Goodness, Taylor Schilling is magnificent.
What has always been the most remarkable thing about Accused, and Accused Season 2 Episode 2 is a prime example, is how they can pack the most raw, profound, powerful stories on the human experience into 45 minutes or less.
“April’s Story” was effortlessly one of the best the series has delivered thus far.
Taylor Schilling is Remarkable in “April’s Story”
Perhaps it’s because at some point during Orange is the New Black‘s run, Piper Chapman was such an insufferable character it was easy to overlook Taylor Schilling’s talent.
Make no mistake — she’s an incredibly talented actress with such a diverse resume that there’s guaranteed something for everyone, depending on their genre of interest.
But Accused Season 2 Episode 2 proves that Schilling needs to do more dramatic roles.
It is unexplainable how she was able to deliver such a gripping performance with such staying power from the moment the hour opens until the credits roll.
What makes April’s story so enthralling is the fact that if you don’t identify with April yourself, you at least know someone like her.
Schilling perfectly embodies the overwhelmed, overworked, but devoted mother who tirelessly tries to do everything she can for her son.
April is just a mom who had a truly awful day and finally snapped.
But as you followed along, each scene revealing how that fateful day unfolded for her, you could understand exactly how she ended up where she was.
Much of Accused Season 2 Episode 2 Plays Out Like a Suspense Thriller
Regarding that day and the road rage incident from hell, Accused Season 2 Episode 2 plays out like a suspense thriller as we attempt to piece together what April’s charges are that led to her standing in front of a judge fighting for her life and family.
Every moment was more nerve-wracking than the last when figuring out what specific act could have her future in balance.
April’s unraveling of that day is a slow boil that keeps you taut as a viewer until it eventually crescendos into this absurdly tragic moment, and you almost want to laugh, stunned at how things play out.
It’s just bad luck for April as the world around her and all of the stressors that come with daily life and the average problems that a wife and mother face come crashing down because of a jackass in a BMW.
Part of what makes Accused such a compelling series is knowing that you or someone you love could easily find yourself in the hot seat like one of these characters.
April is a Compelling Lead Because She’s Relatable and Familiar
We’re all just one catastrophic event away from facing judgment for what? Being human?
But then, that’s how the legal and criminal justice system works anyway.
Hence, that particular authenticity Accused brings makes it one of the most well-written series currently airing.
April was one of the most sympathetic accused stars.
At her core, she was an overworked, overwhelmed, tired mother who was just trying to keep everything together all the time and eventually snapped.
Unfortunately, she was worn down by desperately trying to get the help her special needs son deserved.
It’s such a process when you have a child with special needs to get them what they need.
Sadly, much of that process included the exact things happening, endless phone calls from the school, and other people who couldn’t handle Wyatt’s outbursts and behavior.
Accused Season 2 Episode 2 Touches on Struggles of Getting Help for Special Needs Kids
Concerned parents also had issues, not wanting their children to fall on the wrong end of Wyatt’s temperament.
Private schools have their merits, but it’s no secret that very few of them are able to handle children with special needs. Therefore, when they face such challenges, the easiest solution for them is to expel the child.
The attempts to get the proper therapists, recommendations for the right programs, and struggle to have a proper diagnosis — all of that is practically a full-time job on its own, and time and energy suck as well.
There’s so much red tape, people giving you the runaround, waiting lists, insurance issues, financial concerns, and more.
In the interim, you’re still trying to manage this child you love and guide them as much as you can without the proper resources.
Accused Season 2 Episode 1 introduces us to April and Jake’s hectic lives, and it’s immediately apparent that April is the glue that keeps everything together.
April’s Frustrations Stem from Jake’s Lack of Support
She’s increasingly frustrated with Wyatt, mostly because she knows that he has a lot going on and needs some help — their family does — but she’s frustrated that she’s not getting any of it.
But on top of that, Jake, who Danny Pino brings a hapless charm to despite Jake being a frustrating character, doesn’t appear to be a man who pulls his weight.
You can tell he genuinely loves his family, so there’s no knock on him.
However, he doesn’t concern himself with all the ins and outs of dealing with the ramifications of their having a special needs child.
April carries the bulk of that load alone, and Jake quietly lets her do so, seemingly the husband and father who cheers her on from the sidelines and doesn’t fully comprehend the full extent of how much she does nor how troubled their son is.
April is incredibly flustered.
To make matters worse, she’s a nurse who had to commute nearly an hour away for a second job that pays for the same schooling that Wyatt was likely getting kicked out of at some point.
She’s instantly identifiable (and maybe even relatable to some) as the mother who carries the weight and responsibility of everything in her life on her shoulders, and knowing that definitely influences her mindset and how she could react to something or someone that pushes her too far.
A Road Rage Incident Gets Out of Hand on Accused Season 2 Episode 2
The road rage incident started simply enough.
Justin Chambers’ Tyler was such a colossal dick even Alex Karev would’ve hated him.
If we weren’t already sympathetic to April after seeing what was going on in her life, the fact that this jackass pulled so closely to her, rendering her incapable of getting into her car, was enough to put you on the April Defense Squad instantly.
Inconsiderate jerks who do things like that are the worst, and there was little else April could do but attempt to shimmy in her car by any means necessary.
The fact that Tyler was in sight of his car enough to see and hear her bump his car meant that he could’ve apologized and tried to move at any given point.
But he clearly was a sue-happy individual, as even his game of chicken on the highway suggested he was all-in on car damage just to get her to pay for it.
An incident that should’ve just ended in that parking lot escalated to a terrifying chase, which had April genuinely afraid of what Tyler planned to do next and seeking help wherever she could.
April Takes Accountability But Seeks Grace
As sympathetic as April was throughout Accused Season 2 Episode 2, objectively, we know that there were at least two or three times when she should’ve gone the other way and never looked back.
After that gas station confrontation with Tyler, April should’ve continued her day.
But Tyler’s comments about her as a mother pushed her to the edge, and she did not hold back from that point forward.
It was difficult to watch yet impossible to turn away from, and again, Schilling expressed so many emotions with just her facial expressions throughout that whole ordeal.
You could visibly see the exact moment April had snapped when the adrenaline fueled her during the game of chicken and every time she nearly crashed into him when she put on brakes.
Accused Delivers One of Its Best Episodes
And nevertheless, as they say, she persisted.
The actual car accident was shocking, even though those tense-fueled moments led to the prediction that Tyler would face no other fate.
Only when the accident happened did April snap out of it and go into nurse mode; Tyler did not appreciate that.
Even then, the confrontation was a tense affair as we wondered if she somehow stabbed him, clocked him over the head, or did something that resulted in the loss of his life more directly at her own hand.
But she didn’t. Instead, he got mowed down by a rig rushing past, and it was so cartoonish and surreal that it somehow worked.
Her horrified expression was priceless, but her most gutwrenching moment yet was the guttural wail she let out the second she saw Jake at the police station and collapsed into his arms.
Can we give Schilling an Emmy for that crying scene alone?
What I also appreciated about this case was that April wanted to take full responsibility for her actions.
She didn’t plead “Not Guilty” because she knew she was recklessly handling her vehicle, etc.
But she did want some leniency because, in the end, she was a mother who needed to be there for her child.
Accused Finds a Happy and Realistic Medium with April’s Case
Ideally, April would not have to face any extreme consequences for her actions since we know how she got there.
And it’s easy to sympathize with her and her family.
It was particularly emotional to see Jake openly admit and acknowledge that he knew he didn’t do right by her when he left her to deal with Wyatt and everything else.
With her in prison, you can tell he finally realizes how much April did for them and that she wasn’t some neurotic mother making mountains out of molehills.
Jake was having difficulty managing Wyatt on his own, which showed how little patience he had with him in the courtroom.
Jake’s talk with April was something that they both needed, and it was a great moment when he acknowledged his shortcomings and fears to her.
But that was enough for April to give an impassioned statement in which she took responsibility for her actions and still pled to be there for her family.
Fortunately, three years in prison with the possibility of getting out after a year for good behavior is an amazing outcome for April and a realistic one, too.
And so ended a powerful hour with a realistic wrapup.
Over to you, Accused Fanatics.
What did you think about “April’s Story?”
Did anything resonate with you?
Sound off below and share all of your thoughts.
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