Long Bright River Episode 1 recap revisited: Mickey doubts that the deaths are not drug overdose but murder

Long Bright River episode 1 opens showing a homeless junkie woman waking up beside her tent, washing herself up, and continuing her daily routine. That is when a man in the car offers her a ride, and as she enters, he locks the door, making her panic. The woman screams, but no one notices. This scene sets the tone for the story that is about to unfold in the episode.

Meanwhile, Mickey, the empathetic police officer, drops her son off at school and goes to work. She is delving into the case of street women and the fact that they are disappearing. The episode concludes with Mickey finding out about the death of a street woman; however, the case gets ugly when she discovers the death was not a drug overdose but a murder.

Read on to know the complete recap of episode 1 of Long Bright River.

Here is what happened in episode 1 of Long Bright River

Mickey Fitzpatrick is seen driving her young son to school in Long Bright River episode 1 and tells him a small story about Faust. The story is about greed and its consequences, creating an atmosphere for what is waiting for Mickey on the fields, given her profession.

Mickey is a police officer and at work engages with Eddie, her new partner, telling him the names of the women working the streets. Eddie seems to care less, suggesting a general apathy towards vulnerable women.

During the patrol, they encounter Nicole being harassed by a man. They intervene and help her make sure she is safe before moving on. This also shows Mickey's compassion and her personal connection to the women on he streets. She also shares a history with her own sister, Kacey, who was missing and believed to be on the street.

A few moments later, Mickey and Eddie received a call informing them about the dead body of a woman found nearby. They rush to the scene while Mickey freezes, looking at the body. She looks terrified, as this also might be her own sister. However, when she sees the face, she confirms it's not hers. She notices that something is off about her death.

She doubts whether it's a homicide or just an overdose of drugs. Other cops emphasize the overdose angle as it is pretty common in the area. However, Mickey doesn't buy it. She doubts that this woman might have been murdered and tries to investigate the case further.

This is how episode 1 of Long Bright River ends

Mickey keeps questioning the people on the streets, especially Paula, because even her sister has been missing for some weeks now in Long Bright River. Kacey is addicted and might be in danger, and Mickey is secretly looking for her sister. Every time she encounters something wrong happening with a street woman, she fears it's her sister.

Eddie can tell Mickey is acting strangely, so he confronts her. But he doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation and even thinks that these women don't need this much attention. Mickey realizes that she cannot trust the police department. The next day, Mickey takes Eddie around the neighbourhood to show him why this place matters to her. While she also shows her interest in taking up a solo duty on he case, so that secretly she can also investigate about her sister.

When the body is examined, Mickey's doubt cements as she is informed that these women were being murdered. These deaths were not a result of drug overdose, and Mickey's instincts were correct.

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Long Bright River debuted in March 2025 with all eight episodes available to binge-watch. Catch the show now.

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