Episode 7 of Shining Girls starts in the past, with Kirby heading home and greeting her mother, who is playing loud music before heading out to meet with her band. Kirby is excited, revealing that she's been given a solo by-line at the paper; she's covering a trial on a judge taking bribes. This seems to be her big break... until everything takes the turn for the worst. Harper attacks Kirby from behind while she's out walking her dog, and she's knocked out and cut open. There were apparently a lot of people in the park at that time but for some reason, no one saw the attack. While the idea of a time-traveling serial killer is an intriguing one, it also leaves a lot of headache-inducing questions about the nature of time changing and the rules of the world. However, I'm sure that will be explained in the final episode.
The series has definitely stepped it up a gear though, and this chapter does help to explain some of what's happening around Kirby and the others. Shining Girls has perhaps been a tad overlong and the series has meandered a little earlier on in the run-time, but boy has it made the wait worth it! This was another very solid chapter and sets everything up beautifully for a very intriguing finale to come. When Dan finds out, he's just as angry as Kirby, who realizes that this story is being run without her there. Kirby refuses to let the story go, pointing out that this is her life and she needs to see this through to its conclusion, whether she's working at the paper or not. That night, Jinny prepares for her big night at the planetarium. Despite this being a big deal for her, she's still spooked and concerned about what's happening about Harper. Just before giving her big speech, she shows up at the familiar spot we saw Harper brutally murder her in those previous flashes. However, it's not Harper who walks through the door but Kirby. She's expecting him to show up but he doesn't appear. Meanwhile, Dan and his son track down a receipt from 1981 linking back to that familiar bar we saw in the previous chapter, the one Kirby worked in. With Harper seemingly changing history again, Dan finds an old poster for Klara and in the reflection, notes Harper approaching. Unfortunately, Harper stabs Dan and leaves the reporter bleeding out in a heap on the floor. Harper maniacally walks out with his jacket too, telling Freddie to take care of himself.
