The second season of Accused was fairly the expertise.
The anticipated collection returned with a studded and shortened season. Whereas it made do with its eight episodes and robust solid, the general conclusion is that the sophomore season was underwhelming and inconsistent.
It didn’t meet the identical requirements as the primary season. However let’s get into all of that with our Accused Season 2 Report Card.
Greatest Episode – Accused Season 2 Episode 2: April’s Story
Taylor Schilling was implausible as an overwhelmed, working spouse and mom to a baby with behavioral points on Accused Season 2 Episode 2.
The hour was one many might resonate with because it all boiled right down to having an terrible day. Every little thing that would go fallacious went fallacious for April as work, household, and life calls for probed at her without delay.
Highway Rage takes middle stage, however the hour does a implausible job of relating different points in additional nuanced methods to construct as much as the damning second at hand.
It sheds mild on the kind of caretaker burnout that individuals like April, notably moms, usually endure, in addition to the shortage of assist that occurs in an imbalanced marriage.
Apil’s journey to hunt assist for her particular wants son is especially compelling and illuminating relating to the plight of securing providers and assist for households in want.
Her hectic morning became one thing far scarier and extra sinister as a bout of street rage escalated to one thing past comprehension that had her and one other driver’s life in danger and finally resulted in tragedy.
All the hour unfolds like a suspense thriller as we watch April and a very deplorable fellow driver, performed by Justin Chambers, have interaction in a teeth-gnashing street rage incident that has you begging the display for one in all them to easily name it quits.
However nobody does, because the stressors of her on a regular basis life lead April to snap and absolutely decide to being as reckless and harmful as the person harassing her.
“April’s Story” is thrilling and all too acquainted, which makes it one of the crucial relatable hours of the season.
Even if you happen to haven’t been in April’s reveals or can relate to her on any stage, you no less than know individuals who have been and might.
The perfect episodes of Accused are the tales that merely nail the human expertise and resonate with the viewers.
“April’s Story” additionally has a satisfying conclusion that feels no less than considerably life like, given the circumstances.
Worst Episode – Accused Season 2 Episode 5: Margot’s Story
Every little thing about this hour ought to’ve been sturdy.
We had theater legends in an episode that centered on senior-aged friendship.
We’ve already mentioned the significance of seeing senior-led tales on show and the way lengthy we lengthy for easy tales like The Golden Ladies, which stays a staple and beloved collection to many three and 4 generations later.
However “Margot’s Story ” was nothing thrilling. Its makes an attempt to the touch on issues like grief or senior-aged loneliness fell quick. And there was one thing offputting about how naive and gullible Margot was all through the entire hour.
She didn’t must be a likable character, however it could have no less than been good if she was fascinating in any approach, and he or she wasn’t. Nor was the case that concerned a person scamming elders apart from her due to some real connection they made that by no means popped.
Then Margot recklessly pursued her scamming dance teacher and, much more frustratingly, determined to assist him escape. General, it was an underwhelming hour.
Honorary Point out – Accused Season 2 Episode 8: Eugene’s Story
After we discovered in regards to the solid, Ken Jeong stepping right into a extra dramatic position was one of many greatest promoting factors for the second season.
I cannot diminish Jeong’s efficiency as Eugene. He did a superbly sound job, and I sit up for him pursuing different dramatic roles sooner or later.
However total, Accused Season 2 Episode 7 was lackluster and boring. It was tough to attach with or care about most characters, and little or no of what transpired made sense.
Viewers contemplated whether or not Eugene’s idolized model of his supremely flawed spouse existed or was ever possible. It was merely a passing query one had by the tip of the hour that disappeared shortly after as a result of it was laborious to take a position sufficient time to care about and even study the questions and solutions.
Accused sometimes raises fascinating questions on humanity, our flaws, the complexities of the authorized and felony justice system, and extra, however the hour largely simply left us feeling empty.
Weirdest Episode – Accused Season 2 Episode 8: Megan’s Story
A intercourse robotic scandal and homicide would go down as Accused’s most weird episode to this point.
Accused Season 2 Episode 8 took an enormous swing with this one, and it had blended outcomes. Some genuinely loved the hour, whereas others lamented what this collection was.
The episode’s solid was sturdy, and so they all gave stable performances, however the plot felt like one thing from Black Mirror or People. What had been we alleged to do with it?
And since “Megan’s Story” felt like one thing set within the close to future, does that imply we now have Accused increasing its timeline unexpectedly if the collection returns for one more season?
The salacious absurdity of the case overshadowed any conversations about AI, know-how, formidable ladies, and gender roles.
Greatest Main Efficiency – Taylor Schilling
Taylor Schilling helmed “April’s Story,” and he or she carried out just like the lease was due by the tip of the day and the clock was winding down.
Her efficiency was riveting. She stored viewers glued to the screens and bought each little bit of April’s desperation, frustration, and frenzy. Schilling made April such a relatable character who jumped off the display.
Schilling delivered a tour de drive efficiency in a single installment, which can also be why the episode was the most effective of the season and felt essentially the most like Accused Season 1.
Honorary Point out – Michael Chiklis
Chiklis can’t do a lot fallacious, and he as soon as once more delivered one other implausible efficiency throughout Accused Season 2 Episode 4.
“Justin’s Story” lined a lot floor relating to working-class individuals attempting to make do with their lives and the crappy playing cards that life doles out to them with the need to go away a dead-end city and aspire for higher.
By way of Justin, you could possibly really feel all of the heartbreak, resentment, and love poured from him because the hometown hero whose nice shot at making it massive fell by.
He devoted a lot time to making sure that his athletes might get the probabilities that life took from him, and a lot of that was clouded by the real love he nonetheless had for his ex.
The work-class heroes nature of this arc felt extremely genuine and like a uncommon peak into the tales that the majority contact many People but aren’t proven.
Greatest Supporting Efficiency – Dina Shihabi
After all, “Val’s Story” was all in regards to the indelible Cobie Smulders, and it’s no shock that she does a outstanding job carrying the position and sucking us into Val’s story and her expertise as a home abuse survivor.
Val was compelling sufficient in her personal proper, however Shihabi, as Jordan, stole Accused Season 2 Episode 6. The episode simply might’ve targeted solely on Jordan because it was each little bit of her story and expertise, as Val’s.
Shihabi carried out her position as such, a powerful co-lead who might match Smulders little by little and absolutely seize the layers of exploring abuse and the way it impacts those that are survivors of it.
It was a captivating hour that did its diligence in adequately capturing trauma survivors. The stark distinction between Val and Jordan made for a well-rounded strategy to addressing the subject material.
A few of Shihabi’s standout scenes had been her coming clear about all the things whereas on the stand and her vulnerability when expressing the main points of her relationship with Trey to Val, because the sisterhood between these two seemingly opposing figures was cemented.
Visitor Star Who was Wasted: William H. Macy
The season was crammed to the brim with some heavy hitters and acquainted faces, and Accused sometimes does an honest job of using every of them correctly.
However William H. Macy was underused in Accused Season 2 Episode 1, Lorraine’s Story.
Contemplating that Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy starred within the sophomore season and really alongside each other in an episode was an enormous promotional level for the season, the outcome was shockingly underwhelming.
Macy’s character might’ve simply as simply not been a part of the episode for all of his significance, and his muted position and fewer than 4 minutes of display time had been extraordinarily disappointing.
Greatest Plot Twist – TJ/Nico Twin Reveal
One of many season’s greatest and most sudden plot twists was studying that sufferer TJ had a disabled twin brother in “Justin’s Story.”
We spent a lot of the hour attempting to determine the character of the crime and why Justin was standing trial. For many of it, we might assume that he was on trial for disabling a rising athlete sure for greatness.
However then the hour pulls the rug from below our ft by revealing that it wasn’t TJ sitting in that courtroom alongside his mom, however his twin brother, Nico.
The dual reveal additionally added extra layers and context to all of the characters’ motivations and the state of affairs at hand, which was now dire. TJ felt the strain of creating a reputation for himself, largely so he might afford to care for his twin.
Erica lied and lined for TJ and his steroid use as a result of she wanted him to make it massive simply as a lot as he did for a similar motive of serving to the household care for Nico and his medical bills.
Worst Plot Twist – Val and Jordan’s Unrealistic Fortunately Ever After
Val and Jordan escaping any kind of punishment for his or her actions veered deep into unrealistic territory, leading to an ending that undermined an in any other case sturdy episode.
Val threatening the prosecutor with the potential of mendacity on the stand and evoking double jeopardy shifted far into ridiculous storylines for the plot solely and strayed from Accused’s typical strategy when exploring the nuances of the justice system.
The blatant manipulation tactic was offputting and felt like a tacked-on ending for the only real goal of offering Val and Jordan with the kind of pleased ending that usually eludes ladies whose standing as home abuse survivors steadily finds them victims of the justice system, too.
General Grade: C
Accused Season 2 paled in comparison with its debut season, leading to an extremely underwhelming return.
The collection’ formatting shifted just a few occasions, making the strategy to future seasons unclear, and it usually felt as if the collection overpassed what made it so compelling within the first place.
A lot of the instances had been unmemorable, like Accused Season 2 Episode 3. They tried to the touch on too many themes and points with out correctly delving into any of them meaningfully, or they didn’t deal with something in any respect.
The second season had a powerful solid of acquainted faces we liked, however far too many had been underutilized, or the fabric didn’t match their performances.
The entire season was inconsistent. In actual fact, we seen a sample of each mediocre or underwhelming installment being adopted by a powerful one which gave us glimpses of what the collection was. Consequently, the season by no means discovered its rhythm.
Sadly, for a extremely anticipated collection, Accused’s second season fell unfathomably quick and resulted in a median and mediocre season, phrases one by no means envisioned uttering about this collection.
Over to you, Accused Fanatics.
How did you are feeling in regards to the second season?
What had been your favourite components? What do you suppose the collection must work on?
Do you suppose it’ll get renewed? Hold forth beneath!