‘Shining Girls’ Recap: ‘Cutline’, ‘Evergreen’ & ‘Overnight’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Shining Girls’.
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We are taught from a very early age, that life is going to be difficult, and it is going to hurt us both emotionally and physically, and we are taught this lesson young for one reason and one reason alone… to steel our nerves and prepare us for what it is to come. That way when the hurt does arrive, we are a touch more prepared than we expected to be and we can quickly recover from life’s little moments of sorrow and move on with strength in our hearts. But while it is indeed wonderful to learn that lesson and apply it liberally as we take our lumps through the journey… there is a downside to this particular lesson. In that, our parents and our guardians, don’t tell us the complete truth about the world and life.

Specifically, how there is going to come a day when we are hurt badly by events that are often out of our control, and while we will indeed survive those difficult moments and live to see another day, the lasting damage they cause us, will haunt us, and leave us a shell of who we are. And in order to find our way back from that level of trauma and to obtain peace and joy, great work and bravery will be involved. Which is a lesson that begs an important question, in that… why didn’t we learn this when we were younger? And the answer to that is simple… because we are afraid to talk about how tough the world can be and the trauma it can send our way. Because we believe that doing so, might introduce fear into our hearts and motivate us to hide away from the world and never quite live life to the fullest.
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When in reality, such a lesson would do us a great service and save us years of strife and struggle and well, the good news, is that we are finally talking about trauma as a whole in our everyday life and in popular culture as well and teaching others how to confront it and what the journey back looks like. If anything, this is relevant to our discussion today, simply because Apple TV+ is now host to a new series entitled, Shining Girls, that explores the power of trauma and its realistic impact upon our lives and it accomplishes this incredible feat, by plunging us into the world of a person named Kirby Mazrachi, who is badly suffering from it and its aftereffects. For years ago… Kirby was seemingly randomly and violently attacked by someone and badly injured in the process both physically and emotionally.

Which puts her in a unique place mentally when we meet her in ‘Cutline’, ‘Evergreen’ & ‘Overnight’, since the Kirby we are introduced to is reserved and anxious and eager to escape the environment that hurt her by quitting her job at the Chicago Sun-Times and moving to Florida. But before she departs the Windy City, word from the police regarding a strange case involving someone with similar injuries to her own… motivates her to sit down with star reporter Dan Velazquez to dig into this further, since he is currently covering the story and well… it doesn’t take long for the two of them to make some stunning discoveries. In that, Kirby and the woman that lost her life… do indeed share the same injuries, and that leads Kirby to believe that there are more women out there with injuries such as her own and it turns out… she’s right.

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For there are countless unsolved cases that are a mirror to Kirby’s attack and that leads her and Dan to realize that they are dealing with a serial monster. One that might have the ability to travel through time since there are some odd anachronisms at the various crime scenes they leave behind and this being… will soon focus his attention on the both of them. For Harper has indeed taken notice that Dan is investigating this case with impunity and that has him both worried and nervous. For he’s been at this long time and wants nothing more than to continue his twisted work in peace and solitude, putting Kirby and Dan on a collision course with a monster that they are barely beginning to understand and well… at first glance, that doesn’t seem to be a story all that grounded in trauma. 
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After all, there are a lot of moving parts to a plot such as that but make no mistake about it… this is a story about the lasting power of trauma, as evidenced by a great deal of what Kirby goes through in this tale. Because when she isn’t hunting a monster… she really is struggling. To fit in, to be social, to accomplish simple tasks and to focus on the moment. In fact, she gets so lost in her own thoughts, that she has to keep a diary of sorts, to ground her and help her understand how her reality is literally shifting about her. Which likely relates to the fact that she has a tie to Harper and his powers by surviving his attack, but from a metaphorical standpoint… an ever-shifting reality is the perfect way to express how trauma takes over one’s mind and forces one to lose themselves in thoughts that are pleasant or distracting in nature. So, one doesn’t have to face the horrors of what was and well… that’s a brave and bold way to express trauma.

Because it truly puts the chaos it creates on display and it forces us to see it alongside her, making it real and tangible and uncomfortable and it forces the audience to really understand what trauma is about. But where this story truly shines… is in its desire to see Kirby emerge from it. For we quickly learn that this assault derailed a brilliant career in journalism and obviously, robbed Kirby of happiness and peace and well… her journey makes it clear that in order to be free of our trauma… we have to face it head on and confront it and resolve it and we see the bare beginnings of that from Kirby here. Since she does indeed use the story and the discovery of other victims to confront the past and dig deep into who is behind this and minute by minute… we see a different Kirby emerge from the shadows she’s surrounded herself with. One that is determined and hopeful, and focused and ready to bring a monster to justice and look him in the eyes to inform him that she’s won, and he will never have power over her or anyone else again. 

Which makes for some incredibly powerful moments. The kind that speaks once again to how talented an actor Elisabeth Moss is since she plays Kirby and sells the anguish and the pain and the desire to beat it with a realism that draws you in and compels you to root for Kirby to accomplish her goals and well, all of these elements make this… a stunning series premiere. One that tackles topics and moments that no other show is even remotely attempting to touch right now, and it deserves our attention and our awe for doing so. Because this is a powerful and moving story, one that finally puts trauma and its impact and its symptoms in the spotlight so we can finally have a quality conversation about it and how to support those that hurt from it. Plus, it isn’t a bad thing, that this discussion is wrapped within an engaging plot, one that demands our attention… so we can see Harper be brought to justice for the horrible crimes he’s committed and truly, it will be amazing to see where this bold and brave story is going to take us in the days and weeks to come. Until next time.

To learn more about the creation of ‘Shining Girls’, sure to check out our interviews with Showrunner Silka Luisa and Director Michelle MacLaren.

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The Monster in question.