Rectify Season 2 Finale ‘Unhinged’ – “I don’t want to go out there”

As Todd VanDerWerff recently wrote over at Vox, Rectify is the best show no one is watching and although that kind of statement is often used when discussing small and unappreciated shows unfortunately in Rectify’s case it really is true, apparently last week’s episode only had 120,000 viewers.

Really this is a travesty, I know Sundance TV is a small upcoming channel which many people probably don’t even get in their cable package and the fact that Rectify hasn’t really been picked up in other markets like the UK can’t help but it is truly a shame that more people haven’t watched the series yet.

Season 2 ended last night with some answers and a lot of heartache but mostly the future for Daniel Holden and his family is unclear for now, though thankfully Rectify was picked up for a season 3 earlier this week. I’m delighted this show got renewed but I wish both it and The Honourable Woman (a Sundance TV/BBC co-production) had bigger audiences. They are incredible shows and I really just want people to be aware of them because I feel like the world is missing out on something truly special.

Onto the Rectify finale ‘Unhinged’ and it breaks my heart that Daniel confessed again but it confirmed for me what I always hoped since the show started, Daniel did not kill Hanna. I believe he still feels responsible for what happened because he gave her the drugs but I am convinced now that he didn’t kill or rape her.

The events he initially describes during the debrief were the truth but he realises he has to stay away from his family because what he did to Ted Jr and the heartbreak that would cause his mother if she ever found out is too much. So he confesses but now there are other complications because of Ted Jr because of the whole Trey setting Daniel up for the death of George.

Rectify has done a great job exploring the lives of all the characters this season and not just Daniel and the finale highlights this nicely. We see Amantha visiting Daniel in prison but now in the present threatening to never see him again if he accepts the plea deal and is banished, it is upsetting but Amantha has dedicated her life to seeing her brother not just free but exonerated and for Daniel to even consider walking away from that is too much for his sister to handle.

Probably my favourite character after Daniel is Tawney who I find absolutely mesmerizing, the morning after scene with Daniel was simply beautiful which is something that connects all their moments together. After the uneasiness of previous episodes it is great seeing them comfortable with one and other. I’m excited to see where Tawney will end up next season now she seems to be away from Ted Jr for the foreseeable future at least.

No other character has benefited from the slighter longer season than Ted Jr whose trauma from the assault last season has been a key moment throughout these 10 episodes. It is true Ted Jr can be a hard character to like at time, fueled by jealously and pettiness but it is hard not to feel sympathy for him and at least understand his behavior even if it is not healthy for anyone. Now that his testimony could destroy his family will he really be able to go through with it?

Jared is an intriguing character who I think will have a lot more to do in the future, his fascination with the murder of Hanna and the action he takes at the end of the episode allows us to enter the world of the Dean family who we haven’t seen a lot of since Bobby beat up Daniel.

I also like the development of Carl, who clearly realises the version of events he has been lead to believe are not true. I like that he is always conflicted about what to do but ends up mostly doing the right thing (like investigating the attack on Daniel).

Really these 10 episodes have developed the world of Rectify so well and I can’t wait to see what season 3 brings. Will Daniel face the courtroom again? Will Carl uncover the truth about Trey? With Rectify I really have no idea the direction it will take which is really refreshing for a show.

S1 of Rectify is available on Netflix in the US and S2 is on ITunes to buy