Episode 101 Recap: "A Twisted Affair"

In the early morning, something untoward is going on in a shed behind a suburban home. We find Alex and Randal, two neighbors, making love. This act of neighborly passion is a secret—Alex and Randal are married to other people.

Alex is shaken when she receives a call from her husband, Brad, who is on his way back home with the milk he forgot to pick up the night before. Rattled, Alex says she feels guilty for cheating on her husband and rushes to leave, but Randal claims the infidelity doesn't bother him.

His supposedly cool demeanor is soon put to the test, however, when his wife, Marcie, who is back home early from a business trip, unexpectedly walks into the shed. Marcie buys the excuse that Alex is over to get her muffin basket that she had left at their house, and Alex leaves to meet her husband at home.

Turning back to Randal, Marcie says she's home for a very specific reason: The couple is trying to have a baby, and she's ovulating. Randal puts off his disappointed wife's advances, saying he's not in the mood.

At work, Kelly gets a call from her boyfriend, Travis, a missionary working in Haiti. Kelly is thrilled to hear from him and tells Travis all about a new house she wants to buy for the two of them and their son, Justice.

Kelly doesn't notice Travis' distant attitude when he says he has an important question to ask her. When she eagerly pushes him to ask, Travis demurs, saying it's too important to say over the phone. Kelly gives in and tells Travis she loves him and that she'll see him in a week when he gets home from the Caribbean.

At Alex and Brad's house, Alex is getting ready for her day while Brad freshens up to go back into work. Brad is suddenly serious with Alex, apologizing for being so busy with tax season work at his accounting firm, and he points to the forgotten milk as a symptom of his hectic schedule.

"I don't want to push my beautiful wife away," he says. "Thank you, honey, for being so understanding this year."

Brad tries to pull Alex into bed, but as she moves away, his hands end up on her chest.

"They're bigger," he says.

Taken aback, Alex denies it, but once Brad leaves, she goes to the mirror for a better look.

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Esperanza is cooking breakfast for her boyfriend, Julius, a man with a mysterious job. Julius tells Esperanza that he doesn't like that she hides him from her daughter and her jealous ex-husband, a local police officer. Suddenly, a loud knock comes at the door, and Esperanza hustles her frustrated boyfriend out the back.

At the front door are Esperanza's ex, Eddie, and their daughter, Mika. Eddie claims Mika wants a different backpack for school, but once Mika is out of the room, Eddie begins storming around looking for signs of Esperanza's boyfriend.

"Ed, you know what you're doing," she says, exasperated.

"Yeah, I hope you do too," he says threateningly. "Don't let me catch you slipping, Esperanza."

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At Natalie's apartment, the single mother is getting three of her kids ready for school when the phone rings. It's her eldest son, Joey, who is in prison on a drug charge. He says the prison will release him on parole, but only if they know he has somewhere to stay. Joey wants to come home.

Natalie is hesitant. The memory of police breaking down her door is still fresh in her mind. She tells her distraught son that she'll think about it.

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Just as she finishes her conversation with Joey and hangs up, her boyfriend, Lushion, who recently moved to town for her, enters the apartment. He's come to take the kids to school, and he offers Natalie an extra $200 to help with the kids—her son Frank is also Lushion's. The gesture is generous, since the former cop is struggling to find work as a police officer in the new town and is trying to make ends meet as a bouncer.

Natalie thanks Lushion, but she stops short of giving him a kiss goodbye. "Boy, please," the tough mom teases.

Randal has just stopped by Brad's office to go to lunch when Brad's friend Eddie, a former military buddy, drops in. Although Randal isn't happy to see Eddie, he puts up with his complaining about both his current wife and his ex, Esperanza.

"The only reason they do all this arguing is, they're women," Eddie says, "and now one of these broads wants to run for president? Jesus, the whole world would fall apart."

Randal calls Eddie out for being sexist, and Brad defends him, telling Eddie that Randal is an excellent psychologist and could offer some advice. Randal proposes that Eddie talk it out with the two women, but Eddie claims that his kids get in the way of any resolution.

"I should do what you did," Eddie says to Brad. "Get that snip-snip."

Shocked, Randal asks whether Alex knows about this secret vasectomy. Brad says that he hasn't told her yet; he's been too busy with work to worry about another child. Brad assures Randal he'll tell her in time.

Eddie goes back to talking about Esperanza and claims he'll get her back in bed. Brad turns to Randal and asks him to spill the truth about Esperanza's love life.

"Marcie and I saw her at the movies with a guy," Randal says. He goes on to admonish Eddie for treating his ex like a possession. Furious, Eddie storms out.

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At fast food restaurant Burger Fast, where Natalie works, Marcie, Alex, Kelly and Esperanza join her for lunch. Kelly has two pieces of good news: She's considering buying the home next to Alex's, and she thinks Travis is ready to propose.

All her friends are thrilled except Natalie, who says that Travis is too young. The women tell Marcie, who is new to the group, that Natalie is typically a little critical. Curious about her new friends, Marcie asks the women how they met. They tell her it was because of their kids; they're all in the PTA together.

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Marcie, who is Kelly's real estate agent, says she has to call the owner of the house and takes her leave.

Then, to the amusement of her friends, Alex dips her pickle slice into Kelly's vanilla soft-serve. The women look at each other knowingly and ask Alex whether she's pregnant. Slightly peeved, Alex insists she's not, brushing the odd food craving aside. However, Esperanza has bought a pregnancy test to settle their curiosity. Even though she's still dubious, Alex says she'll take the test later at home.

After lunch, Esperanza goes back to work at the 911 emergency call center. Eddie suddenly charges in, demanding to speak to her alone. A concerned co-worker watches the two go into the locker room, where Eddie rounds on her.

"Did you have a man in my house?" he demands, grabbing her violently.

As Esperanza struggles to defend herself, the co-worker comes in to check on her. Esperanza says she's fine and leaves a fuming Eddie behind.

Later that night, Alex sits at home in her bathroom. She has just taken her pregnancy test. When she comes out, she finds Brad waiting for her in bed.

"Not tonight, honey. I have a headache."

"Alex—" Brad begins.

Alex cuts him off. "And I think this is going to give you one," she says, holding up the positive pregnancy test.

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