Accused Season 1 Episode 15 Review: Billy’s Story

Accused Season 1 Episode 15, “Billy’s Story,” brings the season to an end with an episode that has us viewers constantly rethinking our theories.

Usually, the show will be very straightforward about the crime, who committed it, and who was affected by it. This time around things are different.

Even though we know Billy is on trial for murder, we have no idea until the last few minutes who he murdered. We know there are three possibilities: Leo, Dana, or Dana’s roommate.

Usually, episodes of Accused move at a slow pace which means we sometimes lose interest halfway through the episode. The Season 1 finale is different.

From the very beginning, the rhythm of “Billy’s Story” is timed by the different moments in which Leo finds himself high. This starts the first night with the fire in the guest house and ends with his death at the studio.

Whenever he is about to OD, the rhythm of the episode goes faster as everyone rushes to save him. While he is in rehab, the episode slows down as his family is taking in the peace and quiet before the conflict starts again.

Like his brother Tommy says, their entire lives are dictated by Leo’s addiction. Therefore, the episode runs its course in a similar manner.

We know that Billy is on trial for murder, so we assume that Leo’s addiction is simply what leads to the murder. We never expect it to be the cause of the murder.

Every episode of Accused gives us viewers different clues to guess how the crime happened and what the consequences will be.

This time around, the episode makes us believe that Billy ended up murdering Dana. We see him going to her apartment on two different occasions, and Dana threatens his wife.

With those different incidents, it is fair to assume that after trying to keep her away from their son and granddaughter, things escalated quickly and Billy killed her.

This becomes even more plausible after Billy asks Ramona for her husband’s gun. The trial hasn’t mentioned how the person who died was murdered, so that clue makes us wonder if it was by a gunshot.

It isn’t until nearly the end of “Billy’s Story” that it becomes very obvious that Accused is playing tricks on its audience. Every clue that has been given to us, is disguised as something else.

Billy is on trial and is found guilty, but he isn’t the guilty parent. It is indeed Anne who should be on trial.

Dana isn’t present at first during the trial, but she comes in towards the end. This proves she isn’t the one who got killed, it is Leo who died.

Throughout the episode, Billy shows he feels guilty for his son’s addiction. He believes he should have never let him follow his footsteps, and that is why he continues to give him chance after chance to get better.

When the time comes to step up and take accountability, Billy does it for his wife. It is then that we see his real character: he is a man of his family until the very end.

As soon as it becomes clear that Anne should be on trial, as viewers we can begin to wonder if Billy takes responsibility because he is going to die regardless. This is later confirmed by Billy himself who says “I won’t live forever.”

Accused Season 1 has its ups and downs. There have been episode that captivated us and episodes that left us wanting more.

However, the Accused Season 1 finale delivers everything it promised in the promo. There is a case, an explanation of how the characters got there, and a resolution.

That is your typical formula for this show. However, this time around the episode moves at a pace that keeps us engaged the entire time and it introduces likable characters unlike its previous episodes.

Maybe this is the rhythm the entire season should have stuck to.

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Accused airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on FOX.

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