SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Anna Pigeon Season 1, Episode 6.
Anna Pigeon fans got a major shock in Episode 6 when the USA show revealed that Bethany Lopez was the daughter of Anna’s nemesis Jeremiah Paulson. “There’s Always a Road” saw Bethany confess to being the one who trapped Anna in the underground cave, in an attempt to help JP cover up the murder he’d accidentally committed. But as startling as the plot twist was, it also meant burning a character who hadn’t really gotten to develop.
The reason why this episode didn’t work was that it felt like it turned Bethany into a villain simply for the sake of doing so. The caveat is, of course, if this idea was also in Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon novels; if that’s the case the TV version didn’t develop it enough to be convincing. Within the context of the TV series, though, it felt like the writers needed a plot twist at the end of the hour and Bethany was the unlucky character. It’s a common habit of many shows: throwing in a fourth-act reveal to keep the audience interested. But there’s also a way to tell this particular story that wouldn’t have completely changed Bethany and Manny’s lives.
The only function that the fourth act of “There’s Always a Road” served was to make things more shocking. It didn’t make Jeremiah any more dangerous; he didn’t gain anything from Bethany’s failed plot. He wasn’t affected by her and JP being captured. Anna didn’t need any more of a reason to defeat him; she was already hell-bent on taking him down before she learned of Bethany’s familial connection. Now she just has more angst to carry from the betrayal, on top of the trauma from her husband’s death she’s already working through—and her reaction honestly pales compared to how this all affects Manny, just three episodes after viewers learned of his own personal struggles.
The episode could have stuck with JP as its central villain instead of adding Bethany into the mix. Sure, viewers wouldn’t have been shocked by that more straightforward story, but his being a Paulson was a decent enough hook since it brought Jeremiah back into the picture. The audience knows that the endgame is between Jeremiah and Anna, so JP is a perfect one-episode antagonist. He also had an easily believable story: viewers saw him panic after accidentally killing Kay, so it would’ve been reasonable that he kept making things worse for himself by trying to get rid of Anna.
Or the show could’ve gone full scorched earth and had Jeremiah be the one that JP ran to for help—a reveal of Jeremiah looking down at Anna after she was trapped in the whole would’ve been a perfect main villain shot, and that plot twist would’ve made the rivalry between the two characters far more personal, in addition to proving exactly how far Jeremiah would go to get what he wants. He’s done a lot of threatening, but the series hasn’t shown much of him getting his hands dirty, and trying to kill Anna (and solve two problems at one time) would immediately make viewers hate and worry about him more.
Bethany still could’ve been revealed as a Paulson, although it still wouldn’t be a must; her reaction to a family member being arrested, or even just the audience learning who her dad is, would’ve added the emotional angle the creative team was looking for. She could worry about it coming out and further ruining the life she and Manny have been trying to build within the park. That’s the most painful part of the Episode 6 reveal: Bethany and particularly Manny have already suffered. “The Preacher” spoke about their financial problems and their desire to have a family. So this twist is just making Manny’s story even more tragic, while pushing Bethany off to the side, unless she somehow has a further plotline as she sits behind bars.
It would’ve been far more interesting to see them continue to develop as a couple, contrasting their marriage with Anna’s messy personal life. Someone on the show can have a happy relationship. Plus, both Manny and Bethany (if Anna Pigeon kept the Paulson angle) could have been examples to Anna of being able to move on from the past. “The Preacher” also talked about the idea of redemption and how Anna was initially skeptical about if. The underlying personal arc of the show is Anna trying to move forward after her husband’s murder, with “The Rope” giving her an amount of survivor’s guilt; she can learn from Manny in that respect, even if her redemption is only in her head.
If Bethany didn’t have much to do before Episode 6, it was only because Anna Pigeon hadn’t gotten there yet. She was the show’s most underwritten character, principally because only “The Preacher” included her in the main plot. Was there a better way to use her character? Could the writers have devoted more screen time to her and Manny’s goal of starting a family, even if only on a recurring basis? Could she have found some way to help out at the ranger station, especially if they were struggling to make ends meet financially, and gotten to know the group better while the audience got to know her better? Or if she was going to be a Paulson, could she come out in opposition of what her estranged father was doing, and end up becoming a surprise ally to Anna instead of a surprise villain?
Anna Pigeon Episode 6 definitely shocked its audience. However, there was so much longer-term story potential lost in favor of that short-term reveal. Time will tell if the writers continue to get something out of Bethany after it, or if she disappears off-screen. There might be more to come in this plot that makes it more memorable.
Yet she could’ve been an even more well-rounded character if she hadn’t tried to torment Anna. Particularly with the talent of Melanie Scrofano, who led cult hit Wynonna Earp for four seasons, Bethany honestly feels like a missed opportunity. And a reminder that even outstanding TV series like Anna Pigeon don’t always get it right; it’s not easy to make great television.
Anna Pigeon airs Fridays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on USA. Photo Credit: Michelle Faye/Courtesy of Versant Media.
Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.
