Amid the ongoing debate about how to retell real crimes without disrespecting victims — and without turning murderers into antiheroes — the newest episode of Murdaugh: Death in the Family marks, unmistakably, the beginning of the end for Alex Murdaugh. After months of deceit, fraud, and reckless manipulation, insisting on the mythology of the “perfect” southern family, Alex finally finds himself swallowed by his own lies, addictions, and catastrophic decisions. And the episode, tightly constructed, makes one thing clear: Alex’s public unraveling is not just about the fall of a powerful man — it’s about the collapse of an entire system that protected him for generations. It’s time to pay the bill.

We open with what may be Buster’s most painful moment yet, played with remarkable nuance by Will Harrison: discovering that his mother and brother have been murdered, and confronting the crime scene. This is when Buster moves from a near-secondary presence to the emotional backbone of the narrative. As Harrison notes, Buster becomes the human point of entry for the audience — the reminder that, at the center of this media and legal labyrinth, lies a shattered family.

Buster also carries the weight of another ghost: the suspicious and deeply troubling death connected to him — Stephen Smith’s case — which the episode does not address in detail because, at the time depicted, the investigation hadn’t yet been reopened. Still, Buster stands out as the most grounded of the four Murdaughs: a son who benefits from the family machine, yes, but who doesn’t view its privileges as an inherent right.

Randolph Murdaugh’s reaction is another highlight. His shock upon learning Maggie was a victim reveals a core wound in the Murdaugh dynasty: the obsession with preserving the illusion of perfection, even as reality collapses. In Randolph’s mind, Maggie was the last hope of saving the family. Losing her feels like losing any possibility of redemption.

The investigation moves forward under David Owen and Laura Rutland, while suspect after suspect is crossed off the list. Meanwhile, Alex receives news that should have brought relief — the Beach family will withdraw their civil suit. But the reprieve is short-lived: moments later, he learns his father has died. Alex’s life becomes a narrowing funnel, tightening around him with no escape.

For us, who already know the truth, the irony is brutal: Alex committed the crimes to escape the lawsuit, but that choice would ultimately be his downfall.

At Maggie and Paul’s funeral, Alex performs a dual role, grieving widower and man desperately trying to rewrite the narrative. The discomfort is intentional: watching him pressure Shelley Smith to confirm he stayed longer at his mother’s house than he actually did, and then offering help with her wedding, reveals the Alex the world was still resisting acknowledging. The emotional manipulation wrapped in kindness is his signature.

When Marian, Maggie’s sister, asks about leads, Alex repeats his theory of revenge tied to the boat accident. His ease in speculating about the supposed planning behind the murders is unsettling — not only for Marian, but also for the audience, who already sensed that the collapse was imminent.

The turning point comes through Rogan Gibson, who says he heard Alex’s voice during his last call with Paul — directly contradicting Alex’s alibi. And when Laura remembers how spotless Alex was that night, despite saying he checked the bloodied bodies, the episode finally connects the dots that had been hanging in the air.

Meanwhile, Mandy Matney — embodied by Brittany Snow — launches her podcast. And here, the series becomes fully self-aware: it shows how investigative journalism found its place precisely when official institutions failed.

But the most symbolic sequence is Alex and Buster returning to Maggie’s beach house. The paint samples she had lovingly chosen — signs of a future she was planning, a life she hoped to rebuild — became beer coasters. A stunning visual metaphor for his indifference to a life cut short.

The walls close in completely when Alex is confronted with Rogan’s statement. His shock is almost performative and short-lived. Soon after comes the real fall: the discovery of his financial schemes, the confrontation with Randy, the admission of addiction, and the emotional collapse inside his own home. The scene involving Curtis “Eddie” Smith — Alex begging to be shot so Buster could receive insurance money — is one of the episode’s most disturbing moments.

The hospital sequence seals his public humiliation: Alex is exposed in front of Buster. At the same time, new victims emerge around his crumbling empire — Tony Satterfield seeks justice, and Sandy learns that Stephen Smith’s case will be reopened. The world that once bent to the Murdaughs now turns against them.

The episode ends with Alex headed to rehab and Buster facing a house in ruins — literally and metaphorically. Only one episode remains before this dramatic reconstruction of one of the most disturbing American cases reaches its conclusion. And, as the series masterfully reminds us, truth and spectacle are rarely separate.