01x06 - Talking Is Healing

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Girl from Plainville". Aired: March 29, 2022 –; present.*
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Based on the true story of Michelle Carter's "texting-su1c1de" case, exploring her relationship with Conrad Roy III and the events leading up to his death, and, later, her conviction of involuntary manslaughter.
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01x06 - Talking Is Healing

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CONRAD: Previously on "The
Girl From Plainville"...

What do you think dying is like?

Just like floating on water.

Your client sent those
text messages, Mr. Cataldo.

It's all right there
in the indictment.

PERSON: A grand jury
has indicted Michelle

for involuntary manslaughter.

Can you read that for
me out loud, please?

"Why don't you
just drink bleach?"

Natalie Gibson
and Cassie Wilkins

on the witness
list, all relevant?

Yes, Your Honor.

The lawyer said we
can't talk to you.

We'd like you to
testify at trial.

- What about Co?
- He'll testify too?

Defense would bring
up the incident...

The as*ault on your son.

MICHELLE: I just
have all these issues

with my body image.

I'm thinking I need to
go somewhere to get help.

[retches]

It's consuming my life.

[panting]

[indistinct chatter]

REPORTER: Lynn, do you
believe Michelle Carter

m*rder*d your son?

[reporters chattering]

REPORTER: Lynn! REPORTER: Lynn!

REPORTER: What are your
hopes for the trial?

Can you tell us anything?

LYNN: [whispers] Jesus.

- You okay?
- Yeah.

"Hopes for the trial."

Who asks something like that?

[background chatter]

Hey, honey. You okay?

BAILIFF: All rise.

Please sit.

Um, before we begin,
is there any business

either counsel would like to
handle before jury selection?

- No, Your Honor.
- Yes, Your Honor.

[clears throat]

Your Honor, uh, we
would like to request

a motion for a bench trial.

JUDGE MONIZ: You're
sure, Counselor?

CATALDO: Yes, Your Honor.

Miss Carter, could you
approach the stand?

I'd like to hear
this for myself.

[soft dramatic music]

♪ ♪

BAILIFF: Go ahead and
raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the
truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the
truth, so help you God?

I do.

You can lower your hand.

JUDGE MONIZ: Take a seat.

Could you state your
full name and age?

Michelle Diana Carter, 20.

So you understand, Miss Carter,

that you're fully entitled
under the Constitution

to a jury of your own peers
to decide whether or not,

in fact, you're
guilty of this crime?

Yes.

JUDGE MONIZ: Has anyone
promised you anything

or threatened you in any way

to make you forgo your
right to a jury trial?

No, Your Honor. No.

Thank you. You may step down.

The judge is now going to
exclusively decide the case.

What about the jury?

She just decided
there isn't one.

JUDGE MONIZ: The prospective
jurors are dismissed.

The court thanks
you for your time.

Unless there's any other
outstanding business

to take care of?

Okay.

How much does this affect
your opening statement?

Well, it starts with ladies and
gentlemen of the jury, so...

Did I do okay?

Yeah. Yeah, you did
just fine, Michelle.

JUDGE MONIZ: We will reconvene
here tomorrow at 9:00 a. m.

This is Conrad Henry Roy III.

Conra...

[chuckles]

This is Conrad Henry Roy III...

Reporting to you live

right here from
Mattapoisett, Mass.

I'm 5'10", 165 pounds,

and I struggle with anxiety
almost all the time.

[small laugh/exhale]

[light chuckle]

[sighs]

[dark music]

♪ ♪

ORDERLY: You're set.

Breakfast is served
at 8:00 a. M. Sharp.

After that, you
see your therapist,

then you spend time outside...
Monitored, of course.

Lunch is at 1:00.
Dinner at 6:00.

Lights out at 9:00.
Doors stay open always.

You do your own laundry
and clean your own room.

Your mother does not live here.

Your phone.

Really?

ORDERLY: Yes, ma'am. Protocol.

We give it to your
parents on visiting day.

You get it back from
them when you go home.

[somber piano music]

NURSE: You've been restricting
and binging since 2011?

No laxatives, no
purging, no diet pills.

Excessive exercise?

Still taking the Celexa daily?

MICHELLE: No.

NURSE: What are you taking now?

MICHELLE: Nothing.

[soft indistinct chatter]

♪ ♪

[cutlery clattering]

ALLI: As each of you draw
how you see yourself,

tell me how it makes you feel.

[indistinct chatter]

TERESA: "He got scared,

and I f*cking told
him to get back in."

The defendant's own
words, Your Honor

17-year-old Michelle
Carter, who, for weeks,

badgered and berated
her depressed boyfriend,

Conrad Roy, 18 years old,

into k*lling himself.

CATALDO: Your Honor, this
is not a homicide case.

This is a su1c1de
case on Mr. Roy's

ultimately successful
second su1c1de attempt.

TERESA: When Conrad tried to
take his life the first time,

he called a friend and
lived to see another day.

When he tried to k*ll
himself the second time,

he called the defendant,

who ordered him
back in the truck

and listened as he took
his last breath and d*ed.

Conrad Roy's internet
searches will prove

that he was suicidal,

that he wanted to
take his own life,

and that it was his choice.

She put him in that
car that night.

She was 30 miles away.

Her behavior was
wanton and reckless,

and as a result,
Conrad Roy is dead.

CATALDO: Now if somebody
wants to support

an individual in a su1c1de,

in the state of Massachusetts,
that's not a crime.

TERESA: Your Honor, by
the end of this trial...

CATALDO: We ask...

TERESA: That you
find Michelle Carter

guilty of involuntary
manslaughter.

Not guilty of
involuntary manslaughter.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

♪ ♪

The Commonwealth may
call their first witness.

Stop.

- It's nice.
- We should do the photo.

On the count of
three, say Brady.

- Smile.
- One, two, three.

- Brady!
- Tommy boy!

- Ha ha ha.
- Let's get outta here.

Here, you can hold onto that?

[whispering] 'Cause
you'll never get one.

PAIGE: [scoffs]

Uh... upp, upp, upp.

So?

- I was actually...
- I was gonna hold off.

There's no time
like the present.

Come on, it's your family.

[glass clinking]

Everybody, Coco
has an announcement

that he'd like to make.

Yeah, um...

I got my captain's
license from NMI.

GUEST: Oh, jeez!

[loudly] Are you sh1tting me?

[laughter and applause] Captain!

- Did you know about this?
- CONRAD SR.: Ha ha ha!

Of course not.

♪ We love you, Conrad,
oh, yes, we do ♪

♪ We love you, Conrad,
and we'll be true ♪

♪ When you're not
with us, we're blue ♪

♪ Conrad, we love
you, hey, hey! ♪

[laughs] Where'd he go?

[door clicks open, closed]

Why didn't you tell me?

I'm didn't want to make a big
deal of it in case I failed.

When'd you find out?

Couple weeks ago.

Hey, I'm proud of you.

I ain't been this
proud since we built

this f*cking thing,
huh? [chuckles]

[chuckles]

I guess I can retire now, huh?

Leave the business
in good hands?

CONRAD: Yeah.
Yeah, I don't know.

What?

You don't know what?

I'm not sure I wanna live in
Mattapoisett my whole life.

[laughs]

What does that mean?

I don't know. It's just

it's just an idea.

CO: Where you gonna go, Coco?

- What're you gonna do?
- I-I don't know, okay?

I'm just... I'm
figuring it out, okay?

Okay.

All right, come on,
let's get back inside.

All these people
are here for you.

Come on, it's embarrassing,
you sitting out here.

Come on.

[machine beeping]

[items clattering]

[background chatter]

LYNN: Good morning.

JANICE: How you doin'?

CO: Morning.

[sensor beeps]

GUARD: Please wait.

Let's go.

GUARD: Can you please
lift your arms?

[device whining]

TERESA: Do you see
Michelle Carter

present in the courtroom today?

- Yes.
- Could you point to her,

identify something
that she's wearing?

I don't know, it looks like
a red shirt or something.

Your Honor, may
the record reflect

identification of the defendant.

On October 27, 2012,

Conrad tried to k*ll himself

by overdosing on a
bottle of medication.

He was found in
time and treated.

What was his demeanor like when
he was at Boston Children's?

He was scared.

He said he would never do
anything like that again.

He knew he had a lot
of family and support,

friends, people who loved him.

TERESA: He was playing
sports, going to school.

He even got accepted
to Fitchburg State

on scholarship, right?

Yes, initially, he
was very excited.

He went to visit his friend
Rob there to check it out.

TERESA: And that
would be June of 2014?

Yes, and he had just gotten
his captain's license.

I'm going to direct your
attention to July 12 of 2014.

That was the last day
you saw your son alive.

How was he that day?

We went to the beach.

We stopped at Stop and Shop, and

he was eating tortilla
chips and guacamole.

My son had never had
guacamole before.

He really liked it.

TERESA: And during that time,

were you constantly
in Conrad's presence?

LYNN: Yes.

TERESA: What did you talk about?

Life,

what was gonna happen next.

We made some jokes about
some people on the beach

wearing little swimsuits.

He was fine.

Yes, he had tried to
k*ll himself before,

but I know my son,

and he didn't want to die.

Not that day.

ALLI: Today's your last
day with us, Michelle.

We're all sad that
you're leaving so soon,

but before you go,
can you tell us about

the images on your vision board?

Every image helps me
to look to the future

and not to get
stuck in the past.

I really wanna go to California.

Life seems different there.

That's great, Michelle,

but make sure you're focusing
on what you can control.

[sighs]

I can't control
everything, everyone,

but... I'll be prepared.

I know my triggers and
I'm gonna do better

at continuing to identify them.

I try to fix people
too much sometimes...

Everyone, really.

I have to remember to focus
on myself for a change.

GAIL: I found a stray.

[soft orchestral music plays]

DAVID: Welcome home, sweetie.

[laughing] It's... it's
only been a couple weeks.

DAVID: We didn't
know what you'd want,

so we made a bunch
of different things,

but, you know, we can
always go out too.

Well, the doctor said
maybe it would be best

to eat at home first,

but we could go out if you want.

- I'm okay, guys.
- This looks really good, thanks.

DAVID: Great. Okay.

So what was it like there?

- It wasn't that bad actually.
- It was kinda like a vacation.

Did they throw you
in a padded room?

Hayden.

That's what they did
to Angelina Jolie.

Okay, we need to
get you out more.

It's okay.

My therapist says
talking is healing.

[Kn*fe chopping]

I like that movie.

Me too.

GAIL: Oh, now that
you're home...

You probably want this back.

So what else?

SINGER: ♪ While
you're feelin' alone ♪

♪ Can we just stop
for a minute, say ♪

♪ Kiss me, I'll know
if this is definite ♪

♪ Won't be another
dopey, brief fling ♪

[phone buzzes]

♪ I thought you loved me ♪

♪ ♪

[singing continues
in background]

♪ ♪

♪ I'm always alone ♪

[crickets chirping]

[phone buzzes]

MICHELLE: I just
got all your texts.

You okay?

- It's fine.
- You just disappeared again.

I'm getting used to it.

- I got my phone taken away.
- I was in the hospital.

For what? You're not dying.

Can you be nice for one second?

I actually feel better.

As my boyfriend,
you should be happy.

Sure, I'm happy.

I got my captain's
license, not that you care.

I'm sorry.

I hate myself.

Don't say that.

It's okay. I love you.

♪ ♪

I hate when you do that.

You just type and
then erase things.

Just talk to me.

Or don't. Whatever.

[fire crackling]

[soft, uneasy music]

♪ ♪

I wish I could just see myself

as the person I
wanna be, you know?

Not as this person that's
just always miserable.

I know that I'm wanted.

I know that I'm...

Loved.

I hate that I'm shy.

I h... I hate that I'm dumb.

And I hate that
I'm always worrying

and regretting about the past

and I'm... I'm pessimistic
about the future.

You don't have to feel that way.

The hospital worked for me.
You could talk to someone.

Yeah, what's the point?

I just feel like I'm
never going to be happy

because I feel
like I'm a failure.

And that... [laughing]

That's just a minute's
worth of ideas

that pop through my
head on a regular basis.

There's way, way more.

Are you still there?

Yeah.

- It's just a lot to take in.
- I'm sorry.

It's too much. I shouldn't...

No, I'm happy you did.

♪ ♪

[mellow pop song continues]

♪ ♪

[country music playing on radio]

♪ ♪

See ya, Kenny.

♪ ♪

Here you go.

Where you going?
It's 10:00 a. m.

- Got plans.
- No, you don't.

You did a sh*t job cleaning
those fuel oil tanks.

I need you to do it again.

CONRAD: Texted Bobby.
He said he'd cover me.

He'll finish it up.

You texted Bobby, so
where the hell's Bobby?

- I don't know.
- Said he'd be here.

- What, so that's it?
- You're done here?

- Sorry.
- Coco!

Hey!

f*ck.

KATIE: And what did
you do next, sir?

I contacted the District
Attorney's office.

Things were put in motion
to have the phone extracted.

Then I interviewed Miss Carter
at King Philip's High School.

And then you got her
phone with the password,

you spoke to her parents,

and then you got
her laptop, correct?

GORDON: Yes.

Why?

The messages from Michelle
Carter to the victim

encouraged him to
commit su1c1de.

KATIE: Once?

No, dozens of times.

KATIE: Thank you. No
further questions.

Mr. Gordon,

did you find anything
of any substance

on Conrad's laptop?

Yes, we found videos.

Can you explain what
those videos were about?

They were of Conrad,
three of 'em.

He was alone making some sort
of video diary on his issues...

Social anxiety,

lack of friends, his depression.

He believed he wasn't
really normal, I guess,

or like everybody else.

CATALDO: Thank you. Your
Honor, no further questions.

You were the officer that took

the missing person's
report, correct?

I was.

Your Honor, I would
like to display

on the court monitor
exhibit six, number five.

[soft dramatic music]

[soft murmuring]

Conrad's black F-250 truck.

When you approached
it, what did you see?

CORREIA: Well, the deceased
was wearing sunglasses.

There's a general
redness to his skin,

typical of carbon
monoxide poisoning.

There was blood from
a supposed nosebleed.

KATIE: When do you estimate
the time of death for Conrad?


CORREIA: The physical
evidence indicated

that at the end
of the second call

with Michelle Carter,
Roy was still alive.

[door opens]

Hey, I'm gonna head to bed.

Hey, are you okay?

Okay, good night.

Night.

BOTH: [sigh]

I wish she wouldn't
go to the trial.

- It's not good for her.
- Well, she's stubborn.

Wonder where she gets that.

Co send you?

Everyone's worried about you.

She looks skinnier
than I remember.

I can't stop thinking about her.

I don't wanna be
thinking about her.

You seen those videos
they're talking about?

The ones Coco did?

I can never bring myself
to watch, you know?

You did good today.

I don't know what the
hell that even means.

"48 Hours" wants to talk to me.

You gonna do it?

He's not just a dead kid
on the news, you know?

He's Coco.

I want people to know

to know him how we knew
him and who he was.

JANICE: Well, that's
the thing, isn't it?

You don't know.

I mean

because sometimes people seem
like they're getting better,

and they tell everyone around
them they're getting better.

They seem happy.

They seem good at home.

[tender music]

They get their
captain's license.

But you just can't know.

♪ ♪

[whispers] Yeah.

[pop music in background]

Ha ha ha.

Did you see that sh*t?

Did you see that heads hot?

CO: [under breath] Jesus Christ.

CONRAD: Yeah, man,
I just sniped him!

[box clatters] CONRAD:
Yeah, dude, I just

sniped him from like 100 yards.

Hey, hey!

I'm gonna try
no-scope this time.

[laughs] f*ck it.

360.

What the f*ck, man?

This is why you come home
from work early, huh?

Play f*cking video games?

- Yeah.
- You gotta be kidding me.

Come on. Clean this sh*t up now!

Get the... back off!

[grunts] Ugh...

Wait... wait...

[grunts]

[siren wailing]

[seat belt clicks]

[engine turns over]

[somber music]

♪ ♪

- Go get your stuff.
- I'll see you at home.

It wasn't his fault.

- [whispers] God damn it.
- CO: Lynn...

I don't know what happened.
LYNN: God damn it.

God damn it, Co!

- I know. I know.
- [inhales deeply]

[sighs]

[reporters chattering]

REPORTER: Any comment?
REPORTER: Lynn!

[muffled chatter]

We can go.

KATIE: Would it be fair to say

that you and Michelle Carter

texted hundreds of times

on a sort of day-to-day basis?

That sounds right, yeah.

April 23, 2014,

10:05 a. m.

Can you read the
highlighted section, please?

"Yeah, I have school friends

"that all say they love me,
but that doesn't mean sh*t

"when no one ever asks
to hang out with me.

"No one ever calls
me or texts me.

"It's always me
that has to do it.

"I don't even
remember the last time

someone asked me to hang
out with me before you did."

KATIE: Can you please describe

your relationship
with Michelle Carter?

It was mostly an
in-school friendship,

just, like, talking
in school and stuff.

I didn't socialize
with her or anything.

How often would Miss Carter ask

to socialize with you and
Natalie outside of school?

Probably a few times a week.

During those years,
do you remember

wanting to hang out with
Michelle outside of school?

CASSIE: Um, no.

NATALIE: "But I don't
know what I was thinking."

"I knew I was just gonna make
it all come crashing down.

"I always do.

"I text them too much or
try talking to them too much

"and they leave...
Every single one.

"Then I am left
crying in bed at night

"because I have no
one, no friends,

"barely any family.

"Like, they don't even
like me half the time

"and I have no plans, no future.

I am nothing."

[somber music]

KATIE: July 10, 2014, 5:23 p. m.

Can you read that message
from Michelle for us?

"Thank you so much
for coming over

"and hanging out
with me, Cassie.

"It really made me feel happy.

"You and Natalie
are the only people

"who actually make me forget

"I have issues and
stuff for a while.

"And, like, you guys
make me feel normal.

"I can't thank you
enough for that.

"I hope you want to hang
again sometime soon.

I had a good time and
hope you did too."

And did you respond to that?

I don't believe I did, no.

- "And I'll be honest..."
- I cried when you said

"you wanted to help me
and hang out and stuff.

It just meant so much to me,
like I finally found a friend."

Do you remember anything about
that particular sleepover

on July 9th that might
stick out in your mind?

NATALIE: No.

How did she seem,
if you can remember?

Fine.

Totally fine.

Do you remember the defendant

using her cell phone the
night you slept over?

I don't remember.

KATIE: And when
you didn't respond,

you received another text
message from Michelle.

Do you mind reading
that for me, please?

- "Conrad's missing."
- They can't find him anywhere.

"He's been missing
since Wednesday night

"when you guys slept over.

He hasn't called or talked
to me or anyone since."

"He's missing, like, they
don't know where he is."

[uneasy music]

July 12th, 9:24 p. m.

Can you read that message
from Michelle Carter?

"He called me and I
heard like muffled sounds

"and some type of motor running

"and it was like
that for 20 minutes,

and he wouldn't answer."

"I think he k*lled himself."

Can you now read this text
from September 16, 2014,

two months after Conrad's death?

"I f*cking told him
to get back in."

KATIE: The prosecution
rests, Your Honor.

[pop music plays
softly in background]

♪ ♪

[phone buzzes]

[phone buzzes]

SINGER: ♪ Everything ♪

♪ Is changin' ♪

[sighs]

CONRAD: Thanks for meeting
me. MICHELLE: 'Course.

CONRAD: He's just
such a d*ck sometimes.

I try to talk to him,
and it's, like...

[sighs]

It's like we speak
different languages.

Maybe you should
start living your life

for you, not for them.

What do you mean?

I don't know.

Your Mom and Dad,
they're simple.

I'm surprised you
haven't left already.

You're above them.

Don't do that.

[pop music plays quietly]

- Do what?
- Don't talk sh*t

about my family like that.

You don't know them.

- No, I wasn't.
- I was agreeing with you.

I was saying you deserve better.

You... [sighs]

You're just like everybody else.

You just f*cking...
you just talk.

You just say sh*t that
you think I want to hear,

but you don't actually
listen to anything I say.

Yeah, I do.

I get you.

How?

How could you possibly get
me? You don't even know me.

Okay, I'm... sorry.

Just forget what I said. Ah.

Let's start over.

Come here.

Come here.

I live in a different world.

Okay?

Not like you, not
like everybody else.

So when you go to bed at night

and you dream about

puppies and rainbows,

I dream about k*lling myself...

Because that is the only way

that my pain is gonna end, okay?

I know that.

So next time, I'm
not gonna screw up.

Next time, I'll be dead,

and then, maybe then,

all of you

will just f*cking listen.

Maybe I should call your mom.

If you ever tell
anyone about me,

I will never, ever
f*cking talk to you again!

You got it?

Let's go, come on.
I'm taking you home.

God.

[truck door opens,
music is louder]

[truck door slams]

[shower splashing]

GUS: Hazel Grace,
I hope you realize

that you trying to keep
your distance from me

in no way lessens my
affection for you.

All your efforts to keep
me from you are gonna fail.

[phone buzzes]

HAZEL: Look...

[line ringing]

CONRAD: Yo, you got
me. Leave a message.

Hey, your text freaked me out.

I hope you're okay.

Call me back.

[line ringing]

CONRAD: Yo, you got
me. Leave a message.

Hey, it's me again.

Just text me back.

[unsettling music]

♪ ♪

[line ringing]

CONRAD: Yo, you got
me. Leave a message.

[sighs]

[phone buzzes]

[shallow breathing]

♪ ♪

[sighs]

[touch pad clicks]

CONRAD: This is
Conrad Henry Roy III

reporting about social anxiety.

Social anxiety, to me,

is the inability to
function properly

in a manner you want to
in a social situation.

And one of the things
that I realized is that

not all eyes are on
you at all times.

[yawns] Just gotta
get the cobwebs out.

Turn the gears.

The gears need to be
turning. Turn the gears.

That's what I gotta
do, because look at me.

[tender music]

I got nice teeth.

Got a nice smile.

It's pretty nice.

There's a lot of
people that love me.

I have a great mom.

A great dad...
for the most part.

Great parents.

I have all my grandparents,

but I'm still depressed.

[sniffles]

CONRAD: One of them
is gonna pass away.

I don't know when, but

when they do, I'm
gonna have to be there

for my parents,

to be there for my mom and dad

whenever their parents pass away

because I can't imagine
my parents passing away.

How I'm gonna feel.

The person that raised
you is not present.

And this is what
I have to realize.

Like, I am a lot better off

than a lot of people.

♪ ♪
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