Did we ever mention that “Truth Be Told” has an amazing opening score, the kind that has actually tapped into the gravity of the show and the dignity they afford their characters and their circumstances? It is not often that we feel that about anything other than the storyline. “Truth Be Told” has cracked the code on how to be engaging, and we really appreciate how it makes us see the complexities of the characters and all of the motivations behind their actions with such grace. We realize just how much of a battle is left for them despite gaining a victory with Trini returning. But most of all, this episode makes us look at the victims without any sympathy and with increasing discomfort at the psychological impact brought by their situations. Let us see how Episode 6 of “Truth Be Told” Season 3 unfolds.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens After Trini Is Rescued?
Trini was taken away by child protection services at the end of Episode 5 of “Truth Be Told” Season 3 to keep her safe while they investigated her home. As the officer interviewing the Killibrews said, they were just making sure that Trini’s home was not responsible for her being trafficked. Zarina particularly takes offense at the insinuation that they may have pushed Trini into prostitution to pay off some debts, but the officer tells her that she has seen worse happen and is just doing her job.
Back with Trini, she identifies her assailant as Bill Ocha, and he is arrested by the police, as is everybody else they found at the house. A girl named Melanie tries to talk to Trini, but she has completely shut down. When she eventually comes back home, she still finds it hard to open up to her parents. The counselor tells them that Trini has not just been affected by the kidnapping and the trafficking. Her mental health has been toyed with since her grooming began. We see that when Trini keeps sending texts to Aubrey, asking him to contact her, though he does not reply to her at all. Markus is worried, looking at Trini’s unresponsiveness, so Poppy tells him to contact Chheng Sok, a woman who has experience working with trafficked victims. She suggests that they take Trini to a facility in Jackson, Wyoming, and as much as Rina and Markus hate it, they agree to do it for Trini.
However, upon hearing her parents’ plans, Trini finally opens up to her mother. She says that Rina is looking at her differently, and she must believe that Trini is now “dirty,” and that is why they are sending her away because they are ashamed of her. Zarina tells her that it is far from the case and that they were only planning on sending her away so that she could get the help she needs. She further reassures Trini by saying that she looks at her differently because she is different, but that fact is not attached to any shame. Trini asks to stay back with her parents, and Zarina agrees.
Poppy’s Efforts To Find Evidence Against Andrew Finney
In Episode 5 of “Truth Be Told” Season 3, Poppy lied that the house with the trafficked girls also had Emily Hills. While her actions led to 15 girls being rescued, they were not without consequences. Not only is Aames angry with Poppy, but Boisterous tells her that they will be reviewing and fact-checking her content from then on.
Meanwhile, Rachel McKegney, Andrew Finney’s contender, has dropped out of the race, which pushes him ahead by quite a few points. Eva and Poppy are worried because if Andrew Finney wins the mayoral race, there will be no stopping him. The situation is already dire since everyone arrested at the house has been released, and Andrew Finney’s campaign is blaming the Capstones for the disturbances in the neighborhood. In fact, they even send a notice saying that Poppy’s dad’s bar has some illegal construction. There is an insistence on making their lives difficult to deflect the blame from the current governing body, and it is working.
Poppy wonders whether Eva might be willing to come forward with what happened to her so that they would have enough material to launch an investigation into Andrew Finney. Eva is hesitant since this could mean losing her job and the life she has built. It becomes especially difficult for her after Superintendent Lennon tells her that Poppy’s podcast is reflecting badly on the school, and if Eva continues to be absent from her duties because she is helping her, she could lose her job.
Season 3, Episode 6: Ending Explained – Does Poppy Find The Corrupt Cop?
Meanwhile, Desiree and Cydie are taking care of Melanie. She was living with her mother’s boyfriend, and he was the one who trafficked her. Melanie carries the trauma of her mother not believing her when she told her the truth. In fact, all this time later, when she goes back home, she finds that her mother has long moved out, which means that Melanie has literally no one to turn to. But she has begun trusting Desiree and Cydie after they protected her from a man in the food court. That is why when Poppy comes knocking on their door, hoping that Melanie will talk, she agrees. She tells Poppy that her pimp would often talk to a man in the police force who was in on their operation. He called that officer Cubo, which is short for “conduct unbecoming of an officer.” Melanie tells them that he lived near a BART station, and she could hear the trains passing by sometimes. This ties perfectly with Poppy’s conclusion that she had gotten by using Drea’s mother. The evidence, namely the needle and the floss used for tattooing the girls, had disappeared in Drea’s case, which meant that there were corrupt cops in the department. Poppy goes to meet Aames and gives him this information. He agrees to look past the Emily Mills lie since he wants their partnership to continue.
Later, while he is watching Peter, Emily’s stepfather, come out of the gym, he sees that he gets roughed up by some guys. The officer with him, who is the same guy who shot Trey, invites him back to his place, which is near a train station, and Aames figures out who he is. Later, Eva decides to come forward with her story, but she warns Poppy that she is not the “perfect victim.”
Final Thoughts
We predicted way back in Episode 4 of “Truth Be Told” Season 3 that the cop who shot Trey might be in cahoots with Finney, and we feel a sense of pride at our prediction being right. We can also tell that things are going to get complicated for Poppy’s family. Desiree might choose to adopt Melanie, and that might involve some conflict. Additionally, there is trouble coming the Capstones’ way, the political kind, and that means a long battle ahead. But what we are most looking forward to is the series’ exploration of the perfect victim.
Society has a way of using women’s agency against them. There is next to nothing that is considered blameless. In any situation, it takes very little for the women to not be criticized. We wonder how Eva is the imperfect victim and what exactly was she doing that society would blame her for being trafficked. This conversation was long overdue for mainstream media, and we cannot wait for “Truth be Told” to bring it to the forefront.
