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Alaska Daily on ABC continued to shine a light on the underinvestigated cases of Indigenous women in Alaska in episode 6. The hour, which serves as the midseason finale, highlighted the differences between the efforts to find a white woman versus a Native woman. And the end of the episode has us worrying about Eileen.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Alaska Daily Episode 6, “You Can’t Put a Price on a Life.”]

Hilary Swank, in character as Eileen Fitzgerald in 'Alaska Daily' Episode 6 on ABC, wears a brown jacket over a brown sweater and holds a pen and notepad.
Hilary Swank as Eileen Fitzgerald | ABC/Jeff Petry

Two women go missing in ‘Alaska Daily’ Episode 6

Henley Madison Scott, a white woman from Houston, is on an Alaskan cruise when she falls overboard in Alaska Daily Episode 6. Stanley receives numerous calls from newspapers around the United States asking for inside information on the case. It seems like everyone and their mother have their eyes on this case.

Eileen and Roz appear on a radio show to discuss their pieces on the Meade police chief and the Assistant District Attorney. The Concerned Citizen calls the station and tells Eileen, “You think you’re some kind of crusader, but you’re a carpet-bagging meddler. And a liar. You need to be stopped.” Why isn’t anyone taking his threats seriously?

After they return to the office, Stanley asks Roz to cover the missing person from the cruise. However, she informs him that another woman — Jade Jacobs — has gone missing. Jade is a Yupik woman who disappeared two days prior. She was with friends at a park when she fell ill, left, but never made it home. Roz wants to cover Jade’s case, so Stanley gives Henley’s story to Eileen.

The reporters then decide to work on a comparison piece involving Henley and Jade. One woman is getting national attention, while the other is barely being talked about. And it all comes down to the color of their skin.

Much to her surprise, Eileen discovers that the search for Henley costs the Alaskan government around $1 million. She confronts the public safety commissioner about spending so much on Henley and nothing on Jade. The commissioner shifts the blame to reporters, who she says will hound the government for not finding a white girl but don’t care about a woman of color.

Stanley meets with one of his sources, who informs him that the Pritchards are buying land to build a road near protected land.

Later, Aaron meets with Stanley in his office to tell him that the paper’s numbers aren’t great. And when he’s leaving, he runs into Eileen. Aaron asks her to go with him to an art gala for “business” purposes. But she turns him down. We would say poor Aaron, but Eileen has made herself clear, and his family might be into shady business.

Eileen gains shocking intel on the Pritchards

Roz meets with the search party for Jade in Alaska Daily Episode 6. They tell her that the police haven’t helped them, and Jade’s mother, Iris, says she wouldn’t disappear of her own volition.

Bob learns that the man overboard system was never installed on the cruise ship because the boat flies a Panamanian flag. So they don’t have to follow the rules of the United States government. And the cruise line is profiting off the search because they’re expensing its operating cost. So, this episode has no shortage of corruption.

At another presser for Henley, Bob and Roz ask provoking questions. The press secretary reveals the governor has put together a task force dedicated to the missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis. But Eileen digs deeper and discovers that most of the task force’s budget is going toward a public relations firm owned by Conrad Pritchard.

Eileen changes her mind and accepts Aaron’s invitation to the gala after learning that Governor Thatcher is hosting it. There, she runs into Jamie, the poet pilot, who is receiving an award for his poems. And awkwardness ensues between Eileen, Jamie, and Aaron. But it’s kind of obvious that she likes Jamie a lot more than she likes Aaron.

After the tense run-in, Aaron introduces Eileen to his father, Conrad. And she immediately confronts him about the task force’s budget. Aaron, we would say rightfully so, gets angry at Eileen for using him and storms off. Eileen then attends Jamie’s poetry read, which seems to be about her. These two seem to be rekindling their spark while Aaron continues to be shady.

Eileen then spots Governor Thatcher and questions him about the difference in the government’s search for Henley and Jade. He, of course, brushes her off.

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The Concerned Citizen confronts Eileen in ‘Alaska Daily’ Episode 6

The day after the gala in Alaska Daily Episode 6, the Coast Guard finds Henley’s body. And Eileen and Roz publish a comparison piece called “The price of a life,” which compares the government’s expensive efforts to find Henley to their disregard for Jade’s disappearance. The stories go viral.

And not to forget about Gloria’s case, Bob, who worked on it two years ago, tells Eileen and Roz about a conversation he had with Alice Porter, Gloria’s friend from church. The fact that Gloria went to church is news to Eileen and Roz.

Later that night, Roz talks with Alice and discovers that their pastor’s name is Reed Gallahorn, which sounds like Rega Horne. As fans recall, the police report listed Rega as a person of interest.

Eileen is the last one at the office, while the others go to the bar across the street. She promises to join them and even turns down a drink with Jamie for it. But before Eileen can leave, the Concerned Citizen appears with a gun. He tells her she “left him no choice.” And sadly, fans will have to wait until episode 7 to find out what happens next.

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