Accused: Season 1/ Episode 14 “Jessie’s Story” – Recap

“Accused” changes the formula a bit and presents us with a case that doesn’t have someone harmed but simply seeking the truth.

Aired (FOX)	May 2, 2023
Director(s)	Michael Offer
Writer(s)	Maile Meloy
Newly Noted Characters
Jessie	Bebe Wood
Kara	Betsy Brandt
Will	Skylar Gaertner
Andrea	Natalie Brown
Dominic	Josh Hamilton
Fern	Georgie Murphy

Recap

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Daddy Wasn’t There – Jessie, Kara

For all of Jessie’s life, while she knew she was loved by her mom, Kara, she wished she knew and was also loved by her dad. You see, Jessie has lived her life under the assumption her mom went to a sperm bank, and that led to her. Which is sweet, but then when Jessie gets ACL injuries and is told she has a genetic disorder, it reminds her that a whole person is missing. Including their family and all the information she may never know about herself.

Best Friends On Their Way To Lovers – Jessie, Kara, Will, Andrea, Dominic

Enter Will, Jessie’s closest friend, who helped her secure a 23 and Me kit without Kara knowing. The idea was, maybe her dad registered, and she could find out about him or other family members through that. However, Kara sees her during the spitting process, and her talking about “Not feeling enough” leads Jessie to abandon that method to learn the truth.

But, with Kara producing a document which is supposed to talk about Jessie’s dad, what he wore when he gave his sperm, what he did for a living, and the fact that he died, Jessie has mixed feelings. One, the fact her mom never gave her this is alarming, but so is Kara suddenly being so worried about her and Will being alone. Kara even goes off around Will’s parents, Dominic, and Kara’s former best friend, Andrea.

Now, why is that her former best friend? Well, we’ll get to that in the next topic. What matters is that Jessie, sparked by this new information from her mom, has Will help her contact the cryobank on the letterhead in hopes of gaining information, only to be told by the receptionist she can’t give out that information.

Plan B is then put into play with Jessie and Will breaking in, stealing the receptionist’s badge, and looking for any records regarding Jessie’s dad. But with no files found, Jessie is devastated and even tempted to start destroying semen so that no kid can feel like she does. Will is quick to remind her that some of the sperm could be from men who passed on who have partners who want children with them, and that seems to cool things down. At least until Jessie wants to heat things up with a kiss, but with seeing the building is on a silent alarm, both are forced to hit pause on a kiss.

Dodged A Bullet – Jessie, Kara, Will, Andrea, Dominic

Which leads to the case at hand: Breaking and entering. Due to her ACL injury, Jessie could not run away, so she told Will to go, and she took the hit. However, Kara, knowing why Jessie did what she did, is seeking to accept the blame and tell Jessie the truth. Now, what is the truth? That Dominic is Jessie’s father, hence why she and Andrea are no longer friends.

As for the details surrounding the affair? We know that Dominic felt deprived by Andrea being so focused on motherhood that he felt there was no room for him. Following that was drinking between him and Kara, and then came (Dominic) Jessie. But, the kicker here is Kara is the only one who originally knew about Dominic being Jessie’s dad, and she was hesitant to tell him or Jessie. However, thanks to Will going in the trash and sending off Jessie’s 23 and Me kit, he learns she is his sister, and with knowing Andrea surely didn’t give birth to Jessie, he confronts his dad, makes him confess to Andrea, and reveals the information to Jessie before she tries to kiss him or go further.

Ultimately, all of this is revealed to the judge, who just gives Jessie probation and community service, and while the wound is deep for Andrea, it seems her work as a therapist takes hold, so while having a blended family is hard, she is working towards accepting it. What helps is open and honest communication with her former best friend, and as for her marriage to Dominic? It’s hard to say if that may heal to the point of avoiding divorce.

Things To Note

1. Dominic has another daughter named Fern who is his eldest

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. So, all this time, no one saw similarities between Jessie and Dominic and mentioned them?

Review

Highlights

Different From The Rest

From not starting the episode with the lead in a prison cell to what felt like a light-hearted episode, “Jessie’s Story” stands out – mostly in good ways. The crime feels justifiable, which hasn’t been felt in a while, and dare I say, this feels more like a pilot than an open-and-shut story.

Alongside that, it didn’t feel like everything began and ended with this episode. Kara and Andrea were friends long before we came around, and the awkwardness can be seen and felt more than a decade later from Dominic’s affair. Will and Jessie’s relationship didn’t just pop up, nor Jessie’s desire to meet her dad. It is just with her old enough to have her own money, maybe a debit card to pay for a testing kit, she can now seek out answers on her own.

All of which made for a good penultimate episode to the season.

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