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spotlightsaga · 8 years ago

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Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... American Crime (S03E02) Episode 2 Airdate: March 19, 2017 @abcnetwork Ratings: 1.88 Million :: 0.4 18-49 Demo Share Score: 9/10 **********SPOILERS BELOW********** 'American Crime' continues to paint a vivid, morose picture of the goings-on in North Carolina with a very broad stroke. Unlike others, I never had doubts that this large scope the show is surveying would hurt the storytelling in any way. Despite its flaws in the past, 'American Crime' had remained a favorite, a yearly event I look forward to and I think this larger framing will allow the show to have an even bigger impact. I'm a little frustrated that ABC has kind just kind of let their critical darling drown a bit though... Less than 24 hours after this episode aired and its IMDB page has yet to be properly updated and that's not even the icing on the cake. This morning when I looked at the ratings it literally made me sick to my stomach... A series low when AC is firing on all cylinders?! Here we have the show at its most relevant societal sting and ABC still has the cap tightly sealed on their big yellow highlighter. I could probably go on all day about how some of these major networks treat these tremendous portrayals of mirroring modern issues, but I suppose I should just be happy that we were given this 3rd season, which doesn't even have a deal in place with Hulu. Sigh. It doesn't matter, eventually S3 of 'American Crime' WILL find its audience because there are a lot of people out there ready to tackle these issues, whether ABC wants to ring the bell while its airing live or not. That's the beauty of modern day streaming... It gives these types of series a chance to be heard, no matter how mishandled the show is by its original network. The great thing about S3 is the speed and pacing which it must move to properly cover everything it wants to in 8 episodes. I've seen many a show throw an array of issues in their episodes like bullet points on a sheet of paper and they end up lost in translation... Not 'American Crime'. Here we have issues that deal directly with Human Trafficking, modern human slavery, and the broken system in place to attempt to thwart its effects. From top to bottom, Episode 2 takes that broad stroke and centralizes into contrasting themes as much as possible. We see Shae pushed into a situation where they want her to testify against her pimp, yet they throw her in a group home that forces her to do things against her will and now instead of sharing a bedroom with 6 other girls, it's 8. This might be a more positive environment, but it's certainly not an attractive one. Kimara, who wants to help her badly, knows that she's moving from one bleak situation to another... And like her conversation with Abby, it's revealed that she's becoming numb. Meanwhile Kimara's attempts to have a baby on her own 'through science' are also cold and wearing her down. Regina King is just a marvel... And not only does she give us a unique social work perspective, she also provides a look through the eyes of a struggling woman of color, attempting to help but feeling helpless. There were a few scenes (especially that scene where she discussed her fertility woes) when I wanted to reach through my screen and hug her, as every word she spilled was like an emotionally intense keystroke on a piano... But Kimara isn't looking for hugs, and wouldn't accept one anyway. She is the badass that she sets out to be, it's just pouring on her right now and she's stuck outside without an umbrella. Speaking of hugs, Coy could use one as well. He needs a purpose, Isaac is supplying him with one... And drugs as well... But not well enough, as his first day is tainted with weakness and vomiting. It looks like he's taking all his doses at night and then becoming dope sick into his shift. Add that to the harsh conditions and it's quite the toxic mix. I get a strange feeling that Isaac is a little sweet on Coy... Coy is handsome, vulnerable, and tragic... Issac is being pushed to be harder on him, but he pulls back. Something is there, I'm just not sure what yet. I could be reading it wrong, but whatever it is, there's something bigger at play between the two. Luis gave us all a massive surprise... He's been playing dumb and weak, but really he's a man on a mission to find his son... Oh and he speaks English just fine, as he delivered one helluva exit speech to the asshole who tried to keep him from leaving. Luis isn't stuck in this system, he's playing it to get what he wants... An extremely left field hook that I'm overjoyed I didn't see coming. It's yet another unique perspective in this whole intriguing mess. Luis will cause trouble where he goes, I really hope it's not his body that's found in the opening scenes of S3. We can't round this out without a key player in S3 who actually has a lot of clout, but up until this point has been blind to what's really going on... Jeanette Hesby. There's been a fire at one of the farms and several people have died, all of her family members try to occupy her with a meaningless runaround or deflect her inquisitive nature about the fire as personal issues within the family. NO, she's concerned that 15 people have died and no one is talking about it. Now 'American Crime' has me wanting to reach through the television to hug AND punch people, that's good... It's firing me up! Jeanette swallows her pride and plays the subservient wife, but then heads to the scene of the fire... The look of horror and the circular camera angle magnified the vertigo she most likely feels when she realizes just what the hell is going on... Chicken wire on the windows? Who is this guy kidding? These were their slaves that were trapped inside a death trap... And now we can only hope Jeanette feels the same fire that we do as we watch this play out in realtime. She, of all the people in the show, has the heaviest hand when it comes to blowing the whistle... But will she do the right thing? I'm hooked... Season 3 continues.

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georgiapioneers · 7 years ago

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Chatham Co. NC Genealogies and Histories #northcarolinapioneers

Images of Chatham County Wills and Estates

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