The Bad Seed

Rachel is upset she didn't win the penmanship medal and pressures Mark for it. When he refuses, she chases him onto a fishing pier during a school trip. The sequence establishes her capacity for manipulation and cold resolve.

After the chase, Mark goes missing and a search is launched. He is found on the shore and attempts to revive him fail; the death is ruled an accidental drowning. The incident foreshadows the tragedy surrounding Rachel.

Christine talks with Monica and Emory Breedlove about a string of deaths, including her own father's. They reference Mrs. Post's accidental fall and other frightening events. Christine's unease grows as more details surface.

Christine asks Emory about a serial killer book and the name Bessie Danker. Emory mentions the case and Christine's father had worked on it years earlier. She wonders if a family trait might be involved.

Outside, Leroy teases Rachel for not showing remorse for Mark's death. She fires back that he's the one who's dead, revealing a disturbing lack of empathy. The exchange foreshadows the dangerous dynamic between them.

Ms. Fern informs Rachel she may finish the current term but will not be welcomed back next semester because of her behavior. She notes that others saw Rachel arguing with Mark and that Mark was last seen running from her. The penmanship medal is missing, and Rachel admits she lied to avoid blame.

Mark's parents arrive, pressing for answers about the medal. Christine and Rachel insist they don't know where it is, while Rita mentions bruises on Mark's body. The tension thickens as suspicion shifts toward Rachel.

Monica returns to take a locket to the jeweler, and Christine discovers the penmanship medal while searching for it. Rachel admits she lied earlier, explaining she asked to see the medal and offered Mark money to let her carry it. She says she lied because she feared people would think she stole it.

Leroy probes Rachel about the possibility that she killed Mark, and she counters by turning his information against him. They threaten each other with potentially damning knowledge. Emory is brought in to verify some of Leroy's claims.

Christine contemplates whether morality can be hereditary and dreams of Bessie Danker. She learns that she was adopted after Bessie’s arrest and that her memories may be true. The revelation makes her fear that Rachel could inherit psychopathy.

The next day, Christine weighs the possibility of trace evidence and calculated behavior. She and Emory discuss what this could mean for Rachel. Christine grows more fearful about what Rachel might become.

Christine catches Rachel disposing of cleated shoes that match Mark’s crescent bruises. Leroy lies about removing the shoes from the incinerator. In a climactic moment, Rachel locks Leroy in a shed and sets it on fire, killing him.

In a desperate moment, Christine attempts a murder-suicide by giving Rachel an overdose of sleeping pills and shooting herself. Rachel survives the attempt, and the situation stabilizes with Rachel going to live with Richard. The horrific events reshape their lives and loyalties.

Rachel survives and goes to live with Richard Bravo, beginning a new chapter under his guardianship. The story ends with Rachel's future uncertain, haunted by the crimes and questions about heredity.