The Hulu phenomenon mini-series The Girl From Plainville was released in May. Along with its impressionable true crime-based story, the drama series revealed some weirdly specific information about Carter and the inspiration behind her crime.
For context, The Girl from Plainville is a drama based on a real-life case that dominated news headlines in 2017. This mini-series dramatizes the story of the “texting suicide” case in which Carter was the main convict, accused of involuntary manslaughter, as shows the events leading to the death of Carter’s late long-distance boyfriend, Conrad Roy. He died by suicide after suffering from mental health struggles, prompted by Carter’s messages where she encouraged him to take his own life. As per the events in The Girl from Plainville, Carter’s obsession with musical theatre and Glee might have been a contributor to her motives in this heartbreaking case.
Michelle Carter’s obsession with Glee
The Girl from Plainville explores Carter’s obsession with the 2009 musical comedy-drama, Glee. The show, which stars on and off-screen couple Lea Michele and late star Cory Monteith, was known to be a show for underdogs to feel welcomed and belonging in a society that cast out uniqueness. In 2013, Monteith passed away from an accidental overdose, leaving fans, the cast, and Michele, mourning the passing of the 31-year-old actor. His death would translate onto the small screen, as the show would include his character’s own passing. The episode included genuine reactions from Michele and the rest of the cast, albeit it being about Monteith’s character, Finn Hudson.
Carter was one of the fans grieving the Canadian actor. As it would seem, Monteith’s accidental death would transpire in the teen’s newfound obsession with Glee. This fascination became an essential key point in the Hulu show, made to create a better understanding of Carter’s own personality. The mini-drama series would include, from the start, Carter’s notable interest in Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson’s love story and relationship, which carried to her interest in the real-life actors’ own relationship.
Near the end of the pilot episode, Carter, portrayed by Elle Fanning, sings her own rendition of “Make You Feel My Love.” This song was performed by Michele on Glee season five, episode three, when Rachel is paying homage to her boyfriend, Finn, who passed away in that same episode as a result of Monteith’s own death. Carter is seen reciting lines from the show, imitating Rachel’s grief, expressions, and emotions.
The show also touched on some other instances showing Carter’s obsession with Glee, including a particular sequence in which she imagined herself and Roy dressed as Finn and Rachel, singing, “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” one of Finn’s first songs on the show. It is also referenced all the messages Carter sent to Roy, showing the Glee lines the 17 year old texted the boy.
Carter’s fascination with Glee took part in the trial
In the trial Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter, the teen’s past struggles with anxiety and depression came to surface, emphasizing her lacking friends through her high school experience. Carter’s difficulty making friends is one of the reasons why it is assumed that the teenager found solace on a show meant for people who were lonely, as per the Deadline interview with The Girl From Plainville‘s director, Liz Hannah.
“So much of the show is about loneliness and isolation and for every character involved…something that Glee did that I think was so interesting was make people who were lonely feel included. That was really bittersweet to explore for Michelle’s character—with this idea of inclusion through this show when she couldn’t do it in real life.”
Although Carter’s motives were never disclosed, her infatuation became a target of discussion upon discovering the teen became fascinated with Michele’s outpouring support from the fans and media upon the passing of her late boyfriend. This obsession was also noticed through Carter’s texts to Roy and friends, which would often include lines and quotes from the hit musical show. These messages were disclosed during the trial. The message is a direct quote from a Glee scene from “The Quarterback,” where Rachel discusses the plans she had with Finn.
“I just had it all planned out with Conrad. Now I have to do something different, maybe something better, I just don’t think that that’s possible. He was my person, you know?”
In an instance, the Massacheutes-born teen quoted Michele’s interview on Ellen, where she felt like the “luckiest girl in the world,” and that he, Monteith, was “the greatest man.” USA Today reported that Carter used the exact same verbatim to describe her relationship with Roy, writing, “He was the greatest man I ever knew and I literally lived every day feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.”
It is believed that this infatuation with Glee derived from Carter’s lackluster life as a teenager. Journalist Jesse Barron wrote for Esquire that “because nothing like this had ever happened to her, she had to build the framework from the materials at hand, culled from white-teen culture.” Fanning, who portrayed Carter in The Girl From Plainville, also commented several times on Carter’s fascination with Glee.
“I think the reason why she, and probably so many of us young people, loved Glee or Fault In Our Stars—the YA world—is because you can be the star of that show. You can put yourself in that fantasy; it’s such an escape for people who feels alone. Glee throughout is so essential. Reading through Michelle’s text throughout, she was a Gleek.”
The eight-part series is currently available on Hulu, however, it is very unlikely that the show will extend itself to a second season. As for Carter’s whereabouts, now 25 years old, she is nowhere to be found. In 2019, Carter committed to serving her imposed time, spending 11 months in prison. Eventually, she was released in January 2020 for good behavior. After that, she spent the remainder of her time in probation, which ended this past August. It is expected that Carter is living away from the spotlight, keeping a low profile while at her parents’ place in Plainville. Carter has never made any comments regarding The Girl from Plainville nor about her fascination with Glee.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. A list of international crisis resources can be found here.