Little Fires Everywhere 1×06, “The Uncanny”

The sixth installment of Hulu’s (already critically acclaimed) “Little Fires Everywhere” is a standout gem within the mini-series. 

“The Uncanny,” strategically released past the halfway mark but also before the finale, at long last fills in the story’s details while shaking up every opinion you previously had about Reese Witherspoon’s “Elena” and Kerry Washington’s “Mia.” 

Elena’s controlling ways become justified as we watch an individualistic and ambitious young woman have her freedom and edge gradually worn down. Considering the suburban-born, wealthy-white-woman stereotype we’ve previously seen, we now realize she was in fact beaten into this mold that she was desperately trying to expand on, and possibly even escape. 

Mia’s frustrating-to-watch stubbornness and stand-offishness is answered even more thoroughly. I was personally surprised by how identifiable, if not, sympathetic Mia became after we saw more of her past. We catch glimpses into her strict religious childhood, her financial challenges, her evolving sexuality, her coping with death, and her eventual guilt and paranoia after keeping Pearl as her own child. While we’ve previously only known the character as a struggling artist and Black single-mother on the run, we now see the emotional woes that built the often (and now understandable) hostile exterior of “Mia Warren.” 

The actresses depicting the younger versions of Elena and Mia also deserve major props. Usually I have a difficult time enjoying (what is supposed to be) the seamless continuity of different actors playing different ages of the same role, but “The Uncanny” pulls it off flawlessly. Although they only appear in two of the eight episodes, I’d like to see AnnaSophia Robb (Young Elena) and Tiffany Boone (Young Mia) receive well-deserved nods come awards season. These talented young women absolutely nail their respective seniors’ resemblances, mannerisms, and deteriorated idealism. 

The final scene is heartbreakingly beautiful. Elena puts on a brave face, Mia decides to skip town, Pearl grows up in the backseat, and mother and daughter end up in Shaker after years on the road. The emotional montage highlights their similarities and binds the two women in motherhood before they ever cross paths. 

“The Uncanny” is by far my favorite episode of the already stunning miniseries.