The Boyfriend

Tom’s mother flies to Seattle to visit family, leaving Tom alone with his alcoholic father. Tom grows increasingly nervous about Allison’s threat to report his relationship with Brandi to police, knowing they hope to pin Brandi’s death on her mystery boyfriend. When Tom’s father arrives home drunk and threatens to sexually assault Daisy, Tom stabs him in the stomach. The stab wounds are not enough to take down his father, and Tom is forced to slit his throat.

Tom and Sydney share a wonderful date. Sydney is surprised by Tom’s intelligence, humor, and the chemistry they share. She is charmed when he refuses to let her pay and helps her with her jacket as they leave. He offers to take her home, but she refuses, knowing she might be tempted to invite him in. Sydney gives Tom her number and they share a kiss. Later, she realizes that he still has her bloody shirt.

While at a yoga class with Gretchen, Sydney admits that she is starting to fall for Tom, whom Gretchen has nicknamed Dr. Perfect. As they leave the class, Sydney sees Kevin, the bad Cynch date who tried to assault her. Gretchen tells her to report him, but Sydney feels she has already done all she can. Jake calls to share that a third victim has been found with hair missing in the same place as Bonnie, suggesting a serial killer as the culprit. Sydney assures him she’s safe with Tom.

Although Tom is relieved that his father cannot continue to abuse his mother, he panics at the sight of the dead body. He calls Slug for help disposing of the body. Slug seems unsurprised that Tom killed his father and jumps into action. Together, they roll the body into a rug and stuff it into the back of Slug’s parents’ car. As they close the trunk, Tom sees Allison watching them from across the street.

Tom attempts to distract Allison, but her dog rushes to Slug’s car and begins barking at the trunk. Allison asks if they have meat in the car, and Slug lies, saying that they have raw hamburger in the back for a barbecue. Allison seems to accept their explanation, and reminds Tom to talk to Daisy as they discussed. As she leaves, Slug insists that she’s going to report them to the police. He tells Tom they need to bury they body.

Tom and Slug drive 90 minutes away from their town to bury Tom’s father near an abandoned hiking trail. Tom tries not to question how Slug found the spot, or why he knows so much about hiding bodies. Tom decides to tell his mother that his father went on a bender and disappeared, knowing she won’t report him missing for at least a week. Slug warns that Allison is a threat, but Tom assures him that if she saw something, she would have mentioned it already.

After their third date, Sydney invites Tom back to her apartment. Tom seems startled when Sydney reveals that her ex-boyfriend is a cop, and openly shocked when she signals which building is hers. He asks whether she knows many people in the building, and is visibly horrified when Sydney mentions her neighbor was killed. Tom seems ready to leave until Sydney accidentally cuts her finger. Inside, he bandages her wound and then initiates sex.

The next morning, Tom wakes up half hoping that he dreamed killing his father. When he sees the missing rug in his living room, he cannot deny the truth. Tom’s mother calls and Tom confirms that his father arrived home the prior night, but claims not to know where he is. As Tom walks to school, he has a sense that things will work out for the best. When he arrives, Daisy tells him that Allison is missing.

Sydney and Tom’s post-coital bliss is interrupted when Tom sees a text from Jake asking Sydney if she wants him to do a background check on her date. Sydney explains that she is still in contact with Jake, but promises to set boundaries. When Sydney presses for details about his romantic past, Tom admits that he’s only been in love once: with his high school girlfriend who died when they were 16.

Daisy explains that Allison went for a walk the prior night but returned home, and her parents found her bed empty this morning. She believes that Allison would not run away, and fears that something bad happened to her. Tom immediately suspects Slug is involved, but Slug denies it and suggests jokingly that someone else took care of the problem for them. Tom worries that Slug is dangerous.

Tom is called into the principal’s office for questioning by Chief Driscoll. He reveals that there was no sign of entry at Allison’s house, suggesting that she opened the door for someone she knew or left on her own. Tom uses the past tense in describing his relationship with Allison, arousing the Chief’s suspicions. Chief Driscoll reveals that Allison’s friends knew she wanted Daisy to break up with him. Tom uses his father as an alibi, claiming he was home all night.

Before her sixth date with Tom, Sydney receives a call from her mother about a cousin who had twins at 42. She excitedly tells her mom about Tom. When Tom and Sydney arrive at the restaurant, a diner greets Tom as Dr. Brewer and thanks him for helping ease her husband’s death. Sydney questions Tom about it, but Tom insists that he never introduced himself as Tom Brown and that he’s always been Tom Brewer.