The Wrong Family

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion and depictions of mental illness, substance use disorders, sexual misconduct, suicide, houselessness, and kidnapping.

Juno tiptoes around a broken casserole dish and other evidence of a fight between Nigel and Winnie Crouch. She sneaks some rice out of the refrigerator and then reads her book. She hurries to her room before Nigel gets home and then cleans up the mess. Juno is 67 years old, falls often, and is sick, but her relationship to the Crouch family is unclear.

Winnie arrives home from work and is annoyed by the ugly car parked across the street from her house. She has reapplied her makeup and is excited to celebrate her 15-year wedding anniversary, but Nigel doesn’t remember the occasion and roots around looking for food until he finds powdered eggs—part of a disaster survival kit they received for their wedding. Winnie is disappointed that he doesn’t remember. She was hoping to try one more time for a baby, someone who would love her unconditionally. Winnie reflects that her marriage has seen a lot of “trouble” due to both her actions and Nigel’s.