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The seventh episode of The Girl from Plainville just aired on April 26, 2022, and it delved deeper into the mystery of Conrad's (played by Colton Ryan) death and Michelle's (played by Elle Fanning) trial. With the mini-series reaching its end, things took an intense turn in this episode.
Titled Teenage Dirtbag, this episode took an exploratory stance on Michelle's trial and subsequent backstory, oscillating between portraying her as a victim and an involuntary criminal. The courtroom drama set up for the entire episode also worked to elevate the tension, and for the first time, it legally seemed that Michelle would really be convicted.
Read on for a detailed review of The Girl from Plainville episode 7.
The Girl from Plainville episode 7 review: Close to the verdict?
Picking up from the previous episode's cliffhanger, The Girl from Plainville does not take long to rekindle the bond between Conrad and Michelle, only Conrad seems to be too intent on taking his life now. It is portrayed in great fashion. Conrad's degeneration and subsequent resolve is the crux of the past timeline.
As discussed before, in both the present and past scenarios, Michelle's stance is on shaky ground. Michelle did act as a catalyst for the already spiraling Conrad in the past timeline. It also goes to show the rather unstable mental state of Michelle. The story of the past timeline was sad and disturbing as it painted a portrait of two very troubled teenagers.
The present-day timeline was a different story altogether. It had the thrill of a Hollywood courtroom drama as it navigated through Michelle's version of the story. Dr. Peter Breggin served as a key witness in this episode as he tried to explain Michelle's behavior with the medicine she was taking. He also reasoned Conrad's suicidal tendencies with the same logic.
Despite his initial impressive delivery, his story fell short ahead of the charging prosecution. After his theory was disregarded entirely, it became more evident that there would be no escape for Michelle after this. The episode ended with a strange vision that Michelle experienced during her sister's recital. It both sends a warning for the future and solidifies Michelle's guilt.
Technical aspects of Teenage Dirtbag
The ambiguous approach to scriptwriting in this episode, sitting at the point of absolute neutrality, worked very well in this episode. The Girl from Plainville had just enough to justify its own stance while still being a compelling drama. The courtroom scenes were well-paced, intriguing, and tense. It was a well-thought-out script.
Yet again, Elle Fanning and Colton Ryan were at the top of their game, portraying their complex teenage relationship with a faltering moral compass now and then, and perennially troubled. Some concise direction was also visible in both the actors' brilliant performances.
In regards to sound, camera, and color, not much has changed from the previous episodes, and not much is required either.
The seventh episode of The Girl from Plainville is now streaming on Hulu.
