‘Filthy Rich’ Season 1 Episode 3 Recap: “Psalm 25:3”

Filthy Rich Season 1 Episode 3
Kim Cattrall and Benjamin Levy Aguilar in ‘Filthy Rich’ season 1 episode 3 (Photo by Patti Perret © 2020 Fox Media LLC)

Reverend Paul (Aaron Lazar) is getting his audience worked up over Ginger’s disastrous baptism as Fox’s Filthy Rich season one episode three kicks off. In his mind, Ginger’s a fallen woman who only he as God’s vessel can heal. However, Margaret (Kim Cattrall) is also jumping on the Ginger controversy bandwagon and has asked Ginger to appear on her Wings of a Dove series.

Franklin (Steve Harris) isn’t sure this is the right way to boost Sunny Club subscriptions and doesn’t believe her audience wants Wings of a Dove to become that sort of show. Margaret suggests they need to embrace the controversy, and Franklin reminds her Ginger’s involvement could sully her brand.

Speak of the devil, Ginger (Melia Kreiling) has to run through a gauntlet of protesters on her way into the Sunshine Network building.

The other illegitimate siblings are with Margaret as she readies for her show. Antonio (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) accompanies her in his position with Security, and Margaret instructs Jason (Mark L. Young) that he’ll be joining Rose (Aubrey Dollar) on Wings of a Dove as part of the “mailbag” segment.

Jason doesn’t want to be on camera and for good reason. He knows he’ll be recognized back home and could be outed as an imposter.

Meanwhile, Eugene (Gerald McRaney) wanders into the DewDrop BuyBox store where the TVs are all tuned into Margaret’s Wings of a Dove show. Juliette (Juliette Lewis) welcomes him with a clerk’s jacket complete with his name already embroidered on it. (I’m totally confused at this point. What is happening? Is this a fever dream?)

Juliette informs Eugene he’ll make half a bus ticket home by working an eight-hour shift.

Rose and Jason flirt backstage and kiss, as onstage Margaret’s mention of Ginger’s name results in boos from the audience. Margaret assures them Ginger just needs saving and she’s willing to help her see the light.

As Ginger waits to be summoned to the stage, Rose warns her to be careful. Ginger thinks Margaret’s a bully and it will be her job to put Margaret in her place.

Also backstage, Reverend Paul’s brought in Governor Virgil Love and a couple of other heavy hitters. As Franklin greets the bigwigs, Reverend Paul explains these investors want to join them as silent partners. Franklin reminds Reverend Paul that Sunny Club is fully funded.

Their talk’s broken up by Antonio introducing himself to Don Bouchard (Kenny Alfonso), another member of the entourage and a bigwig in the MMA world. Don shocks Antonio by revealing he knows his mom.

Margaret has a choir take the stage while she speaks to Franklin backstage. The investors have taken seats in the audience which rattles Margaret and she wants to know why they’re there. Franklin reveals they’re nervous about her enhanced role in running the company.

Eric (Corey Cott) and his pregnant wife, Becky (Olivia Macklin), are out in the field waiting to do a segment on the family’s Bayou Housing Trust. It’s hot, Becky’s miserable, and she hates the fact Ginger got the prime spot on the episode while they’re out in the heat in the middle of a field.

Eric’s live shot begins and he explains they’re breaking ground on more housing. As he’s speaking, a group of neighborhood kids heckle him and then run off, completely breaking his concentration.

Over at the store, Juliette and Eugene are plopped down in easy chairs watching Wings of a Dove. Rose is on and as she reads a piece of mail from Mark of Colorado, she smiles. Jason/Mark also smiles from his seat in the audience. Eugene notes Rose is glowing and Juliette says it’s because Rose is in love.

Ginger’s employees and her sister, Rachel (Aqueela Zoll), check out a strange older dude sitting in a car and staring at the motel. Ginger’s mom, Tina (Rachel York), joins them and recognizes the man. She’s frightened by his appearance and tells everyone to get back inside.

The final piece of mail is from someone claiming Ginger will burn in Hell. An audience member erupts and calls Ginger a whore while Margaret attempts to restore order.

Backstage, Ginger looks nervous.

Eric and Becky confront one of the kids and she shows them how rundown their house is and how the river is coming up and soaking their floor. Eric had no idea the housing project was in such poor shape and is astonished to see the ceiling is falling apart and there’s mold from all the dampness.

Next up on Wings of a Dove is Antonio who arrives onstage shirtless, much to Margaret’s surprise. He was supposed to take part in a cooking segment and instead he’s decided to show her some of his moves. Antonio explains martial arts is about diffusing situations and Margaret joins him in an exhibition. She stands completely still as he throws a punch in her direction. He doesn’t land any blows as he continues to demonstrate his skill, ending it all with a roundhouse kick that just barely misses Margaret’s face.

Margaret’s proud she didn’t flinch once, and Antonio smiles broadly as he raises her hand in victory.

Antonio’s real mom is watching this on television and is jealous when Margaret calls Antonio “her boy.”

Filthy Rich Season 1 Episode 3
Melia Kreiling and Kim Cattrall in ‘Filthy Rich’ season 1 episode 3 (Photo by Patti Perret © 2020 Fox Media LLC)

Rose and Ginger commiserate backstage and Ginger admits she’s always dreamed of being on the show. Now, everyone hates her. Rose explains Margaret’s followers don’t hate Ginger, they hate the character her mom and Reverend Paul created.

Rose suggests Ginger go onstage and speak her truth. “Be braver than the rest of us,” says Rose.

As they’re talking, Ginger receives an urgent call from Rachel asking her to return to the hotel. Rachel says there’s a man there who’s completely freaked out their mom.

Ginger’s almost out of the building when Antonio and Margaret catch up with her. Ginger explains there’s a fan of Margaret’s at the hotel frightening her girls. She blames Margaret for riling everyone up and for not stopping her followers from this behavior.

Margaret promises they’ll put a stop to it together. Ginger joins Margaret on camera while Margaret reveals Ginger’s mom is being threatened. She reminds everyone Sunshine Network is a family and violence is never an answer.

Margaret asks Ginger to join her in talking through their differences, like mother and daughter. Ginger takes a moment and then replies, “I’d love to.”

Rachel emerges from the motel and the stranger’s no longer parked outside. She retrieves a note addressed to Ms. Sweet left on the van’s windshield.

Rose joins Mark/Jason in the audience and warns him he needs to be careful. She doesn’t want to lose him.

Eric races over to the studio, convinced he needs to do something about his mother raising funds off buildings that should be condemned. Becky stops him and says it should be his job now to fix this; he shouldn’t go running to his mom. Her advice: man up.

Margaret and Ginger begin their conversation and Ginger chuckles when Margaret says, “I believe that there are very good people on both sides of this situation.” Margaret doesn’t think Ginger’s a bad person, but she made a bad decision concerning her baptism wet T-shirt escapade. She asks if Ginger thinks those who believe in Christ are dumb.

Ginger doesn’t and, in fact, believes in Christ. She also believes there’s room in religious dialogue for provocative thought. The conversation turns to feminism and whether it’s being a feminist to sell your body on the internet. Ginger quotes the Scriptures, stands firm in her beliefs, and adds that her business provides what men aren’t able to get at home.

The talk turns really personal when Ginger assures Margaret that Eugene didn’t just step out for sex; he loved her mom. She claims Eugene came to her mom for salvation.

Margaret’s rendered speechless.

Margaret describes staying silent to protect her family all these years. She admits she knew about Eugene’s many affairs and calls Ginger – and women like her – selfish because they don’t care what they destroy.

“After every affair, Eugene came home to me!” yells Margaret. “I took him back because I swore an oath before God until death do us part.” She ends her speech by calling Ginger a cheap, trashy, sanctimonious little slut.

Of course, none of that was actually said. It’s running through Margaret’s mind as her face remains inscrutable.

Ginger asks again if Margaret has anything to say. Margaret finally musters her thoughts and leads them into a commercial break.

Eric approaches Reverend Paul in the audience and reveals Sunny Missions is a slumlord.

As they’re coming back from a commercial break, a young woman who convinced Ginger she was a P.A. on the series approaches Ginger on stage. Margaret wonders who she is right before the stranger throws a large cup full of red liquid on Ginger and tells her to rot in Hell.

Everyone’s shocked and Ginger is soaked as Margaret apologizes. Ginger refuses to allow them to cut to a commercial; she wants to speak her mind.

Ginger tells the world she watched Wings of a Dove every day growing up. She learned everything from Margaret and dreamed of meeting her. Margaret swears it wasn’t supposed to be like this, but Ginger doesn’t believe her.

Ginger says, “Thanks for the homecoming,” as she makes her exit.

Margaret scans the audience and asks for her stool to be brought out. Rose fills Jason in on the fact her mom has only asked for her stool twice before. Once after 9/11 and once after the Supreme Court allowed gay marriage.

Margaret calls what happened disturbing and feels horrible about Ginger’s humiliation. She failed to protect her family and asks the Lord where we go from here. She suggests they build a bridge of forgiveness.

She has the camera spotlight her three major investors in the audience – Governor Virgil Love, Don Bouchard, and Townes Dockerty. She credits them with giving her and Eugene their start and swears they will save Ginger someday.

She then points out Jason in the audience and calls him a reformed drug dealer from Colorado. His friends back home are watching and realize it’s Mark. They’re stoned but still sure that’s not Jason.

Juliette spots Eugene stealing and before he takes more than a few steps away from the cash register, she has a cop arrest him. (This whole store thing doesn’t make any sense.)

Later, Antonio’s mom confesses he hurt her by doing “their thing” with Margaret on TV. Antonio admits he had to do it because Don Bouchard was in the audience.

Reverend Paul spots Ginger outside crying and apologizes for what happened. Rachel arrives to give her a ride back to the motel and hands her the note the weirdo in the parking lot left for her. Inside is a photo of their mom along with a bullet.

Rachel reveals the bigwigs in the audience are all customers of their porn site. Ginger decides they should record them all next time they log on.

Back at the studio, Reverend Paul and the investors toast to the houses collapsing and to charity. The man from the motel joins them and confirms he left a message. “I know that you fellows worry, but as long as the ladies are fighting the right hand won’t know what the left is doing,” says Reverend Paul.

Eric logs into Saint Wagon to see Rachel. She finally convinces him to show his face and she instantly recognizes him. He doesn’t know it, but she just hit record.