Sometimes in order to go forward we have to look back. That's exactly how the season premiere of Devious Maids began. A flashback sequence from 1999 introduced us to Nicholas Deering (Mark Deklin) and his wife Dahlia. A late night altercation leads them out to a bridge as Dahlia runs off into the foggy night with Nicholas, their maid, Opal (Joanna P. Adler), and her son, Ethan in pursuit. Dahlia has been keeping a secret and she wants to come clean. She'll never get the chance, though. She jumps off the bridge and commits suicide...well, that's the story Nicholas and Opal tell the cops. With the exception of young Ethan, there are no other eyewitnesses.
Fast forward 15 years later to 2014 and Nicholas is romancing Marisol (Ana Ortiz) and about to propose, much to Opal's dismay.
The show picks up three months after the season one finale. Rosie (Dania Ramirez), who was taken into custody by the ICE, has been held in a detention center and is in the process of seeking asylum. Zoila (Judy Reyes), Carmen (Roslyn Sanchez), and Marisol attend the hearing, during which Marisol flashes her engagement ring. After a three month courtship, she has accepted Nicholas's proposal. Things move fast in Beverly Hills!
Marisol's "Evelyn Wood" approach in her new relationship is impressive as she also moves into Nicholas's mansion. The move-in means she has gone from being a maid to having a maid, but Opal shows that she will be of little help to Marisol. Opal doesn't think Nicholas is ready to move on and love again, and she seems willing to work overtime at driving a wedge between Marisol and Nicholas. After setting her up to wear Dahlia's earrings, the two have a tense stand-off about the matter during which Opal reveals that Dahlia committed suicide -- something that Marisol was not aware of. Opal is sneaky and somewhat creepy. Marisol had better sleep with one eye open.
Marisol confronts Nicholas with the truth about Dahlia's death right before going to bed because, you know, talk of dead spouses makes for hot pillow talk. He then learns that Opal spilled the beans. Perhaps Opal should also sleep with one eye open because Nicholas looks like the type of guy that you do not cross.
Rosie's request for asylum will be considered in a court hearing in six months. In the meantime, she is released and allowed to return to the free world. Naturally, she wants to go see Mr. Spence (Grant Show), who is still a slave to his loveless marriage with Peri (Mariana Klaveno). (FYI to those who didn't see the season one finale: Peri is the one who tipped off the immigration authorities because she found out about the blossoming romance between Spence and Rosie. Wives don't take too kindly to their husbands romancing their maids.)
Peri is shocked when Rosie shows up at their house -- to the point that she accidentally breaks the wine glass she is holding with her bare hands. Spence was not at home when Rosie visited, but rather than keep it a secret, Peri tells Spence that Rosie is back. She also uses the moment to announce her pregnancy.
Spence doesn't know it, but Peri is not really pregnant. She just said that to keep Spence from leaving her for Rosie. By the end of the episode, Peri takes a trip to the doctor's office in the hopes of learning the fastest way to get pregnant. Like Marisol, she is also on that "Evelyn Wood" speed quest.
When Spence and Rosie are eventually reunited, he breaks the news that Peri is expecting, which upsets Rosie. She takes it as a sign that they should not be together, and tearfully tells him to go back to his family.
Speaking of couples trapped in loveless marriages, how do Adrian (Tom Irwin) and Evelyn Powell (Rebecca Wisocky) take their minds off of poisoning Philippe Delatour and pushing him off their balcony? By taking a lengthy vacation in South America, of course. The trip seems to have done them some good as they come back refreshed and seemingly in love. Ready to put the nastiness of murder and Adrian's obsession with pretty young maids behind them, Evelyn has hired a rather unattractive maid named Fatima.
Fatima won't be around for long, though. A group of robbers crash the dinner party that the Powell's throw shortly after their return, and steal everyone's jewelry. Fatima quits, Adrian becomes shaken up, and his paranoia leads to the Powell's hiring a security guard -- a handsome and hunky security guard named Tony (Dominic Adams) who does late night patrols without a shirt on. Evelyn does her best to try and remain calm in his presence (despite tripping on the steps when she first meets him), but she is clearly taken by Tony. She confesses to him that she cannot tolerate weakness -- a quality that Adrian is now putting on display thanks to the robbery, and security guards rarely show.
Carmen is definitely feeling her fantasy as Alejandro's (Matt Cedeño) beard. She has no problem playing the diva role and this leads to some problems between her and Odessa (Melinda Page Hamilton). She's reminds Alejandro that she is "upstairs," not "downstairs," and Odessa should be waiting on her. There are perks that come along with being an upstairs beard. Shouldn't maid service be one of them?
The tensions come to a boil when Carmen asks Odessa to make her an omelet. Odessa quits and this makes Carmen the temporary maid since Alejandro refuses hire a new one. The risk of bringing a new person in from the outside could possibly blow the cover off their fake relationship. This doesn't sit well with Carmen. Upstairs diva is not ready to go back to being a downstairs maid. She apologizes to Odessa and asks her to stay, and in the process she learns that while being a diva, she forgot to be a friend.
Genevieve (Susan Lucci) is still mourning the loss of Philippe by wearing black swimsuits while she lays out by the pool and going on an aspirin diet. She seems distraught, but perks up when she gets a letter from Remi (Drew Van Acker). This takes her on a field trip to East LA to go find Valentina (Edy Ganem), who has returned from Africa. Things have cooled off between her and Remi, but Valentina is ready to move on with life and assert her independence from her mom, Zoila. In order to accomplish that, she has to find a job. This leads Valentina right to the Powell's doorstep since they are in need of a maid to replace Fatima.
Genevieve also has a new pool man, who is none other than Opal's son, Ethan (Colin Woodell). (Devious Maids does a great job at intertwining lives and utilizing the concept of six degrees of separation.) Ethan has his sights set on Valentina, but she doesn't seem too impressed by him when they first meet.
As for the guys who staged the robbery at the Powell's dinner party? Their identities remain concealed as they pawn the jewelry then hand out money on skid row. It was a very Robin Hood, rob from the rich to give to the poor, moment. They were able to sell everything except Evelyn's necklace -- a rare piece of jewelry given to her by Adrian while they were on vacation in South America. They gave the necklace to a homeless woman, who I'm sure will be the envy of every other homeless woman as she sashays around town with it.
There you have it. The stage has been set for the season two drama. An ideal husband is tough to find, and the maids aren't the only ones who will be getting devious this season!
The episode also marked the directorial debut of Eva Longoria, who is one of the show's executive producers.