When discussing Maggie's romantic entanglements, it's evident that her English high school teacher, Aaron, was merely one of several older men she had been involved with. During a summer visit to her sister and brother-in-law in Hawaii, Maggie encountered an even older gentleman. At the tender age of 16, she found herself in a relationship with a divorced 31-year-old. Their bond deepened, and their relationship soon became physical. Intriguingly, Hawaii's legal age of consent is 16, so this older man couldn't be charged with any offense. Yet, Maggie never sought such a consequence; their relationship was consensual, as she steadfastly maintained. However, her emotional distress stemmed not from him but from Aaron. This inclination hints at Aaron's manipulative tactics, as he seemed to exploit her vulnerabilities in ways her Hawaiian lover did not. Despite Maggie's declaration of love to the older man in Hawaii, he gently rejected her, acknowledging his care but unable to reciprocate her feelings. His motives remain a mystery, but at least he refrained from deceiving her, unlike her high school teacher. Aaron, on the other hand, used this to his advantage to entangle her further.
News of Maggie's Hawaii romance spread quickly through the school, leaving her devastated. It was then that Aaron stepped in, initially offering support in a teacherly manner. However, he soon crossed boundaries by looking up her phone number and initiating text conversations. Initially benign, these texts eventually took a more personal tone when he confessed his feelings for her. Over the years, from freshman to senior year, Maggie had confided in Aaron about her life, including the challenges she faced at home due to her parents' excessive drinking. This became a tender spot that Aaron cleverly exploited.
One fateful day, Aaron extended an invitation to Maggie to his home, a setting devoid of his wife and children, marking the commencement of their relationship's physical dimension. As Maggie recounted the unfolding events to the police – an act of courage she had long pondered, finally empowered to expose his conduct – she revealed that, at times, his affections seemed to surpass her own for him, despite his cunning ability to manipulate and reel her back in. Even prior to her decisive step towards the authorities, a glimmer of hope lingered in her heart, praying for a response to the email she had dispatched, revealing her vulnerabilities and hoping to hear him echo her sentiments of love, as glimpsed at the climax of the initial episode. Yet, weeks stretched on without a word from him, solidifying Maggie's resolve to turn to the police.
We witness the gradual escalation of their bond, noting Maggie's acknowledgment of Aaron's dominate role in dictating the terms and frequency of their communications. He instructed her to expunge all textual exchanges, a directive she reluctantly obeyed. The episode concludes on a note of empowerment for Maggie, as she feels a sense of relief after reporting the incident to the police and shares with her therapist her aspirations to return to school, aiming to become a social worker. In their closely-knit community, the news has already begun to spread, foreshadowing a challenging path ahead. Yet, episode four of 'Three Women' cleverly finds a silver lining, closing with Maggie and her father skating at the ice rink, his reassuring words that she will be alright echoing in her ears, while her smile, bright and hopeful, lights up the rink.
