Trinkets is a unique teen-drama series about three young women who form an unlikely friendship when they meet at a Shoplifters Anonymous group. The series is provocative, but it also has a dose of comedy and good drama. I loved this series, so I’ve broken down each chapter into an easy-to-read recap for Season 1.
Trinkets Season 1 Recap
Episode 1 – “Mirror Faces”
“Mirror Faces” introduces us to Elodie Davis, the new girl joining a new school. Elodie brings that introverted vibe – she wants to fit in, but at the same time, there’s a sense she’d prefer to be distant from social situations.
Episode 1 places Elodie in various social situations; paraded around the school as the “new girl” by a less understanding acquaintance, but when she attends a house party to attempt to mingle and base herself in the new community – her anxiety is transparent. She slurps her drink awkwardly and avoids eye contact at all costs. Trinkets episode 1 presents the life of the introverted.
The turning point of “Mirror Faces” comes when Elodie decides to escape the party, and her true identity is revealed. She goes to a store, and she shoplifts, looking happy and in her comfort zone until the security guard stops her.
This presumably leads to Elodie’s new friends, Moe Truax and Tabitha Foster. They meet at a Shoplifters Anonymous Group, which I didn’t even believe was even a thing. It’s a little on the nose how these teenagers come together as a force, with flagrant verbal abuse thrown by Moe to engage, but in a short 27-minute episode, the writers are required to bring this group together quickly. They partake in a shoplifting competition, which Elodie wins and secures her new friendship.
By the end of Trinkets episode 1, we learn that Tabitha is maintaining an abusive relationship with her boyfriend, and Elodie has family issues that I am sure we will learn later. As for Moe, it’s an odd one. She has not revealed any of her cards yet, apart from randomly having sex in a restaurant bathroom.
Episode 2 – “Paper Tiger”
The issues attached to each character are beginning to bubble in episode 2, “Paper Tiger.” We learn that Elodie Davis misses home and that she is trying to hold a long-distance relationship with her girlfriend Zoey, but unfortunately, her father will not provide the money for plane tickets. Moe Truax is supposedly a genius, prepped for the best college, but returns to an empty home often due to her busy mother, and Tabitha Foster is feeling the pressure of her abusive relationship with Brady – the cracks are beginning to show.
After much mulling around in “Paper Tiger” and pretending that the characters do not want to be friends, episode 2 leads them all to a club. Tabitha is flagrantly interested in Luca, who invited the three to the gig, but due to her boyfriend Brady, she feels trapped. Trinkets also show how naive Elodie is—she attempts to sell her jacket for flight tickets but ends up getting robbed herself. It seems that Elodie will have to accept that her long-distance relationship is over.
As for Moe, she’s determined to keep her sexual relationship with Noah a secret, subjecting her connection with him to “you up?” texts once her night is over. Her reasons for wanting to keep her relationship with him a secret is unknown, but Noah appears content with the situation for now.
Once Elodie rushes home from the gig, you witness that her issues with her family are growing, as she feels irritated by her Dad and Step-Mum’s worries while she was out.
The problem with Trinkets Season 1, Episode 2 is that the story and the performances feel wooden, with the chemistry between the leading women feeling lacklustre and lacking that excitement.
Episode 3 – “P*ssy Palace”
Episode 3 serves the chemistry between the characters better than the previous chapter. It throws the three leading teens at a service day for their high school, where they have to help the community by planting trees and removing litter. But as the day goes on, episode 3 confirms that the women prefer to be in each other’s company and sneak off.
They end up in a sex store, presumably called P*ssy Palace, where they try out different sensual attire and check out the gadgets. Trinkets episode 3 shows Elodie Davis buckling to peer pressure from Moe Truax’s (Kiana Madeira) questions about her life; she is a virgin, and her supposed girlfriend Zoey is not her girlfriend. Elodie was trying to fit in, and I felt sorry for her at that moment.
Once they steal from the sex store “P*ssy Palace,” veers off to explore each character’s life. Tabitha Foster is woefully depressed in her relationship with Brady at this point, even put off by the prospect of having sex with him. His controlling behavior is worsening, forcing her to make decisions that could hurt her further; she meets Lucas and kisses him, but he soon rejects her, stating he does not want to be a part of her “high school drama.” Also, Tabitha learns that her father is having an affair, so now her personal problems are spiraling.
Episode 3 sees Moe open up, showing her jealousy when she sees Noah flirting with his ex. Unfortunately, she cannot have it both ways, which he points out; she does not want him for a serious relationship but, at the same time, does not want anyone else to have him. She will have to let her guard down eventually if she wants what her feelings desire.
Trinkets Season 1, Episode 3 ends with Elodie exploring her sexual side, trying out her new vibrator.
The characters of ‘Trinket’ attend a party (Credit – Netflix)
Episode 4 – “Happy F**king Birthday”
Episode 4 focuses on Tabitha Foster during her birthday celebrations while Elodie Davis and Moe Truax bond. As you can tell from the title, episode 4 is Tabitha’s birthday. She’s turning 17, but her personal problems shroud her excitement, especially with her boyfriend Brady being tactless before the day even begins, buying her an Apple Watch that replaces her sentimental watch given by her deceased Grandad.
At her surprise 17th, “Happy F**king Birthday,” sees Tabitha slip further and further into depression, drinking copious amounts of alcohol to numb her dark thoughts. Not only is she dealing with the idea of her father having an affair, but she’s not happy with Brady. It finally comes to blows, with Tabitha finally breaking it off with Brady. There’s also a telling scene when she tries to have an indirect conversation with her father about his affair, but it never materializes, leaving that for the later episodes. Trinkets episode 4 sees Tabitha breaking free of her horrid relationship.
Meanwhile, Elodie and Moe bond. Moe recognizes that her friend needs to let go, so they spend the time out on the streets and find some of her friends who are drinking near dumpster fires. While socializing, Moe convinces Elodie to talk to a girl who is clearly flirting. Elodie, who is inexperienced, tries her best to kiss this girl, but it ends awkwardly, with both shaking hands to part ways. Moe also texts Noah; he is clearly on her mind. Episode 4 sees all the characters grow in their ways.
But overall, episode 4″ confirms that all three of the leading characters all have deadbeat Dads, which they describe throughout the chapter. As the episode ends, the three women end up together again, reminiscing about their day, then unexpectedly Tabitha’s phone starts going crazy. Brady has shared something unforgivable in the aftermath of their break up.
Episode 5 – “Big Mistake”
Episode 5 confirms that Brady sent out a revealing photo of Tabitha Foster after the break-up. He also made out that he was the one who called time on their relationship, reducing Tabitha to tears in the female toilets at high school. The photo he circulated was not very revealing, but its the principle of it – he violated her and tried shaming.
“Big Mistake” shows how courageous Tabitha is, walking through high school with her chest out and her head high, and approaches Brady about his behavior. She wants her Grandad’s watch back, but he acts like he knows nothing about the jewelry. Episode 5 shows the three women coming together to get revenge. As a side note, Tabitha makes it known to Moe that she knows about Noah, and tells her to be careful.
What started as an innocent plan to get her watch back from the glove compartment in Brady’s car turns into a grand theft auto. The rest of episode 5 sees the characters hitting the road and thinking of plans for what to do with the vehicle. They make a big mistake in episode 5 by asking Elodie to take the wheel for the last mile, which leads to a small accident where she damages the car.
Episode 5 reveals the extent of Brady’s abuse as Tabitha breaks down in the damaged car, explaining how he used to hurt her, and she had to hide the bruises plenty of times.
“Big Mistake” ends with the women sinking the car in a lake.
Episode 6 – “Rearview Mirror”
Episode 6 opens with Elodie Davis experiencing a dream. It’s the moment where she’s in the car with her mother before the fatal accident that has had her grieving since the first episode. Since stealing Brady’s car, it’s brought back unwanted memories, and now she misses her mother even more, living each day in memory, rather than living in the present. She gives in to her urges and visits the mall to shoplift.
“Rearview Mirror” sees Tabitha Foster moping about her recent break-up and her frustration at her mother. She believes too much expectation is placed upon her and makes a rousing speech at the Shoplifters Anoynomous Group, but forgets about Elodie’s grieving over her mother and speaks out of turn. If anything, it brings both characters closer together.
Episode 6 is another plain sailing episode, with Moe Truax still mulling over her feelings for Noah. She’s given in and decided to take a leap of faith and accept a date with him. Unfortunately, when she ends up in a sticky place and needs his help, he doesn’t answer the phone, making her believe he wasn’t there for her. The character seems scared of her feelings, and it is not helped by her Dad continuously ringing her from prison.
While Moe spends the night with her mum confessing her feelings, Tabitha and Elodie go to the same club again in “Rearview Mirror.” Tabitha opens up to Luca, and he seems happy now that she’s single. A new romance is blossoming. Meanwhile, Elodie is besotted by the singer Sabine, who has taken a key interest in her, asking her to be the lead groupie. Everything seems to fall into place for all three characters after a steep mountain, but “Rearview Mirror” has one unspoken element – Brady’s car and the consequences of dumping it into the lake.
‘Trinket’ (Credit – Netflix)
Episode 7 – “Truth Serum”
I assumed that episode 7 brings the story forward two weeks, with Elodie Davis getting an exclusive invite to Sabine’s latest house party, with Moe Truax and Tabitha Foster joining. The characters claim that this is the night that they can be someone else, no worrying about exes, blossoming romances, or parents.
Elodie continues to be besotted by Sabine, but unfortunately, her nervous ways mean she cannot progress anything romantically. At the party, pure MDMA is handed out, and the three teenagers decide to lock themselves in the bathroom and go on their journey with Molly together. Episode 7 allows the characters to speak the truth via their new level of high.
Episode 7 sees our characters having fun and being way more relaxed than usual. It made for a better episode with fun injected into the story. The three women share their truths and explain how much they appreciate each other. Despite being high, Elodie still cannot make any progress with Sabine, but she’s more comfortable approaching her. Later in the episode, Tabitha learns that Sabine and Luca have a weird history.
As Moe peaks, she wants to leave the house party as soon as possible, so she drops the man she’s making out with and grabs her friends to go. She leaves Noah a voicemail, pouring her heart out, explaining that she loves him. I do wonder if she will regret that.
Trinkets Season 1, Episode 7 ends with further regret with Moe. Her high has peaked to a level where too much truth is revealed. She starts discussing the shoplifting and how she is not as bad as her friends. As she expands on what she meant by her statements, Moe reveals that she does not steal, and initially, she joined the Shoplifters Anonymous Group to judge, not to make friends. Don’t take Molly kids.
Episode 8 – “Monday I’m in Love”
Following on from the fallout in the previous chapter with Moe Truax revealing too many truths, Episode 8 sees our characters living their separate lives, at least temporarily, as they explore their new love interests. Episode 8 is split into three acts. As the Netflix series progresses, it’s noticeably getting stronger with the characters observedly treading on their dark paths.
Elodie Davis plucks up the courage to contact Sabine to meet for a coffee – the sexual tension between them both is obvious, and Sabine even gets involved in Elodie’s favorite hobby — stealing. The adrenaline rush brings them closer together, and they finally kiss, but the day is abruptly stopped as Elodie has to meet her dad at the lawyer’s office regarding the death of her mum.
He’s fuming at Elodie for being late and indefinitely grounds her. “Monday I’m in Love” sees Elodie finally reach a level of confidence in her love life, but her relationship with her family and her past is still troubling her, persuading an emotional showdown with her Dad.
Episode 8 sees Moe as an outcast, with her two friends avoiding her. She hurriedly does her exams and learns that she has been accepted for a STEM Research Programme in Korea, meaning she will have to move abroad. But first, she decides to explore her feelings for Noah, meeting him at the skate park where he gets injured.
In “Monday I’m in Love,” she’s completely sober and open with Noah, revealing that she does genuinely love him, but then he decides to be honest with her, explaining that he never heard her voicemail that night at the Dance and ended up going home with Kayla. His honesty does not serve him well, and she tells him about Korea and asks him to leave.
As for Tabitha Foster, she tries to have a platonic day with Luca to forget the recent weeks, but as the day moves on, she grows closer and closer to him, helping him move home. She returns to her parent’s house happy but sees that her ex-Brady is there, encouraged by her mother. She kicks Brady out and angrily explains that her Dad has cheated before rushing out.
But the biggest twist in Trinkets Season 1, Episode 8 is the revelation that Brady’s car has been found, meaning the consequences are coming to the surface.
Episode 9 – “Night Market”
Despite blossoming love lives, episode 9 reveals that not everything is as smooth sailing as it appears. But first, it deals with the split in the group. Moe Truax delivers an honest speech at the Shoplifters Anoymonous Group, in the hope that her friends forgive her. It kind of works, but there’s work to be done.
The penultimate episode of the series meanders around this night market, where all three characters attend. Elodie Davis is forced to participate with her family and is asked to keep an eye on her step-brother, but she soon becomes consumed by stealing any item she wants. Meanwhile, Tabitha Foster has to once again fend off her ex, Brady, by giving him a stern no, but he watches on — he will not give up. Moe’s mother finds out about her STEM programme in Korea and has her full support.
But panic stations quickly ensue in episode 9, as Elodie loses her step-brother. The three characters come together again, at last, to find her brother at the market. They finally find him stuck in one of the fairground rides and help him out. With Elodie’s Dad disappointed in her, she breaks down, blaming the death of her Mother because she asked her to pick her up early from a party.
In an emotional scene, Elodie’s Dad assures her it was the drunk driver’s fault, not hers. Elodie makes the brave decision to do the deposition at the lawyer’s office. Episode 9 serves a breakthrough.
Moe’s romance with Noah goes full circle as he meets her after the night market, declaring his love for her in Korean. He promises to wait for her while she’s at her programme (that old chestnut). And as life looks rosy for Tabitha and her new boyfriend Luca, Trinkets Season 1, Episode 9 ends with Brady watching them kiss from his car. Trouble is afoot.
‘Trinket’ Season 1 (Credit – Netflix)
Episode 10 – “The Great Escape”
Episode 10, the finale of season 1, marks a new chapter for each character. “The Great Escape” finds the characters finally having to close with their demons while also battling the looming Brady.
For Moe Truax, who is perhaps the most engaging character of season 1, she has the opportunity to meet her father. He agrees to meet her at a restaurant, but in a painful scene to watch, he never shows up. The Deadbeat Dad theme continues, letting these characters down. Episode 10 does not find closure for Moe, and it will more likely affect her in the next season.
Elodie Davis is still wholly besotted by Sabine, who has offered her an opportunity to go on tour with her in Trinkets episode 10. But due to school, it’s not an offer Elodie can accept.
Tabitha Foster is exploring her new relationship with Luca in “The Great Escape” while also battling with the idea that her Mum wants to reconnect with her Dad. But her problems are far deeper rooted because Brady has logically discovered that the only thing missing from his stolen car was her watch, and he offers her a cruel ultimatum; she can either get back with him in a relationship, or he will go to the police.
Episode 10 sees the three women banding together to take on Brady – Elodie wants to take the fall initially, and Moe gives him a whopping punch in the face. But when Elodie returns home, her father finds her stash, where she has stolen many items, including the keys to the stolen car. He wants to send Elodie to a facility and takes her phone off her.
“The Great Escape” title then comes to fruition; Tabitha and Moe break Elodie out of her house and escape, leaving her father with a note. Elodie has decided to join Sabine on her tour so she can explore their relationship. It was a fitting ending to Trinkets season 1 for Elodie, who began as a nervous introverted individual. Before she leaves, she throws the BMW keys into the sea.
Episode 10 ends with Tabitha finally at peace, moving on with Luca, but for Moe, due to punching Brady, she is suspended from school, which also means she has been taken off the STEM Programme in Korea. This is damaging, and she resigns to shoplifting like her friends. As the finale ends, you can see Brady dialing on his phone as he is rejected to enter Tabitha’s house — he’s calling the police, setting it all up for a season 2, which is most welcome.
Read More: Trinkets Season 2 Recap and Episode Guide
