“The Girl from Plainville” Episode 7 questions right and wrong in the Michelle Carter and Conrad Roy III (Coco) case. The defense tried to establish how Coco was suicidal even before Michelle entered his life, and they explored the angle of how prescribed drugs could have a negative impact on the person taking them. Meanwhile, the prosecutor questions not the result of the incident but the conduct of the incident. How Michelle was aware of the effect of her words and still chose to direct Coco toward suicide. The episode contains moments from 2014 that indicates the time when Michelle started to support Coco in finding an effective method of suicide.
What Does ‘The Girl From Plainville’ Episode 7 Deal With?
The new episode focuses on the observation of Dr. Breggin, a psychiatrist with a specialization in clinical psychopharmacology, that is, the study of the effects of drugs on the behavior of the person concerned. His expertise pointed out how Coco was on drugs that could have affected his judgment and behavior. The FDI had a black box to warn about the effects of such drugs. The effects included an increased risk of suicide in people who were 24 and younger.
After evaluating Michelle through the several text messages, he concluded that she suffered from involuntary intoxication as a result of the drugs she took. He believed that she was a disturbed teenager who suffered from anorexia and, as a result, had even tried to cut herself. He concluded that as a result of involuntary intoxication, she had a sudden shift in behavior, and he marked the shift from July 2nd, 2014. Therefore, eleven days before Coco’s suicide, Dr. Breggin believed Michelle was wrapped in the sense of delusion in which assisting Coco to commit suicide was her way of showing her affection to him. She was dedicated to reassuring him that he was going to heaven. And later, she intended to help his family through their tough time.
The prosecutor was surprised by the revelations in court. The doctor did not mention involuntary intoxication in his 60-page report. As Katie Rayburn searched for answers, her partner pointed out that the fact that the doctor did not mention the details of his observation could be used against him. And with a fresh approach, she confronted the doctor in court. By finding loopholes in his observation, she was able to establish that his words must be taken with a grain of salt. Meanwhile, Michelle struggled to navigate her everyday life. She was particularly fearful of her younger sister, who despised her.
What Was The Logic Behind The Prosecutor’s Argument?
Katie tried to establish how Michelle’s words cannot be trusted. She questioned Dr. Breggin regarding the cuts he mentioned. According to the report, her mother did not feel that her daughter was going through anything unnatural, and there was no mention of her cutting herself. It was from her text messages to her friends that the doctor got to know about it. Katie questioned if her texts could be trusted since she was texting her friend about a severe cut while having a completely different conversation with Coco. She also informed her friend how she planned to take her mother along with her to the emergency room, but according to the report, such an incident never occurred.
She questioned his diagnosis as well. He did not initially diagnose her as depressed but later changed his opinion. The catch was that he never had a word with Michelle, but he assumed that she was depressed and suffered from involuntary intoxication. His observation of Michelle’s involuntary intoxication was a wild guess as well. Katie pointed out how his idea of the onset period can be dismissed by showing a text exchange that occurred on June 29th, 2014. Michelle insisted Coco commit suicide and suggested various methods. She texted him, saying that if he truly wanted to die, he must make the effort required to do so. As Katie concluded at the end, the term “involuntary intoxication” is a legal term, not a diagnosis that he could make as a professional.
See More: ‘The Girl From Plainville’ Episode 5: Recap And Ending, Explained: What Affected Michelle?
‘The Girl From Plainville’ Episode 7: Ending Explained: Why Did Michelle Misinform Her Friends?
Even though, initially, Michelle hoped for Coco to seek help, she later started supporting his suicide interest. They discussed the methods he thought would work. He wanted it to look like an accident so that his parents would not blame themselves. He spoke about how he hoped to be in heaven, and she promised him that a person like him would find a place there.
She shared about Coco’s suicidal tendencies with Natalie. Her friends started to support her, appreciating the help she was providing Coco with. There was a visible shift in her temperament. She felt happy that her friends praised her and discussed her personal life. The attention that she had always hoped for. Michelle woke up from a similar goodbye message she had received from Coco previously. She ended up texting him about how that was not the best way to say goodbye. But she got furious the moment Coco texted back. He explained that he had taken a few sleeping pills and had fallen asleep. There was rage written all over her. She felt cheated as her tears were wasted on a text that meant nothing. She was maddened by the fact that he did not commit suicide and that he lied to her about trying to do so. She instigated him by saying that he would never do it, and she challenged him to prove her wrong. He promised that he would prove her wrong. At that very instant, she texted Natalie, notifying her that Coco was missing. This indicates how desperate she was to garner the attention of her friends. She had realized that his story brought her friends close to her, and she wanted to use the panic and emotional turmoil to keep it that way.
In the present situation, Michelle is surrounded by hate, be it on the television or even through her sister. What was startling was when she asked her father if the judge “liked” her. Her mind was still wrapped up in her usual tendency to please the people around her. The judge’s approval mattered to her. When her father asked her if what the doctor had explained was correct, she remained quiet. This hinted that she was aware of the texts she had sent, unlike the black-out phase the doctor had described. She accompanied her father to her sister’s performance. She was scared that people would recognize her, and in her fearful state of mind, she imagined her sister, along with her friends, performing a song for her. The song called her names; she assumed that she was perceived as a “teenage dirtbag” and nothing more. She screamed to realize that she had been sitting in the hall and it was all a fragment of her imagination. Michelle’s state of mind will be further revealed in the next and final episode, “Blank Canvas,” where the judgment will be declared.
See More: ‘The Girl From Plainville’ Ending Explained: Is Michelle Carter Still In Prison?
