The Girl from Plainville episode 8 review: Melancholic end to tragic tale

The Girl from Plainville reached its much-awaited conclusion with its final episode, Blank Spaces. After a long saga, the tragic and true tale of Conrad 'Coco' Roy (Colton Ryan) came to an end, with the final episode focusing on his last day. The final episode also sees Michelle Carter's (played by Elle Fanning) case reach a conclusion.

After treading on the edges of indecisiveness, the final episode did not shy away from painting Michelle as the villain, who constantly and consistently pestered Coco into going through with the act. The finale did not spend time picking sides or exploring individual stories but instead presented a dramatized version of the actual events, with a tad of surrealism and hints of what could have been.

The Girl from Plainville episode 8 aired on May 3, 2022.

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The Girl from Plainville episode 8 review: Does Michelle go to prison?

Based on actual events that once shook the country, it was always clear where the story was headed in the final episode. The finale opened on Conrad's final day. It had a grim undertone from the start, something humans perhaps feel when they become aware of their own mortality. This worked especially well with Conrad, who had picked that day himself to be his last.

Coco's rather dreamy and retrospective final moments were slightly over-dramatized at times, with Michelle's shadow hovering over him and probing him to move forward from the trance and complete his plan.

Given the grave tragedy, it is a wonder that the creative team could pull this off without coming off as insensitive or over-dramatic about a young man's death. At the very least, they refrained from showing suicide in full detail.

The following section jumped into the court's verdict on the case. After declaring the doctor's opinion unreliable, the judge declared Michelle guilty. Michelle was charged with involuntary manslaughter. Elle Fanning outdid herself while portraying the devastated Michelle. She had the depth, passion, and emotional resilience to pull through this complex sequence.

It's fair to say that the events that formed the base of the show ended here. The last part of the episode was more of a reflection on what could have happened if things worked out correctly or if Michelle was able to live an ordinary teenage life.

The final moments of the episode shifted to a 2019 timeline, where Michelle went for a haircut before starting her sentence of 15 months.

A series of postscripts informed the audience that Michelle was released early, and a "Conrad's Law" was introduced, which could consider anyone guilty of coercing suicide.

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Technical aspects of The Girl from Plainville episode 8

The technical aspects of this episode are not very different from the previous episodes. While the script is more direct and slightly less confusing, the treatment is more or less the same, apart from a little added drama over the dreaded suicide.

Conrad's last moments were shot with intensity and flair that was atypical. Not everyone may like this treatment, given the sensitivity of the issue. But the portrayal was still beautiful and, technically speaking, very proficient.

Elle Fanning and Colton Ryan have been brilliant throughout the eight episodes of The Girl from Plainville. But their previous performances pale in comparison to how great they were in this particular episode.

The series ended with a much-deserved resolution and remained honest to the very end. Every TV show has flaws, but it always boils down to how well they hold up till the end. The Girl from Plainville does that perfectly, making it a series worth the viewer's time.

All the episodes of The Girl from Plainville are now streaming on Hulu.