas’ affair with Isabel and his overall wayward, callous attitude about basically everything in his life are highlighted in the episode. His pregnant wife, Abby, has her own issues as she is having a hard time coping with the way her pregnancy is hindering her enjoying her life the way she wants to, and at the same time, she is probably aware of her husband’s affair as well.
Greer and Tag Are The Suspects
Flashes of incidents that transpired the hours before Merritt’s death hover in Amelia’s mind, as we learn that she was possibly the last person to have met Merritt before her death. Merritt had revealed to her best friend that she was having an affair with Tag and also the fact that she was pregnant with his child as well. Needless to say, the revelation resulted in the duo having a heated argument and eventually falling out. Amelia was blaming herself, considering the fact that the way she let her anger take control of the situation, Merritt ended up devastated after attracting her best friend’s loathing, and possibly in a troubled state of her mind, did something problematic that resulted in her demise. But the way the Winbury family is trying to cover up the incident has made her wary of the actual reason behind Merritt’s death. Later that night, Tag approaches Amelia to indirectly confess his relationship with Merritt, and Amelia promptly replies, stating that she was already aware. After this interaction, Amelia goes to the Henry and Carter on her own, unbeknownst to the Winburys, and reveals Tag and Merritt’s affair to them. What she doesn’t yet know, however, is the fact that Greer also knew that Merritt was the person her husband was cheating her with, as she was able to identify the bracelet Tag had secretly bought.
Throughout the episode, Tag and Greer’s broken, yet supportive relationship has come into focus, as despite knowing that her good-for-nothing, pot smoking husband is not faithful towards her, Greer begrudgingly covers up for him and defends him. As said previously, for Greer, the concept of the perfect family, the perfect couple—which the Winburys are able to project in the media—is more important than their own personal feelings, and if that means they have to pretend, lie, and cover up for each other throughout their miserable lives, then that is excusable as well. The reason probably isn’t what some believe—that Greer married into wealth, as she herself is a successful celebrity writer, but the position and power she holds as the Winbury family matriarch is an addiction strong enough to let her allow every misdeed her family partakes in. But does that extend to murdering someone to keep the family reputation intact? Or possibly out of jealousy? Perhaps later episodes will clarify this aspect, but for now the Winbury family heads are the prime suspects of the murder.
