Accused Season 2, Episode 5 Review: Margot's Story Is a Fine Escapade (2024)

Accused Season 2, Episode 5, "Margot's Story" is not a typical Accused episode -- and that's why it falls short of the show's high standards. It doesn't necessarily fall down plot-wise, and Academy Award nominee Debra Winger is a perfect choice to play the role of headstrong widow Margot Holloway. But writer Daniel Pearle has done much better in Season 1, which was swinging for the fences every time out. In contrast, "Margot's Story" lacks the intellectual impact that this series has become known for.

"Margot's Story" takes place in Chicago and centers on Margot's entanglement with an attractive dance instructor, whom she and her friends know as Alexei Volkov. But when it's revealed that Alexei is a con artist -- that's not even his real name -- Margot is suspected of being involved in his plan to swindle her friends and others. The strongest part of the episode is Winger's performance as an increasingly desperate Margot, even as audiences already know the message that Accused is trying to send.

Accused Season 2, Episode 5 Really Is Margot's Story

Debra Winger Drives the Whole Episode

Every Accused episode has one character at its center (hence the titling) but the best episodes bring all of the characters to life. For example, the Season 1 episode "Morgan's Story" was equally adept at developing both Morgan and her tyrannical husband Jason. In contrast, "Margot's Story" really rises and falls on the shoulders of Winger. Mercedes Ruehl and Christine Ebersole, icons in their own right, are no slouches as Margot's friends Connie Baker and Deb Kaplan. But their characters aren't nearly as fleshed out as Margot. Ebersole in particular is underused, because Deb winds up largely just stuck between Margot and Connie.

Winger, in her first television role since Mr. Corman for Apple TV+ three years ago, does an excellent job portraying Margot as a woman who doesn't want to grow old gracefully. She plays her with the exact amount of cantankerousness that viewers expect -- but as the episode goes on, there are more shades of sadness, shame, anger and panic. That's when the episode is at its most interesting. TV viewers have seen these character types before. Margot stands out because of Winger's ability to take all of her internal dialogue and make it external. The moment in which Margot decides to pull a gun on the two law enforcement officers coming to arrest Alexei could be laughable, because she's so out of her element. But it works because the audiences can see the character's own fear in that moment.

Yet the episode as a whole struggles because the world around her doesn't completely flourish. Alexei, also known as Victor Kakitis, is painted as a charismatic con man who's able to charm older women by making them feel special. The twist with him is that he's supposed to be genuine in his feelings for Margot. But the character never captures the audience's interest in the way that he does Margot and her friends. For the viewer, it's easy to see right through him.

The Themes of Accused Season 2, Episode 5 Are Very Familiar

Other TV Series Have Gone Down This Road

There's not a lack of effort in Pearle's script; he takes the themes of aging, loneliness and friendship and makes them into a reasonably satisfying story. Like most Accused episodes, there's a message beyond Margot's guilt or innocence. But many Accused episodes are so sharp with that message that they elevate or completely change the conversation. "Kendall's Story" took a very much talked-about idea -- racism within the criminal justice system -- and made it exceptional because of the extra depth and nuance that was put into the episode. "Margot's Story" has the themes, but never expands them to that next level.

Fundamentally, this is about wanting to be seen and heard and valued as people age, and also about how Margot's pride prevents her from making the best decisions. Both of those are great ideas, and easily digestible for an audience. But it's just pure dumb luck that this episode airs in the same week as Brilliant Minds Season 1, Episode 8, "The Lovesick Widow" and NCIS: International Season 4, Episode 4, "The Future's Looking Bright," both of which also focused on older protagonists looking for love and purpose. All three episodes have the same concept of the character getting in some kind of trouble, and all ended with the same message: that being in one's golden years doesn't mean they're any less of an individual.

Ahd when it comes to Accused, the word "same" is a giant red flag. The brilliance of this show is that it's not like anything else on television. It may start from a familiar place, but there's always another issue to discuss or another element to the conversation. It is a challenge every week. There's no challenge in "Margot's Story." There's the satisfaction of seeing that she's made up with Deb and Connie as they volunteer at a shelter for the holidays, but there's nothing that inspires or provokes the audience beyond that. Pearle closes the loop on his specific story while missing an opportunity to add to the bigger picture.

Is Accused Season 2 Ending Too Soon?

Season 2, Episode 5 Is a Reminder of the Shortened Schedule

"Margot's Story" isn't the best Accused hour, but even an average episode of this show is head and shoulders above most programs. The cast alone makes the episode worth watching. That also makes it more disappointing that there only three episodes left in Season 2, with the final two being aired back-to-back. Season 2 is considerably shorter than Accused Season 1, which ran for 15 installments. But seeing the likes of Winger, Ebersole and Ruehl reminds viewers how many other great actors would have a field day on this series. How many more stories could be told with the kind of talent the project attracts?

Season 2 has had its stumbles, but the first two episodes are among the show's absolute best, and some of the best TV of the year. Felicity Huffman's performance in the Season 2 premiere "Lorraine's Story" also touched on feelings of loneliness and a need for human connection, and it did so in an absolutely heartbreaking way. "Lorraine's Story" had the intensity that "Margot's Story" wanted. After that, there were some fantastic stylistic choices in Season 2, Episode 2, "April's Story" that proved Accused could get as creative with its visuals as it does with its storytelling. The series has expanded its palette in the second season, and it continues to take risks, even if they don't always pan out. That is the kind of TV that makes the whole industry better.

Accused Season 2, Episode 5, "Margot's Story" gets too far from the incredibly high benchmarks that the show sets for itself. It falls short not because it's a bad episode, but because it's not what this show can be. Still, audiences will enjoy watching Debra Winger throw herself totally into a character who goes through a painful process of self-reflection in the worst way possible. And the episode's heart is in the right place, so viewers can walk away feeling satisfied, even if they're also left wanting more.

Accused airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. on FOX.

7

10

Accused Season 2, Episode 5

A widow taking dance lessons with her two best friends gets mixed up in the instructor's shady dealings.

Release Date

January 22, 2023

Creator(s)

Howard Gordon , Jimmy McGovern

Main Genre

Drama

Pros

• Debra Winger gives a dramatic performance in the title role.

Cons

• The story and its underlying themes lack the show's usual impact.