Little Fires Everywhere Review: The Uncanny (Season 1 Episode 6)
Empathy is the word that comes to mind after watching Little Fires Everywhere Season 1 Episode 6, “The Uncanny.”
This episode is the one that provides that backstory that makes everything that fills in the gaps of every episode that came before it. Going back to the 80s and introducing us to Mia and Elena at formative times in their lives is a smart decision, but it also feels like it comes a little late in the game.
Every episode up until now has really rested on the arson mystery and how we’re getting there, but the show hasn’t done much to build tension and suffers for it.
It’s more or less like these strong forces are t-boning each other. “The Uncanny” gives viewers a rendering of why Mia and Elena are the way they are, and that’s important.
Walking away from this episode, I’m struck with the idea that “everyone believes they are the good guy.” That’s the cliche that runs through my head as I walk away from this episode.
If Little Fires Everywhere has a villain, it is (or seems to be) Elena.
In 1997, we don’t get the context as to why Elena is the way she is. It’s as if we are just encountering her for the first time and we have to make our own decisions about her.
Like any real life relationship, understanding and empathy come as more is revealed about a person. The way that “The Uncanny” provides that for Elena is by making her fallible, even if she won’t admit it herself.
The version of Elena that we see in Shaker Heights throughout the series is someone who is very self-assured and can’t be wrong.
“The Uncanny” gives us a glimpse of the moment when that switch flipped for her; that moment in the hotel room where their situation and circumstance had nothing to do with her actions.
It wasn’t long ago that Elena was telling Mia that she knows what a good mother is and how she’d made good choices. This episode frames it to be that Elena had no choices, and if we choose to view the material on this episode as a primary source, we have to read it that way.
Seeing Elena grapple with the idea of having a fourth child, not wanting the fourth child, knowing she had a choice, and then having those close to her tell her “not for people like us” is a gut punch. She wants to succeed in her career, but she’s doing what society expects of women and as a result can’t.
The commentary with her mother about how her job doesn’t even cover the cost of their help is relatable and is still a problem for mothers who return to work.
Bill doesn’t help in this instance either, and it’s clear he’s not around to do most of the rearing. The scene where Elena tries to wrangle the kids, and make a bottle for Izzy is a frazzled and hectic moment only underscored by her angry call to Bill begging him to help.
The frustration Elena feels is so palpable that its understandable she’d want to see what might have been. In her scenes with Jamie, she can’t vocalize how she feels, and it’s almost like she doesn’t feel like a person with choices.
She’s an ideal: working mother with four children. She’ll fulfill that, but none of the choices that got her there were her own until she walked away from Jamie in that hotel room. Then she embraced and chose to fulfill that role.
Mia’s story, by comparison is lively. It’s full of love, passion, and determination unhindered by the expectations of her family as she embarks an adventure in a new city.
Pauline’s lectures and talks about the uncanny serve as a portal to a world of self-discovery, and Mia leans into it. Anika Noni Rose brings a mystique to the character that easily draws the viewer in, and the chemistry between her and Tiffany Boone is electric.
Boone’s performance itself is full of idiosyncrasies that can remind a viewer of Kerry Washington. Her cadence and tone feels so much like a more intimate scene from Scandal. It’s superb acting, and worthy of a second viewing.
At the end of Mia’s arc, we not only get an idea of what shaped her as an artist, but also why the things that mean the most to her are so important.
It’s all about her brother, who always saw her as a whole person without scandal and judgement.
Mia’s actions all come from a place of honoring him, but there’s a cost to those actions and that’s Pauline and her ability to live freely.
The idea that Mia may be on the run due to breach of contract is easier to empathize with, and explains a bit of what she sees in Bebe’s situation from earlier episodes.
Cinch that with the ultimate stab in the heart, the death of her first love, and it’s easy to see how Mia’s instincts have kicked in. She’ll protect Pearl no matter what, because Pearl is all she has.
Unlike Elena, Mia’s options were also full of pain. The decision to be a surrogate alienated her from her parents and the ability to mourn her brother. In turn, her decision to keep the baby seperated her from Pauline and robbered her of any final moments with her.
It’s easier now, to see why Mia holds onto Pearl with everything she’s got. She took a risk in trying to keep Pearl and she doesn’t want to see that up in flames.
With two episodes left in the series, Little Fires Everywhere has finally given us some depth. Through “The Uncanny” we can see that no one is entirely good, and that everyone is a monster in some capacity.
Stray Thoughts:
- Bill is scoring no points in this episode. Four is different than three Bill, but you wouldnt know that since your career isn’t affected.
- I’ve been watching the way that flames and fire play a role in the story, and it’s nice to see that it’s not just a present thought. Mia’s use of fire and burns in her work has a deeper connection to Pauline and her beginnings in New York.
- Linda’s moment trying to hide her miscarriage while Elena’s hiding her pregnancy is heartwrenching.
- This episode also gives us an interesting explanation as to why Elena and Izzy’s relationship is strained.
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 streams Wednesdays on Hulu.
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Lauren Busser
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.