Where many doubt her or simply ignore her, he is there to follow Kirby down the winding alleys of the investigation.įor those who can’t, there are plot holes to be had. He is Kirby’s ally in her search for the serial killer stalking the women of Chicago throughout history. A struggling alcoholic, Dan is surprisingly affable and easy to like. Moura, who gained notoriety for his portrayal of Pablo Escobar in Narcos, is a far cry from the Columbian drug lord here. Alongside Moss is Wagner Moura, who plays a reporter at the Tribune named Dan Velazquez. These changes are unfortunately something that Kirby has learned to live with, but that doesn’t mean it is an effective method of storytelling for us as viewers.Īs a slow burn that doesn’t show its hand until halfway through its story, there’s very little to grasp beyond the strong performances of the leads in the first few episodes. Suddenly she comes home and her cat is a dog, her mom isn’t there, and she’s married to her co-worker. There are twists in the show that flip Kirby’s life upside down. Without that knowledge (which I did not have), the show is jarring and confusing. It is vital, as a viewer, to know before going in that this is a crime show but also a fantasy show. Having seen the entire series of eight episodes, I can safely say that I enjoyed Shining Girls, but had you asked me at the halfway point, you probably would have gotten a different answer. RELATED: ‘Shining Girls’ Cast and Character Guide: Who’s Who in Apple’s Thriller Series Moss is extremely compelling as Kirby, who is no-nonsense and extremely sturdy despite living life in flux. She’s living with her mom, she works as an archivist at the Chicago Tribune, and she is just trying to get by after surviving an attack that left her with trauma that affects her memory and sense of stability. When we first meet Kirby, her life is stuck in a rut. The series premiered its first episode at SXSW this year, but keeps much of its true intentions close to the chest. Melding together elements of true crime, time travel, multiple realities, and revenge stories, Shining Girls is labyrinthian at times, but as long as you know what you’re getting into, there’s enough to ground you to the story.Ĭreated by Silka Luisa ( Halo, Strange Angel) the series is based on the novel of the same name by South African novelist Lauren Beukes. But what happens when she learns that the cause of her problems is not merely the result of residual trauma? Shining Girls explores a unique concept that manages to tangle together themes that have been caught in the zeitgeist. After surviving a near-fatal attack, Kirby Mazrachi ( Elizabeth Moss) suffers from gaps in her memory, career stagnation, and constant uncertainty.

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