THE GIRL FROM PLAINVILLE (S1E4) “Can’t Fight This Feeling”: A Filler With Heart

In the first three episodes of The Girl from Plainville, viewers were introduced to Conrad (Colton Ryan) and Michelle (Elle Fanning), though not in a traditional sense, tragedy gripping both their lives. As the series opened, we learn of the death of Conrad, family, and friends are left with questions as to why he would take his own life and grappling with the shock of his loss. Yet, while the series beautifully captures their grief, especially in the performance of Chloë Sevigny‘s Lynn, it is Michelle Carter the series is most concerned with.

Revealing to her parents and friends of Conrad’s passing, Michelle admitted to a relationship with Conrad, one that had been going on for some time, her devastation matching her claims. As she works through her grief, red flags begin to rise, her culpability in the death of Conrad coming into question. As police work to generate a case against her based on the text messages retrieved from Conrad’s phone, she becomes front and center as the third episode ends with authorities confiscating her phone and laptop, Michelle transitioning from the role of loving girlfriend to prime suspect.

A Filler with Soul

While the episode feels like a filler, it gives audiences time to get to know Michelle and Conrad, both their lives and the mental struggles they both have faced. While much of it is presented through text message conversations, gaps are filled in from the information obtained by the prosecution. And while the episode still struggles a bit at defining the past and the present, it finds its direction, navigating time and digital messaging to allow for a deeper understanding of our central duo.

The opening of “Can’t Fight This Feeling” begins in 2012, Conrad crying, speaking to a voicemail on the other end of his phone. The filming is dark, Conrad is blanketed with no light to direct him. In an instant, viewers will feel the similarity to the opening of the first episode of the series, an understanding of this moment in time taking hold. It is quickly revealed this is Conrad’s first suicide attempt, the act landing him both in the hospital and subsequent mental institution. And while Conrad seems to finally be receiving the help he so desperately needs the forces that surround him on the outside remain unchanged.

As we leave Conrad, we are harshly back to 2014, the ramifications of Michelle’s phone and laptop confiscation in full speed. As she and her parents sit across from Attorney Joseph Cataldo (Michael Mosley), who relishes the chance to bolster his success as he represented “some of the Patriots”, the stark reality is engulfing Michelle. She faces the possibility of indictment, for what they do not know at present, but Cataldo assures her, that the DA on the case would not be moving forward if she didn’t have something.

Our Stories Told by Others

As we watch darkness slowly close in on Michelle, viewers are taken back once again to the past. While not immediately apparent we have traveled back once more, the appearance of Michelle’s friend Susie (Pearl Amanda Dickson) gives not only a hint of the time frame but also the intrigue. There is a mystery that surrounds Susie that The Girl from Plainville is in no rush to reveal. There are secrets and heartbreak that Michelle holds close to her that go beyond Conrad but could have their own indirect effects just the same. Between Susie and her involvement in Conrad’s suicide, Michelle’s story is less predictable.

“Can’t Fight This Feeling” goes back and forth between past and present for its entirety, many times the present encompassing the case that DA Katie Rayburn (Aya Cash) is working to create and solidify. Though The Girl from Plainville does not forget that this series is about Michelle both her past and present fully engaged. But as much as this is about Michelle, it is also about Conrad. As Michelle’s story is told through both her past and present, alongside the attorneys shaping her case, Conrad’s is also shaped through the lens of others.

As we have ascertained thus far, Conrad is a victim of generational abuse. This legacy of abuse can be seen in the interactions of grandfather, father, and son. Where earlier episodes flirted with its existence, it is wholly solidified here. In its depiction, the series is not looking to constantly shift the blame on others for Conrad’s death, but instead to deliver a nuanced understanding of Conrad’s life, mentality and circumstance in the days, months, and years leading up to his death. It takes a moment to examine that everyone and no one can be honed in as responsible. It gives greater depth to the backstory and the tragedy that is Conrad, furthering the series’ nuanced platform for discussion.

Conclusion

“Can’t Fight This Feeling” does little to move the story forward, letting the logistics of the case proceedings and victim-blaming to seemingly fall to the side, rather giving time to Conrad and Michelle. The Girl from Plainville clearly wants to take the time to peel back each layer that exists within and around each of these characters, determined to capture the entire picture as best it can. And while “Can’t Fight This Feeling” as a whole lends itself to a filler episode, the investment and catharsis it garners, compounded by further intrigue, elevates it beyond.

What did you think about the latest episode of The Girl From Plainville? Let us know in the comments below!

The Girl from Plainville premiered on Hulu on March 29, 2022, with new episodes every Tuesday! 

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