Sharp Objects Season Finale Review: Milk (Season 1 Episode 8)

On Sharp Objects Season 1 Episode 8, “Milk,” Camille’s worst fear about Adora is confirmed. With the murder mystery solved, viewers are still left with more questions than answers.

The finale of Sharp Objects will no doubt leave viewers with an uneasy feeling. Those final shots of Amma murdering three girls in a series of quick cuts — the clearest being a close-up of Amma’s face.

This is a girl who is full of rage and devoid of remorse. The meticulous attention to the dollhouse, polishing those teeth to replicate the floor of Adora’s inner sanctum — a womb.

Women who commit murder are considered an anomaly. Men traffic in violence, while women are nurturers. Throughout most of Sharp Objects, women aren’t even in the mix of suspects — the crimes too disturbing and done with such force and malice.

So, is Amma a product of nurture, nature, or both? Amma shares her mother’s need for attention whether it be from Adora, John Keene, or Camille. Unlike Adora, Amma doesn’t martyr herself, she just eliminates any threat. They share an unbreakable bond, among so many other things.

Amma is less concerned about getting caught than Adora finding out what she’s done. The relationship we have — or don’t have — with our mothers shapes who we are.

There is never any way to truly put our pasts behind us. Adora’s toxic relationship with Joya manifests with her poisoning her children.

Adora speaks to Camille about her mother, Joya, and one particularly cruel act. But then Adora dismisses it, “We all have bad childhoods. At some point, you have to forget it, move on. Anything else is just selfish.”

Adora lacks any kind of self-awareness. She’s unable to differentiate cruelty from kindness.

At the same time, she’s experiencing this intimate moment with Camille, lovingly bathing her, Adora is filling her daughter with rat poison and anti-freeze. The sicker Camille gets, the more doting Adora becomes.

Camille decides the only way to confirm Adora’s guilt is to allow her mother to care for her. Not a horrible plan, but not entirely a good one. Camille is willing to sacrifice herself in order to save Amma, and, perhaps, a piece of her believes she deserves to feel what Marian felt all those years ago.

There are times when Alan seems fully aware of what Adora is doing to both Amma and Camille. He lectures Adora, “Don’t go overboard. I only mean … let the girls rest. The body’s a miraculous thing. Just let it do its work.”

Is this a veiled warning Adora may take it too far? Is it a plea of some kind, or is Alan is denial?

He covers his wife’s tracks, telling Willis that Camille isn’t home. Alan warns Amma not to insert herself as Adora looks after Camille. The only thing we know for sure is he had nothing to do with Ann’s and Natalie’s murders.

This doesn’t mean he didn’t suspect his wife could have been involved. We’ll never know Alan’s role when it comes to Adora’s filicide.

Amma either didn’t consider or care about the repercussions of killing Mae. She’s ruled by a childlike inability to comprehend anything past her impulses. She’s gotten away with it in the past, and she’s so certain Camille will keep her secret.

The title “Milk” could refer to several things. There’s the milk (mother’s milk) women produce to provide nutrition to their babies. It’s what helps a child grow and thrive. We know Camille never nursed, something Adora took as a personal affront. This was Camille’s first act of defiance.

Once Camille allows herself to drink, her body tries to reject it. How fitting that Amma built up a tolerance, given what she’s capable of.

There’s the milk of human kindness. This refers to the care and compassion for others. Adora’s particular specialty.

The real tragedy is, once again, Camille can’t save a young girl. After forgiving herself for Marian, taking on a maternal role to Amma is Camille’s attempt to heal. Once again, Camille fails. It’s not like Alice or Marian, but it’s someone slipping through Camille’s grasp — a lost girl.

At one point on Sharp Objects, Willis tells Camille the murderer is always in the family. He’s referring to John Keene, but the statement resonates so much more now.

There are many monsters in the world, and it’s easy to believe you’re safe behind the locked doors of your home. But what happens when the monster is inside; inside the house, inside yourself, or inside those you love the most?

What did you think of this episode of Sharp Objects? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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