Cutline

**Cutline** is the premiere episode of the first season of the *Shining Girls* television series. It aired on the Apple TV+ streaming TV service on April 29, 2022.

## Synopsis

*Kirby Mazrachi suspects her attacker from years earlier may be responsible for a recent murder, but she's challenged by her shifting reality*.

## Plot

In the year 1964, Harper Curtis speaks to 6 year old Kirby and discusses the impending rain. After discussing the toy zoo that she has constructed and pulling the wings off of a bumblebee, he leaves her a small gift - a small wooden pegasus. Although she says she doesn’t want it, he claims that she will take it as that is what she always does.

In 1992, Kirby, who lives with her Mom, Rachel, and works at the *Chicago Sun-Times*, goes to work to find that someone is sitting at her desk. Except they’re not, and it seems that Kirby is simply confused.

Eventually, a reporter named Dan has a news story after there was a body found in the tunnels of LaSalle. When Kirby hears of the murder, she meets with Detective Lynsky who wants her to go through some photo IDs. She won’t, though, as she never saw her attacker, which means he could literally be anyone. When Kirby returns home, a dog named Grendel appears, and it’s something that she writes in her notebook.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jin-Sook (Jinny) Gwansun, a scientist, finds a dead, wingless bumblebee in her office before later going outside and finding an abandoned umbrella. Whilst at work, Kirby sneaks into notes related to the recent murder, Julia Madrigal, and finds the address of the possible murderer. She heads over to the house and speaks to the suspect, Pavel. Although hesitant, Kirby steps inside to talk to Pavel. He says that he did not hurt Julia and had only known her for five months. Listening to him, Kirby realises from his voice that he is not the same man who attacked her.

After Dan spots Kirby near the house, and clearly distressed, he takes her to a restaurant. As she reveals that her attack was six years ago, she also adds that she was cut up just like Julia. The only difference is that Kirby survived.

Harper meets with Jinny and asks her if she recognises him, to which she doesn’t.

To help aid the investigation, Kirby agrees to be examined by the medical examiner, Iris. However, as her wounds get checked, Iris turns into Howard. It freaks Kirby out, and the examination stops abruptly. Later on, she tells her Mom, “Nothing is where it should be; I don’t recognise it anymore. It starts with little things, and then big things”. With Rachel possibly not understanding the whole situation, she advises her daughter to figure out her problems right where she is.

Once Kirby comes to believe that the killer may have left something inside of Julia, she asks Dan to get Howard to look into it. After Harper brutally murders Jinny, Kirby returns to the flat she shares with her Mom. Except she mixes up the apartments. She checks her driver's license and finds that instead of living in apartment 2B, she now lives in 3B. When Kirby enters 3B, Grendel is now a cat. And her Mom is no longer living there. Instead, Kirby lives there with her husband, Marcus.

## Cast

### Starring

* Elisabeth Moss as Kirby Mazrachi
* Wagner Moura as Dan Velazquez
* Phillipa Soo as Dr. Jin-Sook Gwansun
* Chris Chalk as Marcus
* Amy Brenneman as Rachel
* Jamie Bell as Harper Curtis

### Guest Starring

* Erika Alexander as Abby
* Sadieh Rifai as Lakshmi Awad
* Kevin Gudahl as Detective Shawn Lynsky
* Alex Goodrich as Bertie
* Marc Grapey as Howard
* Jason Wells as Ben
* Deanna Reed-Foster as Sheila
* Brian Boland as Detective Ronnie Samuels
* Nate Burger as Gary
* Hanna Dworkin as Iris Laskaris

### Co-Starring

* Mazie Landfear as Girl (young Kirby)
* Wendi Weber as Archival Supervisor
* Jack Lancaster as Archival Assistant
* Marcin Marszalek as Pawel Banik
* Richard Cotovsky as Neighbor
* Christopher Meister as Clarence
* Dee Dee Batteast as Teacher
* Julitta Brecher as Babcia
* Matthew Lucki as Traffic Cop
* Jimmy Carrane as Senior Reporter
* Lou Canellis as TV Reporter #1
* Samantha Chatman as TV Reporter #2
* Patrick Rooney as Theo
* Oswaldo Calderon as Bar Back

## Images

### Cast Images

Kirby MazrachiDan VelazquezDr. Jin-Sook GwansunMarcusRachelHarper CurtisAbby