Ep 6. Keeping My Brother's Secret

Bethie Cook always knew her brother Robert was not like other kids. As kids, Robert used to do strange things that would put him under the radar in the neighborhood. Bethie remembers the times when Robert would light little fires, hurt animals, and break into their neighbor’s homes to steal their prized possessions. Everyone in their family knew about Robert and his strange behavior, but they didn't realize how bad he was until he got older.

During his teenage years, Robert started to become more dangerous. He would often get into physical fights with people he knew at school, and he was caught shoplifting several times. Robert also started to get more controlling with Bethie, restricting who she saw and what she did, becoming more of a bully with each passing day.

Bethie and Robert's relationship became strained when she started dating her high school sweetheart, Joe. Robert was fiercely jealous of Joe and would often say terrible things about him. Bethie ignored her brother’s harmful words and continued dating Joe. After high school, Bethie and Joe got married and moved out of their hometown, hoping to start a new life.

Years went by, and Bethie and Joe built a life outside of their hometown. They had jobs, kids, and a house to call their own. Everything was perfect, or at least that's what Bethie thought until one day, when Robert came back into her life. Robert showed up unannounced and started demanding money and favors from Bethie, threatening her with her family's safety if she did not comply.

Robert's threats and demands became increasingly aggressive toward Bethie and her family. She didn't know what to do. She felt trapped under Robert's control, and she knew she couldn't go to the authorities because she feared what he might do if she went against him.

As Bethie grew more and more fearful of her brother, she started reflecting on their childhood together. She began to see all of the signs that she had missed. The little fires, the fights, and the bullying were all red flags that she had looked past because Robert was her brother. She realized that she should have seen Robert for who he was and gotten help for him before it was too late.

In this episode of Evil Lives Here, we see Bethie's odyssey of dealing with her brother's dark side. Bethie shares the horrifying details of her life in fear of her brother’s wrath and her attempts to keep her family safe. Her struggle confounds the viewers as they explore how complex family relationships can be. From the outside, the Cooks seemed like any other family, but darkness ran deep beneath the surface.

Keeping My Brother's Secret is an episode that will make the viewers feel like a fly on the wall in the Cooks’ lives, seeing the dysfunction and dysfunctionality that ravaged the family. It's a show that examines the boundaries of loyalty and love, taking the audience on a journey through the Cooks’ turmoil. It ultimately poses the uncomfortable but necessary question - when does familial love and loyalty become enabling for evil?