The Girl from Plainville episode 6 review: Intense portrait of troubled teens

The Girl from Plainville season 1 (Image via Hulu)

The sixth episode of The Girl from Plainville took things to another level as the true-crime show progressed into darker territories of the story, including Conrad Roy's (played by Colton Ryan) degeneration and the beginning of the much-awaited trial of Michelle Carter (Elle Fanning).

Titled Talking is Healing, this episode is similarly split into two timelines, with the current timeline going through a time jump of two years. The episode opens with a 20-year-old Michelle making her first appearance in court. This episode has outdone all the previous episodes, creating a ground for the final two episodes to surpass the rest of the series.

Read on for a detailed review of the upcoming episode of The Girl from Plainville.

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The Girl from Plainville review: A surprise from Michelle?

One of the most shocking things from this episode of The Girl from Plainville is the present-day Michelle's take on things. At the start of the trial, she opted to have a bench trial, removing the interference of the jury from the case. This part shows some expert direction as the tension from this decision is so well portrayed across the courtroom.

In the trial phase, the tiny things add up to produce the effect of a significant dramatic surge. Subtle closeups, moving cameras, and the ever-evolving expressions of all the actors in the courtroom, especially Lynn Roy (Chloë Sevigny), all add up to make this courtroom sequence extremely exciting.

The parallel narrative also takes a deeper and more intimate look at the characters, this time finally giving some real depth to their motives and thought processes. Michelle's slow but surely improving mental health is explored briefly while also exploring Conrad's side after his graduation.

In this episode, Ryan's depiction of the young man's troubled psyche is exceptional. The tension between Conrad and Michelle also spiked up in this episode. In fact, by the end of the episode, Conrad left a cryptic message hinting at a breakup. This is not addressed further in this episode, but for now, there is a rift between Conrad and Michelle.

This problem may be fixed in the upcoming episode, but things end rather abruptly in the past timeline in this episode. The present timeline, meanwhile, is getting more and more interesting.

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Technical aspects of The Girl from Plainville

If there is one aspect of today's episode of the Hulu drama that needs to be separated, it would be fair to say the script. The well-written, well-paced, and intricately detailed script is responsible for the delivery of this episode's exceptional stance. The episode never felt slow or detached.

The present-day timeline was also very well made, with the trial scenes being some of the best from the show to date. It was exciting, fast, and emotional. There isn't much to do to make it any better. The camera, color, and sound have all aided in this process.

The actors have been pretty much exceptional in every episode, but Ryan pushed his boundaries in this one, delivering an honest and determined portrayal of the much-troubled teenager.

Hopefully, the next two episodes will continue to evolve in this line, making way for a great finale. The Girl from Plainville episode 6 is now streaming on Hulu.