Accused Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Brenda’s Story

Warning: Trigger warnings in this review include rape, sexual assault, and racism. 

Accused Season 1 Episode 7, “Brenda’s Story,” leaves us with mixed emotions and lots to think about once the episode ends. 

1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape — and every single one deals with this differently. 

This episode features Brenda’s reaction initially, down the road, and present-day as she is forced to face a courtroom despite the DA refusing to charge her rapist. 

It’s raw and nearly unfiltered as this case builds on itself, never solidly telling the audience where it’s going. 

Something “Brenda’s Story” does right is it never truly asks you to feel bad for the rapist. This web is built around Brenda and her facing the consequences of something someone else did. 

Even when we get the ‘not guilty’ verdict and Brenda’s supporters are ultimately frustrated that Zeke remains free, Brenda pleads with them to leave him alone for her sake, so she can start to move on and pick up the pieces.

It’s genuinely upsetting that someone you think is on your side is only looking out for themselves, but unfortunately, that is the case with Tess (Mary Lyn Rajskub).

Accused drops hints about Tess the whole time but never blatantly enough to assume she will violently attack someone. 

There are subtle red flags — her finding Brenda in person, Chad immediately getting a bad vibe, and the anger. Still, it’s not until one specific moment that you realize Tess could be a danger to these people. 

White feminism is alive and well inside Tess. In a moment where she initiates an attack against Chad, a Black man, she’s seconds later on the phone with the police, speaking of an “aggressive” intruder. 

The word aggressive, especially towards Black people, is a blatant microaggression.

Aggression on a white person is often seen as typical and incidental, whereas when Black people become what people say is “aggressive,” they become a threat — something to fear.

Tess doesn’t hesitate in openly attacking Chad and then calling him aggressive to a community of people who unjustly kill Black people almost daily. 

From the beginning, Brenda and Tess are painted as Yin and Yang — where Brenda seems levelheaded and expresses her frustration in things like cutting up pictures. Tess questions why nobody thinks to hurt their assaulters directly. 

Whether or not I agree with what Tess does or what the courtroom supporters think, “Brenda’s Story” leaves us partially satisfied, although beyond frustrated with our system.

The end of the episode sees the women asking Brenda, “what are we supposed to do?” as Brenda answers truthfully, “I don’t know.”

Taking someone’s life into our own hands isn’t the answer, but reporting the incident didn’t get the rapist charged. So being comfortable in your body and who you ultimately backfire. 

Life is difficult. We go through things we can’t change, take back, or repeat perfectly.

But “Brenda’s Story” reminds us, through Brenda and Chad, that with a loving enough support system, you can at least have someone to help hold you up. 

The most surprising thing about this episode is the actors; they’re poignant and beautiful while also terribly miserable. 

Rhea Perlman plays a despicable character and is underutilized, while Whitney Cummings knocks it out of the park. Her on-screen platonic chemistry with Baron Vaughn is something incredibly special. 

Accused thrives in admitting there’s no easy way to go about tragedies, even in fiction. 

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Accused airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on FOX.

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