‘Showtrial’ Recap: ‘Velleities’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Showtrial’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When we last settled in to discuss the fascinating Sundance Now series, Showtrial, we talked at length about how the previous episode, did a phenomenal job of diving into how the legal world has in essence transformed. For gone are the days of nobility surrounding the law and a real sense of honesty for those involved in a particular trial. It’s all about headlines and dirty blows so that a jury and the court of public opinion can be influenced by one particular side. Making legal proceedings these days seem akin to a sporting event, where two sides shout at one another while they wait for their side to win and well… it turned out that such an examination was a bare beginning of a grand look at modern legal proceedings.

Because the next episode in this fascinating series, ‘Velleities’, brought us to the beginning of the trial of the century. Where the jury was ready to make decisions and where the prosecution and defense played a delicate game of chess in front of that jury, one designed to find weaknesses in the other side’s testimony to try and tip the scales of justice in their favor. In fact, Cleo was carefully watching the Prosecution’s case and hoping for some kind of crack in the armor, and she thought for a brief moment, she found it. Because there was a remote chance that the fibers present on Talitha’s bracelet, were in fact… there well before the evening in question. Which would potentially bring doubt into the matter. 

Which in turn led to all kinds of maneuvering on Cleo’s part, to bring the quality of the evidence into question, a move she and her team were successful with and she also worked hard to see if there was another angle in freeing Talitha. Which brought her to Troy to discuss Talitha and his involvement in the matter, especially after it became clear that Talitha did not hand over the missing credit cards and her conversation with Troy... gave her a bold idea. In that, perhaps if she could show the jury the Talitha that she saw behind the scenes, the one that could be honest and earnest in her own sassy way… then perhaps she stood a chance at winning this case. But alas, all it took was one ugly day in court to change all of that.

Because while she was maneuvering behind the scenes and playing dangerous games to win for her client, the Prosecution was also playing the field and doing their due diligence and they were able to sucker punch Talitha and Dhillon’s team courtesy of some devastating testimony. For Lydia Vendler took the stand to talk about her late husband’s relationship with the accused, and in doing so… she revealed to the jury and the court… his thoughts on Talitha and the trouble she caused and the hate in her heart. The kind of stuff that would immediately lock a jury into thoughts that she was a monster of sorts, one capable of murder and planning the act as well. A move that left Cleo beside herself since it truly appeared as though… the case was about to be lost. 

But while wait to see just how much of an impact this moment will have upon the trial, we can revel in another fascinating tale. One that really held nothing back in showing us the games that both sides play to secure that win, which was troubling to watch in many ways. Simply because they both worked hard to really secure the win through shock value, rather than just present raw truth as we expect. But that is sadly the way of things now, where shock moments and a grand fight to sow doubt rule the day and this episode gives one pause regarding that… since we expect better of our legal system. But alas, this is the dangerous place it currently is and now that this leg of the trial has come to an end, we can focus on how the sloppy nonsense present here impacts a trial since a verdict awaits us in the finale. Until next time.

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