Mary Kills People, S1 E2, The River Styx

Richard Short and Caroline Dhavernas in Mary Kills People

In the second episode of Mary Kills People, “The River Styx,” Dr. Mary Harris (Caroline Dhavernas) finds out she’s in danger from the police. This is a recap of episode 2. There will be spoilers.

Caroline Dhavernas in Mary Kills People
A peaceful place to die

Mary and her partner Des (Richard Short) carry out one successful death. It’s an older woman named Nora. (I couldn’t find the actor’s name.) They leave her on a deserted beach after she dies. She went out happy. They walk off without a care in the world and hope someone finds the body before morning.

Mary doesn’t want to give up on Joel (Jay Ryan) yet. She likes the guy. She goes to see him but instead of giving him the drugs, she suggests he get into a clinical trial. She asks him what meds he’s taking. He acts odd – he wants her to take the money, he wants her to describe (for the recording please) exactly how she will bring about his death. She gets suspicious and goes to the bathroom. There is nothing in the bathroom. Not one thing. She realizes he’s a cop. She makes an excuse to go to her car.

When Mary gets to her car she’s hemmed in by a pizza delivery car. She panics and dumps her vials of drugs down a sewer grate. Joel chases her out. As soon as she can move her car, she speeds off.

Earlier that day, the nurse Annie (Grace Lynn Kung) gave Mary the name of a woman with ALS (Lisa Ryder) who was an urgent case. Des is waiting for Mary at the woman’s home. The woman’s 16 year old son (Parham Rownaghi) is there and impatient for his mother to be out of pain. Mary calls to say they have to postpone because she has no drugs.

Des tells the teen that his mother will have to wait and few days. He’s sorry about it, but the son is distraught. His mother can barely breathe and is begging to die. The kid accidentally shoots Des in the shoulder. Ouch! Bloody mess.

Mary gets the name of Des’ drug dealer friend and goes there herself to get more drugs. The drug dealer (Greg Bryk) and his helper (Joel Thomas Hynes) make Mary take off her shirt to prove she isn’t wearing a wire. They recite her full name and address and take her photo with drugs in hand before she’s allowed to leave.

Mary has drugs and is on the way to rescue Des from the gun-wielding teen. When she gets there, she has to give the dying woman an injection because she has trouble swallowing. Des remarks that this is their first injection – not a good choice since it leaves a mark. There’s also the problem that Mary has to do it rather than the dying person drinking their own cocktail willingly. Another big flub job.

Des and Mary get out of there. As Mary patches up Des, she tells him about the cop Joel. Des begs her to go to Switzerland with him. He thinks they could ply their trade legally there and live happily while growing rich. Not an option for a woman with two kids.

Mary takes daughters Jess (Abigail Winter) and Cambie (Lola Flanery) to their dad’s for the weekend. (I can’t figure out the dad’s name or the actor who plays him. Help me out if you know.) Dad’s new wife is Naomi’s mother. You remember Naomi (Katie Douglas), the teen who stole drugs from Mary’s shed and collapsed during a ballet recital? I didn’t pick up on the fact that Jess and Naomi were step-sisters in the first episode. The two teens go to a party where Naomi snorts cocaine. Jess is disgusted and leaves.

Next morning, Naomi lets Jess put her hand on her heart to feel the effects of the cocaine. Jess is moved by this and will forgive Naomi. Then Naomi casually remarks that Jess’s mother agreed to cover up Naomi’s drug stealing exploits. Oh, she’s a little devil, that Naomi. Jess is upset by this news. I’m expecting a blowup with mom in a future episode.

Benz Antoine, Lyriq Bent, and Jay Ryan in Mary Kills People
Lyriq Bent,  Jay Ryan and Benz Antoine are the cops who want to put Mary in the clink

The team of Joel and Frank (Lyriq Bent) report to the cop in charge of the investigation (Benz Antoine). The information they have on Mary, Des, and Annie came from a journal the boss cop’s young son kept before his death. He is determined to put them all in jail for killing his son.

Having Joel after them was bad. However, Joel’s as romantically wobbly about Mary as Mary is about him. But the boss cop is serious. Serious.

Mary finally gets home from her terrible, horrible, very bad night of cop recognition, meeting drug dealers, death by injection and shoulder wound doctoring to find Joel outside her driveway.

She tells him she knows he’s a cop. He says his name is Ben. He wants to talk. She is definitely not in the mood to listen.

This is only episode 2 out of 6. Mary’s efforts as angel of mercy are often disasters. She likes the cop who wants to arrest her. Her kid has a thing for a devious liar. Mary is already in deep trouble. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

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