Apple + has done it again! Truth Be Told was the final show on my list for this subscription service and it did not disappoint. Although, I don’t know how a dramatic thriller starring Octavia Spencer could be bad really. The supporting cast was just as great, and the story line had me anxious to keep watching episodes as soon as I ended one. I needed answers!
The show follows Poppy Parnell, a podcaster who returns to the west coast only to find a new video related to a murder case she covered nineteen years prior. This video shows a young girl, Lanie, who appears to have been coached in her answer when accusing neighbor, Warren Cave, of fleeing her house with a knife. This testimony, several fingerprints, and ultimately Poppy’s podcast, are what helped send Warren to jail for the murder of Chuck Buhrman. But now that Poppy has seen this video, she feels that Warren has to be innocent. Thus starts her extremely messy quest for the truth.
There are plenty of suspects, including Lanie and her long absent twin sister Josie, their mother Erin, and Warren’s father, Owen Cave. The two adults are easy to assume why since Chuck was having an affair with Owen’s wife, but the daughters not so much. Poppy decides to start off talking with Warren, who tries to scare her off with his aryan brotherhood tattoos. Although at first rattled, Poppy goes back to see him many times, sometimes coming away with helpful information. Poppy also enlists the help of an old flame, Markus, who used to have ties to the police force. Convenient for the story, yes, but I don’t really care.
After Lanie rebuffs Poppy, she refocuses her attention to Owen Cave, who has motive (the cheating wife), and also a shaky alibi. He had a one hour window where he was unaccounted for, around the same time of Chuck’s murder. Poppy pushes hard, even after Owen places some pretty damning threats, but ultimately it is too much for Owen. He threatens Poppy at gunpoint in her home before breaking down and admitting he was responsible for a hit and run that night, all before he blows his brains out in her kitchen. Well…there’s one suspect gone.
All while Poppy is busy chasing leads, Lanie works on finding her sister who has been in hiding in New York for the past nineteen years. She resurfaces after their aunt dies in a car crash, and it’s not long before the sisters meet up. It’s clear that Lanie wants to put the past behind them, but Josie always looks incredibly uncomfortable. Sure, there are some truly tender moments peppered in there, but it’s clear that Josie is uneasy.
Still in pursuit, Poppy shines her spotlight on Erin Buhrman, who’s alcoholism coupled with her cheating husband, also make her a very strong candidate. Turns out, she’s just sort of a bad mother. I got a confusing vibe from the twins and their interactions with their mother. Most of the time it seems like they wished she was long gone, while other times they expressed how much they loved her. Ultimately, it didn’t matter because Poppy convinces her to tell what she knows, and that’s when shit really hits the fan! I won’t spoil all of the twists that happen in the last two episodes because they were just too good. Definitely watch it!
Woven throughout the show was also Poppy’s personal life. It’s clear that her husband, Ingram, is not used to the rough life that Poppy had growing up, and often gets berated for being chivalrous! Her dad was in a gang for a long time and remarried a younger woman, and while it’s obvious that he loves Poppy, he also treats her harshly a lot. The same back and forth in attitude came from her sisters, too. As interesting as these dynamics were, they just didn’t seem quite developed enough. Perhaps if the episode order would have been longer, then maybe they could have spread everything out a bit more, but ultimately I’m fine with what I got.
Overall, a really compelling show that will have you guessing until the end. Also, star turns by Spencer (duh), Aaron Paul, and Ron Cephus Jones (an unexpected treasure!). If you’ve got Apple +, definitely take the time and watch Truth Be Told.