Rectify is a show about a man who was sentenced to death row and is miraculously released from prison after 19 years. This is a very good show, but I really don't think it's for everyone. It can be perceived as really slow, although I've never been bored watching it.
He's released from prison so naturally we wonder if he's guilty. But it really doesn't matter if he's guilty or not for you to enjoy the show. He's been locked up, and separated from human civilization - separated from windows or even going outdoors. This show is about him trying to adjust to a new surrounding and enjoy life.
If I tried to explain what the show's high points were, there's no way you'd watch the show. Somehow, minor things such as the character finding old 90s music and just dancing away to it make you feel all giddy inside. It's really hard to explain, but those moments are as satisfying as any explosive gunfight in another show.
The reason this show works is the acting of the lead, Aden Young. He finds that hard line between being compelling and creepy. He somehow does this and makes the audience think he's just misunderstood while also making us acknowledge why the town perceives him the way that they do.
Another standout performance is by Abigail Spencer, who I had never heard of before this show. Now, I want to watch everything she's in. She's the reason Daniel is out of prison - she fought hard for years, presumably thinking he didn't do it.
And the show makes it ambiguous whether he did it - he was released due to new DNA evidence, but he also confessed to the crime which may have been due to coercing by the police. Either way, I don't think it matters a lot. Either he didn't do it or he did it and he's a changed man.
One thing I have come to love about the show is how it seems to defy what you would think would happen. Since not much actually happens, I'm talking about the characterization that takes place. The expected route to take is avoided and a few times I was delighted that the writers decided to not go the easy route. These characters are complex human beings. No person is good or bad. This paragraph could, verbatim, be applied to Breaking Bad. I'm not comparing the two, but that cannot be a bad thing for this show.
Overall, the show is a slow, methodical drama that takes its time in going through its storylines. Each of the episodes vaguely represent a typical episode structure especially for any story involving Daniel. There are more than a few scenes of just Aden Young enjoying various things in life that he doesn't enjoy in prison.
So I recommend this show to people who watch television for characters and not for people who watch shows for the action. Standout performances and good writing help the show not seem as slow as it really is. This show is probably my third favorite new show behind The Americans, which I really loved, and Orange is the New Black, which I also loved. A second season has been ordered by Sundance so feel free to watch it and not worry about its cancellation.
Playlist
1. "Animals" - Martin Garrix
2. "Feel it All Around" - Washed Out
3. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
4. "Losing My Edge" - LCD Sound System
5. "The Fountain" - Future Islands
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