Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Bad Monkey Episode 5.

The previous episode of Bad Monkey ended on a jarring note, as Vince Vaughn’s Andrew Yancy concludes that Christopher (Rob Delaney) and Nick Stripling are the same person — only to be hit from behind by Nick, who towers over him in the red-lit yard. Episode 5, “That Damn Arm is Back,” opens up with the same ominous lighting, as Nick drags Yancy’s unconscious body down the pier and dumps it into the water, leaving crushed beer cans and a fishing rod behind to frame it as a tragic fishing accident. Satisfied with his handiwork, he heads off, not realizing that Yancy is a tougher nut to crack than that.

As such, Yancy wakes up in the neighboring garishly yellow house, where the real estate agent he is constantly irritating is showing a couple around. In true Yancy fashion, he dissuades the couple from purchasing the property with a bloody and drunken act. Proud of his antics, Yancy returns home and finds Nick’s phone on the ground which had been left behind in a rush. At this point in Bad Monkey, the central investigation switches from figuring out who the murderer of the severed arm owner is to hunting down said severed arm owner.

Yancy Gets in Trouble With the Police and Rosa’s Family in ‘Bad Monkey’ Episode 5

Reeling from a concussion, Yancy is checked over by Rosa (Natalie Martinez) in the morgue as they also reminisce about the steamy time they had on the table. They are briefly interrupted by Officer Mendez (Gonzalo Menendez), who still harbors a personal vendetta against Yancy for divulging his dirty cop tendencies, and is leading the investigation into Doctor Israel’s (Zach Braff) murder, where Yancy is the lead suspect. Mendez gives Rosa a menacing warning about getting involved with Yancy, and thus, the two conjure up a plan to exit the cop-ridden building undetected. Naturally, this means hiding Yancy in a body bag, which leads to him headbutting Mendez in the elevator and hastily fleeing the building. His wanted status also affects his ex-partner and close friend Rogelio (John Ortiz), who is facing increasing pressure to turn Yancy in from their boss.

Subsequently, Yancy is forced to lie low for a while, and he does so at Rosa’s family’s house. He gradually connects with each member of the household, although Rosa’s mother is still wary of him. She voices her concerns to Rosa, pleading with her to be careful around someone so reckless and possibly bad for her. When Rosa’s sister, Mel (Gizel Jimenez), chimes in and reveals that they had slept together, her mother is even more aghast — though, like a true sister, Rosa quickly exposes one of Mel’s past secrets and scurries off smirking. Yancy also asks Rosa’s younger brother to try and crack the password on Nick’s phone, but his efforts are to no avail. He does notice that the phone has Touch ID enabled, giving Yancy the wild idea to dig up Nick’s grave and detach a finger from the severed limb to unlock the phone.

Tensions Rise Between Nick and Eve in ‘Bad Monkey’ Episode 5
Image via Apple TV 

Meanwhile, Nick has returned to his wife Eve (Meredith Hagner), feeling triumphant about removing the pesky detective from the playing field, and the psychopathic Eve could not be more proud of him. However, Nick realizes that he accidentally left his phone behind, becoming slightly concerned, but quickly forgets about it as he is confronted by a more serious revelation. While watching the news, Yancy’s face is plastered everywhere, proclaimed as a wanted man who is on the run. Nick is horrified by the thought of his failure to kill Yancy and instantly unplugs the TV, desperate to keep the news from Eve as long as possible. As usual, Nick is firmly wrapped around Eve’s finger and cannot fathom the idea of facing her disappointment.

Before flying to Andros to also lie low (since Nick is supposed to be dead after all), they make a brief pit stop to say bye to Nick’s daughter, Caitlin (Charlotte Lawrence). This is where Eve proves that she is not only obsessed with money but has an acute talent for reading people, as she quickly discerns that Caitlin had already told her “loser, Jesus-freak husband” about her dad’s living status. Shooing Nick away to have a word with Caitlin, Eve harshly and threateningly reprimands her for telling her husband the truth, buying a new real-leather couch (flashing her newfound money), and planning a trip to Andros to visit her family. She reminds Caitlin that she needs to be playing the role of a grieving daughter, a role that Caitlin is veering from with the knowledge that her father is alive and well. When Nick returns, he halfheartedly tries to mediate the tension between the two, but in the end, takes Eve’s side, driving a wedge in the father-daughter relationship.

‘Bad Monkey’s Side Characters Face Their Own Struggles in Episode 5

During Episode 5 of Bad Monkey, the supporting characters are facing their own dilemmas as their desires and their past come to haunt them. We find out that the Dragon Queen’s (Jodie Turner-Smith) real name is Gracie, and despite her reputation, she holds little stock in her practices and deeply desires her own freedom. While Ya-Ya (L. Scott Caldwell) reminds her that they have been chosen to wield this power to help the community, Gracie is more occupied with raising enough money so she doesn’t have to live out the rest of her life on this island. During this conversation, she comes face to face with Egg (David St. Louis), who is still searching for Neville (Ronald Peet) to carry out his revenge for punching him. Gracie surprisingly relates with Egg’s bleak view of the world and desire for wealth and financial freedom. She confides in her friend about thinking that Egg is somewhat cute, perhaps suggesting a little romance on the horizon.

On the other hand, Neville strikes gold with the USB that he stole from Christopher’s office in the previous episode. On the drive, there is evidence that implicates Christopher in criminal activities, including offshore accounts, forged deeds, and itemized bribes to officials, and he reaches out to someone from his past to blow the case wide open. However, the only person he knows that can reach higher authorities is Tanny (Krys Marshall), an ex-flame he ghosted once before. Hoping she has forgiven him, he meets up with her to meet her boss, the chief counselor, only for Tanny to betray him to none other than Egg, who now has the USB. Guess she hasn’t forgiven him. He flees with Dawnie (Reese Antoinette) with Egg hot on their heels but manages to find his boat on the shore, which Ya-Ya knowingly and spookily pushed out to sea beforehand, leading to a perfect escape.

We also get a brief glimpse into Bonnie’s (Michelle Monaghan) storyline, as she is forced to come out of hiding and go on the run after her husband cut off her credit cards at the feds’ encouragement. With nowhere to go, she finds herself seeking refuge at Yancy’s place. However, since he is at Rosa’s family’s house, his own beachside home is empty. Bonnie becomes jealous and enraged at the thought of Yancy not sleeping at home, and assumes he is at another girl’s house (she’s right, funnily enough). As such, she throws a stone into his window and breaks in, happy to wait out the night there — only to be confronted with a huge blast from her past, as Cody (Alex MacNicoll), the underage student she slept with years ago, walks in with a huge grin on his face.

Yancy and Rosa Track Down Eve and Nick in ‘Bad Monkey’ Episode 5
Image via Apple TV+

After Yancy and Rosa manage to break into Nick’s phone in Bad Monkey, they discover that the couple is taking a flight out of Florida. They impersonate Nick and text the pilot under the guise of bringing him coffee, and by using the coffee shop recommendations the pilot gives them, they discern which airport Nick and Eve will be at. Racing against the clock, the pair hurtle towards the airport, hoping to make it before Nick and Eve elude their grasp. This also leads to the incredibly humorous scene of Yancy sprinting down the runway, chasing the plane, but to no avail. While this is happening, Nick does everything to distract Eve from looking outside so she can remain blissfully unaware of Yancy’s lack of death. However, when Yancy unsurprisingly fails to catch up with the plane, he uses Nick’s phone to call Eve, finally revealing his own status to her. As Eve gets off the phone call, she affixes Nick with an icy stare, leaving us with the final image of torrid tension curdling between the two.

The first five episodes of Bad Monkey are available to stream on Apple TV+, with subsequent episodes dropping every Wednesday.

Watch on Apple TV+