Summary
Secrets begin to spill over in Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 7, “Picture Perfect” as Elena crusades for the truth to be known.
This recap of Hulu Series Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 7, “Picture Perfect” contains significant spoilers.
What happened to Izzy in July 1997?
We’ve always known that Izzy had a past with a friend. The opening of Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 7, “Picture Perfect” shows Izzy going to a party with April; the group of friends are playing spin the bottle. As part of a dare, Izzy and April had to share the closet together. In the closet, the pair kiss and then their friends open the closet. April accuses Izzy of molesting her.
This is why Izzy is battling with her identity so much.
How’s Bebe preparing for family court in Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 7, “Picture Perfect”?
Bebe has to prepare for court in Episode 7 and is understandably nervous, but her lawyer and Mia give her a pep talk of what to do and what not to do.
When she gets to court there are many cameras, highlighting how public it is.
In court, Bebe describes how she lost her baby and how the authorities were not much help. Bill represents Linda and Mark and cross-examines Bebe. He shows the court a photo of the baby’s frost-bitten hand when Bebe left her outside.
The moment that really bites, however, is when Elena confronts Ma in the bathroom and she reveals she knows about the Ryans, the couple Mia was a surrogate mother for. Elena threatens her — “Is fighting for someone else’s child worth losing your own”?
I don’t know the source material of this series, but I’m starting to really dislike Elena.
So how does Mia react?
Mia tells Bebe that she cannot testify because it’s complicated and that she could lose Pearl due to Elena finding out her secret. Mia then tells Pearl that she will be testifying and things may come out in court. Pearl wonders if the “thing” that may come out is that she has a secret “half a million dollars”. Mia tells Pearl about the photo she sold, which annoys Pearl, as she realises they did not need to live in poverty all this time.
How does Bill fit into the court proceedings?
Well, Bill is Linda and Mark’s lawyer so he needs to abide by the rules but Elena tells him that she threatened Bill over the truth. Bill is angry about the potential ‘witness tampering’. Elena tries apologising, claiming she’s trying to do the right thing by everyone and doesn’t understand why Mia isn’t the bad person.
Bill states that people like Bebe do not win. I found this to be a cold, calculating statement, highlighting a divide in race and class.
Why is Izzy’s past relevant in episode 7?
Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 7, “Picture Perfect” sees Izzy message her friend April to meet and make up for what happened in the past. April apologises for how she treated her. Izzy tells April to stop trying to be someone she is not and then they both confess how much they miss each other. The next day in school, April acts cool again in front of her friends to embarrass her, undoing their conversation from the night before.
To make things worse, Elena tells her that it is difficult being her mother. An upset and fragile Izzy stays at Mia’s house for the night. Mia reveals that she fell in love with a woman, which takes Izzy by surprise.
How does Mia hold up in court?
Mia decides to take the risk and be a character witness for Bebe. Mia reveals how Linda and Mark tried to pay off this court case and how when Bebe gave up her baby, she did it as a selfless act. Bill then questions Mia and wonders how she paid for the court fees, plus questions why she cares so much about Bebe and the child. Mia makes an impassioned speech about how both Bebe and Linda can be both great mothers, but Bebe is the real mother.
Elena is fuming Bill did not press Mia about Peal. If anything, Episode 7 is highlighting how much of a terrible person Elena is.
How does Little Fires Everywhere season 1, episode 7, “Picture Perfect” end?
Elena continues her cruel calculated route so Linda can keep her child. Elena tells Pearl she’s just as much as a victim in all this and sits her down for a talk — their conversation is not audible, so we won’t know until next episode if Elena revealed the secret. But it seems Elena’s children are reflecting on their mother; they all have secrets of their own now.
The episode ends with Elena dropping Pearl off. Pearl marches into the house angry, not acknowledging Mia. Mia assumes the worst and she sees Elena scowling at her from the car.
Let’s rename Elena “Karen”.
Additional Notes
- The Richardson family house is illuminated for Christmas.
- Lexie gets into her preferred college. The family celebrates.
- Pearl and Trip are still hanging out behind Moody’s back.
- During a family Christmas photo, Elena screams at Izzy about what she was wearing and demands she goes upstairs to change. In the family photo, Izzy secretly puts her middle finger up.
- Moody suspects that Pearl is seeing another boy.
- Izzy sees that her mother has cut her out of the new family photo.
- Brian and Lexie have an argument about race again. Brian asks Lexie if she sees him as black. He also brings up how she stole Pearl’s story. Lexie apologises. They argue more and as she’s about to tell him about the abortion she stops and tells him to go. They are now broken up.
