A New Period

***A New Period*** is the fifth episode in the first season of the T.V. adaptation of *Paper Girls*. It was released on July 29, 2022.

## Synopsis

Adult Erin leads a daring mission home to 1988 that takes an unexpected turn, leading the girls to KJ’s house and a big secret about her future.

## Episode Summary

Adult Erin and the girls travel to 1988. Adult Erin tells Erin to go home. Larry starts to freak out. A pink light lights up the sky and Larry screams “run” to the group. They go into a nearby trailer. Another time traveling robot enters 1988. Larry shoots at it screaming “This is for Juniper” and the robot lasers him down, killing him. The robot screens the area for life and the girls duck to stay out of sight.

Adult Erin tells young Erin to take care of the others while she goes to take care of the robot situation. She tells them all to go and not look back.

Adult Erin reactivates the time traveling robot they came in. She moves it to go fight the other robot. She gets knocked down but gets back up and puts it in manual mode. She starts to lose but presses the red button and the robots both explode into pieces. Preteen Erin sobs seeing her adult self killed.

Members of the Old Watch trace the area looking for survivors. Tiffany tells the girls they need that backpack before it falls into enemy hands. Tiff runs out of the trailer to grab it.

Grand Father and Prioress are both at the scene looking for answers. The probes found two dead travelers at the scene. Grand Father tells her he wants this war to be over more than anything. They talk about someone Prioress lost in the war but he tells her not to make things personal and to do as he says. Prioress rounds up the team to leave.

Tiff runs out and grabs the bag. She runs back into the trailer and tells her that Ablution is about to happen, the event that wipes everyone’s minds. The pink light takes over the sky, but the girls still remember everything after.

Tiff sets out to save Heck and Naldo but KJ tells her that she’s done with this day and wants to go home back to her life. Tiff tells them they still have the guide to every known folding and that they can’t give up. They realize there are American flags everywhere and that it’s not actually Halloween- it’s July 3, 1999. They realized Larry lied to them and never planned on sending them back to 1988.

Erin asks Mac to steal something for her from a convenience store - pads, but she grabs tampons instead. Erin has her period. Tiff reads her instructions on how to insert and remove a tampon. They read about Toxic Shock Syndrome and Erin decides not to use tampons. Mac agrees to get her a “diaper” aka pad.

They all decide to go to KJ’s because her house will be empty because her family goes to Lake Erie every 4th of July. However, her family is having a big party. The girls sneak in to get some food and KJ sees her older self talking to a boy she hates. Erin and Mac tour around the house and try on some clothes. They steal money from the pockets.

Mac asks Erin if it hurt when Adult Erin died. She said she didn’t feel anything. KJ looks at a portrait of her and her family. She looks around and meets one of KJ’s graduate school friends, Lauren. They talk about how KJ as a director and movies in general. Lauren invites young KJ to a movie marathon.

Adult KJ comes back into the room and talks to Lauren. Preteen KJ watches. Adult KJ kisses Lauren on the lips and young KJ seems confused and surprised.

KJ rushes out of the house with Erin, Mac, and Tiff. KJ snaps at Erin who started talking about adult KJ. She seems flustered and punches Mac in the face. Tiff gets frustrated and calls them children. She runs off. The girls follow her. They all go to Stony Stream train station. Tiff uses a pay phone to call adult Tiffany. She leaves a message for her adult self and asks for help. Adult Tiffany picks up the phone.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Riley Lai Nelet as Erin Tieng
	+ Ali Wong as adult Erin
* Camryn Jones as Tiffany Quilkin
	+ Sekai Abenì as adult Tiffany
* Sofia Rosinsky as Mac Coyle
* Fina Strazza as KJ Brandman
	+ Delia Cunningham as adult KJ
* Nate Corddry as Larry

### Recurring Cast

* Adina Porter as Prioress
* Maren Lord as Lauren
* Quetta Carpenter as Nora Brandman
* Christopher Shyer as Ozzie Brandman

## Quotes

> Thought time travel would take a lot longer- that was what, a minute? Less?
>
> Adult Erin

> Old Erin died for a lie.
>
> KJ