Personal, institutional, and social responsibility.
No justice at all.
It offered no escape from the world; it sucked us deeper into it.
Credit: Ryan Green/ABC
The only hope was found in ambiguity of unresolved lives.
I wont easily forget it, and I dont want to, either.
Simpson) and Noah HawleysFargo.
The ratings havent been good.
The shows future is uncertain.
I didnt help the cause much: I came to the season late.American Crimedeserves more time.
I need more dramas like it in my life and challenging my worldview and apathy.
Was Taylor Blaine (Connor Jessup) a misfit teen conflicted about his sexuality raped and assaulted?
From the jump,American Crimepresented this he-said/he-said suburbanRashomonas a mystery to be solved.
With a couple exceptions, they seemed to emerge organically, from character-driven action and reaction.
You could argue that cynicism pushed the story forward.
If the worst thing could happen, it usually did.
When presented with ethical dilemmas, characters routinely chose against virtue.
Kevins father, Michael, suppressed his sons confession of complicity to protect his promising future.
He represented adeus ex machinagambit for Anne and a way to manufacture a climax for the season.
They captured themes that are real and relevant, culturally and personally.
and nobody cares what really happened.
How does he get to own the night?
How does he get to own me?
A few choices that didnt work as well.
I didnt find them heavy-handed or manipulative, but they didnt feel essential, either.
Yet I was moved and grateful for these moments all the same.
They failed as framing devices, but they succeeded as footnotes.
In a season of powerful performances, two spectacular turns suffused it with emotional resonance.
His scenes with Lili Taylors beleaguered, overmatched Anne were always wrenching.
(Lili Taylor was something special, too.)
Im haunted by his face and that slight Mona Lisa curl that could be interpreted any number of ways.
He was mesmerizing in close-up, with his blazingly sad eyes and frank talk.
We could have hated this character.
Instead, he demanded our empathy and won it.
(I saw the episode on Monday, so Ive had a few days to sit with it.)
Taylor was left in a no-win scenario.
His crossroads moment was cross-cut with one for Eric.
His choice is ours.
