Summary
Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 6, “The Uncanny” is a flashback episode, providing much-needed context into Mia and Elena.
This recap of Hulu Series Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 6, “The Uncanny” contains significant spoilers.
Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 6, “The Uncanny” is entirely a flashback episode — it provides the audience context to Elena and Mia and their journey to motherhood.
Episode 6, “The Uncanny” opens in 1981 — Mia is en route to New York, New York and she beds herself into the art world at college very quickly. Her art teacher takes a liking to her and discusses how the art “must be about her” and seeing the uncanny and repulsive from within.
And it continues in New York in 1981, and we learn why Mia keeps having nightmares on the subway. Her art teacher is so impressed with her work that she invites her to a gallery. On the way to the gallery, the man from the subway follows Mia and she quickly turns around to pepper spray him. The man expresses that Mia looks like her wife and that they are unable to have children and they are looking for a surrogate mother.
Episode 6 gives the answer to why she is having nightmares about this.
And with surrogacy comes money, but it was spurred on by lack of finances for her next semester. Mia finds out her funding will be rescinded, so she needs cash and quick. She meets the man and his wife regarding surrogacy and they agree to a $12k deal.
And then we learn about Elena in 1983 in Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 6, “The Uncanny”. Elena gets out of bed, hands over her children to the nanny and returns to work at the newspaper company. But, it falls over very quickly as she learns she is pregnant again for a fourth child when enquiring about birth control. Elena is clearly frustrated at the prospect of being pregnant again, but Bill thinks a fourth will be fine. The unfortunate scenario is that her mother made her feel guilty for even considering an abortion when they have the wealth to raise children. Bill wants the fourth child to be a girl and to call her Isabel.
Back to 1982 in New York, and Mia reveals that she is a virgin, so requires help from the wife of the man that she’s having a baby for — she helps her. Her teacher also finds out Mia is pregnant, and then so does her brother. Her brother senses it is a girl, and it is clear that Mia is beginning to get attached to the baby.
It gets complicated further because Mia and her teacher Pauline have grown intimate with each other. They kiss and a relationship is formed.
Back to Elena who is clearly struggling to look after her children. Her frustration turns into anger and she starts smashing multiple plates in the house as she cannot find a pacifier for Isabel. When Bill comes home to take over, Elena heads out to buy a pacifier, but breaks down into tears and rings her ex, Jamie. Elena spends the night drinking with Jamie, discussing what could have been, dancing and kissing, but when they return back to a motel, she freaks out and tries to leave. Jamie confesses that he still loves her and that she does not need to be miserable. Elena manipulates the situation, claiming Jamie took advantage of her in her hour of need.
That explains Jamie’s anger in the last episode.
Back to Mia and when she returns to her family home, her mother sees the bump and she is disappointed. Mia has returned home for the tragic passing of her brother but her mother tells her not to come to the funeral. Mia is now feeling cornered; she rings Pauline and explains she will not be returning to New York at present and then writes a letter to the couple who want a baby claiming she had a miscarriage and that she will try and repay them.
In the next few scenes, she gives birth to Pearl.
Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 6, “The Uncanny” ends with Mia ringing Pauline and she’s delivered the bad news that she died of cancer. Pauline left her a photo of Mia that she loved, presumably the one where she’s in the bed, heavily pregnant.
We are then treated to a montage of scenes of Elena adjusting to her large family life and Mia raising Pearl.
This is by far one of the better episodes, providing much-needed context to both female leads.
Additional Notes
- At the gallery, who teacher shares coke with her.
- When Elena returns home, Bill sees a note with Jamie’s number on.
- Linda suspects Elena is pregnant again and gets upset.
