The sixth episode of Apple TV+‘s murder mystery series Imperfect Women puts Elisabeth Moss‘s character Mary directly in the spotlight. The episode, titled “Mary,” shows the character going through a major breakdown as she finds shocking evidence linking her husband Howard (Corey Stoll) to the death of her best friend Nancy.
Mary starts seeing visions of Nancy. She struggles to tell what is real anymore. Her growing addiction to Adderall makes everything worse. But underneath all this confusion, Mary begins uncovering a series of clues that point to one terrible truth. The man she shares her bed with might be a killer.
A Shocking Discovery Hidden in Nancy’s Scrapbook
The major turn happens when Mary looks through Nancy’s scrapbook. She finds a loose page hidden inside. It comes from a book of poems that Howard translated years ago. One romantic line is underlined. Mary recognizes it immediately. Howard read her the exact same line when they first started their relationship.
Mary confronts Howard about why Nancy had this page. He tries to talk his way out of it. First he says Nancy bought the book. Then he changes his story and says he gave it to her as a gift. When Mary keeps pushing, Howard plays a different card. He brings up her past problems with pills. He reminds her of the time she put one of their daughters in danger.
“He implied that she was overthinking it and that something was wrong with her. Manipulation 101,” one recap notes about Howard‘s behavior.
The manipulation works for a moment. But Mary does not let it go completely.
The Ring That Seals the Suspicion
Mary remembers the night Nancy died. She recalls the blazer Howard wore. She searches their closet looking for it. Instead of the jacket, she finds a hidden space. Inside is Nancy‘s Claddagh ring. Nancy wore that ring almost all the time. Mary gave it to her as a gift.
Finding the ring in Howard‘s closet changes everything. The only way Howard could have that ring is if he took it from Nancy’s body. Mary starts shaking. She sees Nancy‘s ghost standing in the room. The vision asks Mary hard questions about her own past.
Mary drives to the home of Jenny, Howard‘s ex-wife. She needs to know who she really married.
The Truth About Howard Comes Out
Jenny tells Mary a completely different story than what Howard had said for years. Howard did not leave Jenny to be with Mary. Jenny left him. She found out about his affair with Mary, who was his student at the time. But Mary was not the first student he had been with.
When Jenny told Howard she wanted a divorce, he lost control. He pushed her down a flight of stairs. She still has the scar on her knee. Howard had also lied about Jenny hurting herself. He told Mary that Jenny was unstable and had cut her wrists. Jenny shows Mary her wrists. There are no scars.
Jenny warns Mary that Howard cannot handle being left. He becomes dangerous when someone tries to walk away.
Mary and Eleanor Reconcile
After talking to Jenny, Mary goes straight to Eleanor‘s (Kerry Washington) apartment. She tells Eleanor everything she has learned about Howard.
The two women had a big fight in the previous episode. Eleanor had admitted to sleeping with Nancy‘s husband Robert (Joel Kinnaman). Mary was angry. But now she understands that Eleanor was also protecting her son Marcus. Marcus had called Eleanor for help on the night Nancy died because he owed money to a bookie.
Mary thanks Eleanor for helping Marcus. The two friends make up.
Then Eleanor‘s phone rings. It is Howard. He says something has happened to their daughter Artemis.
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A Terrifying End at the Hospital
Mary and Eleanor rush to the hospital. Doctors are working on little Artemis. The girl swallowed pills from Mary‘s hidden Adderall supply. Mary is destroyed by guilt. She thinks she caused this.
But viewers saw Mary hide those pills in a place no child could reach. The only person who could have found them and given them to Artemis is Howard.
Many fans believe Howard did this on purpose. He knew Mary had figured out the truth about Nancy. He also knew she might leave him. By hurting their daughter, he puts Mary in a position where she cannot walk away. He can also use this incident to paint Mary as an unstable mother who cannot be trusted.
Imperfect Women streams on Apple TV+. New episodes release every Wednesday. The season finale arrives on April 29, 2026.
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