FOX’s Accused is a cut above the rest.
Anthological series are rare, in large part because it is difficult to tell a series of stories in a constructive manner that the audience can understand.
Thanks to Accused’s formatting, the series has a full beginning, middle, and end to each story.
However, the risk is that an audience could fall off throughout the season because there of zero connective tissue between each installment.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case with Accused’s premiere, which pulled off a near-impossible feat in modern television by bringing in eight million live viewers, a number that continued to accrue in the days following.
With its familiar and laudworthy casting, strong performances, and compelling stories, Accused had a winning formula for registering with the audience.
What Was the Plot of Accused Season 1?
The first season saw a series of cases that shed light on humanity and how it raised moral quandaries.
The series took a unique approach by introducing us to those who had been accused of a large array of crimes, from murder to terrorism.
The remainder of the hour would challenge viewers to reexamine how they viewed people and how they may have found themselves in situations that put them at the mercy of the criminal justice system in the first place.
In each episode, we followed many different characters representing all types of society, from political activists whose actions had deadly consequences to a father seeking justice for their traumatized child or a deaf woman facing challenges by an ableist system.
There was no shortage of stories, and not all had happy endings or resulted in justice in the end, which is one of many reasons the series is so compelling.
Did Fox Renew Accused for a Sophomore Season?
Before the first season finished airing, FOX renewed Accused for a second season.
It spoke well of how much confidence the network had in the series.
Michael Thorn, President of Scripted Programming at FOX, shared:
Accused [and Alert] stand out as two of this season’s new broadcast and multi-platform success stories.
Looking to 2023-24, we’ll continue to deliver on the powerful storytelling coming from both series, building on our incredible partnership with Sony and further solidifying Fox’s strong slate of dramas, giving our schedule tremendous season-to-season stability.
With Accused, Howard Gordon has taken the crime anthology to new heights and acclaim, featuring an all-star roster of directors and talent headlining gripping episodes that entertain viewers with a provocative, fresh take on many of the most relevant, timely issues of our day.
In addition to that, Katherine Pope, President at Sony Pictures Television, cosigned:
We are excited to continue our long partnership with Fox to bring more Accused and Alert: Missing Persons Unit to audiences around the world.
It’s wonderful to see these timely, poignant stories resonating with viewers, and we want to congratulate the writers, producers, cast, and crew on their success.
We are incredibly proud of their collective work and look forward to seeing where these series go next.
What is the Plot for Season Two?
Because of the anthological approach, it’s hard to pinpoint exact plots for the season.
We can obviously anticipate a series of individuals who will find themselves in difficult situations where they have to face a judge and stand trial for something they may or may not have done.
And we’ll have a truly stacked and star-studded cast to play these standout characters.
Some of the things we can guess from teases and bits of information are that there may be a road rage incident, some workplace difficulties and possible discrimination, and a wife/husband duo involved in something troubling.
We can expect much of the formatting to remain the same where we meet the accused standing trial in the opener, and the rest of the installment goes back in time to show us the events leading up to the present.
Showrunner Howard Gordon has teased the idea of changing the formatting for at least some of the episodes where we toy between the future and the past rather than just the present.
How Many Episodes Will There Be in Season 2?
We don’t have a confirmed episode count.
However, it’s most likely that the second season will have 15 episodes, the same number of installments as the first.
As of now, we know that the season is slated for Fall 2024, but there’s no word on whether it will continue into the winter or spring.
Who is in Accused Season 2’s Cast?
Oh, baby, they have stacked this season with talent!
We can expect almost an entirely new cast, and we’re talking some high-profile names that will have everyone excited.
Nick Cannon, the multi-hyphenated talent who insists on populating enough children for a football team, will guest-star sometime in the sophomore season as one of the accused in an episode titled “Marcus’ Story” as the titular role.
The second season will also see the addition of the esteemed (and scandalous) husband/wife duo of William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman.
They’ll both star in the same installment, the season premiere, titled “Lorraine’s Story.”
Accused season two will also have two Grey’s Anatomy alumni joining the series for the sophomore season.
Justin Chambers will star as Tyler in an installment titled “April’s Story.”
In “April’s Story,” a nurse commits a crime that will change the trajectory of her life.
Jerrika Hinton will also guest-star as Lycia in an episode that’s titled “Marcus’ Story.”
The installment focuses on a tech entrepreneur who creates software that, when used, takes a dark turn.
Co-starring in that episode alongside Hinton (and Cannon) is Suits sensation Patrick J. Adams.
Adams will play “Pete,” and we’re already excited about how these actors will complement one another in the hour-long crime drama.
In “April’s Story,” joining Chambers will be Orange is the New Black‘s Taylor Schilling.
She’ll play the titular character of the installment, April, a nurse who finds herself on trial for something heinous.
Elsewhere in the installment, it will feature Mayans MC and Law & Order: SVU alum Danny Pino, who can currently be seen in the MGM+ series Hotel Cocaine.
We don’t know much about his character outside of the name Jake.
No, we’re not done!
The acclaimed Colbie Smulders will also be joining the series in the second season in an as of now unknown role.
But we can likely expect that she’ll be playing the accused, as she has that type of star power!
Animal Control’s Vella Lovell will take a break from the comedy to give something more dramatic a spin when she stars in an upcoming episode.
Meanwhile, Painkiller’s Dina Shihabi is right in her element with a dramatic role this season, but we don’t know in what capacity yet.
While we don’t have any synopsis or character information about who Outer Range and Pearson‘s Isabel Arraiza plays in the series.
However, we do know that she’ll appear in the season premiere opposite Macy and Huffman.
Ken Jeong, Debra Winger, and Mercedes Ruehl will also star in the season
Is Anyone Returning to Accused Season 2?
Yes! To our delight, Michael Chiklis will be returning to the series.
He had easily one of the most compelling stories that was widely lauded and contributed to Accused’s acclaim.
Chances are that he’ll be returning to the series as the same character, as the story did feel incomplete. He’ll be directing again as well.
When Does Accused Season 2 Premiere?
Accused will premiere on October 8 at 8/7c on FOX
It’ll lead into the new crime drama Murder in a Small Town.
Are There First Look Photos of Accused Season 2?
Yes, we have three images from the season premiere feature, Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy.
You can check them out here:
Is There a Trailer for Accused Season 2?
Yes, and it’s exciting!
In the trailer, we get our first look at Huffman and Macy playing a husband and wife and giving off “small-town vibes.”
We don’t know much about what they’re into, but whatever the case may be, they’re in it together.
We also see a chilling depiction of a stressed-out mother and nurse, played by Taylor Schilling, as she lets out a frustrated and piercing scream of frustration in a car.
Meanwhile, Nick Cannon and Patrick J. Adams have a tense interaction at their tech company as Adams’ character, Pete, demands to know if Cannon’s character, Marcus, is accusing him of being racist.
Check it out!
Over to you, Accused Fanatics.
What are you most excited about? Let’s hear it below.
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