‘The Girl From Plainville’ Episode 6: Recap And Ending, Explained – How Did Coco Affect Michelle’s Life?

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In “The Girl From Plainville,” Episode 6, we witness the court trial held in 2017. Michelle Carter, sporting short hair, takes to the stand to confirm her request regarding a motion for a bench trial. She opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial, something that is quite unusual. The prosecutor laid bare text messages to establish how Michelle orchestrated the suicide. And how Conrad Roy (Coco) had spent his last day with his mother at the beach, something that they tried to demonstrate as unexpected from a man who planned to end his life that very day.


‘The Girl From Plainville’ Episode 6: Recap Summary

In the previous episode, Michelle’s binging habit and body image issues were addressed. In “The Girl From Plainville,” Episode 6, we find her admitted to a therapy center to help her cope with her problems. Since she had her phone taken, she could not communicate with Coco. When the therapist asked the group to draw an image of themselves and what they felt by looking at it, Michelle drew herself and wrote the word “alone” beside it. Her hollowness is evident. She tried to look forward to a brighter future, but the fact that she had nobody by her side who loved her unconditionally was apparent. Her parents could not comprehend the complexity of her emotions, her sister was far too young to discuss her problems with, her friends neglected her, and her boyfriend was lost in his world. After returning home from therapy, she spoke with Coco. He could not grasp why Michelle had to be admitted to a hospital since he believed her thoughts were not as morbid as his. He never attempted to understand what she was going through. She expressed how she felt better after therapy and how he, too, must try it. Coco indicated disinterest as he thought that a shrink could not take away his dark thoughts.

Along with the past, the series also takes us a little forward into the future, that is, 2017. Lynn testified for his son, illustrating the last day they spent together. He did not indicate any remorse, and she believed he perhaps did not commit to this alone. The defense discussed the three videos Coco had recorded of himself. He addressed the issues of social anxiety and depression and how he struggled to navigate life owing to his condition. At home, Coco’s grandmother expressed how impossible it is to know for sure what the person in question thought. He could have lied to everyone around him about feeling better, while he might have suffered every minute of each day. Lynn watched the videos in the end, and she could not hold back her tears.


See More: ‘The Girl From Plainville’ Episode 5: Recap And Ending, Explained: What Affected Michelle?


How Did Coco Affect Michelle’s Life?

Michelle made all the effort to understand Coco, at least as much as a 17-year-old could. The series addresses the most critical angle of the case over and over again, that is, both the teenagers desperately needed help. Even though Coco rejected help, it is evident that he needed it the most. Unloading suicidal thoughts on another teenager was where the problem began. She wanted constant company, and Coco did provide that presence, but even with him, she felt empty. He was wrapped up in his thoughts, and she was merely a listener. What is striking is that at the end of her therapy session, she announced that she had always tried to fix everyone around her, but from then on, she would focus on herself. Perhaps after suggesting to get help several times from Coco, she had given up on him. She, too, must have felt the burden and wanted him to do what he thought would help him, even if that meant suicide.

“The Girl From Plainville” Episode 6 will make the audience feel empathetic toward Michelle. When the prosecutor asked her friends to read aloud their text exchanges, she could not hold back her tears. Her texts to her friends indicated a sense of desperate need for attention, love, and friendship. She wrote long passages for her friends, appreciating their presence in her life, but she barely received any response. She wanted to be social. She attempted it as well, but she never found the people around her willing to reciprocate. This induced a feeling of self-hate, which led her to binge on food and later punish herself for indulgence. This case reflects the condition of teenagers who often feel isolated, even in crowds. Where fitting in is not as easy as one hopes for it to be, and the rejection from peers affects mental health to a drastic level.

At the end of “The Girl From Plainville” Episode 6, Coco texted her a suicide note saying that he could not take it any longer and that he was tired of hurting. After receiving the text, Michelle started to call Coco frantically. Her eyes could not hold back the tears, knowing that her lover had taken the step. She kept calling again and again but did not receive any response. Devastated by thinking about what might have happened, Michelle woke up in the morning and called him another time. Coco responded with a text message, notifying her that he had fallen asleep. This visibly enraged Michelle. She struggled to understand Coco.

With a slow pace, “The Girl from Plainville” unfolds a case that will make one question what is acceptable and what is not. The series focuses on both the individuals and their struggles, and attempts to take an objective stance, where the idea is to understand the conditions that led to the suicide.


See More: ‘The Girl From Plainville’ Episode 7: Recap And Ending, Explained – Why Did Michelle Misinform Her Friends?


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Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni Rudra
Srijoni has worked as a film researcher on a government-sponsored project and is currently employed as a film studies teacher at a private institute. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Film Studies. Film History and feminist reading of cinema are her areas of interest.

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