Anna Pigeon Season 1 Episode 6 provided plenty of clarity into what happened to Anna in the cave—thankfully.
“There’s Always a Road” also deepened the mystery surrounding Jeremiah Paulson, who seems to have a hand in everything happening at Glacier National Park.
As expected, once Anna finally made her way out of the cave and to safety, she doubled back to the scene of the crime. And, as expected, she found no one down there in the cave despite trapping her attacker during her escape.
And that means—the attacker wasn’t working alone!
Kay’s body was also removed from the cave, as was any sign that Anna’s story was credible. Everyone wanted to believe her, but there was no evidence of what she was suggesting.
Anna was an unreliable narrator in the first-half of the episode, and now she couldn’t prove that anything she was saying was even true. Did she hallucinate the attacker?
Was her brain playing tricks on her?
Anna might’ve felt like she was going crazy, but she never doubted herself or the reality she experienced. And something was definitely going on when all of her clothes were removed from her drawers.
At this point, you would’ve hoped and prayed that Anna learned her lesson about venturing off into the woods alone—and worse, not telling anyone where she was going—but nope. Instead, she did it again, without even so much as taking a breath after the doctor confirmed she had a concussion, was dehydrated and needed to rest.
This time, however, she came equipped with a knife, so I guess she’s at least ready for anyone who wants to ambush her.
Thankfully, Frederick was one step ahead of her, knowing that she’d venture out into the woods looking for answers. And he believed her.
It was almost too easy how quickly they found Kay’s body, which had been moved from the cave, but it was the proof Anna needed that she wasn’t crazy—someone killed this poor woman and then tormented Anna.
And the storyline must move forward.
Anna suggested that they have a chat with the guy whose radio she smashed, who very quickly admitted that he helped his friend move Kay’s body, especially as Anna pointed out that he was wearing a very expensive watch that was worth more than his trailer. He knew better than to get the murder pinned on him.
Only one person could afford such lavish pieces—a Paulson. Turns out, Jeremiah Paulson’s nephew, JP, was last seen with Kay before her death. But with a Paulson involved, the case had to be airtight, considering the man was rich enough to make anyone appear innocent.
Considering Anna’s previous run-ins with Jeremiah, she was determined to prove that his nephew was involved somehow. And when it became evident that he wasn’t just going to confess, she decided to flip the script on him.
Jeremiah mentioned that JP wasn’t a “criminal mastermind,” while JP seemed pretty confident that he was clever enough to get away with it, so Anna’s idea was to bait him into a confession at the cave, thinking that whatever he said to her was going to go to the grave with her.
It was a risky yet solid plan, with everyone on board. Unfortunately, there was one flaw in this plot—no one was standing by at the Paulson house if Anna ran into any trouble. Everyone was set up around the cave’s perimeter, but Anna had no backup when she went to chat with JP on his turf and drank some tea that was drugged. Again.
Now, if your gut was also telling you that something was off with Bethany in the previous episode, this moment proved that you weren’t imagining it.
Bethany has been a rather odd character since the beginning, but she was also way too invested in Anna’s disappearance in the first half of the episode. That only intensified in the second episode, as she tried to remain close to all the developments in the case, even trying to remain close to Anna to “protect” her. She tried to fly under the radar as modest, quiet, and helpful, but it was so suspicious.
She also seemed unusually terrified that she might be the next person something bad would happen to—an odd level of paranoia that suggested she may be hiding something.
Turns out, that new job Bethany got was working for the Paulsons as “the help.” And part of the gig was helping JP cover up Kay’s murder, pushing Anna into the cave and tormenting her. She admitted that she only wanted to scare her before setting her free, but when Anna broke free, Bethany was forced to once again jump into action to “get rid of her” once and for all.
Bethany tried to drown Anna, and once she thought she was successful, she let her guard down. But Anna knew better this time—not fooled by the drugged tea—and she came prepared, tasering Bethany in self-defense. Again, it would’ve been smarter for there to be some kind of backup for Anna at the Paulson residence, but then we wouldn’t have gotten this incredible standoff between Anna and sweet little Bethany. Also, it was almost comical that she thought people would just believe she got drunk and drowned because she likes to drink occasionally, while Anna was in the middle of trying to solve this case.
EP105 – “The Rope” – Melanie Scrofano as Bethany Lopez and Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz as Manny López, in Anna Pigeon on USA Network. Photo Credit: Michelle Faye/USA Network © VERSANT MEDIA 2025. All Rights Reserved
But the fact that Bethany ended up being the attacker also came out of left field because there was no reason she would’ve risked everything simply because her employer asked her to. Jeremiah didn’t even threaten Bethany to clean up JP’s mess—she offered. The only logical explanation was that Jeremiah was her father.
Manny and Bethany had a conversation that revealed he never met her father, and as it stands, it’s unclear whether or not Jeremiah knows that he’s Bethany’s father either.
I reckon if he knew, he’d have picked up the phone call from her in the final scene rather than sending it to voicemail. Either way, we got confirmation of that connection, and the dynamic will be interesting to explore moving forward.
Jeremiah was painted as the villain from day one, but until now, his storyline has taken a backseat. And while I appreciated how the Paulson arc was woven into the larger narrative as it never felt forced, I’m less convinced by Bethany’s development. This marks the second episode (out of just six so far) where she’s involved in something deeply questionable, and that does feel more forced and unbelievable.
Bethany has arguably played a bigger role this season than even Manny or Jeremiah. The first case alone centered on her desperation to belong, as she befriended and confided in a woman from her church whose husband was running a robbery scheme. Her motivation was clear: she wanted money and stability, all in hopes of having a baby, but that seems to be the very last thing she needs at this point.
She definitely needs some therapy, along with jail time. And truly, I just feel terrible for Manny, who was completely blindsided by the woman he loves. Also, how did he not pick up on anything all these years?
Her actions almost seemed to cross into survival-mode territory, with something snapping when she held Anna underwater, as though there was a shift into a “you versus me” mindset. Bethany seemed more detached from reality at that point, seemingly trying to prove herself to Jeremiah and earn his approval and love.
In hindsight, maybe the signs were there all along. When someone shows you who they really are, believe them.
And a Paulson, even one raised away from their evil dad, doesn’t change their stripes—even when they try to.
And finally, poor Jesse suffered the second biggest blow (next to Manny, of course, who can’t catch a break!). He was the first to raise the alarm when Anna went missing, joining forces with Zoey Bear Child to find her. It spoke volumes about the impact Anna had on those around her, even if she wasn’t feeling the love herself; in the end, she still pushed him away, rightfully so. He might not see it that way, but the hallucinations she experienced while in the cave made it clear that Anna has never fully healed from her husband’s death and continues to carry a deep sense of guilt. Her near-death experience forced her to confront that reality and recognize the need to take accountability.
At the same time, Jesse’s feelings for her are undeniable. Nearly losing her proved them to him, but it’s not fair for her to keep him around when she isn’t ready to fully open herself up to that kind of love just yet.
She needs time and space. However, the experience did bring her closer to Zoey, because when times are tough, sometimes all you need is a good friend to be there and listen.
And you know I’m still rooting for Anna and Frederick, as I loved seeing them work closely together in this episode.
I also still believe that somehow, some way, Jeremiah is connected to Zack’s death. As I said before, that man seems to have a hand in everything.
What did you think of the outcome of the cave storyline? Are you enjoying Anna Pigeon so far? Share your thoughts!