I’ve spent four episodes of The Perfect Lie wondering whether Karen knows more about Evert’s death than she’s admitting. Now I’m beginning to wonder whether I’ve been looking at the wrong woman.
Because holy hell, Patricia.
At first, she seemed like another wealthy Dinner Club wife who enjoyed throwing extravagant parties, showing off her lifestyle, and making newcomers uncomfortable. Remember when she challenged Karen to jump naked into the pool back in Episode 1?
But Season 1 Episode 5, “Patricia,” reveals something considerably uglier beneath all that money and attitude.
Patricia doesn’t just enjoy being in control. She knows how to use other people’s problems to get what she wants. And with Hanneke lying in a coma after falling from the balcony of Patricia’s apartment, I’m beginning to wonder just how far she’d go to protect her perfect little world.
Patricia Knows How to Make a Problem Disappear
The most disturbing thing about Patricia isn’t her temper or her arrogance. It’s how easily she can turn somebody else’s personal crisis into a business opportunity.
We’ve known for a while that Evert was becoming a problem for Simon. The gym’s illegal steroid operation was happening behind Evert’s back, and he’d started asking questions about the finances.
Now we learn Patricia’s father is involved financially, too. He’s concerned enough about Evert’s digging to warn that if Simon doesn’t deal with him, he will. That’s quite a statement considering we already know Evert dies in a fire.
And then Patricia discovers that Babette has secretly recorded Evert behaving aggressively toward her.
The footage is disturbing. Evert’s drinking, temper, and behavior at home are clearly cause for concern. Babette has every reason to be frightened, and we’ve already seen enough trouble involving their children to know that something is seriously wrong in that household.
But what does Patricia do with this deeply personal information?
She confronts Evert in front of Simon, Michel, and Babette, exposing what Babette told her in confidence.
Babette is horrified. And why wouldn’t she be? She trusted these women enough to reveal something painful about her marriage, and Patricia immediately takes control of the situation.
Evert is furious, and Patricia insists he needs to step away from the gym and leave the family home to recover.
Now, maybe Patricia genuinely believes she’s protecting Babette and the children. But the timing is awfully convenient.
Evert has been investigating the gym’s finances. Patricia’s father wants him stopped. And suddenly Patricia has found a perfectly respectable reason to remove Evert from the business without mentioning money, drugs, or anything else he might have uncovered.
Her father’s reaction practically confirms how useful this development is. As far as he’s concerned, Patricia has solved Simon’s Evert problem.
Problem. That’s how these people talk about a man who was supposedly their friend. And we already know how Evert’s story ends.
Is Anybody Telling the Truth About Evert and Babette?
The trouble is that Babette and Evert’s marriage has become almost impossible to judge from the outside.
We’ve heard about Evert’s drinking and aggression. We’ve seen Babette struggling with the children. Their son Beau has been involved in some disturbing behavior, including that incident with the brick at the school event.
The video Babette recorded gives us reason to take her fears seriously. But Hanneke keeps insisting there’s another side to the story.
And I haven’t forgotten how Babette behaved during that earlier confrontation involving the children and their parents. She’s hardly been a picture of calm, reasonable parenting herself.
So what’s really happening in that house?
Was Evert an abusive husband whose behavior had finally become unbearable? Was Babette manipulating the situation? Were both of them making an already miserable marriage worse?
I don’t know.
What bothers me is that everybody around them seems determined to choose a side before they have the whole story.
Patricia uses Babette’s account to justify removing Evert from the gym. Hanneke defends Evert and questions Babette’s version. Simon has his own financial reasons for wanting Evert out of the way.
And Babette, who actually has to live with the consequences, seems to have lost control of the entire situation.
The more we learn about this marriage, the less I trust anybody else’s interpretation of it.
Karen and Simon Are Two Idiots Who Deserve Each Other
Meanwhile, Karen and Simon are behaving like a couple of teenagers who think they’re the first people in history to have an affair.
Simon can’t leave her alone. He’s constantly texting, finding excuses to see her, and showing up when he probably shouldn’t.
Karen, of course, keeps insisting they need to stop. And then she doesn’t stop. She even tells Simon he should be ashamed of what they did.
Excuse me, Karen? You were there, too! You actively participated, and you’ve clearly been enjoying it.
This woman has an extraordinary talent for making her own decisions sound like somebody else’s fault.
She wants Simon, then she doesn’t want him, then she wants him again. I nearly fell off my chair watching their ridiculous behavior in the hallway during the Christmas play.
The entire Dinner Club is practically around the corner, and these two are carrying on as though nobody could possibly catch them.
Except Babette is watching. How much did she see? And what is she going to do with that information?
That’s particularly interesting because Babette has already demonstrated that she knows how to keep a secret.
Then there’s Patricia, who has dealt with Simon’s cheating before. We learn he previously had an affair involving a teacher at their daughter’s school, so this isn’t exactly unfamiliar territory for his wife.
When Babette describes Simon as a trained dog who’s been kept on a leash, Karen’s reaction is priceless.
What did she think? That Simon was a devoted husband who suddenly discovered his one true love in Karen? Please.
And Simon isn’t nearly as clever as he thinks he is. Leaving his car at the school while he’s sneaking around with Karen is hardly the behavior of a criminal mastermind.
Patricia notices. And unlike Karen, Patricia doesn’t seem interested in pretending everything is fine.
The Rich Girl With the Perfect Life Has Plenty to Lose
Here’s what makes Patricia more interesting than simply being Simon’s angry wife.
She has money, family connections, influence, and a considerable investment in maintaining the life she’s built.
Her father is tied to the gym. Her brother Brian has been placed there, apparently to keep an eye on things. Evert was asking financial questions nobody wanted answered, and Simon has been running an illegal operation.
Patricia is connected to all of it. She might not know every detail, but she’s certainly not oblivious.
And now Hanneke has fallen from the balcony of the apartment Patricia received from her father.
Patricia tells the police she gave Hanneke a key because Hanneke was helping with renovations. That explains why Hanneke could get inside, but it doesn’t explain how she ended up over the balcony.
Patricia also claims she was with Simon when it happened. Was she?
And was Patricia the person watching Karen and Simon kissing beneath the pier at the end of Episode 4? I still don’t know.
But I find it interesting that Patricia keeps finding herself in situations where somebody else’s misfortune could make her life easier.
Evert becomes a problem, and she helps remove him from the gym. Hanneke becomes a problem, and now she’s in a hospital bed.
That doesn’t make Patricia guilty of anything. It does make me suspicious as hell.
And I’m not forgetting her daughter showing up to play Mary in the Christmas production wearing garish makeup and high heels. Patricia apparently can’t even leave the Virgin Mary alone without turning her into a fashion statement.
What a family.
Detective Visser Has Her Work Cut Out for Her
One character I’m really beginning to appreciate is Detective Carola Visser. She’s investigating two terrible incidents involving the same social circle: Evert’s death in a fire and Hanneke’s fall from a balcony.
And practically everybody involved seems to have a different story.
Patricia claims she was with Simon when Hanneke fell, then conveniently suggests the police ask Karen where she was. Oh, Patricia. I see what you’re doing.
Karen makes an excellent target because she’s already been lying about practically everything else in her life. And the detective seems to recognize that.
I’ve been wondering since the premiere why Karen keeps appearing in these interviews even when the episode is supposed to focus on somebody else. She’s always connected to whatever the police are investigating, and her explanations never seem particularly convincing.
This time, she claims she was home with Babette. So the police offer her a ride home. How convenient.
Karen spends the trip desperately texting Babette, apparently hoping her friend will know which story she’s supposed to tell before the detectives arrive.
Only Babette doesn’t seem to have read the messages. Oh, this should be good.
The really interesting thing isn’t simply that Karen has lied to the police. It’s that she’s become so dependent on other people protecting her secrets that she can no longer control what happens when somebody asks a straightforward question.
And that’s a problem shared by practically everybody in this ridiculous Dinner Club.
One lie requires another. One secret becomes somebody else’s leverage. And eventually somebody is going to say the wrong thing.
I suspect Detective Visser is counting on exactly that.
🔥 The Verdict: WATCHABLE
“The Patricia” episode — or rather, “Patricia” — gives The Perfect Lie one of its more interesting character studies so far.
Patricia isn’t simply the spoiled wealthy wife I initially took her for. She’s calculating, controlling, and perfectly capable of using another person’s problems to protect her own interests.
And unlike Karen, who seems to create disasters and then act surprised when they happen, Patricia understands how to turn a situation to her advantage. That makes her dangerous.
But the episode also complicates what we thought we knew about Evert and Babette’s marriage. The conflicting accounts are becoming increasingly important, particularly when those accounts influence decisions about the gym, the children, and Evert’s future.
I still have my complaints about the timeline. The constant jumping between flashbacks, police interviews, and events surrounding the funeral makes an already complicated mystery harder to follow than necessary.
But the underlying story is getting more interesting.
Hanneke is in a coma. Evert is dead. Simon’s criminal activities are becoming harder to conceal. Michel is getting involved in things he probably doesn’t understand, and Karen is lying so often I’m not sure she remembers what the truth is anymore.
And Patricia? I wouldn’t take my eyes off her.
With two episodes left, this group is running out of places to hide its secrets. Especially when the police are practically knocking on Babette’s door.
And unlike Karen, who seems to create one disaster after another and then act surprised when everything blows up in her face, Patricia knows exactly how to make things happen.
She’s not afraid of confrontation. She’s not particularly concerned about hurting somebody’s feelings. And when she decides someone is becoming a problem, she apparently expects that problem to disappear.
Which makes the events of The Perfect Lie Season 1 Episode 5: “Patricia” particularly interesting, especially now that Hanneke is lying in a hospital bed after falling from the balcony of Patricia’s apartment.
What the hell happened to her? And why does it seem like every time one of these people becomes inconvenient, something terrible happens?
Read All Our The Perfect Lie Season 1 Coverage
- The Perfect Lie S1E1: Karen
- The Perfect Lie S1E2: Hanneke
- The Perfect Lie S1E3: Simon
- The Perfect Lie S1E4: Michel
- The Perfect Lie S1E5: Patricia
- The Perfect Lie S1E6: Babette
- The Perfect Lie S1E7: Ivo
