When we last saw Abby Isaacs, she had recently tumbled into bed with co-worker and neighbor Elodie after a night of drinking. In episode 8, “The Second Coming,” Abby does her best to distance herself from the situation. She switches shifts at the switchboard so she doesn’t have to see Elodie at work, and makes plans to break the Army rules and meet up with her parents who will be passing through the area on a train trip.
When she and her son rendezvous with her parents, the mood is quite somber rather than the joyous reunion Abby was expecting. Rachel’s mother’s cousins who were living in Minsk had been rounded up by the Nazis. Abby is quite surprised as she assumed that because they were wealthy that no harm would come to them. She brushes it off as terrible gossip, but her parents know that real atrocities that are happening to Jewish people in Europe and implore Abby to open her eyes. Instead Abby brags about how important her husband Charlie is when it comes to the war effort. Her parents ask if maybe Charlie can find out what has become of her cousins. Before they can get into anything else, Abby is found by the military police and taken back to the base.
She’s forced to meet with Colonel Cox (the guy in charge of the base), where she finds out she’s actually in quite a bit of trouble. She turns on the waterworks and brings up her cousins in Minsk as an excuse for her behavior. During their conversation, a young private named Dunlavy overhears her concerns for her family. The Colonel lets her off the hook. Once Abby gets home however, the gravity of what’s happening begins to sink in.
Abby goes to her new shift and one of her co-workers expresses surprise that she would switch to the morning crew. “I thought you and Frenchie were attached at the hip.” She hands Abby a small package from Elodie. Inside she finds her own lacy bra, which she quickly hides away.
Later, Dunlavy shows up at Abby are to hand her a file folder filled with the terrible truth of what is happening overseas. After Charlie arrives home, he finds Abby is a near daze. She’s overwhelmed at the horrors she’s seen in the file. He tells her that she shouldn’t be thinking about all of that and she snaps back, “Why, because I’m too fragile to stomach the truth?”
In the following episode, “Spooky Action at a Distance” (it’s an Einstein thing), Abby and Elodie are working together again. Abby is being cold, but Elodie takes it in stride and manages to charm Abby’s walls down once again with sandwiches and coffee.
The next day, the women are back to being friends, lounging in their bathing suits and drinking coffee in Elodie’s meager yard. Abby turns to Elodie and asks if what happened between then was “normal.” Elodie sighs. She’s not into labels, OK? Elodie desires who she desires. “Americans. Always looking for explanations, or penance.” What really happened was, Abby fell asleep after a few kisses. Elodie waxes on about the first time she had sex. It was with a fellow named Philippe, and she kept his leather belt after the fact. She makes Abby blush by talking about the raw sentimental power it still has, and how sometimes she even takes a bite to taste the leather. Abby wonders what Elodie’s husband would do if he found out. “Secrets are what keep us alive, Cherie,” Elodie tells her, before reaching out and running her fingers along Abby’s hand. “Without them, we’d just be normal.”
That evening at Elodie’s, the women argue about who’s dreamier: Vivian Leigh or Lana Turner. They throw back some wine and make googley eyes at each other for a while. When Abby gets up to leave, Elodie gently stops her. They go to kiss but are interrupted by Elodie’s husband, Tom Lancefield. Lancefield is also a scientist, and has it out for Abby’s husband, Charlie. He hasn’t seen anything, so the women are safe for now. Elodie and Tom invite Abby to stay for dinner, which she does. At first, they are all having a nice time. There’s wine, Josephine Baker playing in the background, good food. Out of Tom’s earshot, Elodie leans over and whispers in Abby’s ear, “I want to taste you.”
Abby looks as if she might combust, but does her best to maintain composure. Things turn sinister however, when Elodie gets up to get something from the kitchen. Tom slides over to Abby and starts violently groping her at the table, telling her that she’s the kind of girl who looks like she could keep a secret. For Tom, it’s a warning to Charlie. He’s just waiting for him to slip up. When Elodie re-appears, they both pretend all is well.
When Charlie comes home the next day, she tells him about what Tom did and said. She wants him to confront Tom, but instead he advises her to forget about it.
In the preview for next week’s episode, Abby and Elodie have a picnic, where Abby confesses what Tom did to her. Elodie leans forward, placing a hand on Abby’s face and tells her, “I will kill him.” Whoa, next week is going to be intense.
