The Act episode 6 recap: Gypsy and Nick attempt to make a getaway from the horrors behind them

In the sixth episode of The Act, we get to see a flashback of Dee Dee’s life before she latched herself onto Gypsy. The episode also provides us with a glimpse of Gypsy and Nick’s lives now that Dee Dee is out of the picture.

Interestingly enough, episode six of The Act opens a door into Dee Dee’s life before Gypsy Rose was a “sickly” teenager. The flashback in question features Dee Dee and her very controlling, unloving mother as they welcomed the love of their lives into this world.

While Dee Dee is in the hospital with her newborn baby, her mother swoops in to care for the child. She’s taken aback by her mother’s abrupt behavior, and this hostility continues when they go back home with baby Gypsy.

Once they get back home, we can see that Dee Dee lives with her mother. Her mom is always judging her and paying more attention to Gypsy. Not long after, Dee Dee experiences Gypsy’s first medical scare when a doctor declares she is failing to thrive. The doctor gives her a list to follow so that Gypsy can start to gain weight but the doctor’s plan is quickly halted when Dee Dee is arrested for writing a bad check. She’s sentenced to six months in jail and forced to leave Gypsy with her grandmother.

Dee Dee is completely alone in jail. She doesn’t receive any mail or visits from her family, and her cousin is the one to pick her up once she’s released. Dee Dee arrives home to see a slightly older Gypsy walking about. She’s afraid of Dee Dee since she doesn’t recognize her. Dee Dee’s mom continues to be cold towards her as Dee Dee fusses over Gypsy having a cold. Her mom cruelly states that they’d be better off without her. Dee Dee excessively checks the girl’s temperature and sneaks her extra cough medicine.

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Soon after, Dee Dee’s mother’s health quickly declines, and she passes away. Dee Dee is forced to move away since she can’t afford to buy the house. Whilst contemplating all of these issues, Dee Dee becomes distracted and she loses track of Gypsy. The young girl finds her way outside to jump on the trampoline with some other kids. When Dee Dee sees, she panics.

As she rushes out to get her daughter, Gypsy falls off the trampoline. They rush to the hospital, and Dee Dee’s obsessive caring goes into full swing.

Back at home, Dee Dee won’t allow Gypsy to even walk into the house. Instead, she carries her inside stating that Gypsy needs to rest. Once they get to the living room, Dee Dee rolls out a wheelchair. We can assume at this point Gypsy was encouraged not to walk again by being told she is paralyzed.

The episode then flashes between Dee Dee’s past life the current day which we saw at the very beginning of the episode—Dee Dee’s screams being proof of this. Once Dee Dee dies, Nick and Gypsy take a taxi to a motel. Nick seems completely unphased by the murder and his new girlfriend is acting like she’s on vacation.

They enjoy their motel room and have their first date at a diner the next morning. Gypsy is wearing a wig, not using a wheelchair, and looks healthier than ever. She’s very put off when a waitress is rude to her. Gypsy is very used to getting special treatment, and the mean waitress is a new experience for her.

Cops walk in during their meal, and they quickly leave. They have the knife with them and don’t want to get caught. They decide the best plan is to mail the knife to themselves since a bus terminal might have a metal detector. After mailing the knife, the couple heads to the bus station to prepare for their trip to Nick’s house. But their trip is quickly stopped when Nick realizes they don’t have bus tickets. Gypsy buys tickets, but they can’t leave town for another two days.

They head back to the motel, and the honeymoon seems over. Gypsy is afraid of getting caught and annoyed that Nick’s poor planning resulted in them being stuck in Springfield. Gypsy and Nick have their first fight, but Nick calms her down by saying he’ll do anything for her. Will they get caught for the murder before they leave town? Will Nick’s parents open the package containing the knife before they arrive? All questions need to be answered in next week’s episode.

The Act is currently streaming on Hulu. For more on this Hulu Original and everything Hulu related, follow us on the Hulu Watcher Twitter Account @HuluWatcherFS or the Hulu Watcher Facebook Page.