The fourth episode of Joan marks a significant turning point for Joan Ashbury (Sophie Turner), as the carefully constructed illusions about her life, her husband Boisie (Frank Dillane), and their future come crashing down. With the news of the Ashburys' desire to adopt Kelly, Joan's dream of going straight becomes more urgent, but it's also a reminder that the stakes have always been much higher than she'd been willing to admit.
From the outset of this episode, it's clear that Joan’s quest to distance herself from the criminal world is more about necessity than genuine moral transformation. Her decision to "go legit" comes after a visit from the police inquiring about a stolen painting, and it's clear that Joan's anxiety over losing custody of Kelly has finally forced her to confront the reality that she cannot keep living a life of crime and expect a happy, normal family life. But while Joan is determined to break free of her old ways, it’s her complicated relationship with Boisie that truly drives the tension of the episode.
Boisie, ever the idealist in his own way, doesn't quite see the need to change. In fact, he resents Joan’s push for legitimacy, feeling that it contradicts the very nature of their relationship, which began in the underworld of crime and thrill. Their romance, which was fueled by shared adventures and bending the law, now seems like a relic of the past. Boisie's reluctance to change becomes clearer when he interprets Joan's request to ditch the stolen Stubbs painting as an order to find a buyer for it instead. This pivotal misunderstanding leads to some unexpected consequences, including their unwitting involvement with the IRA, whose interest in the stolen artwork stems from its ability to be traded for arms and supplies. In Joan, even a well-intentioned decision to “go straight” has perilous ripple effects.
Joan's venture into jewelry appraising is a noble attempt to build a new life, but it’s also a perilous one. She’s good at it, but that talent draws unwanted attention, in the form of an undercover cop taking the same class. The cop’s offer for Joan to work as an informant—turning on her fellow criminals to avoid a jail sentence—stands as a test of Joan’s resolve. In a moment of clarity, she refuses to betray her principles, even as the mounting pressure of her situation is making it harder to stay on course. But this moment of defiance doesn’t come without its own cost: it drives Joan further into Boisie’s web, and ultimately, into a tangled mess where her attempts at legitimacy clash with the darker forces at play.
Joan’s decision to marry Boisie and officially bring Kelly into their family was supposed to be a step forward, a gesture of stability. But it quickly becomes apparent that the façade of a happy family is just that—a façade. When Joan needs to care for Kelly, Boisie’s insistence on dancing with his wife, uninterested in the needs of their adopted daughter, is a major red flag. This marks a deeper issue in their relationship: while Joan is striving for a future with Kelly, Boisie is still mired in the past. His insistence that things stay as they were, with crime and chaos, is only further emphasized when he hands Joan’s sister a wad of cash to take Kelly back to the Ashburys, revealing his selfishness in the moment. This act is a blatant disregard for the family they’re trying to build, and yet Joan, blinded by her love for him, lets it slide.
Joan’s discovery that Boisie never disposed of the stolen painting is the final straw that exposes the deep cracks in their relationship. Despite Joan’s earlier insistence that the painting be destroyed to avoid further complications, Boisie’s refusal to listen sets the stage for even greater danger. The revelation that the IRA is involved in the deal—and that they’re not willing to just let the painting go—forces Joan into a dangerous situation. She has no choice but to pretend to be an expert art appraiser to save them both from the imminent danger posed by the Irish terrorists.
Joan’s bravery in attempting to convince the IRA that the painting is legitimate shows her dedication to making things work, but it also underlines her misplaced trust in Boisie. Her earlier rejection of the undercover cop’s offer to inform points to her stubborn independence, but it’s that very independence that leads to her downfall. Alone in a hotel room with a dangerous IRA member, Joan uses the skills she learned in her jewelry class to convince the man that the painting is real. However, as the man tries to take advantage of her, the cops arrive just in time to stop him—and arrest Joan in the process.
Joan’s arrest is a gut punch, and it’s compounded by the fact that the painting was never even sold. The Ashburys—who had hoped for a new life for Kelly—now find themselves further separated from their daughter. Social services won’t allow Joan to speak to Kelly, and with her criminal history and the serious charges against her, it seems unlikely that she’ll ever regain custody. The unraveling of her plans to go straight and build a life with Kelly shows just how much she overestimated her ability to escape her past.
Boisie’s role in all of this is murky. We don’t see his immediate reaction to Joan’s arrest, but it’s clear that his plans have failed as much as Joan’s. He may have orchestrated the Stubbs robbery, but it was Joan who has to bear the brunt of the consequences. What’s even more heartbreaking is that Joan’s decision to trust Boisie—and her efforts to redeem herself for Kelly’s sake—have ultimately led to a massive betrayal.
With Joan now behind bars, the question becomes whether her dream of going straight and winning back Kelly has been permanently dashed. Can she ever rebuild a life for herself? Can she win back the trust of those she’s wronged? And what of her marriage to Boisie? While we don’t yet know his fate, it’s clear that their relationship—already on shaky ground—has likely hit its breaking point. Joan’s dreams of a new life in a legitimate business, her hopes for a family with Kelly, and her desire to escape the world of crime have all come crashing down. The battle for her daughter’s custody seems lost, and Boisie’s role in her downfall has left her with more questions than answers.
As the series moves forward, Joan seems to be heading into darker waters, with the possibility that Joan’s criminal past is too deeply ingrained for her to escape.
The cost of redemption may be too high, and the consequences of her choices may reverberate for far longer than she ever imagined. What happens next may not be a return to the life she once envisioned, but a darker, more dangerous path filled with betrayals and consequences.
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