‘Good Girls’ Season 1, Episode 3 ‘Borderline’ Recap: Road To Canada, Rio's Real Business [SPOILERS]

On the third episode of NBC’s “Good Girls,” the three moms, Annie (Mae Whitman), her sister Beth (Christina Hendricks), and their friend Ruby (Retta) are crossing the ‘Borderline’ to pay the money they owe a gang. The three desperate moms stole from a grocery store to make ends meet for their family and children. It was a successful robbery until a gang came for them, claiming that the money they stole is theirs. In ‘Borderline,’ the three women continue to reimburse the money they owe from the cartel.

Road to Canada

‘Borderline’ opens with beth telling Annie and Beth that Rio (Manny Montana), the leader of the gang whom they owe money to, that he wants them to pick something up from Canada. Rio wouldn’t give hints about what kind of package they are about to get. Annie reckoned, ‘Drugs — up our asses.’ Ruby then declared she wouldn’t want to carry drugs at all. Beth continued with the news and told them that Rio wants it done Friday which is also Annie’s schedule of a home visit for her custody case. Ruby then said in an inscrutable manner, ‘You’re going to tell the man with the crying skull tattoo that Friday doesn’t work for you?’ Upon her realization, Annie replies, “fine, but we have to be back in time for me to clean up and get all the drugs out of my cavities.’
Beth suggests that perhaps they are going to pick up guns. Skeptical Ruby asks, ‘How is that better?’ Annie then rebutted, ‘Can’t fit up your ass.’ The conversation was interrupted by Beth’s youngest. She told Beth that she had a nightmare which Ruby found ‘relatable.’ Beth continued with the crux that Rio and the gang are freeing them from their debt once they pull this off. Their conversation ended with Beth telling the two that not doing what Rio wants to seem not to be an option.
Annie, Beth, and Ruby then had to settle some things vis-à-vis their families before they could go to their mission at hand. Annie talked so Sadie (Izzy Stannard) about the home visit. She assured her daughter that they would ‘slay’ the visit. Beth talked to Dean about their money and business issues. A voluptuous intruder, Sheila, tests Ruby’s relationship with husband Stan (Reno Wilson). Sheila, the abusive claimer that she is, told Stan during his church testimony that she is the anonymous benefactor who aids them with Sarah’s (Lidya Jewett) medical expenses.
Everything is almost set up, but the three still needs a car. This one particular thing brought them to another act of stealing a vehicle from Dean’s dealership. Consequent to them breaking into Dean’s office, Annie adventitiously set off all the car alarms on the lot as she “made it rain.” Worse, creepy Boomer who seems to be stalking her saw it. The next day, Annie asks Boomer for a Friday off for her ‘personal day.’ Boomer asks if they’re going to hit up a bank again, referencing “Ocean’s Eleven.” Annie reminded him of the implicating photo she took; and by that, Annie got her day.

Ruby shots Mike

The episode continues with the three, according to Annie, looking as if they ‘already have drugs up their butts’ on the US/Canada border. As the guard approaches their car, Ruby admits that she’s brought Stan’s unloaded gun with her for protection as they are about to commit another crime now in a foreign country. Finally, they got through the border. They stopped at a craft store, which they found very shocking and unlikely knowing they are doing this for drug lords.
Beth goes at the back of Cascade Canadian Crafts store to pick up the package from Mike, who told them that he doesn’t have the box. Annie, not convinced that Mike didn’t have it, gives it a go and tries to talk to big Mike. Ruby then brings out her smuggled gun and tries to scare Mike a little. He falls to the ground as the three scream at Mike. Annie and Beth get out of the car to check on Ruby who is still in shock of what she did. But, it still is a successful try as Mike eventually told them where the package is.

On the car, Ruby is still praying, asking for forgiveness for what she’s done. Beth, trying to be a good friend, told her that, “He’s a baby. He’s going to live. He may not walk again, but he’s about to get the best free care socialized medicine can buy.” On their way back to America, their car undergoes search and seizure with a customs dog (which Annie tries to pet). As their mystery package opened, Annie prayed, almost running out of breath. Beth tries to be cool. The three got relieved, though, when a customs personnel told them to have a safe trip home.

What’s in the box?

The three couldn’t wait to find out what they are smuggling and opened the package, which contains a ton of wrapping paper and dollars printed on it. Apparently, Rio runs a phony money operation. On the warehouse where they met with Rio, Beth asks him if they’re all done with their arrangements. Rio answered, ‘We’re good.’
To celebrate their freedom from the gang, they went to a pub where Annie just told the waitress that they smuggled a bunch of counterfeit money over the Canadian border and escaped a violent drug gang. Beth added, ‘And no drugs in our butts!’

Their celebration was interrupted when Beth knew from Dean that police are at their dealership getting robbed. Having to get rid of the stolen car, they abandoned that SUV at a parking lot. Just when everything seemed under control, Annie’s phone rang and showed up on the console screen. She synced her phone to the car so she could play Indigo Girls, and now all her records are there, and she can’t undo it.
Having no other possible option than to blow off the car, they sank the car into a lake. As it slowly drops, Annie’s phone rings again. It was the social worker for the home visit. Luckily, Sadie manages to save things with some shrimp cocktail and excuses about Annie’s whereabouts. Things appear to go well until Annie, and the social worker saw that Sadie had a cut on her hand. Worse, the social worker finds out that Sadie was being left at home alone several times and that Annie couldn’t even bring her to the ER because of a boot on her car.

Like the previous episodes, this show still has a hint of tear-jerking scenes. Sadie asks where Annie went. She replies she had something “really, really important” to do. Sadie then asks, sobering, “What’s more important than me?” Annie answered nothing but Sadie left her saying, ‘I think not.’
Dean and Beth had a conversation about their problem. Dean told her that she’s that love of his life and he wants them to get back together. Beth goes back to the warehouse. She found an empty place and left a pearl necklace on the doorknob.

During Church, Ruby manages to thank Sheila for her ‘donation’ and for driving the kids up kids from school, for babysitting so that Ruby and Stan can have a date night, and even buying groceries, and offering to do the laundry. The episode ends with Beth finding Rio in her kitchen. “So, what’d you want to talk to me about?” he asks with a wicked smile on his lips.
“Good Girls” continues Monday, March 19th with “Atom Bomb” at 10/9c on NBC.