Miranda Hurst (Motive)

Miranda Hurst (Stephanie Bennett) is the hidden main villainess of "The Scorpion and the Frog," episode 4.05 of Motive (airdate April 19, 2016).
== Backstory ==
Three years prior to the episode's events, Miranda was believed to have murdered her roommate, Brita Morris, during an argument. The subject of their argument allegedly involved Brita's habit of borrowing several of Miranda's belongings, among them a pearl necklace which was stuffed down her throat during the murder.
Detective Paula Mazur's testimony was key in getting Miranda convicted. During her time in prison, she met psychiatrist Henry Price, who quickly became smitten with her. Furthermore, a FaceTime conversation had the former convincing the latter that a mysterious man killed Brita while forcing her to watch, and after that, Henry decided to find a way to have Miranda cleared of the murder.
== Events of "The Scorpion and the Frog" ==
In the episode's events, Price used patient Peter Carver's obsession with roller derby player Dawn Richards as part of his plan, as he met her under an assumed name before entering Dawn's house and killing her in the exact same way that Miranda was said to have killed Brita. Price later drugged Peter into falsely confessing to Dawn's murder; all the while, Miranda's confrontation with Mazur had her sticking to her story regarding Brita's murder. A day after Peter's "admission" to Paula (with Detective Angie Flynn present), she was released on bail due to her lawyers filing a petition in which they demanded a new trial for their client.
Miranda's villainous reveal came after she saw Price entering her cabin and embraced him, showing gratitude about her accomplice's successful plan. The pair were apparently meant to celebrate by having wine together, but instead, the evil sociopath noted how alike they were before stabbing Henry in his neck with a corkscrew, revealing her true personality to him. She smiled evilly as she watched the psychiatrist bleed to death, after which the psychotic deceiver took a pearl necklace and shoved it down his throat. This officially confirmed that Miranda murdered Brita three years ago after she had the aforementioned argument with her. Once Flynn and Mazur arrived with other police officers, she attempted to claim that Price broke in and attempted to attack her, but the latter (who figured out Miranda's scheme along with the former) wasn't buying her act. Miranda was handcuffed and arrested once again, with the murders of Dawn and Henry being added to her list of crimes.
==Trivia==
*Stephanie Bennett also played Charity Julius in the 2016 Hallmark film The Julius House: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery.
* Miranda shares some similarities to Lacey Stubbs, as both women committed murder and feigned innocence in order to manipulate their way into getting themselves acquitted. They also ended up being arrested and convicted once again after their true colors were shown. However, one difference was that Lacey worked alone in her quest, while Miranda had a co-conspirator (who she later killed). 
* Miranda is also similar to Annie Weaver, as both of them masterminded copycat murders in order to be released from prison, and in addition, they betrayed and killed their co-conspirators afterwards. One difference is that Annie's plan also included framing someone else (her own daughter) for the murders, while being released from prison was Miranda's only objective.
==Gallery==
Miranda Kills Price.gif|Miranda stabbing Price
Miranda Arrest.jpg|Miranda fiendishly smirking as she is arrested by Paula
Category:2010s
Category:Betrayer
Category:Blonde
Category:Bondage Used On Villainess
Category:Callous
Category:Conspirator
Category:Deceiver
Category:Evil Laugh
Category:Femme Fatale
Category:Hero's Friend
Category:Live Action Villainess
Category:Makeshift Weapon
Category:Master Manipulator
Category:Murder: Indirect
Category:Murder: Severed Jugular
Category:Murderer
Category:Prison Uniform
Category:Psychotic
Category:Sadist
Category:Sociopath
Category:Villain's Lover
Category:Villainous Reveal
Category:Fate: Arrested