We're only four episode into Bad Monkey, but already in that short time the Apple TV Plus crime comedy show has thrown a few major curveballs into what seemed to be an ordinary murder case.
Bad Monkey episode 3, entitled 'Nothing’s Wrong With It, I Just Don’t Need It Anymore', came out on Wednesday, August 28.
The episode takes us back in time to explain the episode 3 twist and fill in lots of the mysteries so far, including who's been murdering characters and what happened to Nick Stripling. Plus, we learn more about Andrew Yancy's past and what got him booted out of the Miami police force.
So let's proceed with our Bad Monkey episode 4 recap, and spoilers ensue so make sure you've seen the episode or don't mind having it spoiled for you.
Five years prior
Much of Bad Monkey episode 4 is set five years in the past, to explain how Nick Stripling (Rob Delaney) is alive, despite people thinking he was dead.
At the time Eve Stripling (Meredith Hagner) was an aspiring actress and Nick was a single father to Caitlin (Charlotte Lawrence). When Nick takes Caitlin to a magazine launch party, since she was modelling in it, he meets Eve at the bar and they fall in love.
A year later, they get married, despite Caitlin's dislike for Eve. Israel O'Peele (Zach Braff) is the groomsman. Nick tells Eve about he and Izzy's medical scam, in order to get her to help them out. If it's not clear by now as well: Nick and Christopher are the same person.
At the same time Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn) is still a cop in Miami, however he uncovers a scam by fellow officer Mendez, who runs the tip line, to give money to his friends and family by calling in tips to crimes that have already been solved. Yancy brings this to his higher-ups who demote Mendez, creating a feud between them, but Yancy himself is re-assigned to the Florida Keys due to his attitude problems.
Nick, Eve, Izzy and Izzy's family go on a holiday to Andros in the Bahamas, and Eve wants them to open a fancy resort there. To do so, Nick decides to increase the cash flow on the scam, but this draws the attention of the FBI. Nick thinks he and Izzy need to go on the run, but Eve doesn't want to.
Tying up loose ends
When getting ice cream with his partner Rogelio, Yancy meets Bonnie (Michelle Monaghan). Over several dates they get to know each other and Yancy discovers that her husband Cliff is beating her, so against Rogelio's wishes he pushes Cliff into the sea. We've seen this before, and it's why Yancy was on suspension at the start of the series.
Nick tells Eve about a new plan: he'll fake his death and create a new identity to escape the FBI. Izzy chops off his arm so they've got remains, and beats up the arm to make it look like it was in a boating accident. He pays Phinney, the skipper, to make sure the fishing boat finds it.
After the plan is successful, Nick is hiding out on Andros. He meets Yaya, who asks him about his missing arm, but he's rude to her. This draws the ire of Yaya's grand-daughter the Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith), who has a confrontation with Nick's bodyguard Egg and she warns him off.
Phinney contacts Nick to ask for more money, and he's going to, but Eve wants to tie up the loose end. Begrudgingly Nick puts on a yellow poncho and shoots him. Nick then visits Izzy to ask him to Andros, but learns that Izzy is about to confess to Yancy. So Nick kills Izzy too, planting the yellow poncho in his bathroom and using the same gun as the one used to shoot Phinney.
Afterwards, in a parking lot, Nick is besides himself and bemoans killing his best friend. Just as this happens Heather the weather girl is walking past and overhears Nick's confession — Eve then shoots her! This explains why she went missing in the last episode.
Back in the present
News of Heather's murder begins to break. Also, Mendez phones Rogelio to say that Phinney's murder is tied to Izzy's, but the Miami cop thinks that Phinney was Izzy's dealer, whom Izzy killed before committing suicide. Rogelio isn't convinced.
In the morgue, Yancy and Rosa Campesino (Natalie Martinez) discuss this, and agree that it wasn't a suicide. Then their romance blossoms and they sleep together (still in the morgue!).
On the beach, Eve mentions to Nick that Yancy could still cause them trouble... and then says that Caitlin could too. Nick gets upset that Eve could want Caitlin 'taken care of', and Eve pretends that she was misunderstood and gets upset, but is shown to be faking.
Mendez is visited by Izzy's neighbor, who saw Yancy coming out of the apartment shortly after the murder, and identifies him as such.
That evening at home, Yancy calls Rosa about a new theory he has: somehow, he's got a hunch that Nick just cut of his arm and changed his name to Christopher. However once he hangs up the phone he's struck from behind: Nick is behind him, holding a crowbar.
