Based on Michelle Dean's Buzzfeed article from 2016 entitled "Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom To Be Murdered", the first installment of "The Act" follows Gypsy Blanchard, a girl trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her overprotective mother, Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette). Her quest for independence opens a Pandora's box of secrets, one that ultimately leads to murder.

To everyone around her, Dee Dee Blanchard (Arquette) appears to be the perfect mom to her wheelchair-bound daughter, Gypsy Rose. She has guided and protected her daughter through a staggering number of hardships: severe illnesses, homelessness, and hurricane Katrina. To the people in her new neighborhood in Springfield, Missouri, she's an admirable figure. But behind closed doors, her insecurities and need for control often get the better of her...