Premiering January 6th at 10 pm, American Crime returns with a strong and compelling hour of television.
American Crime enters its second season on the heels of an Emmy win for Regina King. The series takes upon a new issue, this time the focus is 'Sexual assault' and that is just as sensitive as the former. Issues of sexual orientation and socioeconomic disparity come to a boil when lurid photos of a high school boy, Taylor Blaine, are posted on social media following a school party.
Connor Jessup makes his debut in the premiere as Taylor Blaine. Blaine is a quiet, unsporting and a lonely individual. He surprisingly gets an invite to a basketball party held for the new captain. But, his world changes forever when drunken photos of him are posted online. With Taylor only able to remember fragments of what happened that night, he starts to question if he was a victim of sexual assault. That results in Blaine feeling more alone than ever and distancing himself from those who care for him.
Anne takes the issue to his school but is left appalled and disgusted by the lack of response she gets from headmistress Leslie Graham (Felicity Huffman). Graham refuses to pursue anything further than an inquiry without concrete proof, and with Dan Sullivan (Timothy Hutton) backing his players fully noting that they are good men, they have nothing until Taylor can remember fully what happened.
This is a touching story, and it will grab you emotionally. American Crime plays to its strengths which is the accurate storytelling of real life situations. This is Taylor's story, and you will want to find out if he gets the justice he deserves. The premiere episode builds up enough tension between characters and enough suspense and intrigue that it will leave you wondering what exactly happened that night and who was involved. You will want to find out.
American Crime also introduces us to the entire main cast within the hour and offers us many potential storylines. Though Taylor's will be the main focus throughout the season, there is more than one issue being raised in this premiere. The tackling of real life issues and situations is incredible, and Crime continues to show why it's one of the most gripping, unique dramas out there.
Crime also manages to outdo its previous premiere with a much more compelling and emotional episode. The subject matter is more delicate, but that only makes the performances from the core cast even better. Jessup and Taylor shine as mother and son and are excellent throughout the premiere showcasing their characters emotional responses to what has happened. Both are affected by what happened to Taylor, and you can see that visually through their performances.
Summary
The first season was great, but the premiere episode lacked a story, something this premiere focuses more on. There isn't as much going on which will make you connect quickly with the characters and the central stories. The cast is at the top of their game, and dropping a few actors from the first season and replacing them with Taylor and Jessup has made the cast one of the strongest on television. This is one show you don't want to miss. And even if you didn't like the first season, this one will have no connection to it. It feels like a new show, and a much better one at that.
As always, thank you for reading. Let me know in the comments if you will be watching the season 2 premiere!
