Little Fires Everywhere - Season 1 Episode 5 - Duo Little Fires Everywhere Review: Duo (Season 1 Episode 5)

Little Fires Everywhere Review: Duo (Season 1 Episode 5)

Little Fires Everywhere, Reviews

Little Fires Everywhere Season 1 Episode 5, “Duo,” highlights the privilege the Richardsons have and underscores how different Mia and Elena’s family experiences are. 

For a few episodes now, Little Fires Everywhere has expertly walked the line between good and bad, presenting us with an ambiguity that is unsettling to watch and even harder to acknowledge. 

Little Fires Everywhere - Season 1 Episode 5 - Duo
Little Fires Everywhere – Season 1 Episode 5 – Duo

Lexie’s abortion is one such instance. Abortion is a hot topic and Little Fires Everywhere walks a very delicate line in how it’s portrayed. It’s obvious that Lexie didn’t want to have to make this choice and Jade Pettyjohn does well conveying the emotion. 

However, in the greater context of the show, Lexie’s actions in the clinic are just another example of her entitlement. The fact that she uses Pearl’s name and only trusts Pearl should be endearing, but if you pull back the facade it’s just another way for Lexie to protect herself. 

It’s satisfying to hear Mia tell Lexie off in regards to how she’s been using Pearl. Normally, I’d empathize with Lexie, but Mia’s tirade makes a lot of sense given how Lexie started the series by stealing Pearl’s letter to her math teacher. 

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Little Fires Everywhere - Season 1 Episode 5 - Duo
Little Fires Everywhere – Season 1 Episode 5 – Duo

Nothing about Lexie and Pearl’s friendship is genuine. While Lexie’s hurting right now and seems to regret her actions that’s gonna be hard to validate, and trust is very hard to earn once it’s lost. She’s lied too many times.

Elena is another character I have trouble empathizing with. The information gleaned from her flashback proves that Elena’s truly had no hurdles to overcome. She’s taken safe options her entire life to get where she is. 

Her interactions with Jamie prove that she doesn’t have the ability to think for herself. When Jamie suggests that they stay in Paris after the semester ends she meets it with confusion.

For Elena, the world exists in a binary. There are good actions and there are bad actions, which is great when you’ve had the choices she’s had in life. For Mia and Bebe, it’s pretty clear that the choices they had were limited, and that’s rendered their perspectives. 

Little Fires Everywhere - Season 1 Episode 5 - Duo
Little Fires Everywhere – Season 1 Episode 5 – Duo

On a happier note, it’s nice to see Pearl and Trip move to a better place in their friendship.

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When Pearl slept with Trip I was concerned that it was out of peer pressure, but the fact that they could actually have a conversation on this episode and maybe grow into something more down the line feels more hopeful and genuine than most of the relationships on this show.

Seeing him decide to check out The Bell Jar so he can relate to her is actually kind of sweet, and it’s a relationship that could be substantive for Pearl.

Overall, this episode of Little Fires Everywhere does a great job of widening the chasm between the characters and introducing new aspects to the show’s overall mystery.

Little Fires Everywhere - Season 1 Episode 5 - Duo
Little Fires Everywhere – Season 1 Episode 5 – Duo

It has a lot of difficult conversations that are not easy to balance, but it doesn’t further the plot overall unless you count Izzie lighting her artwork on fire.

It feels like it was so long ago that we saw the Richardson’s house on fire, and it doesn’t feel like we’re moving any closer to finding out who set it. 

What did you think of this episode of Little Fires Everywhere? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Little Fires Everywhere airs Wednesdays on Hulu.

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Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.