Little Voice Review: Tell Her (Season 1 Episode 6)
If we ignore the spark for Bess’s pain on Little Voice Season 1 Episode 6, “Tell Her,” the emotions she’s feeling are important to explore.
It’s even possible for us to ignore Ethan altogether, since whatever chemistry Bess is mourning is invisible on-screen, no matter the daydream sequence during the opening scene.
As has been the case throughout most of Little Voice, it’s more satisfying to watch Samuel feel deeply for Bess, and it’s baffling that she doesn’t see what he feels for her, even if she doesn’t feel it back.
In fairness to her, it’s hard to see what love is when you are masking what you think is heartbreak with alcohol.
Love is wanting to make sure your drunk “friend” gets home safely. It’s standing up for said friend when the jerk at the studio is blatantly harassing her. It’s paying for her brother’s ice cream birthday cake when she’s in the middle of a crisis and trying to force her to realize how much pressure she’s under.
Sadly, it’s also leaving when she tells you to, even if that’s the last thing she actually needs.
It’s a good sign that Samuel’s genuine feelings are so blatant on “Tell Her.” Hopefully that means Little Voice knows that Samuel is actually “the one” for her, and Ethan is just a weird distraction that never worked well.
Only time will tell. But we haven’t witnessed anything on-screen to suggest that this relationship with Ethan is worth destroying her relationships with Prisha and Samuel over.
At least Bess’s attitude is not solely to blame for ruining Louie’s birthday.
This is not to say that Percy’s incident at the record store is well done. Recent incidents in the U.S. make it clear that a Black man will definitely pay at least the price he does for taking merchandise out of a record store, even though he doesn’t run.
Still, something about the whole event feels very contrived and hard to connect with. Perhaps if we could see Louie get pushed on the subway and experience the emotions that prompt him to call his dad, it all could have more of an impact.
Again, Percy isn’t running and is clearly on the phone when the record store guy confronts him.
Forcing him to pay for the record is one thing, but requiring blackmail money so he doesn’t call the cops? What is there to say? “This man stepped out of my store with merchandise and then came back in to pay.”
It’s always a risk to call the police on Black people. Little Voice definitely should’ve taken on the responsibility to tell this story better.
Speaking of Percy, it’s very unsettling that Bess is turning to alcohol instead of facing everything she needs to in her life. Watching her perform a song as beautiful as “Simple And True” while drunk is uncomfortable, to say the least.
It’s one of my favorite songs on the series so far (ironically, Sara Bareilles has sole songwriting credit on this one, so this does make sense). But the fact that we hear it while she’s drunk and that it’s some fantasy of what her relationship with Ethan never becomes, makes enjoying the song bittersweet.
Alcoholism is as ingrained in her DNA as music, and Bess can’t start getting into the habit of relying on it to create or perform. Hopefully, Prisha and Samuel can forgive Bess and get some sense into her somehow.
Other than Louie, those two are the ones who should matter in her life. And while we’re talking about Bess’s apology tour — she owes Louie a whole new Dear Evan Hanson ice cream cake.
What did you think of these episodes of Little Voice? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Little Voice airs Fridays on Apple TV+.
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Esme Mazzeo
Esme Mazzeo is a lifestyle and entertainment journalist from Long Island. When she's not writing for work, she's writing for fun, or searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. She thinks rainy days are the best kind of days. Certified night owl.