This episode was a game changer for Run, with Billy and Ruby confronting a dark event that changes their journey from a wish fulfillment fantasy to a Bonnie and Clyde-esque escape. The walls are closing in on them both, and there’s no going back. We also met Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character Laurel, who is a wonderful addition that I hope we see more from in upcoming episodes. Without further ado, let’s get to the shocking events in “Jump.”
The episode begins with the video we saw last week of Billy describing the “RUN” plot to a camera. But this time, we get the full version, with Billy adding that this is a proposal for a book he’ll be shopping to publishers, not the done deal it was presented as in Fiona’s edit. Additionally, when he texts “RUN” it’s clear he’s miming it, that he didn’t send it to Ruby. When he finishes, he looks slightly uncomfortable as we pan to Fiona, who stops recording and beams. This is Billy at his most manipulative, and it made me wonder whether Fiona had the idea for the book or if he did.
We move back to where we last left Billy and Ruby: screaming as Fiona runs away from the train she just jumped off of with their duffel bag full of cash (just typing that sentence gave me so much joy. I love this show). Without even really thinking it through (a familiar thought process for the both of them), Billy and Ruby jump off the train to follow Fiona. Ruby is exhilarated by the experience while Billy is mostly concerned with the pain involved and the coat he apparently left on the train (Domhnall Gleeson’s forlorn “my coat” and Merritt Wever’s advice to simply “shake it off” make this scene hilarious). They “chase” after Fiona, all three moving slowly due to injuries and the terrain. Ruby sees Fiona fall and realizes they could actually catch her, triumphantly exclaiming, “See? She’s an idiot!” as Fiona notices them and simply yells, “F*ck off!” Fiona adds that she’ll call Laurence, which makes both Billy and Ruby run faster.
As Billy and Ruby trample through the forest trying to catch her, Ruby asks how long he and Fiona worked together … and if they ever slept together. In the first of several dumb comments made by Billy this episode, he replies, “Of course I have! We worked with each other for seven years. It would have been rude not to.” Billy and Ruby come upon a quiet farmhouse that appears empty, and they go inside looking to see if Fiona has been there. It gives off serious horror movie vibes, and when they hear creaking upstairs they realize Fiona must be up there. The two creep up the stairs and find Fiona holding a knife.
Trying to smooth things over, Ruby asks if Fiona sent Laurence the recording of her and Billy having sex. This is the first Billy has heard of this recording, and he’s disgusted. He delivers his second clueless remark of the evening when he rants that he’s sorry about the meltdown and how it’s caused them to lose money, but that it’s just money, adding “maybe you’re just in love with me!” Both Fiona and Ruby give him withering looks as Ruby says, “I’m sure she’s good without the condescending speech, Jesus Christ. And also, money is important, maybe you don’t know that because you’ve never gone without it, you know?” It’s a shame, because in better circumstances, Fiona and Ruby would definitely be besties. Billy makes a grab for the bag, and when Fiona tries to stop him she accidentally cuts Ruby with the knife, shocking all three of them.
Fiona tries to run away but drops the knife. Ruby picks it up, and out of desperation Fiona asks Billy if he’s told Ruby about “our plans.” She also tries to reveal Ruby’s secret about having kids, but Billy surprises them both by saying he already knows. What follows is Billy’s third and most egregious comment of the episode:
Billy: That’s why I couldn’t sleep with you on the train.
Ruby: Why? (indignant) Because you thought I’d have a flappy vagina?
Billy: No! No, it was just the thought of doing it with (obvious disgust) a mom, you know? (even Fiona scoffs) No – no, I meant BREAKING UP A FAMILY! Breaking up a family, I meant!
Nice recovery there, Billy. So smooth with the ladies, this guy. Fiona adds, “Billy, people come to you for words but all that seems to flow out of your mouth is sh*t.” Fiona throws the money out the window and starts to climb out while Billy tries to stop her. Meanwhile, Ruby’s phone rings. She runs downstairs to pick it up as Billy and Fiona fight. On the phone with Laurence, she tries to pretend everything’s fine, but then she hears Fiona scream … and then nothing. She hangs up on an angry Laurence and goes upstairs. Billy is sitting under the window, stunned and distraught. He can only manage to tell Ruby “don’t look out the window.” She does, and what she sees is horrifying. In the scuffle with Billy, Fiona fell out the window and landed directly on spikes in a pile of hay, dying instantly (what a way to go). I definitely did not see this twist coming. Fiona was an interesting character who added a lot to the show and was perfectly played by Archie Panjabi. Now, Run has transformed from a romantic thriller to something darker – still funny, but now there’s a true body count involved.
In shock, Ruby and Billy go outside, somehow hoping that Fiona survived the fall. Seeing her body up close is even worse, with Billy puking onto the grass. Laurence calls Ruby back, and she takes the call, trying to hide her distress. He finally asks the question that he probably should have asked a while ago: is Ruby having an affair? And is she with Billy? Ruby stutters but Ruby manages to say “no,” and Laurence sighs. He offers her an out by saying, “you’re at a yoga retreat in Malibu, right?” Ruby quietly says yes. It’s like he doesn’t want to believe that it’s true. Then he tells her to text him the address she’s at, and he will meet her there at 5 p.m. on Friday. This is very bad news for Ruby, who is currently nowhere near Malibu. He says “I love you” and hangs up, sitting in front of his computer. There he has his messaging app open: the texts between Ruby and Billy are there for him to see. Laurence knows. But how much does he know? Does he think Ruby could actually be telling the truth about this yoga retreat? Or is he just trying to catch her in the act?
Ruby returns to Billy, who is kneeling silently in the grass. Wever’s acting here is just brilliant as she goes from sobbing to putting her game face on, shoving down her fear in order to get them out of this situation. Billy says they need to call an ambulance, that Fiona’s Nan shouldn’t see her like this. He’s in a trance, still in shock, and Ruby realizes she’ll need to do the thinking for him. She tell him he needs to go with her now, that they’ll call someone later. She doesn’t say it, but it’s clear she wants to get back on the train and meet Laurence’s new deadline. Before they go, they need to retrieve the money. Billy slowly approaches Fiona’s body and takes the duffel, and the two walk away. But as they’re walking, we see a terrified man run from the house in the opposite direction who Billy and Ruby don’t notice. Someone has witnessed the entire event.
Billy and Ruby make their way to a nearby road, with Billy still shell shocked. They run into Laurel, who is pulled over on the side of the road next to some roadkill. She is played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is a delight in this role. Ruby asks if Laurel is okay, and she cheerfully responds that she’s “just checking on this badger here” like it’s the most normal thing in the world to be doing in the middle of the night. Billy asks if it’s okay (it is extremely dead). In a fantastic deadpan line reading, Laurel just says, “Well no, I’d say she’s completely dead.” I want a spin-off show of Laurel and her dead animal friends right this minute. Ruby pivots quickly, saying they need to get to a train station. At first Laurel doesn’t seem to want to give them a ride, but then she sees how distressed Billy is and asks if he’s okay. Billy just says, “I left my coat on the train. It was a really great coat” to Laurel’s confusion.
Ruby being the experienced liar that she is (she’s handling this a little too well, by the way) says his mother has cancer to explain his attitude. Laurel sympathetically says her mother also had cancer, and Billy bursts into tears. Trying to comfort him, Laurel asks him to tell her one nice thing about his mom. Billy’s response? “She used to put my toothbrush in the toilet when I forgot to brush my teeth.” Again, nice save by Billy. Laurel decides to give them a ride (and gives Billy a coat) since it’s clear they really need the help. In the car, Billy and Ruby are stuck holding the badger in their laps. They ask probing questions to find out what the deal is with the badger, with Laurel saying she moved here for the dead animals (which only serves to creep them both out more). When she mentions she’s a taxidermist, both Billy and Ruby say, “oh, thank God.” They make it to the station with 20 minutes to spare before the next train.
Sitting on the bench together as they wait, Billy says, “Do you get the feeling we’re walking away from something that we can never walk away from?” As Ruby shakes her head no, he adds, “Do you find yourself surprised at how you’ve reacted to this?” Ruby says yes, then gets up to use the bathroom. Once inside, she leans against the door and lets out a sob. But then an even bigger problem is revealed: Ruby has lost her phone. Without that phone she has no way of contacting Laurence, and if he panics and traces her location it’s over. She screams in fear and frustration and Billy runs to her, thinking she’s having a delayed reaction to Fiona’s death. When she tells him the phone is missing, they both come to the same realization: it’s likely in Laurel’s car, and they need to go back for it. They both scream “f*ck!” as the credits roll.
Run airs on Sundays at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Now and HBO Go. Check out the promo for episode six, “Tell,” below!
