Dietland episode 6 review: Plum’s awakening; Julia’s truth

Dietland episode 6

Dietland episode 6 was, more or less from start to finish, a very different installment than any that you’ve seen before.

For starters, the entire course of the story was told within Calliope House, where Plum was doing her best to recover from some of the terrible things that transpired on the most-recent episode of the series. She found herself in need of recovery — as for whether or not she found it, that is a worthy subject of debate. What she found there instead is a number of people doing whatever they can in order to survive and to find themselves some sort of source of adequate healing. Of course, what works for one person clearly does not work for others. This was a real drive for Plum making the decision that she did at the end of the episode, emerging through the metaphorical fires to face off in a meeting against Dom.

The idea that we got from the end of the episode was one of an awakening, one where Plum has realized that she has had enough of some of the coping mechanisms and the pain within this world. Verena’s recognition that she is “awake” at the end of the episode seems to be so much more than just some superficial proclamation. It’s almost a precursor to everything else that could be coming as the story moves along. The episode ended before Plum could say anything else, which is certainly a shame since there are some real opportunities right now for conversations / confrontations with a certain Detective O’Shea.

This episode was very much important for getting to see Plum make it to this point, but also for understanding more of a real Julia and the search for humanity that she is now on in the aftermath of Kitty firing her. She’s got her own plans to execute, but she was also clearly putting up a front during her time undercover at Austin Media. The wig was fake and much of the identity was. Instead, she’s undergone a double mastectomy and is striving for a few different sort of understanding than what can be found in Austin Media. Through her scene with Plum in bed, there was a chance to see a very interesting vulnerability between the two characters — it was an experience that Plum hadn’t quite felt before.

CarterMatt Verdict

Dietland episode 6 on paper may not be the most eventful episode of the season saved for the Julia stuff, but it also feels like one of those installments that, come the end of the season, we’re going to be able to look back at this and be able to proclaim precisely how important it really was to the long-term development of the story.

What did you think about Dietland episode 6 overall? Share right away in the attached comments.

Also, be sure to also like CarterMatt on Facebook for some additional information regarding the series, including some reviews, previews, and so much more pertaining to the series. (Photo: AMC.)

Love TV? Be sure to like Matt & Jess on Facebook for more updates!