Tonight's episode is very much Alison' story, and it begins with a blast from the past: Aynsley Norris. Before Alison watched her former best friend get her scarf caught in a garbage disposal and die in season 1, things were actually pretty chummy. So chummy, in fact, that Aynsley, Alison, Donnie, and Aynsley's husband Chad once decided to do shrooms together after a dinner party. The episode begins with this flashback in which Alison struggles to cope with the drugs, incessant calls from Beth (R.I.P), and her creeping suspicion that the life she's living isn't the one she really wants. Little did she know things were about to turn upside down.
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Back with present-day Alison, who has reunited with Donnie, things are getting tense. The couple is still being relentlessly questioned by Mr. Frontenac about Helena's whereabouts, which Donnie secretly knows but won't reveal. All this questioning about Cosima and Sarah and Helena just emphasises Alison's feelings of uselessness. She seems to be the only clone without a purpose, who isn't valuable in some way.
"I want you to consider your worth," Mr. Frontenac threatens.
Back with Sarah, the family holds a memorial for M.K., which Alison watches over Skype. They all decide to lay low for the day. Kira still won't let her mother come with her to Dyad, so Sarah holes up with Felix.
Alison heads to the Church Fall Fun Fair, despite the fact that Nona Walker has taken her place as the chair of the planning committee. In the back of her cabinet, she spotted some pills, which she plans on using to knock Nona out, but a conversation with Nona convinces her otherwise. That being said, Alison still has a bottle of iced tea spiked with the medication — remember this, it comes back.
Over with Rachel, she and Mr. Frontenac are looking over ultrasounds of Helena's twins. Their ability to heal themselves at such a rapid pace is of utmost interest to the Neolutionists, and they suspect Donnie is holding back about Helena's location.
In an effort to get to the bottom of this, and many other mysteries, Art and Enger obtain a search warrant for Donnie and Alison's home — which brings another blast from the past back into focus. Back when our story started, Donnie accidentally shot and killed Aldous Leekie. The couple dug a grave in their garage, and that's where the corpse has been ever since. With a search warrant, it's likely the police will find him. Spoiler alert: they do.
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While Sarah sits for one of Felix's paintings and Kira and Rachel chat at Dyad, Alison bumps into Chad, and they reminisce about Aynsley as the guilt eats away at both of them. Chad thinks this happened because he was kicked out for having an affair, and Alison knows it happened because she didn't turn off the garbage disposal. Her attention is quickly diverted, however, when she spots Ramon. She accuses him of ripping them off, saying that she's owed 35 grand. Ramon accuses Kellerman of taking advantage, and Alison realises that she was played.
"I am such a colossal failure at everything," she says, and the two end up drinking in Ramon's car. This leads to Alison and Ramon jumping in a bouncy castle, where Donnie retrieves his wife and reveals that their house is currently being searched.
Back at the house, Enger has entered the garage and Art catches her planting evidence. In the midst of this, she notices the grave and starts digging, putting a ticking clock on the rest of the night.
Donnie calls Sarah to give her an update, and Felix decides to head to the fair to help. Donnie hangs up, spots an iced tea in Alison's bag, and decides to drink it. Yep, that iced tea. Immediately, he heads out on stage to perform his highland dance. Felix and Alison arrive just in time to watch him collapse. As they drag him off stage, Nona makes a snide comment about both Alison and Donnie being alcoholics, and Alison has had enough.
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"I know exactly what you all think of me," she says, standing up on stage. "Well, I'm not just a boozer. I'm a pill-popper, too. That's right. And half of you bought them from me."
She accuses the congregation of being hypocrites and comes to a realisation.
"I have a life that's so much bigger than Bailey Downs," she says. "I'm part of a sisterhood that you couldn't even begin to understand."
"And thank God, you never will," says Felix, and with that, he closes the curtain on the whole spectacle.
Sarah, who headed to Alison's house, spots Art and gets his attention.
"Rachel can't know what's in there," Sarah says about the grave in the garage, but it's too late. Shortly after their conversation, Enger hits the body.
Sarah calls Alison, who is helping Donnie vomit into a bucket, and tells them that there's no stopping Enger from finding Leekie's body and reporting it to Rachel. Donnie offers to tell Rachel Helena's whereabouts, much to the surprise of everyone there, but Alison has a different plan. She's finally, finally going to take things into her own hands.
Alison arrives at Dyad to meet Rachel face-to-face for the first time.
"I know you look down on me, Rachel," Alison says. "You probably wonder why my sisters even bother with me. But I've been in this fight since the beginning, with Beth. Even before Sarah. And I'm in it for the long haul."
She hands Rachel her bag, which contains none other than Aldous Leekie's head. This is obviously a huge shock to Rachel, but she says that if Alison tells her Helena's location, this will all go away. As always, Alison has a different plan. She knows Rachel can't file murder charges without exposing the entire organisation. Everything leads back to her. Therefore, when Enger tells her that she found the body, Rachel has no choice but to let Alison and Donnie go free.
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This triumphant moment inspires Alison to finally find her true purpose. She tells Donnie she needs to go away for a while, and he understands. Before she leaves, they have one special night together, which, of course, involves a duet.
Some other notable moments: Kira finding a knife, Art secretly readying to shoot Enger before Rachel tells them to stand down, and a quick glimpse of Helena at what seems to be a convent. It's clear everyone has their own motives, and they're getting close to the edge. Next episode, I suspect they'll only get closer.