‘Clarice’ Recap: ‘How Does It Feel to Be So Beautiful’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Clarice.’
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It is definitely safe to say, that there are a bevy of stereotypes and stigmas that surround mental health issues in our modern world. Simply because there is an engrained belief in our society, that health problems of the mind aren’t real, or that they symbolize some form of weakness and well, that’s just dumb. Because our mental health is indeed as important as our physical health and the sooner, we as a society acknowledge that, the sooner we can properly address some long-standing problems in our world. But how exactly we get to that point, is something of a mystery, since ridding the world of generations of stigma is no easy task.
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However, one way to potentially help with that, is by showing the world, exactly how badly people who are struggling with their mental health are treated in the everyday world and television is something that can help to accomplish that. In fact, the next episode of Clarice does exactly that and that made ‘How Does It Feel to Be So Beautiful’ quite the poignant tale, one that quite frankly… surprised the audience with this particular analysis. Because early on in this tale, it really seemed as though the story was going to focus heavily on Clarice’s return to administrative leave. For she was genuinely upset over the fact that she was going to spend two weeks away from this case when some semblance of progress was finally being made and well, that motivated her to try something bold.

Such as say, asking the Attorney General of the United States to override protocol and return her to active duty. Something that AG Martin was open to discussing, provided of course that Clarice did a little quid pro quo. In that, she wanted nothing more than for Clarice to come to dinner, in order to spend a little time with Catherine and see if that might inspire her to face her fears and her trauma. And of course, Clarice agreed to the terms of this little arrangement, since it appeared to serve the needs of everyone involved in a positive manner and well, her arrival at the Martin apartment is what allowed for this episode to expose how we currently view mental illness in modern America in an ugly and devastating manner.

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Because Ruth berated her daughter for not simply ‘getting over’ her experiences in Buffalo Bill’s basement, and that made for an uncomfortable sequence. One that genuinely pointed out that we see mental health issues in America as nothing more than an inconvenience. The kind that people should able to shake off and move away from with a little elbow grease and can-do attitude, and it was brilliant to have the series point this out and to have Clarice subtlety point out that such views are wrong and that we heal at our own pace and that being honest about our feelings is important, and also that seeking out professional help isn’t a shameful thing to do, if it gets one back on track. Something she embodied at the end of this particular tale, partly to remember the face of the man who slammed a phone receiver into her head when she tried to escape Marilyn’s clutches.

Speaking of that, the case revolving around the conspiracy was in fact, the B plot in this tale and it offered up some fascinating moments for certain. For Ardelia came to realize that the DNA samples that were taken from Starling’s nails, since she did grab and scrape at her mystery attacker, were viable and matchable… provided that someone didn’t tie them to Starling. Because when the first sampling was linked to Clarice, it came back as inconclusive. But Ardelia was able to get a match when she coded the sample to a random name from a cold case and that revelation motivated Clarke to inform the team that the time had come for ViCAP to clamp up when it comes to discussing this case. Because clearly, forces were working behind the scenes to stop them from making discoveries, but if they weren’t privy to what ViCAP knew… they would have no way to stop them and well, that idea, combined with the fact that Clarice remembers the face of her attacker… might help them finally bring these bad people to justice.

Provided of course… they can wrest their villain away from someone close to them, since the monster in question is Krendler’s new divorce lawyer. But while we wait to see how that plays out, we can bask in the majesty of another quality tale. One that did a fine job of advancing the plot, so the conspiracy plot line doesn’t become stale, and also did an amazing job of offering up some incredible commentary on mental health and the stigma that surrounds it currently. And hopefully the show continues to revisit this concept as season one continues along. In part so that the characters can grow and heal and so that Clarice can become the tough-as-nails agent we meet in Hannibal. But also because only a handful of shows are taking the time to talk about this important matter right now, and the more we see it normalized and de-stigmatized on television, the faster we will embrace and understand the importance of caring for our minds and the minds of others. Until next time.

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