Showtrial’s season 2 ending fixes a season 1 mistake but all for nothing
As a seasoned gamer of the courtroom drama genre, I must say that the latest finale of Showtrial left me feeling like a chess piece manipulated by a grandmaster, only to be unceremoniously cast aside when the game was over.
Major Showtrial spoilers follow.
In the concluding part of the BBC series Showtrial, the jury delivered their decision regarding Justin Mitchell, posing the question: “Was he mad or was he bad?” This can be rephrased as: With the last episode of Showtrial on BBC, the jury provided an answer to the query about Justin Mitchell: Is he mentally ill or morally culpable?
Throughout the five-part series, Mitchell (Michael Socha) had been determined to come across as unlikable. However, as more details emerged about the pregnant woman he watched die and Elena’s (Anna Próchniak) subsequent loss of their child, as well as the lack of action from higher-ups in the police force, the influence of his PTSD began to lessen the blame placed on him.
After receiving a guilty verdict and being sentenced to serve 35 years without the possibility of parole, Mitchell ultimately confided in his lawyer Sam (Adeel Akhtar), revealing the details of what had transpired – and how anticlimactic and insignificant the revelation turned out to be.
In the context of the drama “Showtrial,” this late disclosure falls right into their area of expertise, given that the final episode of season one left viewers wondering if the acquitted defendant Talitha might have deceived everyone, secretly being guilty the entire time.
Similar to these recent episodes, a series of interwoven flashbacks offer different perspectives on the actual events that unfolded. In the first season, it centered around who actually owned the green, glittering scarf. Here, the focus is on Mitchell’s mental state as he drove onto the secluded country road where his car struck Marcus Calderwood (played by Barney Fishwick).
The initial memory resurfaced when Mitchell was narrating his version of the incidents on the witness stand. This flashback occurred as he explained that he went to Calderwood’s residence to argue about a continuous Stop Climate Genocide demonstration, which prevented an ambulance from reaching the hospital.
Mitchell pursued Calderwood on his bicycle without any particular reason. He confessed, “I wasn’t planning to harm him. I was furious because he refused to listen,” he explained to the court as the recollection played out.
In this account, Calderwood responded with a rude gesture towards Mitchell along the rural road, which unintentionally led to his own demise. Specifically, Mitchell accelerated and collided with Calderwood’s bicycle.
However, according to the prosecution, the altercation that took place at Calderwood’s home wasn’t recorded by the security cameras positioned outside his house. This leads one to wonder if the event truly transpired. The narrative provided by the prosecution then unfolds in a series of flashbacks: Mitchell’s car lurking on the rural road, ambushing, Calderwood’s terrified expression, the crash, disposing of the body.
After the specific number of days he spent in prison was determined, Mitchell finally opened up and revealed Patrick Norris’s (Aidan McArdle) part in the events – the somewhat shady, affluent vineyard owner who shared a border with Calderwood.
A memory from the past is revealed, depicting a card game involving Mitchell and Norris. It was a solitary wager that Mitchell lost which led him to plot the murder of Calderwood.
With regard to this particular season of the series, it’s clear that events have unfolded – there won’t be any sudden plot twists at the end. However, if the audience serves as both spectator and judge, would the conclusion reached by most be consistent with yours? Highly unlikely.
It is important to note that Mitchell wasn’t entirely innocent – the final scenes strongly implied that he showed very little regret for his actions.
Despite acting independently and without prior incitement, it was evident that the guilty Norris duo had fled to Ecuador aboard a private aircraft, evading the law and remaining unaffected, with no legal means of apprehending Norris as the closing credits approach.
In this season of “Showtrial,” it wasn’t necessarily shown how the media can bias a case, but rather, it highlighted the complexities and sometimes dissatisfying nature of legal enforcement procedures and the workings of justice.
As a gamer, here’s my take: Turns out, it wasn’t about some political assassination as I initially thought. Instead, it was all about the nitty-gritty details – that tree! Seems like old Norris had chopped down this tree without permission, and Calderwood stepped in to make sure he faced the consequences for his actions.
Prior to the launch of the series, its writer and producer Ben Richards expressed that for a second season of “Showtrial“, they felt it was crucial that the case should be significant or substantial.
In my perspective, it’s not enough for this case to be an average murder or drug-trafficking investigation; it needs to be a significant, symbolic one that resonates deeply within our nation. It should serve as a reflection of our society and values.
The series delved into significant topics such as mental health challenges, activism, societal conflicts, and policing issues; however, these profound themes were overshadowed by what seemed like a petty neighborhood dispute, leaving many of the larger concerns unaddressed or glossed over in the narrative.
As a fan, I must say, after witnessing the myriad contemporary challenges woven seamlessly into each character and scene throughout the series, the climax felt somewhat akin to watching a whirlpool of emotions slowly draining away, eventually disappearing into an abyss.
The trial resumes every Sunday evening at 9 PM on BBC One. You can catch up on the entire series on BBC iPlayer as well.
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2024-10-07 14:19