Four members of a suburban garden club find their lives intertwined by scandal, mischief and a shared secret - a murder no one wants to talk about. As dark truths surface, they struggle to remain as perfect as the flowers blooming in their garden.
Alice, Brett, Catherine and Birdie all belong to the same community organization. For Alice, Brett and Catherine, it's a hobby they want to participate in. For Birdie, it's community service after getting arrested for drunk driving and destroying a fountain. Yet all four characters are on equal footing. They are each deserving of the same amount of screentime and importance. Moreover, they are all destined to bury a body together. They have the perfect place to do so as well. The garden club brought all of them together. And now, it will carry their most damning secret. Clues are provided as to what's going on six months in the future. However, the show is purposefully leaving vague who the victim of this crime is. It presents options from all of their individual lives. They each have potential motive to snap. They lean on each other because that's what garden club does. They have each other's backs no matter what. Their crime may be short-lived though because the president is already planning on digging up one area to install a coy pond. Those plans are in motion. Moreover, no one knows what Birdie did with the victim's phone. Secrets could ultimately break this group. The audience should be intrigued by that promise of a scandalous future. The present is pretty tantalizing as well.
The narrative strives to examine the class divide within this community. Everyone comes together for the garden club. Alice, Brett and Catherine make fun of Birdie for her impractical clothing. She built a lifestyle brand. She's carefully crafted a way to earn good will in public again. Community service is a good look. She needs more. On the outside, she appears as the loneliest member of the group. She doesn't have a personal life whatsoever. Her home is literally empty because her ex-husband took all the furniture. She doesn't even know if she wants to fill it back up. She clocks the other characters for the roles they fill in this world. She isn't the only one who does so. The opening sequence is Alice's voiceover detailing the parallels between people and plants. It's a bit heavy-handed especially as it pertains to the metaphor for the crime that is eventually committed. They each have to acknowledge the darkness that is always lurking under the surface. Birdie reaches out to the son she put up for adoption when she was 16. Afterwards, she is confronted by his parents who haven't told him he is adopted. They order her to back away. She doesn't have her life together enough to be a good influence on anyone.
Meanwhile, Catherine is trapped in a marriage with no passion. Her husband works at a global firm. She resents the frequent travels. It pays for their lives. It doesn't lead to anyone being fulfilled. Instead, Catherine takes pleasure in having an affair with her co-worker. She doesn't realize that this realtor is sleeping with many women at the moment. He gives all of them the same jewelry. That's how he's caught. Catherine ruins his life. She and Birdie bond over this shared connection. Moreover, Catherine stays in her marriage because of the kids. She will do anything for them. They are her priority. She exerts control over the garden club because it's something that is entirely hers. Others acknowledge how demanding and precise she can be. Birdie is the one who calls her out for it. Catherine isn't even trying to be original either. This idea of excitement is also very familiar. It's not over either. Gary spies on her from outside her house. Again, that's potential motive. This show is designed around that central theory. It's meant to keep the viewer guessing for as long as possible before the reveal occurs. That's exciting though the creative team better be aware of not overstaying its welcome.
It's also slightly concerning how Brett and Alice are being established as best friends when he also has a crush on her. That's only an inference. Right now, they are simply supportive of each other no matter what. There is still a shot of Brett looking at Doug during the concluding montage showcasing the many layers of these characters. Anything could be motivation. That jealousy could become a more central detail. The more immediate concern is Brett's ex suing for full custody simply because her new husband feels slighted over Brett being more impressive at school career day. It's such a small thing. Yet these characters are blowing things out of proportion. That's how they decide to live their lives. It all must be within their control. They can't tolerate anything else. The same applies to the family trying to coerce Alice into changing the star lacrosse player's grade for a poem he plagiarized. Everyone makes excuses for him. He gets away with it because of how rich his family is. He even killed Alice's dog. That enhances the monstrosity completely. She loses everything. She tries to stand up for what's right. She's still abused by the system that doesn't wish to cater to her dreams. It isn't realistic for her to behave that way. She may be slightly naive. However, she clearly knows her stuff. That's pivotal too. All of this will ultimately come down to how the storylines develop. They each have to maintain the same level of intrigue. Otherwise, the balance will completely be off and mess up the appeal of this journey.
