The following article deals with topics related to suicide and depression.
Simply known as the texting suicide case, the upcoming Hulu original limited seriesThe Girl from Plainvilleis taking on one of the most notorious and closely-followed cases by the media from the past decade. ActressElle Fanningstars in the series as 17-year-oldMichelle Carter, an unstable, possibly murderous young woman committing criminal acts all in the name of love, or for something else entirely. A highly anticipated series that attempts to pull off the massive feat of covering a messy, heartbreaking period of turmoil and deceit in small-town Massachusetts, here’s everything you need to know aboutThe Girl from Plainville.
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Watch the Trailer for The Girl from Plainville
The dramatic trailer forThe Girl from Plainvillefinds a dark sinister world contaminated with lies and features actress Elle Fanning as its leading lady. Fanning transforms into the teenaged Michelle by donning her hair, voice, and bubbly demeanor that gradually evaporates in terrifying fashion. An extremely controversial case from the start, the trailer offers a glimpse into Conrad and Michelle’s relationship and reveals the first fleeting glimpses into the intense trial that found Michelle gaining notoriety worldwide. Also shining a spotlight on the grieving Roy family,Chloë SevignyandNobert Leo Butzpoint the finger at each other as they attempt to come to terms with their son’s death and figure out the cause behind his passing.
Reveling in tense courtroom scenes,the trailersets the stage for what’s to come as lawyers argue over whether what Michelle did was murderous or not. Fanning has already gained recognition for her upcoming role, butColton Ryanas Conrad Roy also shares the center stage in the trailer, and it foreshadows the depth to which the series will explore his life and battle with depression. Already surpassing over six million views on YouTube,The Girl from Plainville’s trailer has a lot to offer in terms of all the pain and strife that surrounded the case while running towards the verdict of Michelle Carter’s guilt.
When and Where Can You Stream The Girl From Plainville?
The Girl from Plainvillewill premiere on the Hulu streaming platform Tuesday, March 29. Starting with the episode, “Star-Crossed Lovers and Things Like That,” the series will release its first three episodes all at once. From there, the episodes will be released in a weekly fashion on every Tuesday up through its finale on May 3. The limited series is exclusively available to watch on Hulu.
How Many Episodes of The Girl from Plainville Will there Be?
There will be a total of eight episodes forThe Girl from Plainville, and each episode will be an hour long in length.
Episode 1: “Star-Crossed Lovers and Things Like That” - July 15, 2025
Episode 2: “Turtle” - July 19, 2025
Episode 3: “Never Have I Ever” - August 15, 2025
Episode 4: “Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore” - June 13, 2025
Episode 5: “Mirror Ball” - June 18, 2025
Episode 6: “Talking is Healing” - July 24, 2025
Episode 7: “Teenage Dirtbag” - July 15, 2025
Episode 8: “Blank Spaces” - August 24, 2025
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Is The Girl from Plainville Based on a True Story?
Yes,The Girl from Plainvilleis based on a true story. Following the events that led up to the suicide of 18-year-old Conrad Roy III, the aftermath resulted in a major trial in which Conrad’s 17-year-old girlfriend, Michelle Carter, was put on trial and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. TheCommonwealth V. Michelle Cartertrial in Massachusetts evolved from a long, drawn-out investigation that began when two detectives discovered scores of texts sent between Conrad and Michelle on Conrad’s phone that were disturbing in nature. The content of the messages drew immediate concern, as Michelle sent countless texts encouraging Conrad to end his own life in the days and weeks prior to his death while he was expressing suicidal thoughts.
When Conrad and Michelle met during the summer of 2012 while on vacation, both were struggling with their mental health and turned to each other for comfort and support. Only meeting in person a few times over the next two years despite living just a few towns apart, the pair relied on texting to stay in touch. Conrad often confided in Michelle via texts regarding his depression and suicidal thoughts. Though her motivation for doing so remains unclear, everything took a turn when Michelle began to encourage his suicidal ideas, and the pair likened themselves to Romeo and Juliet.
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In July 2014 at 18-years-old, Conrad Roy took his own life in a Fairhaven, Massachusetts parking lot by poisoning himself with Carbon Monoxide fumes from within his truck. When Conrad’s phone was procured in the aftermath, Michelle entered the picture by being thrust into the public spotlight as the case against her developed and theCommonwealth V. Michelle Cartertrial began. While Conrad’s family wanted justice and hoped to charge Michelle as an accomplice in his suicide, her lawyers argued that because she was not physically present, she could not be held responsible. The main debate throughout the proceedings was over whether written words could kill, and the trial shed light on a gray area within the law as social media to this day continues to develop and take over the way we communicate. Michelle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in 2017, and she began her prison sentence in 2019 for 15 months though she was released three months early for good conduct.
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Who Are the Cast and Characters of The Girl From Plainville?
Elle Fanning and Colton Ryan are at the center of the upcoming series as Michelle Carter and Conrad Roy III. While their relationship will be the heart of the story, the series focuses on both teenagers’ complex home lives and their relationships with their families, with Conrad coming from a particularly dysfunctional home. The series will also feature the two Massachusetts detectives initially assigned to the case in the aftermath of Conrad’s suicide, and their discovery of the thousands of texts sent between Michelle to Conrad which then kickstarted the ensuing case and trial. With multiple storylines to follow and a large ensemble, here’s a breakdown of the cast forThe Girl from Plainville.
The Carter Family
Elle Fanningas Michelle Carter
Cara Buonoas Gail Carter
Kai Lennoxas David Carter
The Roy Family
Colton Ryanas Conrad “Coco” Roy III
ChloëSevignyas Lynn Roy
Nobert Leo Butzas Conrad “Co” Roy II
Ella Kennedy Davisas Sydney Roy
Peter Geretyas Conrad Roy Sr.
Other Characters
Aya Cashas Katie Rayburn
Michael Mosleyas defense attorney Joseph Cataldo
Pearl Amanda Dickinsonas Michelle’s friend, Susie Pierce
Jeff Wahlbergas Conrad’s friend, Rob Mahoney
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Where to Learn More About the Commonwealth V. Michelle Carter Trial?
The upcoming Hulu limited series gets its name from the 2017Esquirearticle, “The Girl from Plainville,” written by journalistJesse Barron. Asking if written words can be used as a weapon and ultimately be criminally charged, the article paints a troubling portrait of Michelle Carter’s life. If you already know the details surrounding the case and trial and want something more complex, this article goes beyond the facts and offers up an analysis of why she did what she did. In attempts to reckon with Carter’s actions, Barron aims to understand what fuel’s a person to commit such shocking and criminal acts, and where that leaves us as a society in this day and age where we hold our entire world in our hands.
If you’re looking for more on this tragic story, these shows could help you understand the case better in all its dimensions:
I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth V. Michelle Carter(2019)
I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth V. Michelle Carteris a two-part documentary series that is exclusively available to watch andstream on HBO Max. Each episode clocks in at just over an hour, and the series is an extensive dive into everything and everyone surrounding Conrad Roy’s death. Showing the countless texts that were sent between Michelle and Conrad, video footage of the court proceedings throughout the trial, and Conrad’s own personal video diaries, the documentary series is a grueling experience that examines every aspect of the case from its initial stages up through the climactic conclusion.
Taking viewers on an emotional rollercoaster, the HBO series breaks down the many crucial points to the entire case in chronological order beginning in 2012 and ending in 2019 when Michelle was sent to prison for 15 months. There are several shocking revelations and devastating interviews throughout the documentary, and the riveting footage from courtroom proceedings are tense and at times uncomfortable as everyone tries to uncover the truth about Conrad Roy’s death and Michelle Carter’s intentions.
ABC 20/20: “Michelle Carter - Can Texts Kill?” (2017)
The famoustrue-crime ABC series,20/20, aired an episode dedicated to the trial and death surrounding Conrad Roy in 2017 when Michelle Carter was still very much at the forefront of national headlines. Traveling to Conrad’s hometown of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, the series interviews his Aunt and visits various sites related to the case. In a similar fashion to the HBO series, the episode contains footage from Conrad’s video diaries in the weeks leading up to his death and unveils countless upsetting text chains between him and Carter that find her encouraging him to end his life. The episode clocks in at about 40 minutes, and offers various, scathing opinions on Michelle’s contribution to Conrad’s death.
48 Hours: “Death by Text” (2020)
While most documentaries surrounding Conrad Roy’s death focus on the building case and trial against Michelle Carter, the48 Hoursepisode, “Death by Text,” takes a different approach. Released in 2020, the purpose of the episode was to look back at the entire case in anticipation of Carter’s early release from jail thanks to good conduct. The benefit of time allows the episode to take on a new lens as it re-examines both Conrad’s life, and there’s an ominous feel throughout the hour-long special as Michelle’s release is imminent. Interviewing several Roy family members, including Conrad’s mother Lynn Roy in her first television interview, they all give their updated opinion on Michelle’s contribution to Conrad’s death and her release in intense one-on-one interviews with48 HourshostErin Moriarty. The episode spends much more time with Conrad and his story compared toother documentariesand shares his various, personal video diaries in the weeks prior to his death. The wounds are still very fresh for the Roy family, and the episode is one of grief and loss as they remember their beloved son and brother while celebrating his memory.
