Pearl is set in 1918 and follows a much younger Pearl, whom viewers first met as a murderous yet sympathetic old woman in X. She's stuck in her family's isolated farmhouse, caring for her ailing father while her overbearing mother watches over her like a hawk. With her husband off to war and her life on the farm getting to her, she dreams of running away and becoming a famous star like she's seen in the movies. Her unyielding ambition leads her to violence as she tries everything in her power to reach the peak of stardom and to be loved as an entertainer.
