In the second episode of "Little Disasters," we find Betsey in the ICU of the hospital, her presence a somber reminder of the chaos that has unfolded. As guests at Frankie's birthday party begin to file out, Lucy and DC Steve interrogate Ed about Betsey's condition. His ignorance of the severity is palpable; he was under the impression it was a mere case of the flu, and the intrusion of police and social services feels invasive. As they break the news to him, it becomes clear that Jess has kept him in the dark.
Ed insists on seeing Betsey, but Steve's denial stings. They demand to inspect the house for clues, leading them to the nursery where they find Jess huddled on the floor. After Jess gets dressed, Ed scolds her for her secrecy, and Lucy and Steve overhear their exchange, their minds racing with speculation about domestic violence. In the room, Jess remains tight-lipped, refusing to divulge what happened or why she didn't call Ed. She insists she only came back to gather items that would make Betsey feel at home.
In the nursery, Steve and Lucy remark on how meticulously Jess had cleaned up the room, their suspicions piqued by its perfection. They inform Ed and Jess that they will need to take a picture of the room as it now constitutes a crime scene.
As the investigation progresses, Lucy and Steve insist on interviewing the boys. Frankie is a liability as he starts to cry, while Kit is apathetic. Thankfully, Ed is allowed to sit in during the interview, and the police manage to cobble together a tenuous timeline for Betsey's injury.
On the other side of the house, Steve questions Jess about Liz's involvement in the events, noting the complexities of their friendship. Jess clarifies that while they were once friends, their relationship has frayed. It emerges that everything happened during a luxurious summer vacation in Provence last year, courtesy of Charlotte and Andrew's generosity. At the time, Rob was planning to start his own record label and, in his gratitude speech, promised to return the favor once his business took off.
Later, during a mishap involving Charlotte and her beloved vintage bowls, the women chide Charlotte for bringing down the mood. She blames it on her IVF struggles, explaining that she's doing it solely for Andrew's sake. Andrew overhears but plays coy with his knowledge of Charlotte's struggles.
The women gather around Charlotte, their support like a warm embrace, yet her face remains etched in a frown. As she catches a glimpse of Ed and Jess in an intimate embrace, her mood plummets further into dismay.
Steve continues his interview with Jess, while Mel, in a quiet corner, reflects on the solitude that motherhood often brings. The police question Ed, who tells them of his inebriated state upon returning home. He found Jess asleep and Betsey screaming hysterically, her little body convulsing with vomit. He wakes Jess with a jolt, urging her to rush their daughter to the hospital. According to him, Jess must have succumbed to exhaustion and slumbered unaware of Betsey's distress.
At Nick and Liz's abode, Liz wrestles with the guilt of reporting Jess to social services. Nick reassures her that she probably acted out of necessity. Liz's inebriated mother calls, requesting a pick-up from the supermarket.
At Andrew and Charlotte's residence, they ponder over the events that unfolded. Charlotte, with a fierce determination to protect Ed, quickly shifts the blame onto Jess. At Rob and Mel's house, Mel offers to keep an eye on Frankie and Kit while Ed and Jess return to the hospital. As she watches Ed haul an unwilling Frankie out of the car, Mel can't help but wonder if he might have harmed Betsey.
At the hospital, the nurses bar Jess from seeing Betsey, while we're reminded of the Provence vacation that seemed like a distant dream now.
During the vacation, Jess remained vigilant over the children, shielding them from any harm. The friend group enjoyed their time together, though Rob's condescending attitude towards Mel left a sour note. It was on this very trip that Jess, out of respect for Charlotte's circumstances, confided in Liz her pregnancy. However, Ed, uninformed, blurted it out to everyone.
The conversation took an unexpected turn when they discussed vaccinations, and Jess's decision to not vaccinate her kids sparked a heated debate with Liz. Despite the heated exchange, Jess stood firm in her belief.
In a private moment, Charlotte joked about Liz's heavy drinking during the vacation. That night, Liz offered to put her son and Kit to bed, giving Ed and Jess some much-needed time together.
Rob criticized his friends for their reluctance to chip in for his new business while splurging on luxurious vacations. Mel urged him to tone it down, as borrowing from friends was embarrassing. Meanwhile, Ed apologized to Charlotte for forgetting about her fertility issues and confessed a part of him was worried a third baby would disrupt his relationship with Jess. Charlotte, in turn, confessed feeling guilty for not loving Andrew as he expected.
Unfortunately, Liz nodded off and forgot to put the boys to bed. They wandered off and were now missing. The group immediately set out to find them, with Jess becoming frantic and fearing the worst—that the kids had drowned in the swimming pool. Thankfully, they found the boys unharmed, but Jess lost her patience with Liz. The next morning, she confronted her, urging her to cut down on drinking and warned her she was turning into an alcoholic like her mother.
This conversation struck a nerve with Liz, who became defensive, arguing she was simply enjoying her holiday. The incident led to a rift between them, and their friendship fell apart thereafter.
Later, Liz spoke with Lucy and Neil, confessing she might be too hasty in calling protective child services. However, Lucy and Neil pointed out that there were legitimate concerns. Jess's explanation made no sense, and they still had no clue what happened to Betsey. Neil removed Liz from the case due to his concern about her conflicting interests.
In a subsequent meeting with Lucy, Ed, and Jess, Lucy asked them to sign a document temporarily giving up their kids' custody. Moving forward, they would not be allowed to be alone with them. If they refused to sign the documents, Lucy threatened to put the kids into foster care until the investigation was complete. Jess refused to sign over her kids to the state and lashed out in anger.
