In Good Girls, One Episode Stands Above The Rest
"Good Girls" is an NBC dramedy featuring the acting talents of Christina Hendricks, Retta, Mae Whitman, and Manny Montana. It featured three suburban moms (Hendricks, Retta, and Whitman), who stumble into a life of crime after their extreme debts send their lives spiraling out of control. It was well-liked by viewers and critics; the series has an overall 7.7/10 on IMDb, a 74% audience score, and an 86% critical rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
It lasted four whole seasons on NBC before low ratings — among other complications — put the final nails in the show's coffin in 2021 (according to Newsweek). It started strong with nearly 6 million people tuning in for the series premiere (via TV By the Numbers). Somehow, the show lost its way — along with more than half its audience — somewhere between the beginning of Season 1 and the debut of Season 2. This happened all in spite of an episode so profound in Season 1 that fans were losing their minds on social media.
The Season 1 finale left fans shocked and begging for more
The Season 1 finale, titled "Remix," is tied for the highest-rated episode according to fans on IMDb. But based on viewership numbers and overwhelmingly positive fan reactions on Twitter, "Remix" is the clear winner between them. In the episode, big revelations and agonizing cliffhangers set up the story for a compelling Season 2. Ruby's (Retta) law-abiding husband Stan (Reno Wilson) figures out that she was involved in the grocery store robberies, putting their marriage in jeopardy. Annie's horrible boss and attempted attacker gets his karmic comeuppance, and she begins to work things out with her ex.
Lastly, after Beth finds out her cheating husband ruined them financially and lied about having cancer in order to get her to stay, gangster Rio shows up in her home with Dean (Matthew Lillard) tied up, hands her a gun, and the scene cuts to black as she is forced to make an impossible choice.
Dozens of fans were clamoring for a second season after the finale. It was informally declared the winner of the 10 p.m. time slot by @2wlovers on Twitter, while @KIMKlt61 was impressed with the twists and turns because they didn't see any of it coming. @maramosaaa had the most glowing praise of all, insisting that NBC "Please renew #goodgirlsnbc! It's an amazing show and you cannot leave it like that. I need answers and I wanna see more of Beth, Ruby, and Annie's craziness."