Accused: Season 1/ Episode 15 “Billy’s Story” – Recap and Review [Season Finale]
In a dramatic season finale, a rock legend finds himself struggling with his drug-addicted son’s survival, both in keeping him alive and the cost beyond his financials.
In a dramatic season finale, a rock legend finds himself struggling with his drug-addicted son’s survival, both in keeping him alive and the cost beyond his financials.
| Release Date (FOX) | May 9, 2023 |
| Director(s) | Julie Hébert |
| Writer(s) | Bronwyn Garrity |
| Newly Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Jojo | Skywalker Hughes |
| Anne | Laila Robins |
| Billy | Keith Carradine |
| Leo | Evan Gamble |
| Dana | Janet Porter |
| Pete | Sean James Lee |
Plot Recap
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There Are Good Days – Jojo, Anne, Billy, Leo
For Billy, with his cancer likely coming back, but his wife Anne against any radical surgery, he knows his days are numbered. So, his focus has been on a greatest hits album, which his son, his eldest, Leo, was helping him with. On the good days, Leo would advocate for some unreleased or unfinished tracks to be worked on, and during their breaks, Leo would spend time with his daughter Jojo. For Anne, Billy’s wife, these were the moments in which there was peace in the household, and all the troubles Leo has gone through due to his addiction to Oxycontin were a thing of the past.
There Are Bad Days – Dana, Anne, Billy, Leo, Pete
Unfortunately, it seemed Leo would do drugs whenever there was a setback. Dana was one source, Jojo’s mom, but with being the son of a rockstar, Leo had options, and with living in his parents’ large home, there were always hiding places. Never mind, Billy’s cancer meds included pain meds to get high on.
But, despite his struggles, Billy and Anne always tried to help. They sent him to rehab and even offered Dana the chance, but she seemingly would rather the money Billy would pay her to stay away than get better. Heck, she’d even bring her new “roommate,” Pete, to threaten Anne to extort more money when the last wad of cash ran out.
This is why Anne and Billy made such an effort to protect their family from Dana, but even strung out, she had some kind of hold on Leo, and with having a kid with him, truly getting rid of her was never really an option.
Then There Is The Day – Dana, Anne, Billy, Leo
However, after a certain point, they did. Not through paying her off or killing her, as you’d think happened, but because Leo died. As often happened, Billy and Leo fought; Leo found a way to get high, secluded himself, and pursued death. Despite the trauma this kept bringing upon the family, Billy wanted to save his son, but Anne is at the point where she believes if Leo wants to die, let him.
She doesn’t callously mean this, but more so recognizing that Leo doesn’t want to be saved, he doesn’t want to suffer anymore, and at this point, they are holding onto someone who would rather be dead. So, rather than prolong everyone’s suffering, she doesn’t do as she has done constantly before and revive him. She breaks the needle that could bring him to life and lets him die.
Hence the manslaughter charge. But, rather than Anne taking the hit, since stopping someone from reviving a person OD’ing is manslaughter, Billy takes the charge. After all, he only has so long to live, and someone needs to raise Jojo. Dana clearly can’t and shouldn’t, and it would be an unfair burden to Leo’s siblings, so it is on Anne. So, Billy takes the four-year sentence, which likely will be the last few years of his life.
Things To Note
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- How much does Jojo know about her mother?
- Did they mention what caused the addiction? Beyond Leo feeling suffocated by his family?
Review
On The Fence
It Leaned So Heavy Into The Situation, You Barely Saw The People
There is a line when anything, a show, a movie, or any visual media, goes into trauma. One side of the line has it where you see the person struggling with what happened, moving beyond it, or triumphant despite what they’ve been through. The other side of the line, where “Accused” lives, is exploiting the reaction they can get out of people.
To me, from Leo being shown overdosing multiple times, nearly killing Jojo, having Jojo seemingly piss herself in front of her grandparents, to how Leo’s brother was acting? It was all about some form of entertainment.
Now, don’t get me wrong, for some, they could relate to what Leo or his family went through. Whether it is Jojo’s situation of having addicts for parents or Leo’s parents and siblings who struggle with the amount of influence Leo has on their life in hopes of keeping him alive. It’s a heavy subject that I just don’t think was given the kind of nuance, delicate touch, or anything needed to allow Leo to be seen as a person and not someone the show could use to make a very dramatic season finale.
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