Truth Be Told – Season 3 Episode 6 “From My Hand the Poisoned Apple” Recap & Review

From My Hand the Poisoned Apple

Episode 6 of Truth Be Told season 3 starts with Trini being examined in hospital. It’s a scene reminiscent of that from Unbelievable, the Netflix series, but the execution here isn’t quite as polished. Trini is clearly shocked and struggling to open up, let alone vocalize.

Trini isn’t back home of course, because Markus and Zarina are currently there, being questioned by the authorities. The State needs to be sure Trini is in a safe environment before being released, while the house appears to be okay. However, Trini is still mentally part of the trafficking and it’s not going to be an easy ride to get her back to where she was.

Meanwhile, Eva and Poppy try to work their way into pinpointing which John is the one to open up and spill the details on Andrew Finney and his connection to Trini and the other trafficked girls. With his opponent dropping out of the upcoming elections, Finney seems like he’s on course for an easy run to office.

Aames questions Peter about the cocaine over at Victor’s cabin. He indirectly asks whether he’s involved in Emily’s disappearance. Peter though refuses to talk and lashes out, telling him he should be uncomfortable about his job security now that he’s kicked this hornet’s nest.

Aames is not happy when he finds out about Poppy’s lies, the lies that she selfishly played to try and get Trini and the others to safety. Poppy is proud of her actions though, pointing out she’d do the same again in a heartbeat. Aames is disgusted at Poppy’s moral compass and tells her they’re done and he’s putting everything into trying to find Emily Mills. Not only that, but the Capstones are now under fire, and those men from the seedy party who were arrested are also out on bail too. This doesn’t go down well with Markus, who shows up and demands answers. Aames obviously can’t give them.

Poppy, ever the opportunist, decides to get another juicy scoop for her podcast. This time, wanting Eva to open up and discuss her past and air it out. Part of this comes from writing down her journey and everything she’s done to come out the other side stronger, despite still feeling numb right now. Speaking of feeling numb, Trini begins to spiral back home, getting angry and struggling to get through to Aubrey, whom she messages constantly.

Eva comes under fire at school for her continued absences, with her superior telling her she needs to distance herself from Poppy as she’s a bad example. She heads over that night, telling Poppy she can’t do the podcast. However, she points out they’ll find Finney and make him pay no matter what.

Part of this comes from a slightly different angle to getting results, with Poppy using her inside contacts at the station to get Drea’s file photographed and messaged over. Within this file it lists that the needle and floss from the motel were both signed in as evidence. It was checked out two hours later but never checked back in. It would seem that there’s a dirty cop or two at OPD.

There’s a subplot here involving Desiree taking a girl called Melanie under her wing, staying at her place. She realizes late on that her mum’s not coming back for her, and after her mum’s boyfriend got her into the trafficking business, she’s struggling to adjust to normality since. Poppy senses this as an opportunity to get involved and begins asking about the mixers.

Apparently a cop called “Cubo” was an active part of all this. Cubo stands for ‘Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer’. She also knows that Cubo lived near trains. And what are the bets that this dirty cop happens to be Ames’s partner?

Poppy heads off to see Aames again and points out that there’s missing evidence and dirty cops involved in all this. Poppy apologizes and promises to make this up to him, as well as Emily’s parents.

Markus and Zarina believe that the best course of action for Trini is professional help. However, that would mean carting her off again, this time to Jackson, Wyoming. That’s a tough call for hot-headed Markus to take.

It’s similarly a tough pill for Leander to swallow, when their bar receives a notice of noncompliance on their ramp and handrail guidelines. If it’s not ADA compliant then they’re going to be shut down. Instead, the rep is cursed out and forced to leave.

As the episode closes, Trini is taken off to the center, while Markus takes some dutch courage (alcohol) and waits outside Finney’s house. At the same time, Eva decides that she’s ready to talk on Poppy’s podcast.

The Episode Review

Maybe it’s just me but Poppy is both unlikable and selfish. The way she bulldozes over absolutely everyone to get what she wants, while also simultaneously trying to bolster her own profile and make everything about her, makes for a very difficult protagonist to rally behind.

Even when she’s presumably “doing the right thing”, there’s still an undercurrent of opportunism here as she brings up her podcast. The fact that she’d use Emily Mills as a pawn “in a heartbeat” without a single bit of remorse for how her parents may be feeling is telling unto itself and arguably the worst line this show could have given Poppy.

This episode does go some way to show the damage trafficking and sexual assault has done to these young girls but compared to something like Unbelievable, it doesn’t quite compare. We really needed a good 10 minutes of letting the camera rest on Trini, no cheesy music or echoey montages, and just allowing the emotions to seep through.

Truth Be Told is arguably an improvement this year compared to season 2, but it’s still a far cry from more gripping dramas out there. It’s certainly not bad though!