The Perfect Couple episode 5 recap: "Never Gonna Give You Up"

In the penultimate episode of The Perfect Couple, one suspect is cleared while the next comes into focus.
The Perfect Couple. Dakota Fanning as Abby Winbury in episode 105 of The Perfect Couple. Cr. Seacia Pavao/Netflix © 2024
The Perfect Couple. Dakota Fanning as Abby Winbury in episode 105 of The Perfect Couple. Cr. Seacia Pavao/Netflix © 2024 /
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WARNING: Major spoilers ahead from The Perfect Couple episode 5.

Picking up the day after Benji discovered Amelia and Shooter kissing at the end of episode 4, the nearly wedded couple have broken up. It's not stated explicitly, but she wakes up on a cot in her parents' room, and when Amelia runs into Greer in the kitchen in the morning, she vows she'll get a hotel for her and her parents to stay in. News of the breakup has clearly gone wide at the Winbury estate.

Surprisingly, Greer allows the Sacks family to stay, mostly because it's a holiday weekend the hotels in town will be booked. But her slight kindness dries up and the encounter doesn't end without a slight jab about Amelia's brief infidelity with Shooter. Playing her game, Amelia asks Greer about Tag's whereabouts. Turns out, he stayed the night at the police station. Yikes!

The Perfect Couple. (L to R) Liev Schreiber as Tag Winbury, Nicole Kidman as Greer Winbury in episode 101
The Perfect Couple. (L to R) Liev Schreiber as Tag Winbury, Nicole Kidman as Greer Winbury in episode 101 of The Perfect Couple. Cr. Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024 /

Tag didn't kill Merritt (but he has a public meltdown)

While in jail, Tag remembers talking with Merritt during the rehearsal dinner party, looking out at the ocean, and singing the song "All By Myself." Tag offers Merritt a drink to cheers with, but it's in this moment that she reveals her pregnancy. To her surprise, he's excited about the baby and tells her that he loves her.

When questioned by Carter and Henry, Tag downplays his relationship with Merritt. They pester him about his kayak being left out overnight, which isn't a good look considering Merritt died by being drugged and drowning, per their running theory. But the whole staff has access to the kayak, so Tag isn't the sole suspect here.

As Carter and Henry continue their attempts to zero in on the timeline of events leading up to Merritt's death, they're also trying to rule out Tag as a suspect based on when he went to bed. A flashback reveals Tag and Merritt had one last conversation prior to her death in which he suggests in so many words that she get an abortion. She runs into the water and he chases after her. She falls in.

After having this memory of their argument, Tag realizes that the cops can use information on his smartwatch to prove that he was asleep when the murdered happened, before the drugs entered her system. He hands over both his watch and his phone. He's sprung from jail finally and celebrates on the spirits a little too much before arriving to Greer's book party.

Tag continues to slam drinks before taking the stage in the middle of Greer reading an excerpt from Death in Dubai, which was also interrupted by an appearance from Broderick, who's taken out by security. Tag quickly begins a toast and song and saying he would kill for her. It somehow gets even worse when he reveals that their marriage is "terminally f--ked" and falls off the stage. A mess!

The Perfect Couple. Dakota Fanning as Abby Winbury in episode 101 of The Perfect Couple. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
The Perfect Couple. Dakota Fanning as Abby Winbury in episode 101 of The Perfect Couple. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024 /

Abby remains welcoming to Amelia

For some reason, Abby takes the task of packing up Merritt's clothing and accessories upon herself. (She jokes that because she's a white woman, the police won't care that she tampered with the victim's belongings.) When Amelia sees her doing so, the almost sisters-in-law share a conversation that's unexpectedly sweet coming from Abby.

She compliments Amelia's friendship with Merritt, calling it "real" compared to her own superficial friendships. Abby also laments the fact that they won't be sisters-in-law, as she was looking forward to having an "ally" in the Winbury family. She also convinces Amelia to attend Greer's book launch, showing up looking great and unbothered. What's her angle?

Amelia learns the truth about Shooter

Amelia and Abby show up to the book launch party, and when she sees Shooter walking around, Abby tells Amelia that she understands hooking up with him. Her reasoning? Because he's rich. Abby tells Amelia that in school, Shooter had bodyguards because he's "kidnap rich." Amelia had no idea about his wealth.

During the party Isabel speaks to both Benji and Amelia, first suggesting to Benji that he have apology sex with Amelia and then recounting to Amelia her brief encounters with an upset Merritt on the night she died. When Shooter apologizes to a drunk Benji, he punches his former best friend in the stomach. Amelia takes him back into the kitchen where they do end up having that apology sex.

After the party, Amelia and Shooter talk and she calls him a liar for keeping his money a secret. She also confesses to having sex with Benji, effectively ending whatever was happening or going to happen between them.

The Perfect Couple. Nicole Kidman as Greer Winbury in episode 106 of The Perfect Couple. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024
The Perfect Couple. Nicole Kidman as Greer Winbury in episode 106 of The Perfect Couple. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024 /

The cops realize Greer could be a suspect

When they pore over the stats from Tag's smartwatch, they discover that there wasn't a second person in bed with him during key hours of the case. Greer was seemingly out of their bedroom for over an hour, which could mean she had something to do with Merritt's death.

Greer goes to the bar again and chats with Chief Carter. Thinking she's just going to have a casual drink and banter about potential motives, she soon picks up on some tension. Carter receives a call from Henry with new information. The 3 a.m. call from Greer's office was to Broderick Graham, the man removed from her party who has a record. He's been involved with gang and the kicker is he received a $300,000 wire transfer from Shooter.

In the final scene, a flashback reveals Greer saw Merritt stumbling on the beach prior to her death, upset and stepping on the broken glass from her cheers with Isabel. A mystery person walks up to Merritt, and we're led to believe it could have been Greer.

Watch The Perfect Couple only on Netflix.

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