Yo yiggity yo, welcome back to another instalment of You Should Be Watching. The weekly series where we let you know what shows you need to keep your eye on. This week we’re diving into the realm of shows based on true events, because I think you should be watching The Girl From Plainville.
WARNING: This series and this article will contain mention of suicide. If that’s something you’re uncomfortable with I would suggest maybe giving this a miss.
What event though?
The Girl from Plainville is a 2022 miniseries created by Liz Hannah and Patrick Macmanus. The series depicts the events that led up to and include the death of Conrad Roy and his girlfriend Michelle Carter’s eventual involuntary manslaughter conviction. Whilst the series does play up story elements for the drama, most of the stuff actually happened. I won’t go into too much detail because it’s definitely intense. Needles to say, because the series is depicting actual events, even with a bit of dramatisation, stuff gets real very fast.
That went from 0 to 100 real fast
This series sets the tone immediately as you start watching. One of the first things told to you is that a teenage boy committed suicide. Now I don’t know about you but a show leading off with a suicide isn’t normally my thing. However, what comes after is just too interesting to ignore. From the introduction of his (mostly online) girlfriend and then the mystery gears begin turning. The Girl from Plainville immediately draws you in with these mysteries and events, to the point where even if you’re a bit disturbed by the events, you can’t stop watching.
Why should I watch it if I know how it ends?
The main question you probably have is why should I watch a show when you already know the outcome. Seeing as the series is depicting true events, a lot of the tension is lost because you know most of what happened. But that’s where the dramatisation of events comes into play. From providing new perspectives, expanding on old knowledge, and the performances all combine to still make this gripping to watch. Elle Fanning as Michelle is definitely a standout as well as Colton Ryan. The performances and the expanding of the story make this series enjoyable regardless of if you already know everything about the real event.
The Girl from Plainville is definitely an experience. A miniseries about a real event is definitely nothing new, but the way this series handles is definitely nothing to sneeze at. The series won’t be for everyone and might also be too much for others. But I would still strongly suggest that if you have any interest in these types of stories that you check out The Girl from Plainville. The series is currently streaming on Stan.
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