Synopsis: After 19 years on Death Row for the rape and murder of his teenage girlfriend Hannah, Daniel Holden is going home. His conviction has been vacated due to new DNA evidence. Now he has to return to a world he no longer knows and his reentry into society may be as unforgiving as prison. Daniel is haunted by the past, dogged by the present, and uncertain of the future. As he struggles to adapt to his new life, his homecoming reignites the fears of a small town and threatens to shatter his family’s fragile peace. Daniel’s alleged crime divided a community. Will his freedom tear it in half?
Some Familiar Faces
There are a lot of great actors and great performances in these first two episodes. Here’s the lowdown on some of the faces I’m familiar with and where you may have seen them before.
Michael O’Neill as Senator Roland Foulkes. He prosecuted this case 19 years ago and put Daniel Holden in jail for this crime. Now a senator, he returns to make sure all the loose ends from the first go round are tied up and that Daniel doesn’t get away with this crime again. He usually plays a good guy, but he can be a deliciously devious bad guy as well. Michael has recently guest-starred on Necessary Roughness, Vegas, and NCIS.
Abigail Spencer as Amantha Holden. Since she was 12, Daniel’s death sentence has dominated Amantha’s life. She made it her mission to absolve him of a murder she is certain he didn’t commit. I know her from Suits and Mad Men, but she’s also appeared in Burning Love and Hawthorne.
J. Smith-Cameron as Janet Talbot. Like her son Daniel, Janet dealt with the pain of his ordeal by deadening her emotions. By his fifth Execution Order, it was simply way more than a mother could bear. His unexpected return may just push her over the edge. I hated her on True Blood, but I’m loving her in this so far. You may also recognize her from Law & Order: SVU or The Big C.
In “Always There” and “Sexual Peeling” we see Daniel trying to adapt to normal life, but it’s hard after being locked up for almost two decades. His family doesn’t know how to treat him and as his lawyer tells Amantha, it wouldn’t hurt for Daniel to proclaim his innocence every once in a while. On the other hand, it’s clear that law enforcement made some mistakes in this case. Even if Daniel’s conviction was vacated – he was not exonerated, a distinction Foulkes is quick to point out – they believe he’s guilty and they aren’t going to let him get away with murder for a second time. The townspeople and at least one member of Daniel’s own family don’t want him around. We’ll see if Daniel is able to carve out a life for himself amidst all the turmoil around him.
Rectify Trailer:
Rectify premiered Monday, April 22nd at 9/8c on Sundance Channel.
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