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Episode 1 “Eleanor” Recap and Details
- Director(s): Lesli Linka Glatter
- Writer(s): Annie Weisman
- Public Release Date (Apple TV Plus): March 18, 2026
- Check out more of our “Imperfect Women” coverage.
- Images © of AppleTV+
Imperfect Relationships: Eleanor, Nancy, Mary, Robert, Jordan, Howard
For 25 years, Eleanor, Nancy, and Mary have been best friends. Eleanor and Nancy share a love for philanthropy, with Nancy sitting on many an arts board, and Eleanor? Well, she runs a business that provides relief and aid throughout the world. Mary? She appears to be a homemaker, but it isn’t 100% clear.
But while they are each other’s world, that doesn’t mean they are the sole relationships in each other’s lives. Mary and Nancy are married to Howard and Robert, respectively. Eleanor? Well, she is known to keep a roster, which includes one of her employees, a young man named Jordan.
Sadly, Nancy’s marriage isn’t perfect. Yes, Robert is wealthy, but he is also a bit cold. Hence why Nancy, at least once, and currently, is having an affair. Only Eleanor knows about it, which makes her a key witness when Nancy ends up dead the night of Mary’s birthday.
I Always Hated Her: Kit, Eleanor, Mary, Robert, Cora
Kit is Robert’s sister, not clear if older or younger, and while Robert may come off cold, there is still some form of a heart. Kit? Her heart was inefficient, it appears, so she went for a metal one to pump coolant in her veins. At least, going by Eleanor and Mary’s interactions with her, you would think she was heartless.
Take Nancy’s memorial. Her snide comment about Mary bringing her two daughters isn’t lost on anyone. Also, Eleanor’s presence to console Cora, Nancy’s daughter, leads to a remark that is let go but still noted. Robert tries to defend his sister, the best he can, but knowing he’ll end up a murder suspect, and Kit having the capacity to think about the court of public opinion, he needs her more than he may care to admit.
I mean, even his own daughter seems to suspect him of killing her mother.
The Optics: Marcus, Eleanor, Robert, Jordan, Mary, Davide
Which is why optics becomes a major issue. For Eleanor, especially, it becomes clear that she is more of the knot holding everything together than Mary is. Take note, Mary, not being the first to know about the affair, or even Nancy’s death, presents the potential for seeing some envy or jealousy in her relationship with Eleanor. Thus leading to rude comments and also noting that Mary too knows things about Nancy, and her marriage, Eleanor doesn’t – or doesn’t care to admit.
One of the main things is Eleanor’s relationship with Robert. Now, it isn’t clear if Eleanor was ever with Robert, but there is a push that they do have chemistry and maybe kept it friendly due to Nancy. But with her dead, so comes the question of whether anything could happen? Yes, Nancy had an affair with a Black man named Davide, who is now a murder suspect. However, does that give license to Eleanor to explore?
It’s hard to say. But between Jordan wanting quality time, and to genuinely be there for Eleanor, paired with Mary asking if Marcus, her eldest of three, can intern at Eleanor’s job? While Eleanor ultimately spends a night at the ballet with Robert, it seems she is going to keep herself busy so as not to end up enthralled by the possibilities.
New Characters in Episode 1
Eleanor (Kerry Washington)
- Character Summary: Eleanor is the head of International Rescue and Relief, a major LA-area-based business doing humanitarian work. But, like many similar to her, while she is killing it at work, her personal life? It’s a bit messy. Note, not dramatic. But, with an active roster her friends joke, and likely are jealous of, she has taken a less conventional path and, for the most part, seems satisfied – in more ways than one.
Nancy (Kate Mara)
- Character Summary: Nancy is a housewife in her husband’s eyes, but she actually works by being on the boards of many foundations (philanthropic work) and is a known art collector. We specifically learn she is on the boards for hospitals, museums, and the local theater, which hosts ballet.
Mary (Elisabeth Moss)
- Character Summary: Mary might be the only one of her friend group who is a homemaker as her primary job. But, with her way with words often staying with her friends, it’s clear she isn’t one to be underestimated.
Robert (Joel Kinnaman)
- Character Summary: Robert is Nancy’s husband, the son of a hedge fund founder (Hedegrow Capital), and he is often seen in one of two ways: Cold and a bit emotionless, or notably angry. It all depends on which side of him he wants you to be exposed to.
Jordan (Rome Flynn)
- Character Summary: Jordan is one of Eleanor’s subordinates and is also one of her lovers. He clearly wants more than she is willing to give, which complicates their relationship.
Howard (Corey Stoll)
- Character Summary: Howard is Mary’s husband, who has notable opinions, especially on parenting, that she doesn’t agree with, but she picks and chooses her battles.
Kit (Jill Wagner)
- Character Summary: Kit is Robert’s infamous sister, who, while Robert may often not display emotion, at least seems human, or attempts to come off as human. Kit is someone who represents the worst stereotypes of the rich and is callous, snarky, and says the type of things that make you want to witness karma finally collect what is overdue.
Cora (Audrey Zahn)
- Character Summary: Cora is Nancy’s daughter, with whom she didn’t have the closest relationship. After her death, Cora mostly blames herself for their estrangement, especially for how she judged her mom. Thankfully, what relationship she didn’t have with her mom, she seems to have with Eleanor.
Davide (Theo Bongani Ndyalvane)
- Character Summary: Davide is an artist with whom Nancy was allegedly having an affair, and is accused of being her killer.
Marcus (Jackson Kelly)
- Character Summary: Marcus is Mary’s eldest, who is made to appear troubled. It’s not clear what he did, or maybe what was done to him, but Mary worries about him immensely.
Review and Commentary
Highlights
On The Fence
Eleanor Isn’t Stupid, But Does Make Dumb Decisions [76/100]
One of the main things that got to us by the end of the episode is Eleanor entertaining Robert’s idea of them hanging out. It’s understood, mainly from Mary, that Eleanor has something for Robert, and things might be reciprocal. It isn’t clear if they used to date, had bad timing, maybe had sex once, or what, but Robert clearly sees losing Nancy as a means to open up time to spend with Eleanor.
But here is the thing: Eleanor recognizes that the two of them being in any situation that looks like a date is a bad idea. However, she does it anyway. This creates the kind of messy situation you know could be good for drama, but feels too familiar. Thus, sending the show on an uphill battle to show how this situation is going to be different, compelling, and maybe worth rooting for.
Hoping For The Right Dose Of Drama [75/100]
I worry that, instead of the drama of Imperfect Women as a whole being good, we may see Eleanor, Mary, and Nancy compete and try to one-up each other, leading to them canceling each other out. Eleanor is currently in the lead, but Mary is shown to be someone who can be quite envious, even a little nasty. So, it isn’t hard to imagine that with Cora wanting to be closer to Eleanor, Mary dropping information to poison the well. Maybe us learning about Mary’s own marital problems to try to draw attention to her.
Then, with Nancy, as much as her secrets could be of interest, she is dead now. She exists only in flashbacks, and that is a hard position to exist in as characters move on from you. This is what we mean by them competing and cancelling each other out. Either they will have to outdo one another and hopefully come up with a unique brand of drama to stand out, or in pursuit of one-upping each other, you’ll gain a tolerance, and no one storyline may feel noteworthy.
Luckily, this is an eight-episode limited series, so there is no need to worry about having a second season. But, as much as we appreciate the recognition that the show is competing for attention, and AppleTV+ is still often treated like a hidden gem of a network, I believe it is walking a tight rope with a high potential to fall. With the hope that recognizable faces with beloved careers will be a strong enough net.
Overall
Our Overall Rating [75/100]
As it title implies, Imperfect Women not only features what is promised, but a potentially imperfect show. One that will, unquestionably, deliver a lot of drama, but when you think about what each leading lady has offered, paired with the zeitgeist that has exploited the same foundation ad nauseam – there is a need to ask, will this strive to be different, as much as it desperately needs?
What To Check Out Next
Visit our main TV shows page! There you’ll find other shows we’ve covered, or look below for more of our coverage for this series:
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Imperfect Women: Season 1 Episode 4 – Recap and Review
Imperfect Women should have started with this episode for Nancy brings it.
-
Imperfect Women: Season 1 Episode 8 (Finale) – Recap and Review
Imperfect Women ends with an imperfect finale as Nancy’s killer is revealed and Eleanor’s mom finally shows up.
-
Imperfect Women: Season 1 Episode 6 – Recap and Review
So, did Mary drop the ball and make Nancy the silver lining of Imperfect Women, or did she arrive at center stage and hit it out of the park?
TV Shows We’re Covering This Season
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