Opportunistic “Janet” is Surprisingly Complicit in 'Get Millie Black'

Janet speaks for herself in the fourth episode of Get Millie Black, narrating about being underestimated and how her ghetto roots limit her potential – according to others. But Janet is ambitious. She’s not about to settle when she can hunt big game like Freddie Somerville and use him to escape Jamaica. She flirts with Freddie after getting a job at Somertime Tours, a travel agency his family owns. Though she comes off as naïve, Janet is a schemer with terrifying initiative, claiming she’d kill the baby Jesus if he stood in her way.

Janet: “Never was part of my plan for Millie Black to end up dead.”*

In the present day, we’re back on the boat, and of the three who hit the deck when the gunshot rang out, it’s Freddie who’s dead in a pool of blood. Stennet got him in one shot. Somewhere amidst targeting and dating him, Janet caught feelings and seems genuinely distraught by Freddie’s death. Millie pulls Janet from the scene but bypasses the police station, unsure whom to trust. She opts for the relative safety of Richie’s bar, where Millie helps Janet clean off Freddie’s blood.

Millie calls Meera, revealing Romeo was trafficked, asking her to check if Holborn ever called it into Missing Persons. She believes Holborn is corrupt and got Freddie killed. Millie then borrows Richie’s car and takes off with Janet, pushing her to tell what she knows about the trafficking operation and “Lindo,” who Freddie name-dropped before dying. Janet is tight-lipped. Millie notes that traffickers get thirty-year sentences, pointing out how complicit Janet is: she chose Romeo, groomed him and his parents, picked him up, and took him to the airport. Janet, hilariously, denies bringing him to the airport.

(*Is this an omniscient view from Janet? Is Millie bound to die?)

Holborn takes a private call from his Sanguis Meridian handler, complaining about Corsica’s failure to kill Freddie. He reports Millie and Janet are left, but he’s unsure how much they know. He then balks at a command like it’s beneath him: let the Bombers do it. We assume he’s being asked to kill, but why the hesitation? Didn’t he just murder the entire Somerville estate? Perhaps that was Corsica’s Bombers, and Holborn only killed Leddick Somerville.

Her options are narrowing, so Millie brings Janet to the Gully. Hibiscus is displeased; she doesn’t need any more trouble. Millie ignores a call from Barracat and instead calls Curtis, yelling at him for sending Stennet to the scene. Curtis takes offense – it’s not his fault she refuses backup. Millie reveals Holborn is corrupt, as Janet takes the opportunity to run while Millie is distracted, but Millie chases and catches her. She gets Janet to talk about Freddie and the trafficking, which was run through Somertime Tours. Millie puts the scheme together: unsuspecting customers would book vacations and get trafficked.

Millie tells Curtis the agency was a front for trafficking, and they plan to meet there. Holborn follows Curtis. The travel agency has a sign reading “Closed for Bereavement,” but it's open when Millie tries the door. There’s a terrible smell, leading to a dead body on the floor. Janet says the body is “Miss Val” (Dacoda Mitchell), who ran the trafficking. She fakes nausea and runs to the bathroom, escaping out the window. Millie discovers this a moment too late.

Curtis arrives on the scene. Holborn sees Janet run out the back and follows. He parks and pursues her on foot, quickly losing her in the busy streets. At Somertime Tours, Millie finally calls Barracat to report that Holborn is corrupt. Barracat is aghast that she’s taking the word of a criminal over a cop. Millie further admits Janet ran, then hangs up when Barracat insists she return to the station.

Determined to survive, Janet calls Holborn to make a deal. Instead of killing her immediately, he buys her fast food. She mentions Millie’s allegations: didn’t he kill Freddie? Holborn deflects – that was Stennet. He asks for Millie’s whereabouts, but Janet boldly demands to work for Lindo. She says they need her: she’ll find Millie like she found them Romeo.

Meera calls Millie: there’s nothing filed on Romeo’s disappearance. Meera agrees to report it but warns it’s not a smoking gun against Holborn. Curtis contacts Daniel to search the flight logs for any upcoming bookings. This leads to Daphne (Melessa Vassell), who’s scheduled to fly the next day and is supposed to accompany Romeo to London. Daphne tells Millie and Curtis she was suddenly offered a job in London and informed someone would meet her after she cleared Customs. Daphne gets very nervous when Millie suggests sending a substitute to her place on the new flight – the employers know everything about her family, and she fears for their safety.

Millie gets an urgent call from a terrified Hibiscus. Holborn has her captive and tells Millie to come alone. Using Hibiscus is Janet’s handiwork; Holborn thought Millie could be lured by Janet asking for help, but she knew Millie wasn’t that gullible. (This is exceptionally shrewd.) Millie finds Hibiscus in an abandoned fort, bleeding and beaten. Hibiscus tries to indicate Holborn’s presence, but Millie is surprised anyway. They aim their guns at each other, but Holborn changes his mind and shifts the gun to Hibiscus instead. Millie begs him not to hurt Hibiscus, laying her weapon down.

Janet struts in, and Millie is shocked. She claims Millie used her just like everyone else. She picks up Millie’s gun and begins monologuing about the power shift. Suddenly, Holborn shoots Janet in the head, killing her instantly. Hibiscus attacks Holborn, and then Millie rushes him. They fight for control of the gun. He’s about to overpower her when Hibiscus pulls a knife and stabs him in the back. He’s stunned and falls backward. Without knowing if he’s dead, Hibiscus and Millie flee the scene.

Hibiscus urges Millie to report the murder, but she refuses: Holborn is a decorated officer and a white man – there’s no way she’ll be taken seriously. Instead, she’s going to England. 

Hibiscus is crushed but also afraid for her life: she can’t go back to the Gully with the police and gangs looking for her. Those people are also looking for Millie, who reasons Hibiscus is safer on her own. She claims her sister doesn’t need her, but Romeo does. Hibiscus hopes Millie doesn’t find another dead boy; she wishes Millie well.

Back at Daphne’s, Curtis scolds Millie for going alone again. She couldn’t risk Hibiscus, and now she’s going to London as Daphne to stop the whole operation. Curtis fights, reminding Millie that Meera can find Romeo. What’s more, she looks nothing like Daphne. Millie produces a counterfeit passport with her photo and Daphne’s name. She’s desperate, packing Daphne’s clothes for herself and pleading with Curtis to find a safe house for Hibiscus. The still-wounded Curtis tries to stop her, but Millie easily evades him.

Millie presents her passport and ticket at the airport and is waved through. Barracat leaves her a voicemail: She can’t protect her anymore. Millie looks sadly at Hibiscus’ contact in her phone before throwing the phone away.

Get Millie Black continues with weekly episodes on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and streaming on Max.