What’s Paper Girls Season 1, Episode 2 about? What do the Paper Girls get up to?
If you missed the other Paper Girls episodes then head here:
- Paper Girls Season 1, Episode 1: Recap and Review
- Paper Girls Season 1, Episode 3: Recap and Review
A Different Paper Girls Adaptation
It becomes pretty clear from just the opening scene of episode two that Paper Girls is going to go in a different direction from the comics. Episode one played out fairly differently, but the confrontation between young Erin and old Erin was inevitable. It was a pivotal part of the comics and needed to happen. For the show, it was an essential plot point that just couldn’t be avoided. However, what happened after that would largely dictate what type of show Paper Girls wanted to be.
What made the comic so special is that it moved fast and was filled with moments of excitement and adrenaline. Episode two made the determination that the show was going to do something different. Compared with the speed in which the plot of the comic moved, the show decided to slow things down and allow the characters to have certain “fish out of water” moments.
They played around with being in the modern era and struggling with making decisions as to what to do next. In the comics, the characters were constantly moving as things were happening around them. While these girls might seem like they embody those characters on the surface, they act quite differently and their bond doesn’t nearly seem as strong.
Paper Girls, Season 1 Episode 2: Recap
The plot for this episode largely focused on the futuristic device the girls found in the previous episode. Unaware of exactly what it is, some of the girls, along with adult Erin, go on a mission to try and discover its purpose. Of course, it’s super futuristic tech and when they bring it to a regular cell phone store the device essentially blows up. That is the main plot aspect of the episode.
There are certain moments of character development as Eric, Mac, and the others try to grapple with the reality of how their lives played out. The only real connection, and by extension any action, suspense, or thrilling scenes, unfolded while Prioress continued searching for the children in the present day. Her scenes were the only ones that had any real sense of tension to them, which is not necessarily a good thing when compared to the source material that had suspense riddled throughout every page.
Paper Girls, Season 1 Episode 2: Review
All in all, it’s hard to classify this episode as bad. However, it’s also hard to classify as good. The show didn’t just slow down its pacing in comparison to the comic. It also shifted in tone a bit. In fact, one might be intrinsically linked to the other. Because the comic book moved so fast, its tone was fairly light-hearted. There was so much sci-fi craziness going on that it was hard to give the plot too serious of a feel. However, because the show slowed down the story’s tempo, it allows for much more serious beats.
Unfortunately, in doing so the show sucks out a lot of the fun and playfulness that made the comic so special and magical. After a first episode that fully embraced its sci-fi roots, it’s unfortunate to see a follow-up episode that largely puts that type of adventure in the back seat to slow-moving character development.
Who’s part of the ‘Paper Girls’ Cast?
The actors who appear in Paper Girls include:
- Sofia Rosinsky as Mac
- Fina Strazza as KJ
- Camryn Jones as Tiffany
- Riley Lai Nelet as Erin
- Ali Wong as Adult Erin
- Adina Porter as Priora
- Nate Corddry as Larry
- Jason Mantzoukas as High Father
What did you think of this episode?
Did you enjoy this episode? What did you think of this adaptation of the Paper Girls comic?
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