Following our three favourite kleptomaniacs, the second season of Trinkets is a heart stealer. Although the tone of the show is a lot more serious, there is room for warmth.
The season begins only a couple of days after the season one finale. Elodie Davis (Brianna Hildebrand) is on the road with her indie musician girlfriend but starts to see the cracks in their relationship. It doesn’t take long for her to return home, seeking a sense of normality that won’t be found.
Upon her return home, we see her journey towards sobriety. With her parents cracking down on her stealing addiction, Elodie has no choice but to shape up. In that, she joins band club where she finds a new potential love interest, who is unfortunately still in the closet.
The characters are much more fleshed out this time around. Tabitha Foster (Quintessa Swindell) faces societal issues such as colourism, an important racial issue. While her parents are divorcing because of her father’s infidelity, her boyfriend Luca ghosts her.
This leaves Tabitha to reflect on a bad streak of romances. We watch her manage her way through her traumatic past, all while her ex-boyfriend continues upholding his golden mask.
However, Brady appears to be taking an almost saint-like turn. He takes the blame for the drowning of his car, suggesting some form of character development. Naturally, all that glitters isn’t gold. Instead, Brady’s therapy and supposed healing is a petty attempt at recovering his grades under the guise of mental health treatment.
Again, a poor show. It uses mental health as a ploy to aid an abusive character and further encourage stigma. Because he didn’t have good enough grades to go to Stanford, he uses this to redo his tests.
However, he uses Moe Truax (Kiana Madeira), our third main, to aid in this charade when he catches her cheating. After a fight with Noah, their relationship begins to deteriorate. She then kisses a boy from her robotics club, only to be photographed while doing so.
A teenage drama wouldn’t be whole without some blackmail. Brady uses the picture to pressure her into stealing a test he needs to ace to get into Stanford. This puts a sword through Elodie’s ongoing recovery process.
Meanwhile, Moe deals with identity issues that are ultimately left unresolved. The season begins with her trying her hand at stealing and excessive drinking. However, these issues aren’t properly addressed. It leaves a bitter taste regarding the dismissal of problematic behaviours used as an entertainment crutch.
Through it all, there are still tender moments to smile on.
The girls’ bond grows stronger the more they go through. There is a distinct presence of relationship issues throughout the season. With Tabitha’s parents divorcing she feels closer to Elodie and Moe, and we’re introduced to Moe’s eccentric family.
A fan-favourite forbidden romance therefore arises. Audiences are introduced to Moe’s brother Ben, and it’s revealed that he and Tabitha both crushed on each other. However, Moe refuses to give her blessings when she comments that some things are sacred.
We watch as the young women edge closer into adulthood. There is a defining note of action within the series, as in taking responsibility for them. Overall, the series ends on a positive note rather than a drawn-out hand.
Yes, there were problematic elements in the series. However, the encouraging tone of friendship and resilience makes up for it. We see three young women challenging themselves and each other to lead better lives.
Featured image credit: Droidjournal.com
Deputy Editor of Brig Newspaper. Fourth year journalism and English student at the University of Stirling. Lover of covering social issues and creator of 'The Talk' column for everyone who needs to hear it.
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