CONVICTION SEASON 1: THE FULL COLLECTION, EPISODES 1-13 (8.6 AVERAGE)
Conviction - 1x01 "Pilot"
"Hayes Morrison is blackmailed into heading the new Conviction Integrity Unit. Their first case is that of Odell Dwyer, who was charged with murdering his girlfriend eight years ago."
Conviction had a very pilot-esque pilot. Much like MacGyver and Bull, the two other new shows on this list so far, its premiere was very "sell the premise" more than anything else. The introduction sequence, which chopped between Hayes talking to District Attorney Conner Wallace in her prison cell, and Wallace announcing to the press the CIU's creation, was much too hard to keep up with and felt very rushed.
However, the rest of it was excellent. Getting people out instead of putting them in jail is a great premise, and seeing an investigation in reverse felt very novel. The investigation itself was slick, natural and even provided the necessary reminder that not everyone in law enforcement was going to get along with the CIU.
But the show needed to have a great character set to come together, and each of them has a unique perspective on their job - there's Sam, who had been promised Hayes' job before being betrayed; Frankie, a gay forensic analyst convinced of the good in everyone; Tessa, with a dark secret about her identity; and Maxine, the ex-cop there to protect good cops' reputations. With that, you have a set of full, well-rounded characters topped off with Hayley Atwell's Hayes Morrison, a dynamic (some people have so far said "bitchy") lead who is yet to shrug off her rich brat persona.
VIEWERS: 5.17m (Looks like it will struggle in Castle's old 10pm Monday slot; lost out to NBC's Timeless)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.9 (Again, battered by Timeless. A troubling start)
VERDICT: The character personalities are so brilliant and diverse here, more so than on most other shows, that the bad ratings are worrying me already. But as for the premiere itself: top, top draw beyond its rushed introduction. 8.5/10
Conviction - 1x02 "Bridge and Tunnel Vision"
"For the CIU's second case, Hayes goes after a conviction of Wallace's: exonerating the Prospect Three for the rape of a woman in Prospect Park ten years ago."
It was a huge statement of intent, both character-wise and writing-wise, to have Hayes Morrison go straight for one of her boss's old cases in episode two, but it's completely in line with her personality and set the determined tone of the show.
The Prospect Three, who had so far spent 10 years of an 18 year sentence in prison for raping a woman named Zadie Daniels in Prospect Park when they were teenagers, all claimed innocence, even though there was plenty of evidence at the time to convict them. There were kinks, however: sperm found in Zadie's rape kit hadn't been compared to the boys' DNA because they confessed, but those confessions were coerced by the police. It turned out Zadie had been having consensual sex with a married man but amnesia from the trauma wiped it from her memory - until the man told her and she decided not to come forward in case her attackers went free. In the end, it transpired that one of the Prospect Three had indeed attacked Zadie, but not the other two, and their convictions were rightly vacated.
This whole murder plot was a little predictable (of course it would be one of the three rather than all of them), but it was gripping all the same. All of the character interactions from episodes one to two were organic: Sam was still pissed he lost the job to Hayes (and this was expanded more when he nearly gave an exposé to a reporter); Frankie met his jail lover again and Tess's past was mentioned by Maxine, who is really the only dislikeable character in the show. I understand the need for a grounded voice to remind everyone that these people they investigate might not actually be innocent, but her staunch defence of any and every cop at any and every turn is a little grating. Also, Frankie's use as forensics expert seems never to be called upon - and that's a large issue the writers need to amend.
VIEWERS: 4.23m (Very worrying)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.8 (Dangerously low)
VERDICT: The flaws in characterisation are beginning to show, but the at-odds nature of the team dynamic is shining. Good, if predictable, writing created a strong second episode. 8.5/10
Conviction is making another statement with "Dropping Bombs": even the hateful shouldn't be wrongfully in prison. The man convicted of the bombing, Landon, is an anti-Muslim preacher whose bomb-making instructional blogs matched the composition of the bomb which killed four Muslims in a mosque, although he claims not to have done it since if he had he would have killed more than four. It's on the edge from start to finish, placing front and centre the moral question of whether Landon should be in prison if he was not the bomber, even if by releasing him he will simply go out and actually bomb a mosque himself.
The strength of this question - and the arguments for and against releasing Landon - permeated the CIU and had them all at odds: some were against Landon being released, some were simply resigned to following the law if he was in fact wrongfully convicted. Frankie's refusal to help vacate Landon's conviction led to Hayes firing him - but Tess talked him into staying. (Also, Frankie's forensics work was shown this week, something I had mentioned previously would need to appear soon. I'm glad it did.) In the end, Sam Spencer arranged for Landon to assault a prisoner, therefore committing a felony that would keep him in prison for a long time. Bit of a copout, but better than having him killed, which had been my first thought.
We also learnt a little more about Maxine when we met her father running a small bar, and the cliffhanger ending in which leaked CCTV footage of Hayes' imprisonment for cocaine possession (and Wallace's blackmail) sets up a fantastic fourth episode next week. I was surprised by this move: I had figured the writers might wait a little before letting this cat out of the bag in-canon. But after all, they're on fire - and this is as hot as it gets.
Conviction - 1x03 "Dropping Bombs"
"The CIU investigate whether a hate preacher convicted of bombing a mosque truly was the culprit."
Conviction is making another statement with "Dropping Bombs": even the hateful shouldn't be wrongfully in prison. The man convicted of the bombing, Landon, is an anti-Muslim preacher whose bomb-making instructional blogs matched the composition of the bomb which killed four Muslims in a mosque, although he claims not to have done it since if he had he would have killed more than four. It's on the edge from start to finish, placing front and centre the moral question of whether Landon should be in prison if he was not the bomber, even if by releasing him he will simply go out and actually bomb a mosque himself.
The strength of this question - and the arguments for and against releasing Landon - permeated the CIU and had them all at odds: some were against Landon being released, some were simply resigned to following the law if he was in fact wrongfully convicted. Frankie's refusal to help vacate Landon's conviction led to Hayes firing him - but Tess talked him into staying. (Also, Frankie's forensics work was shown this week, something I had mentioned previously would need to appear soon. I'm glad it did.) In the end, Sam Spencer arranged for Landon to assault a prisoner, therefore committing a felony that would keep him in prison for a long time. Bit of a copout, but better than having him killed, which had been my first thought.
We also learnt a little more about Maxine when we met her father running a small bar, and the cliffhanger ending in which leaked CCTV footage of Hayes' imprisonment for cocaine possession (and Wallace's blackmail) sets up a fantastic fourth episode next week. I was surprised by this move: I had figured the writers might wait a little before letting this cat out of the bag in-canon. But after all, they're on fire - and this is as hot as it gets.
VIEWERS: 4.49m (Slightly up on last week but it won't matter much)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7 (Replacement level. If Conviction is lucky it might get the chance to play out its 13 episodes)
VERDICT: The shockingly unapologetic client caused turmoil amongst the CIU, even if the way he was kept from escaping justice was poor. 9/10
Each of the first four Conviction episodes have been so brilliant in the cases they've investigated, so excellent in their writing that I find it stunning the show is struggling to the point of near-cancellation already. But the biggest winning feature of the show far is that each of the four episodes have been so closely linked from one to the next that it really feels - more so than most other shows I watch - like this is a world that follows itself each week. Hayes can be counted on to purposefully or otherwise wreak havoc on the lives of those around her (today we saw the leaked footage of her swept-under-the-rug cocaine bust lead to allegations of corruption towards Wallace), and even past cases have a knock-on effect (episode 3's treatment of the Landon case and Counter-Terrorism Unit's dislike of Hayes's treatment of their officers both got mentioned here). Add to that the way that all our CIU characters - Hayes, Sam, Maxine, Tess and Frankie - all disagree and take different stances on guilt or innocence with each case that they take on, it's just incredible writing that isn't slowing down.
With "Mother's Little Burden", another controversial topic was broached in child murder. The incarcerated mother Penny Price, played by Teri Polo (looking very different to her Meet the Fockers days), claims she did not kill her autistic son Owen with a toxic dose of soy sauce - and CIU prove that Owen actually died of an insulin overdose. That insulin was stolen from a neighbour whose brother worked as a housemaid for the Price family, so the father (Tim Guinee) was of course suspected. In the end, it was Penny's daughter Emily who was the culprit: Owen's autism was having a horrifyingly draining and disruptive effect on everyone in the family and she just wanted it all to stop. Of course, upon hearing that we see another outcome of a CIU case: that this time the convicted person isn't guilty, but they sacrifice themselves for someone they love, as Penny does by remaining in prison to protect her daughter. It was a touching and heartbreaking episode that just continues to show why Conviction is one of the best written new shows of the season.
VERDICT: Another fantastic episode and had a slew of great guest stars. The rollercoaster that is Conviction continues. 8.5/10
Following directly on in both plot and subplot from Hayes' interview meltdown about privilege benefiting those who have committed crimes, "The 1% Solution" asks the question more confrontationally by having Hayes put CIU on the case of an underprivileged man, Jared Willett, convicted of killing a rich woman, Debra Porter. The case took a number of turns, including evidence the defence refused to submit in the original trial, the murder weapon being planted on someone else and the eventual revelation that Jared and the rich woman's son, Sean, had perpetrated the murder together because it was heavily inferred she disapproved of their gay relationship. It was another hot topic, but this time gave some relief to all the freeing of convicts CIU had been doing by having the conviction they were investigating turn out to be legitimate.
In the main subplot Hayes, kicked out of her brother Jackson's house, began sleeping in the CIU offices and called Jackson every morning until he picked up and let her apologise for her interview meltdown. And Wallace, now under investigation by the FBI for corruption, told Hayes their personal relationship was over and hired hotshot lawyer Naomi Golden as his attorney - a woman who happened to be the ex-girlfriend of both Wallace and Hayes. While I don't particularly like Jackson's character at all - he's smarmy and doesn't care for the moral exposure Hayes provided in her interview because it negatively affects him - I enjoy Wallace and Hayes pitted against each other, and hiring their ex is a sure way to push them further apart.
Finally, Frankie struggles with his conscience as he tries to decide whether he should present his imprisoned boyfriend's case to CIU for review, in the end concluding he needs more time to think about it. I wonder if the show will cover this, given it's likely to only have another 8 episodes left before cancellation. A case revolving around one of the team's close friends or relatives would be an interesting break from the usual format.
VIEWERS: 3.74m
The controversial and edgy is always a great place to stand when you want to create compelling TV. Conviction has done that in the previous 5 episodes, if you ask me, but none of those 5 put together could start as much of a conversation as "#StayWoke". White cops killing black people is a huge issue in the modern-day world; to study both sides of that, "#StayWoke" flips the script and follows CIU attempting to exonerate a black activist for the murder of a white cop.
Everything boils over here: race, sex, profession. There's no side of the argument that's good to be on, and that was well-addressed in the CIU's infighting at the beginning of the episode. Does an all-white jury prosecuting a black woman amount to racism? Is a protest called a riot if undertaken by black people and a demonstration by white people? The furnace got hotter and hotter until the episode concluded in really the only way it could: Porscha was exonerated. Not that there was ever any question of that - ABC and Conviction couldn't have the moral of this story be yes, the black woman did it. And she didn't. Porscha was exonerated. The race debate continues.
Character-wise, we learnt a little more. Hayes and Wallace's ex, hostshot lawyer Naomi, showed up to defend Wallace's corruption charge and hit on both of them - but ended up in Wallace's office in the final shot. We learnt Maxine is a recovering pill addict (19 months, 2 days), and the man Tess identified as her aunt's murderer when she was 12 wasn't actually the killer, and that every day since his exoneration she's visited his coffee truck and left a substantial tip in penance. I really like Tess and I need her to get her forgiveness before Conviction is over.
VIEWERS: 4.31m
"A Simple Man" was a comedown after the highly charged episode before it, but it had everything it needed to as once again Conviction's unrivalled aptitude for story and character continuity blossomed. Wallace took his revenge on Hayes for bringing an FBI corruption investigation to his door by allowing a documentary crew to follow her and CIU, something he knew she would resent after growing up in the limelight as a former First Daughter. The premise of characters being followed by a documentary crew is an overcooked one these days, but for Conviction the choice to adopt it was valid - and they rightly chose not to let the typical low-quality camera trope interfere with what they had built, leaving an actually satisfying documentary episode in its wake.
Other continuity included Max's drug use, which, after being revealed in the previous episode, spiralled when she popped a pill following comments Sam had made about her which the documentary crew took out of context. Bastards. And I'm sad for Max, too. Tess expanded even more on the sequence of events surrounding her wrongful conviction of Matty for her aunt's murder when she was 12, and the camera crew managed to corner Sam into talking about Greg Stainer, the security guard who killed himself in front of him and Max in the previous episode.
One standout scene was Hayes trying to get information from a money launderer: she wrote down on a pad of paper that his office was bugged in order to trick him into providing written proof of his corruption. Sneaky. I thought it was brilliant - like the majority of "A Simple Man", which concluded with the reveal that one of the 3 brothers' wives had tricked Leo into putting kitty litter in the wrong bin so she could start the fire.
The biggest character-centric episode of the season so far and it didn't come in quite the way I'd expected, although it was executed very well. Sam's conviction of a schoolteacher, Mr. Fleck, who ten years ago kidnapped and murdered a young female student named Sierra Macy, seemed airtight - until Sierra escaped from the basement of her real captor and CIU naturally took on the case. It was a point of pride for Sam to prove he hadn't made a mistake even as CIU tore his conviction apart, and he and Hayes were both brutal in this episode: Sam in his vehemence that Mr. Fleck was guilty, and Hayes towards Sam for his shoddy work.
The team weren't so divided by this week's case, however, perhaps because there was a distinct lack of Tess and Frankie. Most of the case-based drama came between Hayes, Maxine and Sam, as Hayes continually pushed Sam to face up to his potential mistake. And in the end, of course, Mr. Fleck was cleared and Sam's conscience was left heavy by the realisation that he had cost an innocent man 10 years of his life.
Elsewhere, Wallace was cleared of corruption after Hayes stepped in and fabricated a lie that wouldn't leave either of them open to repercussions - although Wallace's gameplan (which was to subtly manipulate Hayes into doing just that) seems to have broken their relationship. And with the corruption charge gone, is their mutual ex Naomi gone too, or will she stick around to fan the flames? I hope the latter. Finally, Maxine's drug use continued, with the scale of it increasing - as is my concern for her. It's a little plotline now, but it will surely and shortly come front and centre.
Appropriately titled "A Different Kind of Death" was a look into another avenue Conviction rightly explored: an innocent Death Row inmate. Earl Slavitt was convicted of murdering AUSA Tom Simon, a friend of Wallace's back in the day: therefore, ignoring the animosity between himself and Hayes, Wallace foists the case upon CIU 5 days before Slavitt's scheduled execution and tags along for the ride, to make sure Slavitt really was guilty.
The pressure of having to prove Slavitt innocent with only 5 days before his execution, with all CIU's attempts to halt it failing, led to the most panicked episode of the series. The stakes were huge: prove Slavitt innocent and get him out of prison before the State killed him. Unfortunately for Slavitt, CIU were just too late. For me, that was always the predictable ending, but for once I was rooting for the predictable ending. Conviction needed Slavitt to die, needed to find a way to say that even when their characters put in their best efforts and prove a man innocent, that isn't always enough to beat the system. Of course, in the real world Wallace wouldn't have left it to the last minute to put CIU on the case and Slavitt would have lived, but his death was necessary.
Props to the editing: that 30 seconds where Hayes is desperately rushing through the explanation of why Slavitt's innocent in a voicemail to Wallace while unbeknownst to her Slavitt's execution is already underway is one of the best scenes I've seen all season. Having her panicked explanation as a voiceover to Slavitt being led to his death was a phenomenal moment and I can't put into words what I felt. It was just heartbreaking.
Elsewhere, Max's drug use was spotted by eagle-eyed Sam, and Hayes' mother's Senate run continues. How are these going to wrap up with 4 episodes left?
Hot button topics are bread and butter to Conviction: in "Not Okay", the show explored the sadly very relevant topic of university campus rape, along with the ethics of what does or doesn't amount to rape. Much like in episode 6, where the CIU argued a case based on racial prejudice, the moral discussions here were fantastic, and no argument made here is wrong - but every argument is right. And once again, given the controversial nature of the topic, the writers covered themselves well by ensuring these arguments applied the right questions to the topic without apportioning blame to any undeserving party. And by this point, these moral debates amongst CIU staff are totally normal - which character is on which side of what argument and why? - but unbelievably engrossing.
Unfortunately, the plot didn't quite stand up momentum-wise, as it was underlined by Hayes' over-vehemence to stick a middle finger up to the system; where before she fought fairly, this time she almost wanted Sophie to be the killer just so that she could free a guilty person in return for an innocent man being given the lethal injection. And that moral quandary, which drove the edgy episode (along with Hayley Atwell's performance) was utterly compelling. It also helped push Hayes towards accepting herself and giving a proper relationship with Wallace a go, which I approve of.
Elsewhere, Tess tried to make things right with Matty, the man she wrongly identified as her aunt's killer when she was 12, but he fled after finding out who she was. I imagine that will be left unresolved now, given there's only 3 episodes left, which is a shame. But it wouldn't be technically unresolved as an ending could be read into that answer and, although a sad one, if this isn't touched upon in the future it will be a loose thread tied up.
I like when TV can evoke emotions from its audience or make its audience think. Person of Interest was great at the latter; Conviction is stupendous at the former. (As I was gathering examples to list I realised I was about to list the majority of the previous 11 episodes. That's incredible.) And much like the bigot Rodney Landon in episode 3, "Enemy Combatant" made me angry.
There was clear justification for arresting Omar Abbas six years ago when he walked into a train station with a bag full of liquid sarin, but much like with most Conviction episodes once one thread of the case (or non-case here) is pulled, it usually unravels. Not only was Omar Abbas innocent, but it didn't take much to prove it: Omar said a passenger in his cab had left the bag and he was trying to return it when he was caught; his cousin, affiliated with terrorists, recanted his confession that Omar was guilty - which he had given under extreme torture; and Homeland Security had a voice recording of the man who called in the tip about the sarin being in the station. All they would have had to do was join the dots and search for the man (Sedgewick) who called in the tip, and squeeze him to find out how he knew the bag had liquid sarin in it. They would have discovered he was the terrorist, attempting to get revenge on a bank for ruining his family.
And if that wasn't bad enough, Daddy Morrison's hidden agenda - that he brought the case to CIU because he wanted to look good for the upcoming Secretary-General position in the UN - along with his blatant undermining of Hayes and Wallace's relationship was just maddening.
"Enemy Combatant" overall was a frustrating glimpse into a miscarriage of justice that probably occurs just as naturally in real life as it did on the TV.
And dare I mention anything about America and terrorism propaganda towards Muslims?
In the season (and likely series) finale of Conviction, the show treats its audience to significant flashbacks to Wallace and Hayes' first meeting during the trial of Gerald Harris, whose wife Claire died when she was struck over the head and thrown off the balcony. Or was she? In the future, CIU finally prove Hayes's original belief that Gerald was innocent by showing Claire wasn't murdered at all. She had succumbed to a cold at the time of her death, which caused a coronary artery dissection, which caused her to stumble backwards and fall over the balcony, hitting her head on the way down. And with the finale we got a review that proved there was never even a murder in the first place - another good twist.
Conviction - 1x04 "Mother's Little Burden"
"CIU investigate the case of a mother imprisoned for murdering her severely autistic son."
Each of the first four Conviction episodes have been so brilliant in the cases they've investigated, so excellent in their writing that I find it stunning the show is struggling to the point of near-cancellation already. But the biggest winning feature of the show far is that each of the four episodes have been so closely linked from one to the next that it really feels - more so than most other shows I watch - like this is a world that follows itself each week. Hayes can be counted on to purposefully or otherwise wreak havoc on the lives of those around her (today we saw the leaked footage of her swept-under-the-rug cocaine bust lead to allegations of corruption towards Wallace), and even past cases have a knock-on effect (episode 3's treatment of the Landon case and Counter-Terrorism Unit's dislike of Hayes's treatment of their officers both got mentioned here). Add to that the way that all our CIU characters - Hayes, Sam, Maxine, Tess and Frankie - all disagree and take different stances on guilt or innocence with each case that they take on, it's just incredible writing that isn't slowing down.
 |
| Penny discovering her daughter killed her son |
VIEWERS: 4.74m (It went up but it's irrelevant. I'm going to stop commenting on Conviction's ratings soon. It's dead, we all know it.)
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.8 (It's dead. That one's for emphasis)
Conviction - 1x05 "The 1% Solution"
"CIU investigate the murder of a rich woman named Debra Porter where the convicted was an underprivileged man the family had taken under their wing."
Following directly on in both plot and subplot from Hayes' interview meltdown about privilege benefiting those who have committed crimes, "The 1% Solution" asks the question more confrontationally by having Hayes put CIU on the case of an underprivileged man, Jared Willett, convicted of killing a rich woman, Debra Porter. The case took a number of turns, including evidence the defence refused to submit in the original trial, the murder weapon being planted on someone else and the eventual revelation that Jared and the rich woman's son, Sean, had perpetrated the murder together because it was heavily inferred she disapproved of their gay relationship. It was another hot topic, but this time gave some relief to all the freeing of convicts CIU had been doing by having the conviction they were investigating turn out to be legitimate.
 |
| Hayes alone in her office |
Finally, Frankie struggles with his conscience as he tries to decide whether he should present his imprisoned boyfriend's case to CIU for review, in the end concluding he needs more time to think about it. I wonder if the show will cover this, given it's likely to only have another 8 episodes left before cancellation. A case revolving around one of the team's close friends or relatives would be an interesting break from the usual format.
VIEWERS: 3.74m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6
(Significant drops in both areas saw Conviction hit two new series lows)
(Significant drops in both areas saw Conviction hit two new series lows)
VERDICT: The cumulative consequences of Hayes' actions are piling up and causing drama to surround each case she plucks out of thin air to review. And each case is a myriad of intrigue and so relevant to the contemporary world. 8.5/10
Conviction - 1x06 "#StayWoke"
"CIU investigate the case of Porscha Williams, a black activist convicted of the murder of a white cop."
The controversial and edgy is always a great place to stand when you want to create compelling TV. Conviction has done that in the previous 5 episodes, if you ask me, but none of those 5 put together could start as much of a conversation as "#StayWoke". White cops killing black people is a huge issue in the modern-day world; to study both sides of that, "#StayWoke" flips the script and follows CIU attempting to exonerate a black activist for the murder of a white cop.
 |
| Tess visits the man she wrongly identified as her aunt's killer when she was 12 |
Character-wise, we learnt a little more. Hayes and Wallace's ex, hostshot lawyer Naomi, showed up to defend Wallace's corruption charge and hit on both of them - but ended up in Wallace's office in the final shot. We learnt Maxine is a recovering pill addict (19 months, 2 days), and the man Tess identified as her aunt's murderer when she was 12 wasn't actually the killer, and that every day since his exoneration she's visited his coffee truck and left a substantial tip in penance. I really like Tess and I need her to get her forgiveness before Conviction is over.
VIEWERS: 4.31m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.8
(Both tick up)
(Both tick up)
VERDICT: Racially-charged from the get-go. Such a focus is reminiscent of The Night Shift's season 3 episode "Three-Two-One", and I've rated it the same. 9.5/10
Conviction - 1x07 "A Simple Man"
"CIU investigate the conviction of a man with a low IQ who has spent 15 years in prison for causing a fire at his family restaurant that ended with a homeless man's death."
"A Simple Man" was a comedown after the highly charged episode before it, but it had everything it needed to as once again Conviction's unrivalled aptitude for story and character continuity blossomed. Wallace took his revenge on Hayes for bringing an FBI corruption investigation to his door by allowing a documentary crew to follow her and CIU, something he knew she would resent after growing up in the limelight as a former First Daughter. The premise of characters being followed by a documentary crew is an overcooked one these days, but for Conviction the choice to adopt it was valid - and they rightly chose not to let the typical low-quality camera trope interfere with what they had built, leaving an actually satisfying documentary episode in its wake.
Other continuity included Max's drug use, which, after being revealed in the previous episode, spiralled when she popped a pill following comments Sam had made about her which the documentary crew took out of context. Bastards. And I'm sad for Max, too. Tess expanded even more on the sequence of events surrounding her wrongful conviction of Matty for her aunt's murder when she was 12, and the camera crew managed to corner Sam into talking about Greg Stainer, the security guard who killed himself in front of him and Max in the previous episode.One standout scene was Hayes trying to get information from a money launderer: she wrote down on a pad of paper that his office was bugged in order to trick him into providing written proof of his corruption. Sneaky. I thought it was brilliant - like the majority of "A Simple Man", which concluded with the reveal that one of the 3 brothers' wives had tricked Leo into putting kitty litter in the wrong bin so she could start the fire.
VIEWERS: 4.14m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.7
(Last ratings comment for Conviction just to say it was nice knowing you)
(Last ratings comment for Conviction just to say it was nice knowing you)
VERDICT: Continuity was the strongest part of the episode in yet another display of CIU's easy disunity. 8.5/10
Conviction - 1x08 "Bad Deals"
"The legitimacy of one of Sam's convictions, that of a teacher imprisoned ten years ago for the murder and kidnap of a schoolgirl, is called into question when she escapes from her captor's basement."
The biggest character-centric episode of the season so far and it didn't come in quite the way I'd expected, although it was executed very well. Sam's conviction of a schoolteacher, Mr. Fleck, who ten years ago kidnapped and murdered a young female student named Sierra Macy, seemed airtight - until Sierra escaped from the basement of her real captor and CIU naturally took on the case. It was a point of pride for Sam to prove he hadn't made a mistake even as CIU tore his conviction apart, and he and Hayes were both brutal in this episode: Sam in his vehemence that Mr. Fleck was guilty, and Hayes towards Sam for his shoddy work.
 |
| Sam figures out who kidnapped Sierra when he notices the chimes Sierra described |
Elsewhere, Wallace was cleared of corruption after Hayes stepped in and fabricated a lie that wouldn't leave either of them open to repercussions - although Wallace's gameplan (which was to subtly manipulate Hayes into doing just that) seems to have broken their relationship. And with the corruption charge gone, is their mutual ex Naomi gone too, or will she stick around to fan the flames? I hope the latter. Finally, Maxine's drug use continued, with the scale of it increasing - as is my concern for her. It's a little plotline now, but it will surely and shortly come front and centre.
VIEWERS: 3.36m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6
VERDICT: Character-centric and dramatic, "Bad Deals" was a style of episode the show needed. 8/10
Conviction - 1x09 "A Different Kind of Death"
"Wallace shadows the latest CIU case: that of a Death Row inmate convicted of murdering an Assistant US Attorney."
Appropriately titled "A Different Kind of Death" was a look into another avenue Conviction rightly explored: an innocent Death Row inmate. Earl Slavitt was convicted of murdering AUSA Tom Simon, a friend of Wallace's back in the day: therefore, ignoring the animosity between himself and Hayes, Wallace foists the case upon CIU 5 days before Slavitt's scheduled execution and tags along for the ride, to make sure Slavitt really was guilty.
 |
| Hayes realises Slavitt was executed before she could save him |
Props to the editing: that 30 seconds where Hayes is desperately rushing through the explanation of why Slavitt's innocent in a voicemail to Wallace while unbeknownst to her Slavitt's execution is already underway is one of the best scenes I've seen all season. Having her panicked explanation as a voiceover to Slavitt being led to his death was a phenomenal moment and I can't put into words what I felt. It was just heartbreaking.
Elsewhere, Max's drug use was spotted by eagle-eyed Sam, and Hayes' mother's Senate run continues. How are these going to wrap up with 4 episodes left?
VIEWERS: 3.34m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.6
VERDICT: A good episode elevated by a single heart-wrenching scene. Conviction is going down fighting, just like Slavitt. 9/10
Conviction - 1x10 "Not Okay"
"Hayes pushes CIU to investigate the case of Sophie Hausen, a woman locked up for killing a university basketball star that raped her."
Hot button topics are bread and butter to Conviction: in "Not Okay", the show explored the sadly very relevant topic of university campus rape, along with the ethics of what does or doesn't amount to rape. Much like in episode 6, where the CIU argued a case based on racial prejudice, the moral discussions here were fantastic, and no argument made here is wrong - but every argument is right. And once again, given the controversial nature of the topic, the writers covered themselves well by ensuring these arguments applied the right questions to the topic without apportioning blame to any undeserving party. And by this point, these moral debates amongst CIU staff are totally normal - which character is on which side of what argument and why? - but unbelievably engrossing.
 |
| Hayes revealing the university provost covered up the rape |
Elsewhere, Tess tried to make things right with Matty, the man she wrongly identified as her aunt's killer when she was 12, but he fled after finding out who she was. I imagine that will be left unresolved now, given there's only 3 episodes left, which is a shame. But it wouldn't be technically unresolved as an ending could be read into that answer and, although a sad one, if this isn't touched upon in the future it will be a loose thread tied up.
VIEWERS: 2.05m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.4
(What. The. Fu...)
(What. The. Fu...)
VERDICT: Edgy, emotional and had our main character driven by all the wrong motivations. One of the best episodes of the series. 9.5/10
Conviction - 1x11 "Black Orchid"
"A woman is murdered in an identical manner to the infamous Black Orchid Killer's murders in 2006, so CIU questions whether this is a copycat or a man was wrongly convicted."
Can you trust the word of a man imprisoned for a serial killing spree who fits at least two of three criteria recognised as common traits in serial killers? Apparently, if you're Tess Larson, you can, and with the return of BOK Tess (and Emily Kinney) gets a chance to shine. Her aunt's murder generated an interest in serial killers, and her constant belief in profiling forces CIU to take her seriously when she suggests the man originally convicted, Clark Sims, is innocent.
Starting off a CIU case with a fresh murder lent the episode a surprisingly refreshing procedural feel (given CIU is structured completely differently). The episode also managed to have some very clever answers for the incontrovertible proof that condemned Sims, such as his fingerprint being on the window of one of the original BOK victims because he worked at a delivery and installation company who had delivered and installed it five months before the murder spree. That's clever stuff.
In the end, CIU and NYPD Homicide run through only really one other suspect before settling on the witness, Donald Cutler, as the real BOK; retribution for his failed murder attempt ten years ago leads to Cutler's death before he could be tried, but exonerates Sims.
Elsewhere, Conviction probably concluded Tess's arc by having Tess mention that Matty, who after previously storming off when she revealed it was her testimony that wrongly convicted him of her aunt's murder, had now forgiven her. There's no feeling of resolution here since it's such a big part of her character's drive that has been relegated to a single line of speech, but since I was already doubtful the show would include him in any further episodes I'm happy to settle for what we got.
And finally, shoutout to Hayes and Wallace's cute struggle to find a common ground beyond work - which adorably failed.
VIEWERS: 2.68m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.5
VERDICT: Conviction ticks another "thing it had to do" off its list with a serial killer episode, and does so with stupendous execution. 8.5/10
Conviction - 1x12 "Enemy Combatant"
"Hayes's father brings CIU the case of Omar Abbas, a cabbie held as an enemy combatant after being caught with liquid sarin."
I like when TV can evoke emotions from its audience or make its audience think. Person of Interest was great at the latter; Conviction is stupendous at the former. (As I was gathering examples to list I realised I was about to list the majority of the previous 11 episodes. That's incredible.) And much like the bigot Rodney Landon in episode 3, "Enemy Combatant" made me angry.
 |
| Omar Abbas being held as an enemy combatant |
And if that wasn't bad enough, Daddy Morrison's hidden agenda - that he brought the case to CIU because he wanted to look good for the upcoming Secretary-General position in the UN - along with his blatant undermining of Hayes and Wallace's relationship was just maddening.
"Enemy Combatant" overall was a frustrating glimpse into a miscarriage of justice that probably occurs just as naturally in real life as it did on the TV.
And dare I mention anything about America and terrorism propaganda towards Muslims?
VIEWERS: 2.41m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.5
VERDICT: "Enemy Combatant" wasn't as intense as previous offerings with such high stakes (look at episodes 6 and 9 for that) but it was another excellent, thought-provoking episode of TV. 9/10
Conviction - 1x13 "Past, Prologue & What's to Come"
"The case of Gerald Harris, Hayes's first as a defence attorney where she first met Wallace, is revisited by CIU. Sam faces consequences for his actions in the Rodney Landon case."
Wallace and Hayes finally came to the agreement that they loved each other for each other, but in the final few moments their love intertwined with Sam's subpoena for the Rodney Landon trial. Although Hayes had quashed Landon's demand for a trial (because Sam set him up as a snitch to keep him in prison), Wallace told her to fire him. Instead, Hayes made out with Sam in front of a cleaner, now telling him that he had been sexually harassed by his boss and nobody would fire him now. Unfortunately, that deal-clincher was also witnessed by Wallace. Hayes's last words of the series: "I'm sorry." (For the kiss.)
This was a slight kick in the teeth right after they had sorted their relationship out. The subtext may be easy to read - that Wallace is probably more furious about being undermined than the kiss itself, and that he will soon forgive her because he knows what she's like - but there was an easy 2 minutes of space that could have been used to showcase a final Hayes-Wallace standoff that ended in their continued romance.
Beyond that, a great finale.
VIEWERS: 2.48m
DEMOGRAPHIC SHARE: 0.5
VERDICT: The final few seconds were a letdown, but I actually cheered at Hayes throwing Sam a lifeline by kissing ... er, I mean "sexually harassing" him. A solid ending that defined the show and its characters 8/10
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
WEEK TEN --- Hayes: (when Sam sticks a USB drive of evidence into her laptop): "Future reference, consent to pull it out doesn't equal consent to stick it in."
WEEK ELEVEN --- Hayes: "We're all bad guys in someone's story."
No comments:
Post a Comment