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American Crime

Credits

Cast

Network

Reviewer

Paul Asay

TV Series Review

ABC’s American Crime is the network’s bid for prestige-drama buzz. The series starts a “fresh” narrative every season, à la FX’s American Horror Story. But unlike the creepy-sexy-gory-campy vibe of that Ryan Murphy production, American Crime is deadly earnest.

American Crime is the brainchild of John Ridley, screenwriter for the Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave. The writing is just as taut as you would expect it to be. Season 1 deals with a complex murder investigation, with that single death impacting, damaging and destroying many other lives along the way. Season 2 tackles a crime no less disquieting: the rape of a boy from a public high school, allegedly at the hands of wealthy private-school basketball players.
The acting is impeccable, with the most violent emotions roiling under the surface of faces desperately trying to keep it together. The drama deals with huge issues—sex, race, privilege—while still remaining intensely character driven. And the showrunners seem inclined to let the action take its time, step by discomforting step.

But let’s emphasize that word discomforting here: While American Crime doesn’t stoop to the ludicrously graphic lows of cable shows like True Detective or the aforementioned American Horror Story, it still feels dark and oppressive and harsh. It doesn’t wallow in blood, nor does it blink and turn away from its reality. And emotional trauma equals or outweighs physical tolls. Terrible deeds are described in chilling detail.

American Crime tells us a great deal about what we already know: race relations are combustible, needing only the smallest of sparks to ignite; even the nicest of people can hold horrible secrets; and when it comes to the most cruel crimes, victims are rarely the only ones hurt. It’s like a ghastly game of Six Degrees of Separation, wherein the ripples roll ever outward.

And perhaps that extends even to those of us who watch. Truth is, American Crime is a “good” television show—which makes the images here stick with you even longer. The misdeeds feel all the more visceral. It makes us absorb the pain, the anxiety, the revulsion. And that, obviously, can cut both ways.

Episode Reviews

American Crime: Jan. 13, 2016 “Season Two: Episode Two”

Taylor, a young male victim of rape, struggles to come to grips with what happened. His frustrated mother, Anne, decides to take the story to the press—without talking it over with her son.

We see another high school boy and an older man kiss and begin to undress. Taylor and his girlfriend kiss. (In both cases, the sexual progression of things is halted.) The camera is invited into the hospital room where Taylor is examined after being raped. Awful images of the crime’s fringes are strewn around social media. And there’s much talk about the assault, including speculation about Taylor being drugged. A girl tells her dad that she’s seen porn, scolds him for not talking about sex.

A wealthy mother yells at her son for buying his girlfriend a $900 bracelet: She asks if it was a gift designed to get the girl into bed with him. We hear lies and deceptions. A woman hits and slaps her one-time boyfriend. People drink alcohol. They say “a–,” “b–ch,” “h—” and “d–n” (a handful of times each). God’s name is misused.

American-Crime: 3-19-2015

“Episode Three”

Gwen’s father succeeds in getting permission to open Gwen’s email account, calling it an answered prayer. His wife confesses that he’ll likely find evidence of Gwen’s infidelity: “Gwen said she needed to be with other men,” she tells him, then going on to talk about the sacredness of marriage vows. Carter, meanwhile, is visited in prison by his Islamic sister, who tells him to beg Allah for forgiveness.

We see Carter stripping for prison guards. (His bare backside shows up on a security camera feed.) We hear about a teen girl fooling around with boys when her dad is gone. We witness family conflict. There’s talk of the damage done by both drug addictions and divorce. A girl rationalizes her drug use, but also lauds her incarcerated boyfriend for taking a knife in the gut for her (from a “crackhead” bent on misusing her). She drinks small bottles of alcohol. Others consume wine and beer and talk about underage drinking at a party. People blurt out things like “b–ch,” “h—” and “a–,” and someone nearly says the s-word, but then thinks better of it. Hector is encouraged to steal drugs from a hospital. Tony gets knocked to the ground, and his nose gushes blood.

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Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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