Conrad Roy’s death is a tragedy. He was an 18-year-old young man with so much potential. His death is also a warning to others who may be struggling with mental health issues. Conrad’s family and friends are grieving his loss, but they are also working to create a foundation in his memory to help other families who are facing similar challenges. ..

Lynn goes to Conrad’s room and finds a note he left to Michelle. She finds no such note for herself.

Michelle Carter tells her parents that her brother, Conrad, has died. Her mom’s response is: “Who’s Conrad?”

Michelle’s friends come over to console her, even though they lament not knowing Conrad. Michelle cries that his death is all her fault. She then seemingly switches gears, asking them to help her pick out something perfect for the funeral so his family knows she cares. ..

Detective Scott Gordon investigates the case of Conrad’s disappearance. Going through the teen’s phone, he finds only one text exchange-with Michelle. At 6:25, Conrad texted her he was almost there. Three hours later, Michelle sent, “Please answer me. I’m scared you actually did it.”

Gordon wants to know what messages Conrad deleted on his phone. ..

Michelle texts Lynn on and off before Conrad’s funeral. Some people think Michelle is just trying to be close to the family, but Lynn thinks Michelle is really hurting and wants to be close to them. ..

Michelle goes to the funeral, where she hugs Lynn tightly despite having never met her before. She talks about how she got to know Conrad in Florida, and Lynn remarks that it’s strange she has never met Michelle before now.

Michelle hugs Rob, promising to help him organize a fundraiser for mental health in memory of Conrad. ..

After Conrad Roy’s funeral, his father Co wonders aloud to Lynn if his suicide was their fault–but Lynn won’t tolerate that line of questioning. They gave him therapy and pills, she says. What else could they have done? ..

When Michelle learns the Roy family excluded her from this outing, she becomes angry. She claims she was the only one Conrad cared about and the only one who loved him. She later meets her friends at a restaurant and asks them to participate in her and Rob’s fundraiser.

The police interview Rob, who says that Conrad had attempted suicide before, two years ago. Rob downplays Michelle’s importance to Conrad, saying the two of them only met up a couple of times.

Someone named Susie sends Michelle a text message apologizing for her recent loss. Michelle deletes the message, but does not respond.

Michelle dismisses her daughter’s concerns about a possible relapse, insisting that she is fine and needs to see a doctor again. This situation feels too similar to the last time Michelle’s daughter went fishing with her family. ..

Gordon finds a video of Conrad talking about social anxiety and texts he sent to Michelle about wanting to kill himself. In one text, Michelle asks when and how he’s going to do it.

The episode ends with Michelle giving an eerie performance in front of her mirror of Lea Michele’s rendition of “Make You Feel My Love,” from Glee. Feigning tears and heartfelt emotion, the 17-year-old immediately composes herself the moment the song is over.

The Episode Review

What’s driving this trend? Some say it’s the rise of social media, which has made it easier for people to share their stories and connect with others. Others say it’s the increasing number of true-life dramas that are being created, which is drawing in viewers who are interested in learning more about controversial topics.

The Girl From Plainville is a gripping drama that walks the line between humanization and glamorization of criminal events. This is doubly the case for Hulu’s The Girl From Plainville, which is inspired by the true and heartbreaking case of Michelle Carter’s role in Conrad Roy’s suicide.

While it’s not totally clear how the show will avoid exploiting the actual events of 2014, its premier proceeds delicately, creating mystery and suspense around Michelle’s motivations without glorifying suicide or her “romance” with Conrad. ..

The drama starts out intriguing, but quickly becomes a bit too much for some viewers. If you’re interested in true-crime stories with deep emotional content, this series may be worth checking out.