American Crime - S2E7

Previously on American Crime, ‘Episode 6’

This was hard to watch. Twice I had to pause scenes and gather myself before continuing. Almost every adult on this show are failing the children who so desperately needs their help and supportive, and who end up doing reckless things as a result.

Evy’s father meets with Leslie, who offers him a large sum of money plus all of Evy’s educational needs if he agrees to never bring litigation against the school. Clearly this is the actions of a school with something to hide. If they’re willing to give away so much, they must know that they’d most likely give up a lot more if Anne can prove her case.

Leslie’s manipulations may have worked there, but Coach Dan isn’t as gullible. Someone has leaked Anne’s medical records online, showing that she once admitted herself for psychiatric treatment during a time of great stress. Dan confronts Leslie, and doesn’t believe her claims that she’s not responsible. He later lies his way into her office after she’s gone. What he finds there is a mystery for now.

Eric’s little brother spray paints a homophobic slur on his school’s wall and gets busted, but when his father meets with Principal Dixon, he’s more concerned with skirting the blame and insisting that the school handle their protest problems before worrying about the graffiti. Eric later has an argument with his father, which sends him into a hookup with a random man he finds online. The man attacks Eric in his car, and Eric is barely able to get away.

Anne’s accusations - and Terri’s own actions - have found their way into Terri’s workplace when her boss makes it clear that she might want to keep a low profile at the company and take some time off. I wanted to feel sorry for her, but I suspect her husband’s police officer friend is behind Anne’s medical info being leaked.

Taylor has been beaten by his ex-classmates and is feeling the weight of the attacks on his mother. He seeks relief in the form of drugs (sold by Coach Dan’s daughter), but this is after stealing a gun from his uncle’s house. Armed, he waits for Leslie to return to Leyland. While watching student practice a contemporary dance, Taylor changes his mind and leaves the building. Outside, he runs into Wes, one of the members of the basketball team who beat him up. Wes assumes Taylor is there to report what was done to him, and he threatens Taylor.

Taylor shoots Wes.

He then goes to his mother’s restaurant, gives her the gun, and then sits with her as she calls the police to turn him in.