Episode 3 of "The Hunting Wives" unfolds six months prior to the harrowing murder that shocked the woods, weaving a tale of intrigue centered around rumors claiming the Krummell girl might be held captive in an abandoned cabin. Echoes of distressed screams emanating from within seemed to validate these chilling whispers. Undeterred by the lack of reinforcement, a courageous yet impulsive young officer named Salazar ventured in solo, only to confront the grim reality of gunfire and suffer its brutal consequences.
Flashing forward to the present, Sophie unloads her pent-up sexual desires onto an unsuspecting Graham, who remains blissfully unaware of her turmoil. In a bid to distract, he proposes a family outing by the serene lake. Meanwhile, Sophie shuns Margo's persistent calls, prompting the latter to reach out to Jill instead. Jill, simmering with displeasure over Brad's affair with Abby, lets her disapproval ripple through their conversation like a storm.
Abby too, harbors doubts about Brad, particularly his shady demeanor and deceptive accounts of his whereabouts. Pushed to her limits, she snatches his phone outside her residence and discovers encrypted messages hinting at clandestine exchanges—presumably with Margo. In a fit of rage, she smashes the phone to smithereens, only to find herself apologizing as Brad speeds off in a huff.
Witnessing this tableau, Starr attempts to engage Abby in a heart-to-heart, but her efforts are met with a stinging rebuke. Abby brands her mother as tight-fisted and shuts her out completely. Brad, reeling from the confrontation, returns home to face an excoriating lecture from Jill. She lambasts him for playing a "dangerous game," fearing that Abby's potential pregnancy could ensnare him in an undesired commitment with "the wrong person."
At the serene lake, Margo grandly arrives on a jet ski, her flashy display of affluence drawing immediate attention. Graham, noting the spectacle, suggests she depart with her opulent toy. Margo, undeterred, brings up the incident Sophie witnessed at the lake house and reassures everyone that her illicit affair with Brad remains undisclosed. She charms the room, asserting that they are now familiar with each other's indiscretions, rendering secrets obsolete.
Sophie, however, cautions Margo with a glimmer of concern, recalling the encounter with the enigmatic one-eyed cowboy in town. She speculates that he might be a democratic reporter, exploiting his credentials to dig up dirt on Jed. The truth behind his identity remains shrouded in mystery.
Callie's arrival stirs up a noticeable chill between her and Sophie. It's evident that Callie is privy to Sophie's secrets. After gifting Sophie a firearm and some stylish new attire for boar hunting, Sophie returns home and discreetly stores the gun in her drawer. She proudly parades her new hunting gear, much to Graham's dismay.
Unfortunately, Sophie's hunting expedition takes a grim turn when Callie is compelled to use a handgun to slay the boar, as Sophie fails in her attempt. They pose for pictures in front of the fallen beast before heading off for lunch.
Later, at the lake house, the group indulges in a game of "never have I ever." Callie, somewhat impulsively, blurts out, "Never have I ever killed someone." Promptly, Sophie confesses to having hit and killed a pedestrian in a car accident. Though they hired a lawyer to navigate the aftermath, Sophie admits she has never truly come to terms with the incident, which has haunted her ever since.
Intriguingly, Callie also partakes a bit too freely in the libations... but that's a side note. When Margo and the others discover that Callie utilized the police to conduct a background check on Sophie, they shun Callie and stand in solidarity with the newer member of their circle.
In a moment of solitude, Margo confides in Sophie, unveiling the harrowing truth about her mother's unstable past. Born into humble beginnings and devoid of a father's identity, her mother's love had been a fleeting encounter with a man who already had another family. Margo's escape from her hometown after her mother's demise marked the beginning of a life lived without constraints, where she indulged in whimsical pleasures with whomever she pleased, driven by a mantra of hedonism.
Sophie, driven to drown her sorrows in alcohol, finds herself in an uncomfortable predicament when Brad and Jamie unexpectedly arrive. Margo, resolute in her conviction, refuses to lead her friend down a treacherous path, urging her not to succumb to the same dark allures that once entrapped her.
Elsewhere, Abby seeks solace in Pastor Pete's counsel, lamenting the invisibility of her struggles amidst the affluence of her town. She paints herself as the underdog amidst wealth, only to be taken aback when Pete confronts her with revelations shared by Brad—details of her secret misdeeds. Enraged, Abby storms off to the house party Brad is rumored to attend, only to find him absent, having opted for an evening at the lake house with Margo and Sophie instead. Desperate and frustrated, she calls Jill, resorting to threats over Brad's promiscuous behavior.
At the lake house, amidst a game of spin the bottle, Margo betrays Graham's trust, engaging in intimate liaisons with both Jamie and, ironically, Sophie herself. Sophie's descent into chaos is evident as she even resorts to snorting Xanax.
The next morning, Sophie awakens alone on the dock, greeted by five missed calls from Graham. On her way back, she crosses paths with police responding to a call about a fatality in the woods. To her horror, the victim is Abby, shots ringing out in her final moments. Detectives Salazar and Flynn, the latter being the same officer shot earlier in the episode, take charge of the investigation, recognizing the need for forensic expertise.
Returning home, Sophie realizes with a chilling certainty that her gun is missing, a grim twist in a night marred by revelations and betrayals.
