I feel like the majority of this series is made from plot holes. It’s a long list of justifications after the fact.
All the characters are horrible people and the plot jumps forward so fast that you don’t realize just how awful they are until you stop for a moment and think about it. They makes so many awful decisions that the only way I would actually justify any of these character choices is if it was set in Florida instead of the Midwest. The actions of the characters are inconsistent to the point of madness.