Pratik Handore
Paramount+’s ‘Fatal Attraction’ revolves around Dan Gallagher, a public prosecutor whose brief affair with an unstable co-worker, Alex Forrest, destroys his life. The series also explores how Dan’s actions affect the life of his daughter, Ellen. In the sixth episode, Ellen’s storyline takes a sharp turn when she suspects her friend, Stella, of harboring some deep and dark secrets. Hence, viewers must be wondering what Stella is hiding in ‘Fatal Attraction.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Stella Is Ellen’s Friend
Stella first appears in the third episode of ‘Fatal Attraction,’ titled ‘The Watchful Heart.’ In the series, actress Isabella Briggs plays the role of Stella. She made her acting debut with the 2014 thriller film ‘After School.’ She is known for playing Rachel in the 2018 short film ‘Mi Amor.’ However, ‘Fatal Attraction’ marks Briggs’ first major television acting credit, and she appears in a recurring capacity. Briggs’ Stella is a friend of Ellen Gallagher, the teenage daughter of Dan Gallagher. After her father’s imprisonment following his affair with Alex Forrest, Ellen takes an interest in psychology.
Ellen has few friends, making it easy for Stella to befriend her. However, as the narrative progresses, it becomes clear that Stella is uninterested in academics. Furthermore, it is implied that Ellen might be attracted to Stella. In the fifth episode, titled ‘Medial Woman,’ Stella and Ellen discuss their pasts and swap stories of their childhood while getting drunk. As a result, Stella succeeds in earning Ellen’s trust. However, in the following episode, Stella asks disturbing questions about Dan to Ellen, making the latter uncomfortable. As a result, Stella seemingly has another side that she is hiding from Ellen.
Stella Is Hiding a Secret
In the sixth episode, titled ‘The Dillingers,’ Stella and Ellen discuss the latter’s research for her essay. However, Stella quickly changes the conversation to Dan’s involvement in Alex Forrest’s death. Stella questions Dan’s lack of an alibi on the night of Alex’s murder and Ellen’s blind faith in her father’s innocence. As a result, Ellen becomes disturbed and is unable to comprehend Stella’s sudden hostility towards her father. Later, Ellen shares the incident with her mother, Beth. After listening to the entire scenario, Beth suspects something is off about Stella, leading to Ellen investigating her friend. Consequently, Ellen follows Stella and sees her meeting Richard Macksey.
In the fifth episode, Stells and Ellen swap stories, and the former reveals one of her darkest secrets. Stella reveals she is in a sexual relationship with Ellen’s psychology professor, Richard Macksey. After learning of Stella’s relationship with an older man in a position of power, Ellen quietly warns Macksey of the consequences of his actions. During the final moments of episode 6, Ellen sees Stella meeting Macksey outside a restaurant. The ending implies that Stella and Macksey are not only having an affair, but there is also seemingly a larger plot at play. Macksey likely recruited Stella to spy on Ellen for some reason. However, until we learn more about Stella and her relationship with Macksey, it is unclear what exactly the former is hiding from Ellen.
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