FOX brought us two hours of Accused to wrap up the second season. During Accused season 2, episode 7, we had a chance to see Ken Jeong in a serious role, playing Eugene. What happened by the end of the episode?
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Accused season 2, episode 7.
I’m going to say that this episode fell flat. I was looking forward to it as well, seeing Jeong in a serious role considering he’s most known for comedy, and to see Jamie Chung again. Sadly, the writing just wasn’t there for this one.
The episode didn’t really have much in the way of twists and turns. It didn’t leave us guessing all that much about what Eugene did. What it did remind us though is that everyone has a past, and it’s not always easy to leave that past behind.
What was Eugene accused of doing?
Eugene thought himself a good man. He would turn the other cheek, living the way he believed God intended him to. That didn’t mean he never had bad thoughts or that he didn’t consider doing bad things. Actions speak louder than thoughts, though.
That being said, the past can sometimes make people act out of the new character that they have formed. Eugene’s wife, Grace, had an extremely dark past that she was trying to get away from. When her ex Rex came into the picture, he caused a world of problems for Grace and Eugene, and it led to Eugene feeling like he had to do something to protect his wife.
Eugene showed how contradictory he could be at times. While he believed Grace was worthy of forgiveness, he didn’t think Rex deserved the same. Is it because Rex didn’t show that he wanted forgiveness? Maybe it’s because Rex is still doing bad things, while Grace is trying to be better. After all, Rex coerced Grace into giving him the knowledge for the jewelry store robbery in the episode.
In the end, Eugene found himself on trial for murder. Did he do it? Well, yes, but it wasn’t intended murder—at least, he didn’t kill his intended victim. He confronted both Rex and Grace at a motel with a gun, a struggle happened, and Eugene killed Grace by mistake.
Was Eugene found guilty in Accused season 2, episode 7?
It shouldn’t be surprising to find out that Eugene was found guilty. There was no way around this. He did it. While it may not have been first degree murder, it was still murder. He went there with the intention to do harm.
Eugene’s defense team tries to help get him off on a lighter sentence. He’s already living with the guilt of killing a wife he loved to pieces. However, the prosecution was better, painting Eugene as a jealous man who deserved the punishment for his crimes.
Does he? This is something Accused does well. While also testing our bias, it also makes us think about whether some crimes are justified or not. Is someone living with a mistake they made the best punishment going? In this case, Eugene is already living with the knowledge that he killed his wife, but he did go in with the intention to harm Rex, and what’s to say that he wouldn’t try again? The jury was right to convict.
Accused is available to stream on Hulu.
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