Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Bad Monkey Episode 8.
The dynamic duo at the forefront of Bad Monkey are still hot on the villains’ trails, but the closing scenes of Episode 7 left us with an ominous, red-lit cliffhanger, as silhouettes of armed men lurk outside of Andrew Yancy’s (Vince Vaughn) home. Action erupts as the intruders infiltrate the house, sending the occupants into bizarre fighting styles involving Rosa’s (Natalie Martinez) valiant effort to disarm an attacker. However, the fight comes to a standstill as Yancy spies a familiar face who immediately orders the mercenaries to stand down. Leading the pack is Pestov (Anthony Belevtsov), who Yancy had done a favor for by not closing down a regulation-breaking restaurant so Pestov could celebrate his girlfriend’s dead boyfriend’s wake.
Pestov had ties with the Russian mafia and was hired by Yancy’s infuriated neighbor as a means of petty vengeance and so Yancy would stop dissuading potential buyers. After firing a couple of rounds of rifle bullets at the neighboring window, Yancy reconciles with the attackers over some well-earned grilled cheese, which is also when his father gives Yancy a lecture about appreciating Rosa and warns him about becoming obsessed with his badge and his case.
Bonnie Earns a Fiery Redemption in ‘Bad Monkey’ Episode 8
The previous episode of Bad Monkey saw Bonnie (Michelle Monaghan) throwing up her hands and giving herself up to the feds, patiently waiting to take accountability as conversations with Yancy and his dad struck a chord with her. However, the DA and Cody’s (Alex MacNicoll) parents apparently didn’t get the memo, as they decide not to charge Bonnie since the case was so long ago and it too messy to bring it up again. The federal agent who tracked down Bonnie, Johnna (Ashley Nicole Black), was actually doing so on her own accord — everyone else was content to forget it all happened. As such, Johnna drives her back to Florida and Bonnie is officially a free woman.
But the unhinged sex offender is not satisfied with letting justice slide and makes a quick pit-stop at a gas station to pick up gasoline. She purges her sins in a fiery blaze as she blows up Yancy’s neighbor’s house. While being hellbent on taking accountability, it is also a not-so-subtle thank-you gesture to Yancy, since she knew how much the garishly yellow and imposing building irked him. As Yancy and Rosa watch her being dragged away in handcuffs under the red and blue lights, the fire is reflected in Bonnie’s eyes, which are also filled with cathartic elation.
Accountability is the name of the game, and in Episode 8’s closing scenes we see a stark contrast to Bonnie’s grand and proud display. After the house fire, the real estate agent tries to convince Sonny (Todd Allen Durkin) to avoid writing the cause down as arson on official papers because his insurance doesn’t cover it. When he escalates his pleas to bribery, Sonny immediately shuts it down, leaving the agent moping as he walks away. Message of the day? Don’t mess with the environment.
Caitlin Turns on Her Father in ‘Bad Monkey’ Episode 8
Meanwhile, Yancy is still stuck in the case, though Neville (Ronald Peet) is unsure about how committed he really is. When he questions Yancy on a phone call, Yancy reassures him and explains the extradition issues and financial pressures that are slowing down the case, since the couple are in Andros, Bahamas, outside of FBI jurisdiction. But Yancy always has a plan. He corners Director Rhodes (Lauren O’Quinn) on her lunch break and eventually deduces that he needs to lure the couple back onto U.S. soil — of course, the director will stay “ignorant” of this so-called plan.
Cutting to Nick (Rob Delaney) and Eve Stripling (Meredith Hagner), they are still lounging in the luxury of Andros when Nick gets a call from his daughter Caitlin (Charlotte Lawrence). Her voice sounds morose and pitiful, as she graciously asks for her father’s forgiveness for getting into a fight with Eve. When he inevitably accepts, she proposes a plan that will allow her to visit him, where her friend from the church could buy a property from him, giving Caitlin an excuse to visit Andros under her wing. What Nick doesn’t know is that Caitlin’s friend is actually Rosa — Yancy and Rosa recruited the scorned daughter into their plan.
As such, they devise a plan for Rosa to go undercover, since the couple had never met her before, under her full name: Rosalba (one that Yancy definitely doesn’t think is ridiculous). “Rosalba” would meet the couple in Andros to buy the property in cash, then lie about needing to gather it in Miami. Yancy theorizes that the greedy couple will certainly want to pick up the enormous amount of bills sooner rather than later, and will agree to meet her in Miami, giving the feds an opportunity to arrest them. A couple that plots together, stays together.
‘Bad Monkey’ Episode 8 Sees the Rise and Fall of the Dragon Queen’s Romance
Romance is also brewing in Andros, as the Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith), who now goes by Gracie, cultivates her budding relationship with Egg (David St. Louis). Together, they visit Eve and Nick on their yacht for a business meeting, which includes Eve gushing over the new couple. After an amenable conversation, Gracie also deftly pickpockets Nick’s watch, which is sitting on a table unsupervised after he dives into the water. Egg raises his concerns about Gracie engaging in dirty business with the couple, as he is aware of the more malevolent side to them, but Gracie rebukes his worries and instead encourages him to sing. His melodious voice fills the air as the pair dance blissfully, reaching the peak of their happy and endearing relationship in Bad Monkey.
Later, Gracie discovers that her childhood friend’s, Asia’s (Lauren F. Walker), boutique was trashed, leaving the struggling businesswoman to pick up the pieces. Gracie knew the culprits were Nick and Eve, since Asia had been bad-mouthing their business previously, but she knew which lackey actually carried out the task. Enraged, she confronts Egg, ultimately yelling at him to leave her alone in a more crass way. Loneliness enshrouds Gracie as she has just alienated her two companions, and she reaches out to Ya-ya (L. Scott Caldwell). However, Ya-ya has no mercy and instead hopes that isolation will nudge Gracie back onto the path of the Dragon Queen.
Taking no heed to her words, Gracie finds herself at the same breakfast place as Yancy — though there is only one good breakfast place on the island, so, no, it is not fate, Ya-ya. Yancy recognizes the watch that Gracie sullenly turns over in her hands and strikes up a conversation with her. For us, it is a strange and exciting sensation to watch two separate worlds collide. Yancy informs her that the watch is valued at around $250,000, which is plenty of money for Gracie to start afresh off the island. When he turns to grab his coffee order, she disappears, eager to get life started. As she gets into a cab in the closing sequence, she sees Egg and waves farewell: the peak and downfall of their precious relationship spans one episode.
Rosa Goes Undercover in ‘Bad Monkey’ Episode 8
Yancy and Rosa start laying the groundwork for their deceit and the first order of business is to up-skill Rosa’s smooth-talking ability to Yancy’s silver tongue. They arrive at a bar where Yancy eagerly shows off his talents as “Mr. Fleeterson,” and Rosa picks her target to practice on. However, they accidentally pick Claspers (Bob Clendenin), Nick and Eve’s pilot. Upon finding out his identity, the pair quickly befriend him and take a picture with the enthusiastic pilot. When the real mission goes down, Rosa passes with flying colors, successfully convincing the couple to fly out to Miami in a week for the cash. Eve temporarily held some suspicions considering Rosalba’s church connection with Caitlin, but Rosa skillfully evades this by playing on Eve’s hatred for her stepdaughter.
Rosa and Yancy celebrate the success of their false identity with Neville at Dawnie’s (Reese Antoinette) house. As they gleefully walk in, we also spy Driggs (Crystal the monkey) in the tree wistfully looking at Neville, clearly missing his two-legged companion. Throughout the night, Yancy tries to wingman a blushing Neville who is after Dawnie’s fondness, and Rosa becomes excited when she sees her sister on TV reporting the weather. Mel (Gizel Jimenez) states that Hurricane Mel (which is quickly adopted as her “Heather Weather” nickname) is arriving on the island, and narrator Tom Nowicki informs us that it is customary for locals to spend their final hurricane-free nights at bars. Bad Monkey cuts to Nick and Eve, who are partaking in this tradition, and they find themselves at the same bar Yancy and Rosa were previously at. It is also the bar where the Polaroid picture of Yancy, Rosa and Claspers is hanging on the wall.
Episodes 1-8 of Bad Monkey are available to stream on Apple TV+, with subsequent episodes dropping every Wednesday.
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