After last episode, we all knew Kimberly wasn’t going to keep what she saw to herself. It was a matter of how far she would twist the truth. And Elle Season 1 Episode 3 ‘You’re Not The Girl I Thought You Were’ give us the answer. The frustrating part? Nothing actually happened between Elle and Miles. They have a crush with each other, yes, but they’re respecting the boundaries, especially Elle. So this episode it’s about Elle deciding what kind of person she wants to be. Ready?
Here we go!
Elle’s Fake Relationship with Dustin it’s About Protecting Shannon
Kimberly’s accusation in Elle Season 1 Episode 3 ‘You’re Not The Girl I Thought You Were’ hits exactly where Elle is most vulnerable because there’s a painful truth hidden inside the lie. Elle does have a crush on Miles. She hates herself for it, and that’s precisely why she’s determined to make sure nobody believes Kimberly—especially Shannon.
One of the things we love about all of this Miles/Elle situation is that it never lets us question Elle’s loyalty. She doesn’t pull away from Miles because she stops liking him. If anything, her feelings are becoming harder to ignore. She distances herself because she refuses to become the kind of girl Kimberly thinks she is—the girl who steals her friend’s boyfriend.
Elle already carries enough guilt over feelings she never asked to have. Acting on them isn’t even an option in her mind. But Kimberly doesn’t believe it. So, desperate situations call for desperate measures. If everyone in Elle Season 1 Episode 3 ‘You’re Not The Girl I Thought You Were’ believes she’s dating Dustin, Kimberly’s rumor immediately loses credibility. It’s a smart solution, even if we all know it’s built on borrowed time.
Dustin, finally, agrees to help. Part of it is because pretending to date Elle gives him the perfect excuse to continue investigating Principal Anderson without raising suspicion. But another part is much simpler: he likes her. He can tell himself they’re just friends all he wants, yet every episode makes it harder to believe that’s all this is.
The irony, of course, is that the only person who doesn’t seem prepared for this arrangement is Miles.
He can’t understand why Elle suddenly becomes so distant after the ball. He keeps looking for excuses to talk to her, trying to recover whatever changed between them, only to find out she’s supposedly with Dustin now. And his reaction in Elle Season 1 Episode 3 ‘You’re Not The Girl I Thought You Were’ says it all. He’s so jealous! The problem is that Miles still refuses to confront what those feelings actually mean.
Because while it’s obvious that he likes Elle, he never once considers ending things with Shannon. Instead, he continues trying to have both worlds at once. He stays with his girlfriend while constantly looking for reasons to be around Elle, then can’t hide how bothered he is whenever Dustin enters the picture.
That’s not fair to Shannon. And it certainly isn’t fair to Elle. And sooner or later, that’s going to explode.
Liz and Elle’s Friendship is the Heart of Elle Episode 3
As entertaining as the fake dating, jealousy, and love triangle are, Elle Season 1 Episode 3 ‘You’re Not The Girl I Thought You Were’ gives us something even more meaningful: proof that Elle and Liz’s friendship is becoming real.
Let’s be clear, Liz has every reason to doubt Elle’s intentions. Elle sees Liz as a friend, but Liz can’t shake the feeling that guilt is the only thing keeping them together. After everything that happened with Donna, she’s convinced Elle spends time with her because she feels responsible, not because she actually wants to.
And when Elle can’t name a single thing she likes about Liz in Elle Season 1 Episode 3 ‘You’re Not The Girl I Thought You Were,’ it’s impossible not to understand why Liz walks away hurt. For Liz, it’s clear that Elle hasn’t really stopped to know her. But the pool party becomes the perfect opportunity to prove what their friendship really means for Elle.
She finds herself trapped, hiding in Kimberly’s bedroom wearing nothing but a bikini after realizing the party wasn’t what she expected. And when she needs help, there’s only one person she thinks to call. Liz. Because she is her friend. And is then when Elle finally finds the words she couldn’t earlier.
In Elle Season 1 Episode 3 ‘You’re Not The Girl I Thought You Were,’ Elle confess that being around Liz makes her feel different. Liz doesn’t spend her life worrying about everyone else’s opinions. Around her, Elle doesn’t have to constantly calculate who she’s supposed to be or whether she’s saying the right thing. She can be herself.
And Liz makes Elle do exactly that in front of everyone. No more hiding. It’s time to forget what others think and just do what she wants. And she does. And we love that because, for the first time, we see Elle embrace her individuality and be true to herself no matter what. The moment becomes even sweeter when Dustin joins her on top of the table. Their chemistry continues growing, and it’s impossible not to notice how much more obvious Dustin’s feelings become with every episode.
And Miles notices too…
But just when it feels like Dustin and Elle are building something special, Elle Season 1 Episode 3 ‘You’re Not The Girl I Thought You Were’ pulls the rug out from under us.
Dustin promised to Elle he wouldn’t do anything about Principal Anderson thing, and then he used the party to do precisely that. He lied to her. And Elle is so angry with him…. He looked her in the eye, made a promise, and broke it the first chance he got. Trust, once broken, isn’t something you can explain away. And Elle is right here.
To Dustin’s credit, he clearly regrets hurting Elle. Unfortunately for him, Elle isn’t ready to hear him. So the connection they’d been building comes crashing down and we’re in tears!
Random Thoughts About Elle Season 1 Episode 3
- That fight between Elle and Dustin was hot, right?
- We love how Elle and Dustin work together.
- Miles is Elle’s neighbor!
- We can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen with Elle’s Cosmo application.
- Eva tries to run from her past only to have it catch up with her… It’s clear she hates Seattle and the situation her husband put them in, but she’s just putting on a smile and not showing what she really feels. She’s a ticking time bomb.
Elle Season 1 is available to stream now only on Prime Video.
