The latest episode of Apple TV’s psychological thriller “Imperfect Women” dropped on March 25, 2026, and it brings a wave of fresh tension for Kerry Washington’s character, Eleanor. What started as a quiet unraveling has now turned into a full-blown crisis. Episode 3, titled “Monster,” pushes Eleanor to a breaking point as the secrets she tried to keep hidden begin surfacing in the worst possible ways.
From a secret affair going public to new clues about the mysterious man named David, this episode layers guilt on top of grief. The hour focuses heavily on Eleanor’s perspective, showing how her decisions are catching up with her just as the police start looking more closely at her timeline from the night Nancy (Kate Mara) died. Here is everything that happened in Episode 3.
The Apology Letter Confirms Robert’s Lies
Picking up right where Episode 2 left off, Eleanor finds herself holding a letter she discovered among Nancy’s things. It is a letter written by Robert (Joel Kinnaman) , Nancy’s husband. In the letter, Robert apologizes to Nancy for his “extreme” reaction after finding out about her affair with a man named David.
This discovery hits Eleanor hard. On the night Nancy was murdered, Robert acted as if he had no idea his wife was seeing someone else. Now, Eleanor knows he was fully aware. When Robert walks into the room, she confronts him immediately. Robert admits that he did not handle the news well. He tells Eleanor that he yelled and broke things during their argument. He also shares a new detail: on the night Nancy died, she told him she was going to meet David to end things. Nancy wanted to do it alone, so Robert stayed behind.
Eleanor decides to keep the letter instead of handing it over to the police right away. This choice will come back to haunt her later.
Mary Believes She Knows David’s Identity
The friendship between Eleanor and Mary (Elisabeth Moss) faces serious strain in this episode. Mary has been going through Nancy’s notebook and finds a disturbing portrait that Nancy drew of a man. Mary thinks the sketch looks like Nancy’s stepfather, Scott. But Eleanor tells Mary something surprising: she saw the same man at the church during Nancy’s funeral.
Mary believes the best move is to take the sketch to the police. Eleanor hesitates, showing that she is still holding back information. Their conversation gets interrupted before they can agree on what to do. The tension between the two women grows because Eleanor is clearly not being honest about everything she knows.
Cora Exposes Eleanor’s Secret Affair
Eleanor keeps going back to Robert despite knowing the risks. After the awards ceremony, she drives to the Ojai house again. She hooks up with Robert, and they end up playing around in the pool. But their private moment gets interrupted when Cora (Audrey Zahn) , Nancy and Robert’s teenage daughter, shows up with a friend.
Cora immediately accuses Eleanor of sleeping with her father. Eleanor and Robert quickly come up with a lie to cover for themselves. Robert tells Cora they will stay the night before heading back to school. After the girls leave, Eleanor and Robert agree to keep seeing each other secretly.
That plan falls apart the next morning. Eleanor arrives at her office and notices everyone looking at her strangely. Her coworker tells her that Cora uploaded a TikTok video revealing that Eleanor is sleeping with her father. The secret is out for the whole world to see.
The Police Question Eleanor’s Alibi
The fallout from the leaked affair spreads quickly. Eleanor gets an angry phone call from her brother Donovan (Leslie Odom Jr.) , who reminds her how bad this looks. When Eleanor goes to Mary’s house to explain herself, Mary does not hold back. Eleanor admits to the affair and tells Mary about the apology letter Robert wrote to Nancy. Mary insists they need to take the letter to the police because it is hard evidence. But Eleanor refuses, saying she does not believe Robert is capable of murder.
Mary tells Eleanor that Robert is using her and kicks her out of the house. Eleanor then heads to Robert’s place, but she is stopped by Detective Gantz (Ana Ortiz) in the driveway. The detective has new information. Jordan (Rome Flynn) , the man Eleanor was seeing casually, spoke to the police. He told them Eleanor did not get to his house until 1 a.m. on the night Nancy was murdered. Since Nancy died around midnight, the police are now looking closely at Eleanor’s timeline.
Eleanor refuses to speak without her lawyer. When she finally gets inside, Robert delivers another blow. He tells Eleanor that his lawyers have advised him not to speak to her. He asks for his letter back and acts cold toward her. Eleanor curses at him and leaves, realizing she was used.
Flashbacks Reveal Eleanor’s Hidden Guilt
Throughout Episode 3, quick flashback images keep appearing. By the end of the episode, the full flashback plays out. It shows the scene from three hours before Nancy’s murder. Nancy asked Eleanor to go with her to talk to David. Eleanor refused.
This moment now haunts Eleanor. She could have been there. She could have stopped something. But she said no. The guilt she carries is not just about sleeping with Robert. It is about abandoning her friend when Nancy needed her most.
Mary Shows Up With a Shocking Claim
The episode ends with Eleanor sitting alone in her home, processing everything. Donovan came by earlier to comfort her and asked if she thought Robert actually killed Nancy. Eleanor did not give a clear answer, but she hinted that it was possible.
Then there is a knock at the door. It is Mary. She looks at Eleanor and says she knows who David is. The screen cuts to black, leaving viewers waiting for next week to find out the identity of the man Nancy was seeing.
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Release and Streaming Information
Episode 3 of “Imperfect Women” became available on Apple TV+ on March 25, 2026. New episodes release every Wednesday at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET. The series follows a weekly schedule, with the eight-episode run concluding on April 29, 2026. Viewers in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, India, and other regions can stream the show at the same global release time. An Apple TV+ subscription costs $12.99 per month, with a seven-day free trial available for new users.
The cast also includes Corey Stoll as Mary’s husband Howard, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Wilson Bethel, and Keith Carradine in supporting roles. The series is created by Annie Weisman and based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name.
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