The Stepford Husbands

In the prologue, a docile husband violently murders his wife and then takes his own life, leaving a bloody scene and a sense of unresolved calm. The act hints at a larger pattern of controlled violence beneath Stepford's perfect exterior. This opening tragedy casts a shadow over the town's subsequent events.

Several months after the tragedy, Jodi and Mick move to Stepford, Connecticut, hoping to rebuild their troubled marriage in a town that seems perfect on the surface. They move into the same house where the previous couple lived and soon reconnect with old friends and new figures. The move marks a transition from grief to suspicion as the couple tries to adapt to Stepford's peculiar calm.

Jodi reunites with her college friend Caroline and meets Dr. Borzage, a brilliant but unsettling figure. Miriam Benton, head of a powerful women's group, exerts a quiet, pervasive influence over the town. The meetings plant seeds of doubt about the town's perfect façade.

Mick notices a growing sameness among the men, who seem docile and hollow compared to their former selves. He befriends Gordon, a sloppy neighbor who also senses something is off. The two men form a wary bond as they discuss the unnerving changes around them.

Gordon undergoes a radical behavioral shift after a stay at the Stepford Institute for Human Behavior, his priorities narrowing to thoughts of his wife Lisa and ignoring his son and other interests. The change signals a wider program infiltrating the town's men. The transformation unsettles Mick and Jodi as they sense something is systematically wrong.

Caroline subtly manipulates the Davison couple and drugs Mick at a party, setting off a chain of events that blindsides Jodi. The drugged reaction makes Jodi worry that Mick has serious problems.

Convinced Mick’s problems stem from the drugged encounter, Jodi decides to commit him to the Stepford Institute for a cure. She believes she is protecting him and their marriage, though she doesn’t fully grasp the Institute’s methods.

Mick undergoes mind-altering behavioral therapy and psychotropic drugs that erase passion and replace it with docility. Jodi becomes concerned by the treatment’s side effects and the broader control at the Institute. She learns that the couple who previously lived in their house were connected to heavy drugs, prompting her to swap Mick’s meds with placebos.

The drug regime’s dangerous side effects begin to surface, and some men become violently unmasked under the treatment. Mick, under the influence, crashes and threatens Jodi, bringing their fragile trust to the brink. They reconcile only when Mick believes Jodi did not know the Institute’s full motives.

After reconciling, the Davisons decide to escape Stepford and start anew elsewhere. They hope to outrun the Institute’s reach and resist Caroline’s influence over the town.

Caroline and the town’s residents trap the Davisons in their own house, forcing Mick back to reconditioning at the Institute. Jodi, however, manages a dangerous escape to rescue him. The town’s power structure closes around them as they fight for freedom.

Dr. Borzage intervenes as the plan to kill Jodi becomes clear. He kills Miriam Benton with a hypodermic needle intended for Jodi, disarming her immediate threat. Borzage then allows the Davisons to escape, signaling a volatile shift in the town’s ethics.

The Davisons finally break free from Stepford and flee toward New York City, beginning a new chapter away from the Institute’s control. The town’s inner circle watches, unsure of the consequences.

In the epilogue, Jodi and Mick settle back in New York City. Mick writes a book about their experiences, and a movie about their ordeal is anticipated. The couple has survived the town’s perverse experiment and looks ahead to a quieter life.