‘Shining Girls’ Recap: ‘Attribution’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Shining Girls’. To revisit the previous episodes, click here.
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One particularly harsh lesson that we learn in life, is that the quest for the truth can be an incredibly painful experience. Simply because what we will learn about other people in our lives or the subject whose truth, we wish to uncover… will be painful in nature and what’s fascinating, is that the ugly side of truth seeking has become quite the focus of popular media. As though there is a collective understanding that this lesson isn’t widespread to the masses just yet so now is the perfect time to use television and film and printed/digital media to prepare us for the day when the truth not only sets us free but breaks our hearts as well. 
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But while it is indeed important to acknowledge the emotional and sometimes physical dangers that accompany this quest, it is equally as important to acknowledge what the truth does for us. For when we truly uncover the secrets we seek and process them and make peace with them… we do grow. And sometimes, just digging in and doing what we can we learn it… can also be a healthy experience. For it might it empower us like never before and potentially do good in exposing it and it just so happens, that the positive side of the search for the truth showed up in a show where positivity hasn’t rightfully resonated with us on a regular basis, and that made the next episode of Shining Girls on Apple TV+… quite the fascinating and powerful affair.

For ‘Attribution’ did indeed feature a grand quest to find the truth, specifically about Harper. Because while everyone agreed that Dan was sitting on a powerful and important story, without naming his sources and being able to do much with what he and Kirby had uncovered… he had to figure out another way to connect the dots between the victims, in order to properly show the world that a genuine monster was hunting victims beneath the watchful eye of the Chicago Police Department, and had been for years on end and well… that motivated he and Kirby to really dig deep and look hard at the evidence and what they might have missed and well… that brought forth the examination in question.

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For as the two of them began their search for connections, the two of them came alive. For Dan suddenly felt as though he wasn’t a drunk that struggled with putting together a story, he was a reporter again… and a damn good one at that and he started to see patterns in this mess. As for Kirby, well she found power in looking for the truth and she transformed before our eyes once again. Because once she started to understand Harper and his patterns and the clues… she found strength and resolve and belief… that at last she would finally bring this monster to justice and make him pay for everything that he’s done and well… that is the most direct way to hammer home the positive power of the truth and it was wonderful to see this duo find what they needed by hunting a monster.
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But make no mistake about it, this story isn’t one to just abandon the harsh realities of trauma and the twisted desires of men like Harper, and it made sure to circle back around to the darkness by episode’s end. For Harper came to realize that he was being hunted and that his tricks were being put on display for the world to see and well… a man that loves power over women the way that Harper does… doesn’t take kindly to having such tricks exposed and that is precisely why he hunted Kirby down in this tale. To reclaim the power, he believes she stole from him and that led to a horrifying confrontation… one that once again shook up the mythos of this story.

Since their encounter, while satisfying, since Kirby gave him the business and wounded him, shifted reality about again and brought to life another parallel universe for Kirby. Once again bringing forth sci-fi elements into this story and once again reminding us of how trauma can transform our world and well… it will be interesting to see how a stronger Kirby responds to these changes come next week. But what matters more, is that this episode took the time to remind us to always fight for the truth and claim it, regardless of how scary and tough it might be. Since such a quest will pay off in spades for us mentally and well, this episode deserves a round of applause for once again telling a compelling story that is packed to the brim with meaning and emotion and a plot that simply commands our attention. Until next time.

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