Blood Atonement

Written by Julia Cho
Directed by David Petrarca

Bill tells the wives he's got an emergency out-of-town meeting with a HomePlus supplier, but he and Joey are actually headed to Mexico to retrieve their parents and Ben. Jodean has called to tell them the Greenes have them, but hasn't revealed the smuggling scheme to Bill. When she confides to Joey, and shows him the guns Frank's smuggling, he is pleased with the arsenal: He intends to exact vengeance on Hollis Greene for his role in Kathy's death. The Mexican police and U.S. Consulate tell Bill that they don't want to force their way into Ciudad Greene, and they have no evidence of an abduction, so Bill decides to take matters into his own hands.

Meanwhile, Lois and her rag tag posse face trial before Hollis and Selma: "This is Fruit Loops time," notes Lois. She tries to figure a way to get off on a technicality while Ben and Frank remind her it's not a real trial - Hollis is going to kill them. But Lois isn't going down without a fight. At the "trial," Hollis finds Don Doña in contempt and Selma shoots him, making Lois and the others realize how much danger they are in.

When test results confirm Bill's paternity of Ana's baby, Barb tries once again to repair things with their former fourth wife, but Ana announces she and Goran have to return to Serbia because of his visa. Barb warns that Utah recognizes parental rights, threatening to prevent them from leaving the country. The revelation of Ana's affair has reopened the wound Barb felt about Margene's premarital dalliance with Bill, increasing their tension, so Margene tries to intervene with Ana to make nice with Barb. Fed up, Goran warns that with Bill's campaign in full swing, it may be prudent for the Henricksons not to prevent Ana from leaving the country. Later, Barb comes to Margene to extend an olive branch - insisting Margene needs a home office in the new mega-house (even though Margene prefers her actual office).

On the heels of Nicki learning she is infertile, Adaleen apologizes for letting her be sealed at 15 - and then reveals she's pregnant: "It's a miracle!" Distraught, Nicki insists it's impossible and makes Adaleen take a test (which is positive). Adaleen urges her daughter to see her doctor - JJ's son Roquet. Having heard the news about Adaleen's pregnancy, Wanda confronts her brother JJ pleading with him "you promised," but he warns her: "You say a word, Joey goes down for murder."

At the casino, with organized evangelical protests going on, Tommy and Barb can't reach Marilyn - and on top of that, there's a bomb scare. Barb demands that Bill come home, but as he's talking to her, he gets a call from Hollis who has seen the news about Dale's death and Bill's ascension to acting head of the UEB. Hollis reveals that he is holding Ben for smuggling and demands Bill appear before him. Bill is furious to learn this was not a random kidnapping, as he was lead to believe, "it was just another cockeyed scheme...My son's been dragged right back into the same cesspool I got away from!" Later, Bill calls Barb from the motel in Mexico to apologize and to assure her that things will be different when he gets home. "I'm not that person that you think I'm becoming."

Margene comes up with a solution to the Ana problem - she will marry Goran "in name only." Nicki discovers her plan when she walks in on Ana taking Christmas pictures of Margene and Goran (to document their past) and freaks out. She accuses Margene of doing this just to protect her business, but Marge insists she's doing her part to fill that 9000 square foot house with more babies - because obviously Nicki and Barb aren't going to. Nicki blurts out that she has secondary infertility but swears Margene to secrecy, insisting she will have a baby. Margene presents her "solution" to Barb, after she's married Goran, but this news puts Barb over the edge: "My cope container is full."

Bill and Jodean conspire to keep Joey from taking his revenge on Hollis and Bill goes off alone to rescue Ben with her help. But when Jodean calls Bill after locating Lois, Ben and Frank - who are being held in Hollis's ostrich pen - Hollis snatches the phone and hears that Bill is on his way. The Greenes resume the trial, and Ben stalls for time, asking to file an appeal. As they wait, Frank confesses to Lois that he exiled Bill as a teenager because Roman ordered him to. He apologizes for ruining their family and being a selfish coward. As he repents, Bill busts in to rescue them. Frank can't make the mile walk back to the car, and rather than leave him (as Lois suggests) Bill and Ben help him along. "No one gets left behind this time," says Bill. But as Bill sneaks away with his family, Joey arrives to kill Hollis. Bill tries to stop his brother, insisting Heavenly Father will take care of Hollis the way he did Roman. Joey blurts out that HE killed Roman: "It's blood atonement!" Bill tackles Joey, and Hollis and Selma take control of the situation. It's a stand-off. "Take me, let the others go," Bill insists. As Hollis orders Bill's execution, Lois grabs a machete and chops off his arm. He collapses and Bill begs Selma to let them go and to save Hollis instead. She does.

Back at the casino Barb and Tommy teleconference with Ron Reed, accusing him of inciting the bomb scare and asking him to disavow violence; he refuses, warning them they are out of their league. Later Barb figures out that Paley, Marilyn and Ron Reed are all in Scotland - and in bed together. "We're being hustled," says Tommy.

When Bill returns with Ben, the wives welcome them home with relief.