Why Women Kill

Why Women Kill is an American dark comedy-drama web television series created by Marc Cherry for CBS All Access. Set in multiple time periods, the series depicts the events leading to a death that occurs after the respective husbands of three married women commit adultery. It premiered on August 15, 2019, and its first season consisted of 10 episodes.[1] Shortly before the first season concluded, the series was renewed for a second season.[2]

Why Women Kill
Genre
Created byMarc Cherry
Starring
Music byMateo Messina
Opening theme"L-O-V-E" by Michael Feinstein
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Anna Culp
  • Mark Grossan
Cinematography
  • Michael A. Price
  • Scott Boettle
Editor(s)
  • Michael Berenbaum
  • Andrew Doerfer
  • Annette Davey
  • Jan Northrop
  • Shannon Mitchell
Running time46–56 minutes
Production company(s)
DistributorCBS Television Distribution
Release
Original networkCBS All Access
Original releaseAugust 15, 2019 (2019-08-15) –
present (present)
External links
Official website

Premise

Why Women Kill follows three women from different decades who are connected through having all lived in the same Pasadena mansion and experiencing infidelity in their marriages. Beth Ann Stanton remains content as a housewife in 1963 until she learns of her husband's unfaithfulness, socialite Simone Grove discovers her third husband's homosexuality and begins her own affair with a younger man in 1984, and although in an open marriage in 2019, attorney Taylor Harding finds her relationship tested when she and her husband become attracted to the same woman. The infidelity in each marriage sets off a chain of events that ends with a woman taking the life of another person.[3]

Cast and characters

1963

Main

  • Ginnifer Goodwin as Beth Ann Stanton, Rob's subservient wife.[4]
    • Hartlyn Hilsman as a young Beth Ann.
  • Sam Jaeger as Rob Stanton, an aerospace engineer married to Beth Ann.[4]
  • Sadie Calvano as April Warner, a waitress having an affair with Rob.[4]

Recurring

  • Alicia Coppola as Sheila Mosconi, Rob and Beth Ann's neighbor and Leo's wife who befriends Beth Ann.
  • Adam Ferrara as Leo Mosconi, Rob and Beth Ann's neighbor and Sheila's husband.[5]
  • Lindsey Kraft as Claire, Rob's secretary.

Guest

  • Spencer Garrett as Hal Burke, Rob's boss.
  • Peri Gilpin as Vivian Burke, Hal's wife.
  • Analeigh Tipton as Mary Vlasin, Rob and Beth Ann's neighbor and Ralph's abused wife.
  • Scott Porter as Ralph Vlasin, Rob and Beth Ann's neighbor and Mary's abusive husband.
  • Ava Scarola as Emily Stanton, Rob and Beth Ann's deceased daughter.[6]
  • Catherine Curry as Elsie Warner, April and Rob's daughter who is under the care of Beth Ann.[6]

1984

Main

  • Lucy Liu as Simone Grove, a twice-divorced socialite married to Karl.[4]
    • Harmonie He as a young Simone Grove.
  • Jack Davenport as Karl Grove, Simone's third husband who is using their relationship to conceal his homosexuality.[4]

Recurring

  • Katie Finneran as Naomi Harte, a wealthy friend of Simone and Tommy's widowed mother.
  • Leo Howard as Tommy Harte, Naomi's son who harbors romantic feelings for Simone.[4]
  • Li Jun Li as Amy Lin, Simone's daughter from her first marriage.[7]

Guest

  • Charlie DePew as Brad Jenkins, Amy's fiancé.
  • Ken Garito as the police officer who mistakes Simone for a prostitute.
  • Christine Estabrook as Joyce Dubner, a hypochondriac neighbor of Simone.
  • Philip Anthony-Rodriguez as Hector, Simone's former hairdresser and Karl's gay lover.
  • Dale Dickey as Ruby Jenkins, Brad's mother.
  • Robert Craighead as Dwight Jenkins, Brad's father.
  • Hayley Hasselhoff as Patt Jenkins, Brad's lesbian sister.

2019

Main

  • Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Taylor Harding, a bisexual, feminist attorney in an open marriage with Eli.[4]
    • Kendall Denise Clark as a young Taylor Harding.
  • Alexandra Daddario as Jade / Irene Tabatchnick, the bisexual mistress of Taylor.[4]
  • Reid Scott as Eli Cohen, a screenwriter in an open marriage with Taylor.[4]

Recurring

  • Kevin Daniels as Lamar, Eli's agent.
  • Kevin McNamara as Duke, Jade's ex-boyfriend.

Guest

  • Saidha Arrika Ekulona as Taylor's sister.
  • Christina Anthony as Velma, Taylor's sister.
  • Odelya Halevi as Willow, an Instagram model working with Mischa and friend of Jade.
  • Kevin William Paul as Mischa, Willow's fellow Instagram model, who is friends with Jade.

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [8]
1"Murder Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry"[lower-roman 1]Marc WebbMarc CherryAugust 15, 2019 (2019-08-15)

In 1963, Rob and Beth Ann Stanton move into their Pasadena mansion following the death of their daughter. After meeting Leo and Sheila Mosconi, Beth Ann overhears Sheila reveal that Leo witnessed Rob kissing a waitress. Beth Ann refuses to believe her husband's infidelity until she sees Rob kiss the waitress firsthand. At Sheila's advice, Beth Ann goes to the diner to confront the waitress, who she learns is named April. However, Beth Ann loses her nerve and instead befriends April, although she keeps her identity secret from her husband's mistress.

In 1984, Simone Grove learns of her husband's homosexuality when she finds pictures of Karl kissing a man. Simone demands that Karl leave, but Karl instead appears to attempt suicide by overdosing on pills. After Karl is sent to the hospital, Tommy Harte admits to Simone that he saw the photos and makes a romantic pass at her. Simone declines his advances, but Tommy states that unlike the men she married, he is in love with her.

In 2019, Taylor Harding brings her mistress Jade home to live with her and Eli, Taylor's husband, after Jade is threatened by her ex-boyfriend Duke. Eli initially opposes having a paramour of the couple stay in their mansion, but eventually agrees to allow Jade to remain when he finds himself becoming attracted to her.
2"I'd Like to Kill Ya, But I Just Washed My Hair"[lower-roman 2]Marc WebbAustin GuzmanAugust 22, 2019 (2019-08-22)

In 1963, April admits to Beth Ann that she is the mistress of a married man, still unaware that Beth Ann is the wife of the man she is seeing. After April suggests that the affair is the result of Rob becoming bored with his wife, Beth Ann attempts to make herself more appealing to Rob, but her efforts culminate with her accidentally injuring him. While waiting to be treated at the hospital, Rob acknowledges that he is growing distant from Beth Ann, but stops short of admitting his infidelity. Once treated for his injury, Rob leaves the mansion for an apparent dinner with business partners despite Beth Ann's attempts to make him stay, knowing that he is really meeting with April.

In 1984, Simone discovers that Karl faked his suicide attempt, but is unable to force him out of the mansion when Karl threatens to humiliate her by disclosing his homosexuality to her friends. Naomi Harte reveals to Simone that she has known about Karl's infidelity for over a year, although she is unaware of his sexual orientation. Feeling betrayed by Karl and Naomi, Simone begins an affair with Tommy.

In 2019, Eli begins to suspect that Taylor is in love with Jade after he learns that they have been seeing each other for six months. Following a threesome between Eli, Taylor, and Jade, Eli's suspicions are fueled by the two women continuing their intimacy without him. When questioned by her husband about her relationship with Jade, Taylor reassures him that he simply feels insecure because of his career struggles.
3"I Killed Everyone He Did, But Backwards and in High Heels"[lower-roman 3]David GrossmanRandi Mayem SingerAugust 29, 2019 (2019-08-29)

In 1963, when Beth Ann learns that Rob intends to meet with April in a nightclub to celebrate the completion of a project, she visits his office and takes the project files with her. Forced to remain in the office to recreate the project, Rob cancels his plans with April, who invites Beth Ann to go out with her. At the nightclub, April reveals to Beth Ann that she is not pursuing a serious relationship with Rob and has no intention of getting married, preferring to instead focus on becoming a singer.

In 1984, Simone and Karl are forced to attend a charity dinner together, with Tommy serving as their waiter. Tommy grows increasingly resentful towards Karl and his treatment of Simone, culminating in him spilling food on Karl and getting fired. Afterwards, Simone admits to Tommy that while she intends to divorce Karl, she does not hate him because he takes care of her.

In 2019, Taylor, Eli, and Jade encounter Willow and Mischa at a nightclub, who offer to take Jade with them to Venice the next day. Taylor becomes jealous and attempts to prevent Jade from leaving. After Eli further pressures her about her feelings for Jade, Taylor confesses that Jade helps her cope with financial hardships that have been compounded by Eli not helping her generate income. When Jade returns to the mansion to announce that she will be leaving for Venice, Eli convinces her to stay.
4"You Had Me at Homicide"[lower-roman 4]Valerie WeissGreg MalinsSeptember 5, 2019 (2019-09-05)

In 1963, after an adventure with April, which included roller skating and brownies laced with marijuana, April admits that Rob has been doing marijuana for more excitement in his life. Beth Ann, now high off of marijuana, and Rob go to a dinner party at his boss' home. While there, she admits to Rob that she "knows what [he's] been doing". After the dinner, Rob asked how she knew about the marijuana, not knowing Beth Ann was actually referring to his infidelity. After Beth Ann does not answer, Rob tells her how he has forgotten how to enjoy life. This leads to the both of them rollerskating on the roads and Rob regaining interest in Beth Ann again.

In 1984, when Simone refuses to accept Tommy's gift, a sports watch, Tommy leaves her in the middle of their date. Later, Amy, Simone's engaged daughter, cancels her wedding with Brad due to a misunderstanding. Tommy agrees to go on a date with Amy to make Simone jealous. After listening to a speech on love made by Karl, Simone realizes her true feelings for Tommy. She then interrupts their date to amend her relationship with Tommy by wearing the watch he gifted her.

In 2019, Jade's abusive ex-boyfriend, Duke, shows up at the mansion, but before he gets to the door, he is stopped by Taylor after she threatens to call the police. A while later, Jade gets a call from Duke to meet her or else he will kill their dog. Eli, Jade, and Taylor go to Duke's apartment to talk things out, but when Duke does not answer the door, Eli breaks one of his windows and steals the dog. After efforts to chase them fail, Duke goes to the mansion again to injure Eli and Taylor, but Jade surprises him and knocks him over the head with a hammer, sending him over the stair railing and onto a table, breaking Duke's leg.
5"There's No Crying in Murder"[lower-roman 5]David GrossmanJeff Strauss & Brendan StephanSeptember 12, 2019 (2019-09-12)

In 1963, April auditions to sing at a local bar, and she gets the gig. April makes plans for Beth Ann and Rob to come watch her when she sings, but after Rob gets two tickets to the World Series, Rob declines April's offer. However, Beth Ann fakes diarrhea and does not go to the game, and instead goes to the bar for April's performance. After her gig, they go back to April's motel where she is staying, but Rob shows up. April then tells Rob that she is in love with him, but Rob starts yelling at her after he thought she tried to make Rob get a divorce.

In 1984, after Simone and Tommy get lost on a way to a motel, Simone asks for directions, but when going back to Tommy's car, a police officer mistakes Simone for a prostitute. When Naomi finds out Tommy has been leaving the house at all hours of the week, she signs him up for a housekeeping service. When Simone hears this, they start planning to have sex while Tommy cleans the houses so that they do not get caught. However, when Joyce, Simone's neighbor, comes home early while they are having sex, Simone calls Karl to help her out of the bedroom. Karl drives to their house and crashes into Naomi's car, creating a distraction for Simone to leave. Karl also discovered Simone has been having an affair with Tommy.

In 2019, Taylor goes to meet with her sisters to tell them about their ménage à trois where her sisters ask her about how Eli and Jade feel about each other. They also ask about when they start to like each other more than Jade, bring up his past addiction to drugs. While gone, Eli gets a 24-hour notice to finish his script or Lamar, his agent, will drop him. Jade inspired Eli who is going through writer's block, but after Eli falls asleep after writing for hours, Jade gives Eli special pills to make him more energized. After Lamar says the script was the best thing he had ever written, Eli and Jade have sex and disregard Taylor.
6"Practically Lethal in Every Way"[lower-roman 6]David WarrenJoe KeenanSeptember 19, 2019 (2019-09-19)

In 1963, Rob and Beth Ann throw a housewarming party to celebrate unpacking. Beth Ann goes around the neighborhood inviting all her neighbors, including Mary and Ralph Vlasin. Beth Ann learns through April that Mary might be getting abused by Ralph. At the party, Mary and Rob dance, but a jealous Ralph pulls Mary into the study and starts yelling at her. Beth Ann intervenes and tells Ralph to leave, but after he storms out, Mary follows him. Rob and Beth Ann get into an argument about how Rob did nothing to stop Ralph. As a retort, Rob yells at Beth Ann saying that she was not a good mother. After Beth Ann finds out Sheila heard their fight, Beth Ann admits that she was the reason their daughter died.

In 1984, Simone and Karl go to meet Brad's family after Simone hires a lawyer for their divorce. While at the restaurant, Karl finds Hector, his gay lover, and after excusing himself from the table, Karl starts making out with him in the bathroom. After Simone barges in and breaks it up, they return to the table. After Ruby, Brad's mother, starts asking questions about Simone's divorced husbands, she comes out and says that Karl is gay. Then, Karl tells Brad's family about Simone's affair with Tommy. This causes Brad's family to become outraged, but after Patty comes back into the room from cleaning her shirt, she reveals that she is a lesbian, which forces Brad's family to leave. Simone then visits Hector to talk about Karl's relationship with him.

In 2019, Eli and Jade admit to Taylor that they had sex together, but Taylor does not seem to care. Eli, Jade, Taylor, and Lamar go have dinner to discuss the script. After Lamar and Eli keep giving Jade credit for "being Eli's muse", Taylor gets angry and goes into the bathroom. After Jade finds her and asks what's wrong, she tells Jade that she was the one who spent the last two years fixing Eli's life of drug abuse and overdoses. Jade, feeling guilty about giving him pills, confronts Eli about not telling her that he was a drug addict. Eli gives his pills to Jade, but after he agrees to protect Jade no matter what, she lets him have the pills.
7"I Found Out What the Secret to Murder Is: Friends. Best Friends."[lower-roman 7]Elizabeth Allen RosenbaumHannah SchneiderSeptember 26, 2019 (2019-09-26)

In 1963, Rob dumps April, but she learns that she is pregnant with Rob's child. Beth Ann and Sheila discuss telling Rob about her knowing of the affair, but during the discussion, April appears in the driveway of the mansion. Sheila opens the door, leading April to believe Sheila is Rob's wife instead of Beth Ann. When Beth Ann is about to tell Rob that she knows about the affair, she stops herself and instead falsely reveals that she has cancer.

In 1984, Simone realizes she still wants to keep Karl as a friend and wants him to be happy, so she invites Hector over and they go on a date. When Tommy buys Simone a very expensive brooch, Naomi starts to think that Tommy is buying drugs. She then thinks he has become a drug dealer after a suspicious person, who was Simone, went up to Tommy during his track practice. After Simone goes to the Hartes' house to successfully stop Naomi from looking at Tommy's journal, including Simone revealing to Naomi that Karl is gay, Tommy invites Simone to travel to Europe with him. Though Simone initially declines, she agrees to think about it. Karl discovers he has AIDS, but Simone is too invested in her relationship with Tommy to notice.

In 2019, Eli buys cocaine from his former drug dealer. As he starts getting addicted to it again after he finds success in his writing from doing the drug, Taylor suspects that something is wrong when he keeps sniffing and wiping his nose. In order to improve their relationship, Taylor invites Eli and Jade to a polyamory retreat. While on the way at a gas station, as Eli goes to take a sniff of cocaine, a truck honks behind him, scaring him and making him spill the powder all over the trunk, but he decides to hide it. After getting to the retreat to find that they are doing trunk inspections, Eli turns around. His nose starts bleeding, which prompts Taylor to go to the trunk to find that he is using cocaine again. Taylor demands that Eli go to rehab, but after he refuses, Taylor walks out. She tells Jade to go with her, but Jade stays.
8"Marriages Don't Break Up on Account of Murder – It's Just a Symptom That Something Else Is Wrong"[lower-roman 8]Lucy LiuAlexa JungeOctober 3, 2019 (2019-10-03)

In 1963, Beth Ann and Sheila visit Sheila's nephew, a doctor who specialized in oncology, to talk about what kind of cancer she should say she has. After they land on epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, she tells Rob that she has six months to live. After April misleads Beth Ann to an illegal abortion clinic, Beth Ann tells April about how her daughter died, which leads April to agree to keep the baby. Sheila and Beth Ann fight over her ideas to keep the baby, which leads to Sheila storming out and cutting communication with Beth Ann. April storms into Rob's office and tells Rob that she is pregnant, to which Rob responds by proposing to her saying that his marriage would be over in six months. April calls Beth Ann and tells her what happened, much to Beth Ann's dismay.

In 1984, Simone and Tommy discuss their vacation to Europe, and since he cannot afford the extravagant things Simone has in mind, she suggests that he sell the brooch and find a more creative way to show he cares. At a dinner party, Karl's doctor's wife approaches Simone in the bathroom and tells her that Karl is a homosexual, which she knew, and that he has AIDS. After the party, Karl confirms to Simone that he has AIDS. Simone decides to cancel her trip with Tommy in order to take care of Karl. Upset, Tommy drinks from a bottle of wine he stole from Simone and drives away in his car, eventually getting in an accident. At the hospital, Naomi finds Tommy's new tattoo of Simone on his leg.

In 2019, Taylor and Jade talk about the risk of Eli overdosing on drugs again. Taylor asks Jade to find Eli's passwords so that they can cut the cash flow to his bank account. Taylor explains that he becomes extremely generous when on drugs. After Taylor threatens to call Eli's father to find out the reason he was using drugs again, Jade shuts down the idea. Eli buys Jade a car, and when Taylor gets notified that a large chunk of money was taken out of their bank account, she goes to the mansion and accuses Jade of being the reason Eli is on drugs. Taylor ultimately decides to bail Duke out of jail, and in return, he tells everything about Jade. Duke tells Taylor that Jade is not who she says she is.
9"I Was Just Wondering What Makes Dames Like You So Deadly"[lower-roman 9]Dawn WilkinsonMary Elizabeth HamiltonOctober 10, 2019 (2019-10-10)

In 1963, Beth Ann continues to try and persuade April to stay away from Rob. While at the doctors with April, Beth Ann finds Mary who has been visibly hurt and abused. Beth Ann goes to Mary's house and gets the full story of why she was abused this time, but things take a turn when Mary questions Beth Ann about how Rob is cheating and why she will not leave Rob. This inspires Beth Ann who packs to leave Rob but, after visiting his work to say goodbye, Claire tells Beth Ann about how Rob has cheated with many women, including Claire. She also admits that she was the reason Beth Ann and Rob's child died. Beth Ann, who becomes enraged, tells Claire to not let their conversation leave the room. Beth Ann buys a gun, with which she plans to kill Rob.

In 1984, Naomi spreads the rumor that Simone has been molesting Tommy and that Karl is gay. This gets Simone and Karl kicked out of their country club. Naomi furiously shows up at the mansion and tells them she will do much worse than getting them kicked out of a country club. Naomi blackmails Karl, tells everyone that he has contracted AIDS, and when the news reaches Amy, she insists that they should not come to the wedding. Simone and Karl head to their car to go to lunch to find that their house got graffitied. Karl starts getting dizzy, and after the gathering is reluctant to help him due to his AIDS, their assistant helps Karl to the car. At the hospital, Simone talks with Naomi, who is not satisfied. Naomi gets in her car and waits for Simone to come out of the hospital, and when she does, Naomi drives into Simone.

In 2019, Eli’s agent asks him to come in for a meeting with a potential director for his movie, but instead it is cover for a surprise meeting with Taylor, who lets Eli know the truth about Jade, that her name is actually Irene and that she has probably seduced and killed multiple people. Taylor wants Eli to dump Jade and go into rehab, but he leaves feeling betrayed by Taylor. After Jade picks up Eli from the meeting, he tells Jade that Taylor figured out her true identity. Irene gets distracted by this and crashes the car. After the crash, Irene says she can’t stay because the police are still looking for her from her previous actions. Even though Eli was injured in the crash, she runs away to Duke's house, where she starts violently fighting with Duke. Duke tells her that Taylor came to see him while he was in jail and he told her everything. The fight ends with Irene stabbing Duke to death. Taylor visits Eli in the hospital. He is unconscious, but the nurse said he left a note for her with one word: “rehab.”
10"Kill Me as if It Were the Last Time"[lower-roman 10]David WarrenMarc Cherry & Curtis KheelOctober 17, 2019 (2019-10-17)

In 1963, Beth Ann initiates a scheme with Mary to cause their husbands to kill each other by having Mary tell Ralph that she is having an affair with Rob. Beth Ann is further encouraged to progress with the scheme when Rob continues to deny his role in their daughter's death. The scheme, however, is hampered when April arrives at the mansion, having learned the truth about Beth Ann. Ralph arrives at the mansion shortly afterwards to kill Rob, prompting a struggle between the two. In the ensuing scuffle, Beth Ann removes the bullets from her gun before tossing it to Rob, ensuring that he is gunned down by Ralph. A decade later, Simone meets Beth Ann, who reveals that Ralph was executed for Rob's murder and April became a singer, with Beth Ann helping take care of her daughter.

In 1984, Tommy saves Simone from his mother, resulting in Naomi being injured. Tommy offers to cancel his trip to Europe to be with Simone as she takes care of Karl, but Simone encourages him to travel and pursue new relationships. Six months later, Karl becomes suicidal as his condition worsens. Seeing an AIDS victim become comatose convinces Simone to help Karl end his life and the two share a final dance before Simone euthanizes her husband. Decades later, Taylor and Eli meet Simone, who has become active in AIDS research, while Tommy is revealed to have become a painter.

In 2019, Taylor and Eli agree to sell the mansion and focus on their own relationship when they are startled by the return of Jade, who is desperate for money. Refusing to help her, the two start to fear for their lives when Jade disappears and they learn of Duke's murder. As they rush to pack their belongings, Jade emerges and stabs Eli before being killed by Taylor. Eli, however, survives and leaves with Taylor and Jade's dog to their new home as couple Abby and Andrew move into the mansion. After Eli and Taylor leave, Abby discovers that Andrew is cheating on her and shoots him.

Title parodies

Each episode title plays on a catchphrase, all but two from American movies. Three of them were voted into AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes.

  1. Love means never having to say you're sorry. (Love Story, 1970; AFI's #13)
  2. I'd like to kiss you, but I just washed my hair. (The Cabin in the Cotton, 1932; AFI nominated)
  3. Sure he [Fred Alstaire] was great, but don't forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did, …backwards and in high heels. (Published on May 3, 1982,[9] Frank and Ernest, 1972–)
  4. You had me at 'hello.' (Jerry Maguire, 1996; AFI's #52)
  5. There's no crying in baseball! (A League of Their Own, 1992; AFI's #54)
  6. Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way. (Mary Poppins, 1964)
  7. I found out what the secret to life is. Friends. Best friends. (Fried Green Tomatoes, 1991)
  8. Marriages don't break up on account of infidelity - it's just a symptom that something else is wrong. (When Harry Met Sally..., 1989)
  9. I was just wondering what makes dames like you so dizzy. (It Happened One Night, 1934)
  10. Kiss me as if it were the last time. (Casablanca, 1942)

Production

Development

On September 24, 2018, it was announced that CBS All Access had given the production a straight-to-series order. The series was created by Marc Cherry who was also expected to executive produce alongside Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo, Michael Hanel, and Mindy Schultheis. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Imagine Entertainment and CBS Television Studios.[3][10][11] On December 10, 2018, it was reported that the series would receive $8.4 million in tax credits from the state of California.[12]

Cherry stated at the 2019 Television Critics Association that there will be "three deaths at the end of the series, and they will all be committed by women. But it's not necessarily the three women on this stage. The victims are not necessarily the men on this stage, and interesting enough, not one person will be killed because of infidelity. Infidelity is just the starting point for these journeys of self‑discovery."[13]

On October 16, 2019, the day before the season 1 finale, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second season that would focus on a new set of characters. Julie McNamara, CBS All Access’ EVP of Original Content, stated that, "Under the creative direction of Marc Cherry and the incredible performances of the cast, the series has become one of our most streamed original series. We look forward to bringing fans even more of this wonderfully soapy dramedy in its second season and can’t wait to see what themes Marc explores next."[2]

Casting

In February 2019, it was announced that Ginnifer Goodwin and Lucy Liu had been cast in starring roles.[14][15] On February 27, 2019, it was reported that Reid Scott had joined the cast.[16] On March 4, 2019, it was announced that Sam Jaeger had joined the cast.[17] On March 7, 2019, it was announced that Alexandra Daddario had joined the cast.[18] On March 11, 2019, Kirby Howell-Baptiste had been cast.[19] On March 19, 2019, Sadie Calvano joined cast as a series regular.[20] On April 5, 2019, Katie Finneran has been cast in a recurring role.[21] On April 17, 2019, Adam Ferrara joined the cast in a recurring capacity.[5] On August 7, 2019, Li Jun Li was cast in a recurring role.[7]

Why Women Kill: Truth, Lies and Labels
Why Women Kill: Truth, Lies and Labels
Presentation
Hosted byTori Telfer
GenreTrue crime
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly, every Friday
Length22–25 minutes
Production
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Publication
Original releaseSeptember 20, 2019 (2019-09-20) – October 25, 2019 (2019-10-25)
Provider
Related showsWhy Women Kill

On September 20, 2019, CBS All Access released the first episode of a six episode podcast, entitled Why Women Kill: Truth, Lies and Labels, to help advertise for Why Women Kill. The final episode was released on October 25. Each episode, released weekly on Friday, shared the details of a woman who became a murderer. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher Radio. Tori Telfer, a true crime writer, narrated each episode.[22]

No.TitleTopicLength
min:sec		Original air date
1"The Black Widow"Belle Gunness22:56September 20, 2019 (2019-09-20)
2"The Woman Who Snapped"Lizzie Borden22:13September 27, 2019 (2019-09-27)
3"The Angel of Death"Amy Archer-Gilligan22:36October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04)
4"The Jealous Lover"Mary Pearcey24:52October 11, 2019 (2019-10-11)
5"The Bonnie"Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck22:50October 18, 2019 (2019-10-18)
6"The Bloodthristy Babe"Elizabeth Báthory24:04October 25, 2019 (2019-10-25)

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 63% based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 7.78/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though Why Women Kill falls short of its ambitious premise, fans of Marc Cherry and his impressive cast will find much to like it its darkly soapy and stylish delights."[23] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[24]

While the aesthetic of the series received praise, critics found that Why Women Kill lacked character development. Robyn Bahr of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "We're supposed to marvel at the changing roles of women over time, but it's hard to get there, intellectually, when none of the three leads feels like a semblance of a real person. Instead, Why Women Kill comes off as an ungainly fantasy of women's emotional lives, where the threat of infidelity could be the only fuel of marital unhappiness."[25] Vulture reviewer Angelica Jade Bastién agreed with the focus on aesthetics more than plot, stating, "Why Women Kill is akin to an overly complicated craft cocktail, boasting an intriguing brightness, namely in the form of Goodwin's performance, but lacking balance in its competing flavors. It's full of baffling tonal and narrative decisions that undermine what does work about the show—a handful of the performances, the over-the-top, nearly camp production design, the costuming—and undercuts its dramatic potential with broad, nearly slapstick humor that distances us from the characters rather than illuminating who they are."[26]

gollark: Yes. My taste in memes is perfect and without flaw, and all others are wrong.
gollark: But with advances in deep learning nowadays, and my extremely large dataset of "good" memes, I could probably autofilter them.
gollark: See, it is very easy to obtain vast quantities of memes, by crawling reddit. Unfortunately, they're mostly bad.
gollark: Automated memeCLOUD™ meme harvesting.
gollark: I have recently had an idea which MAY actually be practical.

References
  1. Pedersen, Erik (June 4, 2019). "'Why Women Kill' Premiere Date: CBS All Access Sets Marc Cherry Dark Dramedy For Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  2. Schwartz, Ryan (October 16, 2019). "Why Women Kill Renewed for Season 2, to Focus on New Characters". TVLine. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  3. Andreeva, Nellie (September 24, 2018). "CBS All Access Orders Infidelity Dramedy Series 'Why Women Kill' From Marc Cherry & Imagine TV Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  4. "Why Women Kill Cast". CBS. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  5. Petski, Denise (April 17, 2019). "'Why Women Kill': Adam Ferrara To Recur On CBS All Access Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  6. "Why Women Kill". ViacomCBS Press Express. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  7. Petski, Denise (August 7, 2019). "'Why Women Kill' Casts Li Jun Li; Emily Swallow Joins 'SEAL Team'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  8. "Why Women Kill – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  9. Thaves, Bob (May 3, 1982). "Frank and Ernest - Search Cartoons". Frank and Ernest. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  10. Goldberg, Lesley (September 24, 2018). "Marc Cherry Dark Comedy 'Why Women Kill' Nabs CBS All Access Order". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
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