Joan Plans Her Own Heist & Boisie Gets Jealous in "Highs & Lows"

There are a lot of words to describe Joan Hannington in Joan, but one of the first adjectives needs to mean "a quick learner." After a disastrous meeting with social services in Episode 2, Joan is determined to make much money quickly to regain custody of her daughter. Boisie has a plan for them to steal a painting from a divorcée up north, and it's time for Joan to get her wigs back out.

For this gig. Joan dresses up as a lost hiker who twists her ankle on the property and charms the divorcée to let her stay the night until a friend can pick her up. Boisie arrives in the middle of the night, and the pair attempts to steal a horse painting off the wall, but they are interrupted when the divorcée's ex drunkenly stumbles home and starts shouting that he wants his wife to forgive him. Boisie tells Joan to scream, and he entirely takes on the role of burglar while Joan escapes out a back window. Boisie knocks the man unconscious and runs out to join Joan in the van with the painting.

They escape, but the unintended assault changes the stakes of the heist. They couldn't replace the painting with the fake they had drawn up, so it's evident that it was stolen and is too hot to fence. That means there's no immediate cash in for Joan to get the money she needs to buy a house and get Kelly back.