‘Space Force’ on Netflix: Why is Maggie in Jail?

So no one told Space Force’s Maggie Naird that life was gonna be this wayyyy (clap-clap-clap-clap). Joking aside, one of the major questions from Netflix’s new comedy series is how exactly Maggie (Lisa Kudrow) ended up in jail.

Quick recap: The first episode of the series begins with the relatively happy Naird family (Kudrow, Steve Carell, and Diana Silvers) celebrating General Mark R. Naird’s promotion. Fast forward a year and the family’s moved to Wild Horse, Colorado, so that Mark can lead Space Force and help the president achieve his goal of getting “boots on the moon.” Later in the episode, the series delivers a shocking twist: Maggie’s in jail.

If you’re still streaming the first few episodes of Space Force, you’re probably wondering why Maggie’s in jail and if the show’s going to reveal the answer. We can shed some light on at least one of those questions, but be warned that there are spoilers ahead.

Season 1 of Space Force doesn’t explicitly reveal why Maggie’s in jail, but it does give us some clues. In the eighth episode of the season, Maggie provides this important piece of the puzzle: “I’m going to be in here for 40 years,” she says to Mark as the two discuss the possibility of an open marriage. “I’d like to have a relationship with a human being without having to be dishonest.”

Whatever Maggie did to end up incarcerated, it seemingly comes with a sentence that could last up to 40 years… and that may be an optimistic estimate. In Episode 9, Mark provides another hint during a conversation with his new love interest, Kelly King (Jessica St. Clair).

“I still love my wife. She’s obviously a part of my life, but for the next 40 to 60 years… not so much.”

We don’t know exactly what Maggie did, but we do know that it’s serious.

The season finale adds a whole new wrinkle to the situation, but we’ll let you discover that on your own.

All ten episodes of Space Force are available to stream on Netflix.