COVER STORY
Oscar winner’s acclaimed anthology drama returns for a third season
As anyone who followed the first two seasons of “American Crime” can attest, great TV isn’t always comfortable to watch. The anthology crime drama created by “12 Years a Slave” (2013) writer John Ridley may not be a ratings beast, but it’s garnered much critical acclaim for its raw portrayal of difficult subjects, all stemming from a central crime. The third season of “American Crime,” which features a new crime, storyline and roster of characters, premieres Sunday, March 12, on ABC.
It’s true that the series doesn’t pull in the highest numbers, but what it lacks in ratings it makes up for in praise and accolades for the writing, directing and actors’ performances. It scored 10 Emmy nods for its first season, winning one, and reviews are almost universally positive.
Each season revolves around a crime that takes place in the first episode, but it’s no whodunnit-type procedural. We follow the aftermath of the conflict and the major players throughout the duration of the season, and we’re not given the full truth of the matter until the finale (and in the case of last season, not even then).
While Oscar winner Ridley is inarguably the mastermind behind the show’s success, a major strength lies in the acting talent. As an anthology series, “American Crime” features the same core cast every season, but portraying different characters in different settings (à la “American Horror Story”). Season 3 heralds the return of series stars Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”), Timothy Hutton (“Leverage”), Lili Taylor (“The Conjuring,” 2013) and Regina King (“Ray,” 2004) — the latter took home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie for both seasons. Connor Jessup (“Falling Skies”) returns for his second season on the roster, and Richard Cabral (“End of Watch,” 2012) and Benito Martinez (“The Shield”) have been bumped back up to main cast members.
The particular focus of the show is how the crime in question affects not just those directly involved, but also — and perhaps, more importantly — those connected to the victim and the accused.
“Unfortunately, very difficult things keep happening in our lives on a daily basis,” Ridley told Variety. “And there are things that are out there that are bubbling just beneath the surface. For us, crime on this show is not just about the act itself but about the cascade effect . ... Not just, OK, here’s the crime of the week, but the stories, where there’s spillage from one person’s life to the next. And there’s so many of them out there.”
The show examines a number of social issues, and as each season unfolds, the legal process brings to light more details of the case in question. The freshman season takes place in Modesto, California, and looks at race, class and gender politics after a war veteran is killed during a home invasion. Season 2, set in Indianapolis, Indiana, zeros in on socioeconomic and sexuality issues when a teenage boy accuses his more well-to-do classmates of sexual assault.
The upcoming season shifts the locale to Alamance County, North Carolina, where, as ABC puts it, “five people struggle to survive in a place where the American Dream is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.” More specifically, the season puts a spotlight on American labor issues and the abuse of workers made to pick fruit for a pittance while living in overcrowded, inhumane conditions. We see this from the eyes of Luis Salazar (Martinez), a father who illegally makes his way over the border from Mexico in search of his missing son. He discovers how the laborers are forced into a life of terrible poverty and stuck in an inescapable cycle of servitude and insurmountable debt.
Shae Reese (Ana Mulvoy Ten, “House of Anubis”) similarly faces exploitation as a 17-yearold prostitute trying to escape her pimp, with the help of social worker Kimara Walters (King).
“There’s an infrastructure in place that, unfortunately, allows these things to continue,” Ridley said of the global immigration issue during the Television Critics Association press tour in January. “That conversation is not new ... it’s happening everywhere. In this show, it’s called ‘American Crime,’ but it’s happening across the world.”
Huffman plays Jeanette Hesby this season, a woman who has married into a family that owns a struggling tomato farm and comes to learn of the unsettling practices that have helped Hesby Farms make its money. Jessup plays a young drug addict trying to get clean and earn a living, only to get wrapped up in the activities of the farm’s cruel crew chief Isaac Castillo (Cabral).
As those who are familiar with the show will know, “American Crime” is not always an easy show to watch — but that’s part of what makes it so compelling. Just don’t go into it hoping for a neat and tidy solution at the end of each episode, or even at the end of the season. It’s heavy and it’s heartbreaking, but it’s excellently put together, with many interesting angles and thought-provoking stories. Watch the season 3 premiere of “American Crime” when it airs Sunday, March 12, on ABC.