What happened to Val in Accused season 2, episode 6?

While previous episodes Accused have us questioning the reason a person is on trial, Accused season 2, episode 6 did things a little differently. We learned from the synopsis why Val was on trial.

Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Accused season 2, episode 6

The episode made it clear that Val was facing trial for murder. She was accused of murdering her abusive ex-husband, but she didn’t do it. Of course, she had motive and opportunity, so she was the one accused of it in the end.

Things took a turn in the trial, bringing up an important conversation of whether vigilante justice is right.

Val didn’t commit murder in Accused season 2, episode 6

Throughout the trial, Val is accused of murder. We hear all about the domestic abuse she faced. Her ex-husband was an awful man, and Val was angry that he got the perfect life after they separated.

Well, it wasn’t so much of a perfect life. Val ends up bonding with Jordan, Trey’s second wife. A tiger doesn’t change its stripes. We knew from the way Jordan looked that she faced the same abuse that Val once had.

However, Val’s sentencing pretty much relied on Jordan’s testimony. Would she throw the ex-wife under the bus, or would she find a way to help Val go free. It turned out she was willing to do the latter, and she did it in style.

Jordan admits to murder in Accused season 2, episode 6

During Jordan’s testimony, she shared that she was the one to kill Trey. Wait, so if she has testified on the stand, that means Val has to be acquitted, right? It creates enough reasonable doubt to allow Val to go free.

It also opens Jordan up to prosecution. Now, a lot of episodes would end it here and leave us wondering what comes next. Accused season 2, episode 6 didn’t do that. We got to see what this sort of bond over a shared experience could do.

With Jordan’s testimony, she had to be arrested for murder. Val wasn’t going to let that happen, though. She went to the prosecution to warn that she would testify that she killed Trey. This would create reasonable doubt for Jordan, but it wouldn’t mean Val could be sent down for murder. That’s the power of double jeopardy. With Val already acquitted, she can’t be retried for murder.

The episode brings up an important topic of vigilante justice and self-defense, though. Jordan acted out of self-defense. That there should be a way to protect herself from prosecution. At least, it should be enough to protect her from conviction. In a way, Val is carrying out the vigilante justice. She can’t see Jordan go down for this knowing what type of man Trey was. She needs Trey’s murder to just be one of those cases that has no happy ending for those on his side.

Is that right, though? If you’re a survivor of any sort of abuse, you’ll have a hard time fully answering that with conviction. That’s what makes the ending of Accused season 2, episode 6 so powerful.

Accused airs its season 2 finale on Tuesday, Dec. 3 starting at 8/7c on FOX. Catch up on the series on Hulu.

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