Imperfect Women 2026 Tv Series Review Trailer

Judging by the first two episodes of Apple TV’s new psychological thriller series, *Imperfect Women*—created by Annie Weisman and starring Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, and Kate Mara—it seems we are in for a complicated and turbulent friendship. Friends Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary always thought they would grow old together. They believed they knew practically everything about one another and that they were spiritually connected. But that was before Nancy was murdered. It all happened too quickly, and Eleanor and Mary could not quite grasp why their best friend had been killed.

The night Nancy was murdered, the three friends gathered for dinner. When Nancy and Eleanor were left alone, Nancy received text messages from David, the man she was seeing. She wanted to break things off with him, but it wasn't proving to be that simple. Eleanor did not look kindly upon her friend's extramarital affair. Nancy was married and in a monogamous relationship, so Eleanor felt that what she was doing to her husband, Robert, was unfair. At first, Nancy thought Eleanor—being a polyamorous woman herself—was being hypocritical; however, over time, she eventually came to admit that her friend was right, though she still didn't know how to handle the situation.

Creator: Annie Weisman
Stars: Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, Kate Mara

Late that night, Eleanor received a call from Robert asking if she knew where Nancy was. Eleanor knew what to say; she assumed Nancy was with her lover, so she sent her a text message in the hope that her friend would reply. Eleanor begged Robert not to call the police just yet and told him she was on her way to his house. When Robert pressed Eleanor to share any information she had, she finally let slip that Nancy had been unfaithful to him. Robert was devastated, and to make matters worse, the police arrived at his home shortly thereafter and confirmed that Nancy was dead. The most obvious assumption was that Nancy had, in all likelihood, been murdered by her lover, David. And Eleanor shared with the police all the information she had at her disposal.

However, the agents found it strange that Eleanor knew only the lover's name and could provide them with no other details. She tried to explain that this was truly all she knew, but it was clear that the police viewed her as a potential suspect. Mary was devastated upon learning of Nancy's death and couldn't help but wonder why Nancy had chosen to keep her affair a secret from her. She thought perhaps her friend assumed she would be critical, but Eleanor assured her that Nancy likely hadn't discussed the matter with Mary because she knew that, come what may, Mary would have supported her; Eleanor, on the other hand, would say exactly what she thought without mincing words—and perhaps a reality check was exactly what Nancy really wanted.

Robert came from a family of old money, and his relatives were deeply concerned about their public image; consequently, they meticulously planned Nancy's funeral and ensured that every eulogy was approved in advance to guarantee that nothing inappropriate would be said. Robert's own sister, Kit, went so far as to ask Eleanor not to tell jokes or shed tears during the ceremony. During her speech, Eleanor caught a fleeting glimpse of a man in a blue jacket among the attendees; she couldn't quite place him and wondered if he might be a relative of Nancy's. Judging by the conversation she had with Mary, it became evident that Nancy did not have an affectionate relationship with her family. We soon discovered that her mother was an alcoholic and her father an abusive man; she had spent a large portion of her life living in a trailer park.

Toward the end of the first episode, the police arrested Davide Haji Boyette—an artist whom Nancy had supported financially—who subsequently became a suspect in the case. When Robert discovered that the large portrait of a nude woman (Nancy) that dominated his living room had been painted by Boyette, he flew into a rage. He could not believe that all of this had been unfolding right before his very eyes without him noticing a thing. He grabbed the painting and smashed it to pieces. Eleanor tried to calm him down, but Robert’s rage knew no bounds.

That very night, Robert showed up at Eleanor’s home to apologize and asked if she would like to accompany him to the opening night of a ballet performance. Nancy had been passionate about ballet, and Robert harbored a desperate hope of feeling close to her once again. Despite having discovered that his late wife had been unfaithful to him, Robert still loved her immensely; attending the ballet performance was his way of seeing the world through his wife’s eyes. At first, it did not strike Eleanor as entirely appropriate, but she ultimately concluded that doing what she considered right was far more important than worrying about what others might say.

Although Eleanor had spoken to the police about Davide, she couldn't shake the nagging thought that the man might be innocent—and that, in fact, he was being harassed precisely because of her. The police were unable to build a solid case against Davide. All they had was a photograph of him standing next to Nancy; the two looked very close and happy, but that hardly constituted sufficient grounds for an arrest. They had even attempted to frame him on a theft charge, but the whole thing turned out to be a farce.

Mary sensed that there was more to the story than met the eye, so she decided to investigate the case on her own. The police detained her after she filed twenty requests for public records and became a genuine nuisance by constantly badgering them to investigate the leads she provided. She did not believe Davide was guilty—which meant that someone else had murdered her best friend—and she refused to rest until she discovered who that person was.

Meanwhile, Donovan—Eleanor’s brother—revealed to her that it was Robert’s family who had orchestrated Davide’s arrest. According to Donovan, the Hennesseys cared only about protecting their reputation and had no real belief in accountability. They felt entitled to everything and possessed no moral compass; that was the reason they had managed to have an innocent man detained. Given that the police had barely any evidence against him, Davide was released shortly thereafter.

Mary had managed to track down Davide’s address and asked Eleanor if she wanted to accompany her to speak with him. She believed he might be able to help them find answers; Eleanor wasn't particularly keen on the idea of interfering with the investigation, but ultimately, she cared about Nancy, so she decided to take the risk. Davide didn't feel ready to talk about Nancy, but he sensed the desperation in Eleanor and Mary, so he decided to open up to them. Contrary to what the painting and the rumors suggested, Davide barely knew Nancy. She had seen his work and had asked him to paint her portrait. Davide recalled how she had asked him to paint her scars—a reminder of an accident she had convinced herself was her own fault.

Mary and Eleanor asserted with absolute conviction that the accident had not been their friend's fault, though they chose not to delve deeper into the subject. The photograph that had been circulating so widely had been taken at a party Nancy had barely attended. She mentioned that she had brought along a man who didn't seem to be enjoying himself. The only thing she remembered was that he was a white man; when Mary showed him a photograph of Robert, Davide claimed to have no recollection of him. Mary pressed the matter, which only infuriated Davide further. He felt frustrated at being interrogated, and before the women left, he remarked that it was astonishing that—despite claiming to be her best friends—they had failed to notice the sadness in Nancy's eyes or the fact that she was in a "death spiral." Mary and Eleanor had little to say; they left his studio in silence.

Nancy and Robert’s daughter, Cory, had asked Eleanor to move in with her. She specifically stated that she was afraid of her father, who had recently been prone to quite a few sudden outbursts. He was angry most of the time, and Cory didn't know how to handle it. Eleanor had witnessed Robert’s fury, and although she was concerned, she didn't believe he was capable of causing any actual harm. Given how obvious Eleanor’s soft spot for Robert was, there is no doubt that he knew full well he could count on her support.

Toward the end of Episode 2, we discover that Robert had learned of Nancy’s infidelity and had written her a note apologizing for his abrasive behavior. Now, Robert had the perfect motive to kill his wife. He loved her passionately, but it seemed his volatile temper made Nancy feel suffocated; she chose to seek solace outside her marriage, and—quite possibly—when Robert discovered her infidelity, he killed her. He then contacted Eleanor because he knew she wouldn't doubt him for a single second. He wanted her to speak to him about the affair so he could demonstrate that he had been completely unaware of it; he believed Eleanor would tell the police that Robert had no idea Nancy was being unfaithful. This would make him appear innocent. To fully win Eleanor’s trust, Robert began to forge a closer bond with her. From inviting her to the ballet to asking for her help and input on every matter, Robert ensured that—even if the whole world turned against him—she would remain by his side. And well, to a certain extent, she did. Eleanor disregarded both her best friend and her brother, both of whom believed Robert was a suspect. It is highly probable that Robert asked Eleanor to accompany him to his home in Ojai, where he planned to store all of Nancy’s belongings. She likely foresaw that this time away from it all would help them feel closer, and—well—that is exactly what happened. Eleanor went through her grieving process—unaware of the tragedy Nancy had endured—and leaned on Robert as she broke down in tears. Shortly thereafter, Eleanor and Robert shared a passionate love scene. Perhaps it was their shared pain that brought them together, or perhaps—in Robert’s case, at least—it was all entirely calculated. Eleanor felt no guilt over what had transpired, for, in reality, she did not feel she was betraying her friend. She believed that Nancy had always known she had feelings for Robert and that, now that she had the opportunity to build something with him, Nancy would have understood.

When Eleanor woke up—right at the end of the second episode—she went through Nancy’s belongings (specifically a sketchbook in which Nancy used to draw) and stumbled upon a letter written by Robert. As previously mentioned, the letter confirmed that Robert had been aware of the affair and had reacted with such violence that he had terrified Nancy. Robert entered the room shortly after Eleanor had read the letter and asked her if she was alright. Since she was holding the letter in her hand, she could not lie about what she had been doing—which also meant they now had to discuss why Robert had been lying all this time.

Given Robert’s volatile temper, I honestly fear for Eleanor’s safety. Will she choose not to dig too deeply into the matter out of fear of losing Robert—or perhaps even out of fear of physical harm? Will Eleanor help Robert cover up the evidence just so she can be with him? For now, we do not know for certain whether Robert is truly the killer. Perhaps he was simply trying his absolute best not to appear suspicious; after all, if the police were to discover the letter, the blame would undoubtedly fall on him. Considering there are still six episodes left to go, the mystery would be resolved far too easily if it turned out that Robert is, in fact, the killer.

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