After the police found out that the DNA on the belt matched to one of the Hawthornes on American Gothic, a full-blown investigation ensues. So which Hawthorne is the killer? And will they turn on each other?
The Cat’s Out Of The Bag
American Gothic’s “The Chess Players” starts with Tessa and Brady driving just after Brady said someone in Tessa’s family was the killer. They’re rushing to get to Alison’s debate so she isn’t blindsided by the news. They don’t get there in time, though. People start seeing the news on their phones and Alison gets a question about the Silver Bells Killer’s DNA matching someone in her family.
So the whole family meets to discuss the news, though Garrett’s mysteriously missing. They all need to get their DNA tested now. Tessa also admits that she let Brady test Cam’s DNA. The only thing that matters now, according to Alison, is “which one of us is it?”
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Are The Police Framing The Hawthornes?
Of course, the media starts to swarm the family’s house. Brady goes outside to take care of it. At the same time, Madeline says that the police are framing their family. Brady comes back with some police officers from outside. They have a warrant to test all their DNA, even Tessa’s, who was only ten when the murders happened. They still need Garrett’s DNA so Alison says to take one of his cups.
Will The Hawthornes Turn On Each Other?
Madeline decides to cook for everyone, but they all think it looks super gross, so she has a completely normal reaction and smashes it on the ground.
Cam sends Jack to bed and they debate whether Garrett’s the killer or not. But Cam thinks Mitch did it. He tells them about his hallucinations of someone dragging a body down the stairs. He also tells them about the spindle. “That’s enough,” Madeline starts screaming. The cops and media want them to turn on each other, but she won’t allow it. So she tells them all to go to bed like they’re all children.
Cam goes to hangout with Jack, who says that psychopaths decorate their homes with predatory birds. Their house just happens to be full of predatory birds. What a coincidence! Tom also tries to comfort Alison, but she’s not feeling it. “I guess that’s Naomi’s department now,” he says.
Sophie also shows up at the house later, but Cam can’t sleep. Neither can Tessa or Alison. Cam goes to see Tessa, who’s trying to convince herself that Garrett’s not the killer. They hangout in Garrett’s room and Cam notices a silver bell on the wall. He starts losing it. Alison, meanwhile, goes to read her dad’s favorite book Wuthering Heights. Instead, though, she finds some pictures and papers inside. So she goes to see Tessa and Cam and shows them the police report she found. Apparently their dad almost beat someone to death.
So they show the police report to Madeline, who calls it “an isolated incident.” It was her fault, apparently. Madeline admits she had an affair. She ended it when Mitch demanded her to, but the guy wanted to see her again. Mitch found them, beat the guy up and dragged him down the stairs. That’s what Cam saw. “I swear to you, you’re father was not the Silver Bells Killer,” she says. Cam, understandably, thinks Madeline conveniently has an answer for everything. He thinks Madeline or Alison is the killer now. Then Alison says this is all Tessa’s fault because she let the police test Cam’s DNA and started this whole thing. They then decide they need to focus on finding Garrett.
The next morning, Alison attempts to make up with Tom. They both apologize, but Tom notices Alison getting a text from Naomi while she’s distracted. He pretends to be her and invites Naomi over. Tessa also tells Brady about Garrett’s new doctor friend. He realizes Garrett’s with the daughter of the SKB victim, so they go to find them. Madeline also gets pissed that Sophie’s at the house.
Tom then goes to meet Naomi and says he wants to talk to her one-on-one. He says Alison told him all about their affair. It’s part of their arrangement. She can sleep with whoever she wants if she tells him about it. Naomi says he’s scared that their relationship is more than that and that he’s losing her. Meanwhile, Cam overhears Sophie talking to her drug dealer, so he tells her to get out, but she was actually talking to a realtor. She wants them and Jack to all to get away together.
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Garrett and Christina’s Unfortunate Camping Trip
Garrett hears about his family’s news on the radio. He takes Christina into the middle of the woods and takes her cell phone away so they can go camping, unplug, and get away from the noise.
Garrett says he didn’t bring food. Instead, he wants to kill and eat a rabbit, but Christina’s vegan. He was kidding, though. He has vegan chili.
Garrett admits that he lived in the woods for 14 years. He loved how simple it was. Christina asks if his family missed him. He missed his little sister. He then came back because Mitch was dying. He was going to leave after the funeral, but he stayed for Christina. So why did he leave Boston in the first place? “I had to,” he says. He decides to tell Christina “everything.”
Of course, that’s when Garrett goes to get more firewood. While he’s gone, some guys show up and harass Christina. Garrett comes back and says they can leave or stay. Then he pulls out a knife, so they leave. Christina’s understandably upset and leaves. So I guess we’re not finding out Garrett’s story.
Brady and Tessa wind up going to Christina’s apartment. But she, of course, isn’t there. They go to the neighbor and find out that Christina and Garrett went camping. Brady wants to alert the police, but Tessa convinces him to find them together as long as he takes the lead. He tells her that he left his keys in Christina’s apartment, so she goes to get them and he leaves without her.
Brady drives to the woods and tries to call Christina while the media leaves the Hawthorne’s house. They turn on the TV to find out that the police have launched a manhunt for Garrett. Just then, Christina hears Brady’s message that Garrett’s an SBK suspect. Alison tells Tessa it’s time to accept the truth that Garrett’s the killer.
Christina accuses Garrett of being the killer and demands his car keys. He swears he wouldn’t hurt her and complies. He then lunges for her and someone, it’s unclear who, ends up getting stabbed. At the same time, the DNA results come in.
Brady makes his way to Garrett’s truck, but Christina comes out covered in Garrett’s blood. But, it turns out, the DNA was a match to Mitch, not Garrett. They took Mitch’s old bloody jersey from the high school and tested it. Garrett, meanwhile, is lying out in the woods dying.
American Gothic airs on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on CBS.
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
