Ratched Season 1 Episode 8 Recap – Mildred and Edmund

[00:01:00] One month later, Louise is now part of the nursing staff at the hospital, in charge of craft therapy, where she makes arts and craft dolls for patients. Sadly, they aren’t interested in her work. A patient hysterically refuses when Louise tries to give her a doll. She scolds the patient, telling her the time and effort she put into making her dolls. Betsy calls Louise to her office and tells her not to terrorize their fragile patients. She adds if they don’t want her dolls, just move on to the next patient. Louise understood and apologized for her behavior. She hands the newspaper to Betsy and shows her the article about Edmund being executed.

[00:03:00] Betsy knows Governor Wilburn is behind the approval of Edmund’s execution. She disapproved of it, but she couldn’t do anything about it. Betsy tells Louise that Edmund would be dead before Election Day. Meanwhile, Mildred and Gwendolyn are enjoying their time together when she suddenly feels the urge to vomit. She runs to the bathroom. She apologizes to Mildred as they are in the middle of kissing each other. Gwendolyn is slowly falling apart as her chemotherapy sessions have started. Hair is falling out of her head, and she constantly feels noxious. Mildred smiles at her and tells her about her plan. Mildred admits she couldn’t talk things about Edmund because she doesn’t know what will happen to him. Now that Edmund is set to be executed, she can finally close that chapter of her life.

[00:06:30] Mildred plans to head south with Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn agrees with her plan. She wants to pass away on a beautiful house along the coastline in Mexico. Mildred doesn’t like Gwendolyn talking about her demise, but she has already accepted her fate. She tells Mildred she has enjoyed her time with her, but Mildred doesn’t want to give up on Gwendolyn. Mildred wants to find a doctor and a treatment to save Gwendolyn’s life, so she wants to move to Mexico—she heard about breakthroughs in terminally ill patients there.

[00:09:00] Mildred visits the hospital to talk about Edmund. She tells Betsy she’s doing a wonderful job at running the hospital. Betsy breaks the news to Mildred about the woman doctor she hired. Mildred is only concerned about Edmund, so Betsy tells her what will happen to him. Edmund would be brought to the execution chamber and strapped to a gurney. They would prepare the syringes and ask Edmund for his last words. After that, Edmund would be injected with the medicine, and he would die within a few minutes. Betsy’s words made Mildred cry. She consoles Mildred as she cries in her arms.

[00:13:00] Betsy takes Edmund to the barn to commune with animals. The barn’s completion was part of Richard’s dreams—he told Betsy it was part of patient therapy to commune with animals, especially horses. Betsy tells Edmund he’s still human, so she gives him an hour per day to work outside. There are guards in every corner of the barn, waiting to shoot him if something happens. Yet, Edmund loves the barn; he approaches all the animal pens and delights to see the stallion in the middle. He tells himself he isn’t afraid of the stallion, but it seems like he’s telling himself he’s not afraid to die.

[00:16:00] Case Hitchen is being escorted to the execution chamber by the police. Governor Wilburn is there and makes a few changes. Case is scheduled for lethal injection, but Wilburn wants to show the people of California he won’t be soft against criminals on death row. Governor Wilburn reveals that Case will be executed using an electric chair. Mildred is about to leave the hospital when Betsy tells her to listen to the radio: they are broadcasting Case’s execution. Governor Wilburn turns the electric chair, electrocuting Case for two to three minutes. The jail warden wants to stop the chair, but Wilburn stops him. He uses Case as a show of power. The commentator can’t completely describe what happened to Case over the radio.

[00:19:00] Case’s body is already burning from the intense electric current that flows through his body. Governor Wilburn finally turns the chair off, but Case is still on fire. The commentator tells everyone he could no longer recognize Case. After the execution, Gwendolyn and Mildred visit Governor Wilburn. They want to plea for Edmund not to be electrocuted to death. Governor Wilburn doesn’t listen. He tells them he’s a winner and a performer, planning to give the people a show, including placing Edmund on an electric chair. Mildred tells him Edmund is her brother, and she won’t allow Wilburn to do what he plans. Wilburn doesn’t care and just tells her not to listen to the radio.

[00:22:00] Mildred doesn’t want Wilburn to leave, but Gwendolyn stops her. Wilburn realizes they are lesbians and tells them that his sister is like them; her life isn’t easy. Wilburn wishes their relationship luck then asks for their votes come Election Day. Mildred and Gwendolyn go to Betsy for help. She tells Betsy that Edmund cannot be electrocuted to death. Betsy agrees the electric chair is no longer humane. Mildred tells her about her plan to kill Edmund quietly. She wants Betsy to bring Edmund to the barn where Huck could put Edmund to sleep while she kills Edmund using a lethal injection.

[00:27:00] Betsy volunteers to give the lethal injection herself so that Mildred wouldn’t have to witness his death, but Mildred refuses—she wants to kill Edmund herself. Betsy finally agrees to Mildred’s plan. That night, Mildred brings a special meal for Edmund. She thought Edmund would be thankful for a nice meal, but he wasn’t. Edmund knows he will be dead within two weeks, and he isn’t looking forward to it. Edmund thinks she mixed rat poison on his meal to kill him prematurely. Mildred finally let her heart out. She expresses her disappointment in Edmund. She had everything planned to keep him alive, but he threw everything away for Dolly. He points out he threw away her plan for love. Mildred asks Edmund why he couldn’t just love her; she sacrificed her life for Edmund.

[00:31:00] Edmund responds he also sacrificed his life for Mildred, but she abandoned him back then. “Edmund, you told me to,” she replies, but she’s eternally grateful he saved her life when they were just kids. She wants to spend time with him before he dies. Betsy granted them one hour per day to spend some time in the barn. Edmund is glad about it; he can’t wait to introduce Mildred to his new farm friends. The next day, Charlotte arrives at the hospital. A nurse tells Betsy about her, so she goes down to the lobby to meet Charlotte. Charlotte tells Betsy to follow her, and they go to Richard’s office. Betsy can’t understand what Charlotte is doing. She is looking at the files on Richard’s desk while speaking with her.

[00:33:00] She asks Charlotte where Richard is, so she tells her she is Richard Hanover. Charlotte is so deep in her personality as Richard that Betsy can’t talk sense into her. She demands to talk with Edmund because he’s her star patient. Betsy gives up and tells Charlotte she will fetch Edmund. Betsy goes to Huck for help instead. Charlotte finds the gun inside Richard’s drawer. Betsy and Huck return to Richard’s office, but Charlotte points the gun at them as soon as they arrive. She demands to be taken to Edmund, but Huck tries to take over. He reminds Charlotte about her dance with Harold. Charlotte temporarily remembers the dance, and she cries over it. She also remembers how Edmund killed Harold: slitting his throat.

[00:37:00] Charlotte briefly passed out. Huck and Betsy thought they could take the gun from Charlotte, but she changed personalities, immediately shooting Huck dead. Betsy sees what happened, but she doesn’t know what to do. Charlotte repeats her demand to see Edmund. Betsy doesn’t have any choice, so she stops crying and takes Charlotte to Edmund. The guards hear the gunshot and immediately go to Richard’s office. They see Huck’s body and check the office. One of the guards sees Charlotte leaving with Betsy. She tells Betsy to lie, so she does, telling the guard everything is fine; he followed them anyway. Charlotte knocks the guard out before heading to Edmund’s holding cell.

[00:40:00] Betsy can’t do anything about Charlotte. She tells the guard that Charlotte is part of the American Civil Liberties Union checking on Edmund’s welfare. The guard lets them in, but the other guard puts up a fight, so Charlotte shoots him dead. Edmund witnesses everything. Betsy takes the keys and releases Edmund. Charlotte introduces herself as Richard Hanover. Edmund knows she’s a lunatic, but he wants to come with her. He takes the dead guard’s rifle and questions Betsy about Mildred’s plan. Betsy doesn’t want to tell him, but she doesn’t have a choice. She tells Edmund everything since he has a gun pointed at her face. She tells him Mildred plans to euthanize him because she doesn’t want him to be electrocuted to death. After finding out Mildred’s plan, Edmund leaves with Charlotte.

[00:42:00] Edmund locks Betsy inside his cell and praises Charlotte’s taste in cars. Charlotte responds she purchased the car using the money Mildred gave her. Mildred sees Edmund driving Charlotte’s car on their way out of the hospital. She stops in the middle of the road and gets out. She looks at Edmund, who continues driving, escaping the hospital with Charlotte.

[00:45:00] It’s already 1950: Gwendolyn lives with Mildred in Mexico. Mildred asks Gwendolyn if there’s any news about Edmund, but the papers don’t say anything about him. She assures Mildred that Edmund is gone—it’s been two years since he escaped and disappeared. Mildred hears a knock on the door and lets Betsy into their home. Gwendolyn is making huge progress in her cancer treatment. People have started calling melancholia a depression while there has been a scientific breakthrough in treating tuberculosis. Betsy is so optimistic as they sit beside the treatment center’s pool, but Mildred couldn’t share her optimism. She knows Edmund won’t stop until she’s dead. Mildred keeps looking over her shoulder as she feels someone is following her.

[00:48:30] Mildred returns to their room to get her book, but she sees Edmund on the way. She takes a second look, but no one is there. She runs over to their room then immediately locks the door. She doesn’t know someone is already inside their room holding a knife. Mildred takes her luggage from under the bed then takes out her revolver. She is loading bullets when someone knocks on the door. Mildred asks who is knocking but doesn’t get a response. She goes to the door and asks again, but still, no one responds. Mildred decides to open the door and sees Charlotte smiling at her. Charlotte tells Mildred she’s no longer ill. Mildred asks her how. Charlotte tells Mildred she bathed in the blood of all the people she killed along the way.

[00:50:30] Mildred asks her where Edmund is. Charlotte doesn’t answer her question. She tells Mildred she should try bathing in the blood of the people she killed because she also killed many people. Mildred continues to ask where Edmund is. Charlotte tells her Edmund is right behind her. Mildred turns around with her revolver and points it at Edmund. She asks him what he’s doing in Mexico. He tells Mildred he’s going to kill her before committing suicide then tells her they couldn’t live their lives because they’re too damaged. Edmund accuses Mildred of betraying him. He tells Mildred she couldn’t run away from him, so he decided to just come to Mexico to put both of them out of their miserable lives.

[00:52:00] Mildred shoots Edmund, but the gun is empty. She tries to shoot him again, but no bullets come out of the gun. Charlotte disarms Mildred as Edmund stabs her. Mildred suddenly wakes up and realizes that everything was just a dream. Gwendolyn wakes up as Mildred starts screaming and gasping for air. She assures Mildred everything will be alright. They hear a knock on the door: Betsy is just early. Gwendolyn opens the door; Betsy enters their room. The three of them enjoy a quiet breakfast by the beach. Betsy tells them about her promotion as permanent head of the hospital.

[00:54:00] As Betsy tells them about Lucia, the waiter gives Gwendolyn a newspaper. Mildred asks her if there’s any news about Edmund. Gwendolyn browses through the paper and sees an article about a murder in Chicago involving seven nurses. Mildred receives a call: she knows it is Edmund. Edmund was about to tell Mildred he’s coming after her, but she already knew what he was going to say. Mildred turns the tables on Edmund and tells him she’s the one who’s coming after him. Mildred hung up the phone, not letting Edmund respond.

[00:57:00] Edmund pays for the call and takes a cigarette from the counter. He goes back to the car where Charlotte is arguing with Louise. They drive off, presumably heading to Mexico. Mildred knows she will come face-to-face with Edmund when the time comes.