The Girl from Plainville (2022): Season 1, Episode 8 - Blank Spaces - full transcript

CONRAD: Previously on The
Girl From Plainville...

I don't know if it's bad or good

that you... understand
me this way.

You're gonna help me with this.

Are you really sure
you're gonna do this?

REPORTER: Carter
has waived her right

to a jury trial,

which means the judge
alone will decide

whether or not she is guilty.

If convicted, she faces

up to 20 years in prison.



KATIE: These text messages
from Michelle Carter.

"What about hanging yourself
or stabbing yourself?

"What about overdosing
on sleeping pills,

"or suffocating
with a plastic bag?

"But if you really want to die,

I don't get why you
wouldn't try it."

Now he's not responding.

You can talk to me.

You can trust me.

Can I? NATALIE: Of course.

I-I'm here for you.

She knew that he was depressed.

She knew what it was
like to feel lonely

and want someone to talk to.



And she did talk
to him and told him

to get back in the truck.

MICHELLE: You lied
about this whole thing.

I thought you really
wanted to die.

I found a new plan, and...

I'm gonna do it.

You're gonna have
to prove me wrong.

I'll prove you wrong.

[tense music]

[video game playing quietly]

[cell phone buzzes]

RACHEL: I like to sing
in the car, and, um...

[phone buzzes]

[sniffling] And before
Finn, I used to sing alone.

[inhales sharply]

And this was the first
song that I sang with him

when we would drive
around together, so...

This is for him.

[Adele's "Make You
Feel My Love" playing]

♪ When the rain is
blowing in your face ♪

♪ ♪

♪ And the whole world
is on your case ♪

[dog panting]

[birds chirping]

[ambient sounds intensify]

[phone buzzes] MICHELLE: Conrad.

Why haven't you done it yet?

I'm too messed up to.

MICHELLE: What are
you talking about?

My head.

- You can't think about it.
- You have to just do it.

I am gonna, eventually.

I don't really know
what I'm waiting for.

MICHELLE: You're making
it harder on yourself

putting it off.

You're ready

and prepared.

When it's over, you'll be free

and happy.

I'm gonna take Holly for a walk.

Okay, I'm serious.

Like, you can't
wait till tonight.

You have to do it when you
get back from your walk.

[soft tense music]

♪ ♪

[sprinkler whirring]

[birds chirping]

[ambient sounds intensify]

♪ ♪

[dog barks]

[dog barks]

[muffled chatter]

[muffled bark]

[no audible dialogue]

LYNN: [muffled] Syd, could
you grab the paper towels?

[normally] You want some?

[pop music playing on radio]

- [dog barks]
- No, thank you.

Come on. You sure?

Yeah, I'm good.

Hey, you want to come
to the beach with us?

Today?

LYNN: No, next
month. Yes, today.

My swimsuit's at Dad's.

You only have one swimsuit?

- We need to go shopping.
- [chuckles]

LYNN: Well, swing
by and pick it up.

[soft ominous music]

♪ ♪

[breathing heavily]

[car keys jingle]

[engine revving]

[engine rumbling]
[alarm beeping]

LYNN: Not possible.

And yet it's true.

LYNN: How did I not know this?

One of life's great
mysteries, Ma.

Never had guacamole?

I have failed as
a parent, clearly.

It's good. It's good.

Well, let's memorialize
this moment, okay?

Okay, let me get it right then.

[Lynn chuckles]

You gonna go in?

Forgot my suit.

I thought you stopped by Dad's.

Yeah, I just... blanked.

You wanna borrow his?

I bet you could pull it off.

That is... disturbing.

I mean, you don't have
the man boobs or the gut.

- [Conrad laughs]
- But I could see it.

[whispering] Jesus, Ma, stop.

[seagull squawking]

You gonna go up to Fitchburg?

Just hanging with Rob.

Doesn't mean I'm gonna go there.

Okay. No pressure.

You got your captain's license.

Can always go work for your dad.

Whatever.

Whatever.

You do you.

I'm gonna go for a walk.

There's no bars down here.

Okay.

You know where I'll be.

CONRAD: When I get
home, I'm gonna do it.

I'm determined.

Good.

Because it's time, babe.

You know that.

I don't know how
to leave my family.

I want them to know
that I love them.

They know that you love them.

And they know that you've
been hurting a long time.

Wi-will you do me a favor?

Take care of my mom,

and my sisters.

Conrad.

Of course I'll be
there for your family.

I'll help them as much as
I can to get through this.

And I'll tell them how amazing
their son/brother truly was.

Thank you.

That means a lot.

MICHELLE: When I go to heaven,

will you promise
to come find me?

You won't be hard to find.

It'd be easy.

You'll look over
me forever, right?

Forever and ever.

I love you so much.

I love you too.

You're the best thing
that ever happened to me.

[solemn music]

♪ ♪

LYNN: You all right?

Yeah, I'm good.

You wanna get going?

♪ ♪

In a bit.

♪ ♪

[girls whispering indistinctly]

[girls laughing]

[phone buzzes]

[indistinct chatter on TV]

I'm headed out.

Where are you going?

Riley's.

Okay.

Yeah, I'm gonna eat there.

Sounds good. Have fun.

Later. LYNN: Bye.

[ominous music]

♪ ♪

[indistinct chatter]

REPORTER: In the end, Michelle
Carter did not testify,

which comes as no surprise
to many legal experts

who have weighed in on the case,

stating that she could have
done more harm than good.

With the prosecution
and defense having made

their closing statements,
the community awaits

the potentially groundbreaking
decision by the judge.

[soft dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[toilet flushes]

[footsteps approaching]

I know you're doing
this for Conrad,

so I want to thank you for
caring about him this much.

[door creaks]

BAILIFF: All rise.

Please be seated. Court
is now in session.

Please remain quiet.

JUDGE MONIZ: Good
morning, everyone.

Miss Carter, can
you please stand?

The commonwealth has proven
beyond a reasonable doubt

that the actions
taken by Miss Carter

constituted wanton and
reckless conduct by her

in disregard... In
serious disregard

of the well-being of Mr. Roy.

The court does not find
that the intentionality

necessary for such wanton
and reckless conduct

is obviated by
Dr. Breggin's theory

of involuntary intoxication

in that the court just did not
find the analysis credible.

It is apparent to this court
in reviewing the evidence

that Mr. Roy was
struggling with his issues

and, seeing a way
to address them,

took significant actions
of his own toward that end.

He secured the water pump,
he located his vehicle

in an unnoticeable area,
and commenced his attempt

by starting the pump.

However, he breaks that
chain of self-causation

by exiting the vehicle.

When Miss Carter realizes that
Mr. Roy has exited the truck,

she instructs him to
get back into the truck.

This court finds that
instructing Mr. Roy

to get back into the
truck constituted wanton

and reckless conduct
by Miss Carter.

[dramatic music]

The court finds
Michelle Carter guilty.

♪ ♪

SINGER: ♪ The sturdy kind
that doesn't mind the snow ♪

♪ It's beginning to look ♪

MICHELLE: ♪ A lot
like Christmas ♪

♪ Soon the bells will start ♪

SINGER: ♪ And the thing
that will make them ring ♪

♪ Is the carol that you sing ♪

♪ Right within your heart ♪

♪ ♪

I'm here.

["O Christmas Tree" playing]

♪ ♪

DAVID: Hey.

You made it.

Mmm.

- [strained] Okay.
- [both chuckling]

- How was the drive?
- Oh, it's a little long.

Yeah, I bet.

GAIL: Oh, there she is.

Ah.

[laughter] MICHELLE: Hi.

Hey. MICHELLE: Hey.

- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas.

- Hi, honey.
- [David sighs]

- Oh.
- What?

I just can't believe

you're almost a
college graduate.

- Yeah, I know.
- It makes me feel so old.

- You're old.
- Yeah, you are old.

- [laughter]
- Oh, oh. Okay, great.

- Thanks, everyone.
- Are you hungry?

Yeah. DAVID: Let's... let's eat.

GAIL: So who are you
meeting up with tonight?

- The usual crowd.
- Nothing special.

GAIL: "Nothing special."

I'm sure it all seems that
way to my fancy Cali daughter.

[both chuckle]

No one calls it "Cali," Mom.

Oh, well, what do they call it?

California.

That's not very fun.

[both chuckle]

You haven't, uh, really
said anything about school.

How's it going?

Good, I guess.

It's just weird to be done.

Well, now you have your
whole life ahead of you.

Yeah.

GAIL: What?

I don't know.

I think I always felt like

I had my life figured
out up to this point.

Now it's just a blank slate.

Mm.

Blank slates can be exciting.

Yeah. I don't know.

Sometimes I can't
believe I made it here.

[fireplace crackling]

[rock version of "We Wish You
a Merry Christmas" playing]

[people chattering indistinctly]

♪ ♪

- BARTENDER: What can I get you?
- Three beers and three shots.

Jell-O, please.

BARTENDER: Three?

My friends are almost here.

BARTENDER: You got it.

♪ ♪

Hi.

Hey.

I'm sorry, do I know you?

You don't remember?

Florida.

The pier.

I was kind of an ass back then.

Wasn't everyone?

No, you seemed nice.

- How would you know?
- You totally blew me off.

What? No, I... I did not.

We ride bikes, we
buy bunny ears,

we're under the pier,
then you fucking ghost me.

[laughs]

I... I lost your number.

Right. Sure. Sure.

[upbeat music playing]

♪ ♪

Turtles.

Ninja.

"Ninja Turtles," really?

That's the first thing
that came to my head.

- What would you have said?
- [laughs]

Pizza.

Dude, that is "Ninja Turtles."

[laughs]

Kiss.

Girl.

♪ ♪

That's nice.

I always keep this with me.

♪ ♪

[indistinct chatter]

[upbeat music playing]

♪ ♪

CONRAD: Your friends
never showed, huh?

Stop it.

It's the truth.

I wanted them to like me.

I know.

But they didn't.

♪ ♪

[chattering fades out]

[light buzzing]

This hasn't happened before.

'Cause you ruined it.

Sorry.

This is stupid.

Okay.

I like this bar.

I always thought

that I would run into
you some place like this

when we were older.

I would have gone to
college somewhere far away.

You'd have gotten your own boat.

Things would have
been different.

Things would have been better.

Things never got better.

I know.

You can't keep hiding here.

- Why not?
- Because it's not real.

- It's better than what's real.
- You have to face what it is...

No, I don't!

Why can't I just stay here?

You can.

But this will keep happening.

Let's just go to Florida.

[no audible dialogue]

I want to go to Florida.

CONRAD: Okay. Are you sure?

- Yeah, or baseball.
- I don't care.

I just want to go
somewhere else.

I wasn't in the car.

And what about you?

What about what you
did? You tortured me.

And you said you
didn't want help.

[breathing shakily]

What are you doing?

Don't do this.

[ominous music]

♪ ♪

[buzzing intensifying]

[music intensifying]

♪ ♪

[Conrad coughing]

[water pump rumbling]

♪ ♪

MICHELLE: You said this
was what you wanted!

You said you were gonna
do it so many times,

and you never did it.

I didn't think that you
would actually do it.

[crying]

Conrad!

[water pump rumbling]

[somber music]

♪ ♪

[sobbing]

♪ ♪

No.

No, just don't listen to me.

Please don't listen to me.

Go home.

Just go home.

♪ ♪

Please go home.

No, just please go home.

[sobbing]

♪ ♪

I don't want to be alone.

I don't want to be alone.

Please.

[indistinct chatter]

Hi. HAIRDRESSER: Hi.

- We have an appointment.
- Carter.

- HAIRDRESSER: Michelle?
- Yes, my daughter.

[soft music]

♪ ♪

[softly] Thank you.

HAIRDRESSER: You like it?

♪ ♪

Thanks.

You can touch it. You're
not gonna break it.

[chuckles]

[pop music playing]

♪ ♪

Um...

Here.

My card?

Uh, yeah.

Let's go.

It looks really nice.

CO: You got everything?

- Hiya.
- Hey.

Hi, Mom.

- Dad, love you.
- CO: Love you too.

Paige.

Be nice.

- Don't say it.
- What? No.

At least this year, they'll
be down by Valentine's Day.

That's got to be, like,
a record for you, right?

Fuck off.

How were the girls this weekend?

They were fine.

- Anything I should know about?
- Nah.

Just girl shit, you know.

"You took my lipstick."

"You wore my jeans."
Blah, blah, blah.

Boys wear lipstick
too, you know.

You know what I mean.

I probably have a shade
inside that would suit you.

Oh, yeah? Maybe later.

You still got the tree
up in there as well?

You do. Unbelievable.

That's a fire hazard, you know.

All right, careful, or
I'm gonna set you on fire.

[chuckles]

See you later.

Hey, uh, you going
to court tomorrow?

Uh...

Yeah.

Okay.

You?

I don't know.

I just started being
able to make it

through the day, you know?

Yeah.

You want a beer?

[scoffs] Fuck you if it takes
you that long to decide.

No, I... I was just wondering

if you're gonna
poison it or whatnot.

I would, but I need some help
with the lights in the back.

[Co laughs]

[reflective music]

♪ ♪

BAILIFF: All rise.

JUDGE MONIZ: Please sit.

All right, so listen,
before I begin,

I would like to thank
the members of the media

and the members of the
public who have been here

for the appropriate decorum
that they have shown

throughout this trial.

Please understand I
expect the same level

of decorum today.

As I indicated, I have reviewed
the commonwealth's motion

and have read in
detail, once again,

the order that I
issued August 3, 2017,

relevant to the state
and underlying rules.

Having done all of that,

the court now allows the
commonwealth's motion

to revoke the stay
of sentencing.

Miss Carter will now
be taken into custody.

This matter is now adjourned.

BAILIFF: All rise.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪