The Starter Wife Episode 1.10 Woman Over the Influence

Detective LaRoche has brought Joan in for questioning. On Pappy's computer that the police retrieved from Good Will, they found Joan and Pappy's prenuptial agreement, which says that if she leaves the marriage she gets nothing, which LaRoche thinks gives her a motive for killing Pappy. But Joan is sticking to her story that she and Pappy split amicably and Molly is sticking to her theory that Pappy committed suicide. But when Joan finally admits a few days later that she actually just walked off the boat while Pappy was sleeping without discussing why she was leaving and where she was going, Molly is upset and confused about why Joan lied to her. Does that means Joan is lying about other things, too, as Detective LaRoche suspects?

Liz, who has run out of ways to entertain Devon's visiting son Campbell, takes Rodney up on his offer to let Campbell watch the filming of "Dark Axe." But when Campbell takes off with a gorgeous yet cradle-robbing 25-year-old actress from the movie, Liz is fearful how Devon is going to react when she tells him that she has lost his son.

Later in Felix's trailer, Rodney is just waiting for the real axe to fall-on their relationship, that is-since Felix has been acting distant ever since the photo of them together appeared on Dizzy-Land. Rodney, fed up with the whole thing, finally snaps and tells Felix he's done with sneaking around and doing everything for Felix without any reciprocation. For Rodney, the relationship over...that is, until Felix announces on national television that Rodney is the best thing that has ever happened to him.

Meanwhile, Kenny and Kat's relationship has gone from zero to sixty in a matter of days. Molly finds herself feeling a little jealous but she's not sure if it's because Jaden has taken a liking to Kat...or that Kenny has. And the fact that things still aren't going so well with Molly and Zach isn't helping matters. When Zach takes an upsetting call with his editor in the middle of Molly's dinner celebrating the beginning of pre-production for her movie and then leaves without a second thought when Molly suggests that perhaps he is too distracted to stay and enjoy dinner, she is hurt by his selfishness. Jolie Driver-Zach's ex wife, who is also at the dinner because she represents Kat-comments to Molly that Zach's behavior is typical when he's deep into a project, which of course doesn't make Molly feel any better. The next day, as Jaden is chatting away about her new BFF, Kat, and Molly is sorting through her mail, Molly comes across an envelope containing her first paycheck from her movie project. Time for an ice cream sundae celebration! But when Zach comes in all pissy because his publisher didn't agree with his vision so he walked away from his book deal, Molly pretends that she and Jaden are celebrating Jaden's good grade on her math test so as not to add insult to injury.

David, who has just bought a beautiful house in Malibu, begins painting a romantic picture of his and Joan's future together, which involves a walk down the aisle. But Joan demurs even though she looks like she would love nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him.

Finally, the gang-Molly, Rodney, Liz and Joan-get to enjoy a brief moment of carefree fun at Ann's bachelorette party since Ann and Lou's wedding is just days away. Molly tells Joan that Detective LaRoche has called because he'd like to question Molly. Joan, still as cool as a cucumber, gives Molly her blessing to be truthful. From Liz's vantage point up on the stage playfully pole-dancing with her friends, she spies the runaway Campbell with Olivia. Liz jumps down and nabs him before he slips away again. The next morning, Liz and Devon breathe a sigh of relief after getting Campbell safely back on the plane home.

When Molly meets with Detective LaRoche, she tells him that Joan left the boat without telling Pappy so she now believes Pappy's death was an accident, not suicide. But LaRoche says that the toxicology report came back showing that Pappy had a significant amount of Ambien in his system, but that the prescription was Joan's. Now Molly doesn't know what-or who-to believe.

Zach, whose mood has finally improved, invites Molly to go with him to New York to meet the other publishers who are interested in his novel. Molly declines because she has too much going on with her movie. Zach, who doesn't want to take no for an answer, asks Kenny at Lou and Ann's wedding if Kenny can spare Molly for a few days, which infuriates Molly. As Molly looks around the dance floor at all the happy couples who have weathered their own storms and have come out together stronger and happier-Rodney and Felix, Liz and Devon, Lou and Ann, and Joan and David-she finally realizes that she feels like she is going backward in her relationship with Zach, not forward. She takes Zach aside and gently explains that he seems to want the "old' Molly, who would've been great for him, but now she has her own dreams, which she will never shelve for any man ever again. He admits that he's going through a rough time right now and agrees that she shouldn't have to give up her dreams. They kiss softly one last time and Zach says goodbye for the last time.

While Devon and Liz enjoy a romantic slow dance, he tells her that he's got some bad news: he has been traded to San Francisco. Not wanting to uproot his family once again, he offers to commute so she can stay in Los Angeles, but Liz says that their family sticks together no matter what or no matter where.

When the police arrive at the wedding reception, Rodney and Molly go to Joan's side. Joan finally tells them the truth: she put sleeping pills in Pappy's Dramamine bottle so he'd sleep until morning when the boat would be back out at sea. Even if it was an accident-Pappy perhaps stumbling over the railing-Joan will get manslaughter. Joan has a big decision to make, but one she has to make for herself. The friends say goodbye without looking back, not knowing whether Joan will give herself up to the authorities or make a run for it. As soon as Molly and Rodney are out of sight, Joan slips away unseen.

As the episode-and the season-comes to a close, we see Liz and Devon wistfully packing up their house, Rodney and Felix together but somehow still apart, Zach deep into his work but still thinking of Molly, Kenny righting a drawing Jaden made of "Mommy, Daddy and Jaden" on his refrigerator door, David pouring himself a soda on the deck of his new house, Joan in a bar somewhere looking longingly at the picture of David's beach house and draining the last of her martini, and Molly arriving at the movie studio lot to begin pre-production on her new movie. As Molly pulls her car into the parking spot reserved just for her, Molly smiles, ready to turn the page, because after all, "Wife Goes On."