‘The Suspect’ Recap: ‘Episode 1’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘The Suspect’. This article also contains discussions regarding sexual assault, which may be triggering to some individuals.

There are a great many things we fear in life. Some of our fears are simple in nature, such as that of the dark. While others are woefully complex and emotional in nature, such as a fear of death or failure. But of the many fears we harbor as a species, one that we all share in… is a fear of losing control. Specifically… of the mind. Simply because the mind is a sacred space for us. One that houses all of our memories and every important lesson we’ve ever taken part in, and of course… we control it. We control our mood, our decisions and everything in between and the thought of losing that to say… illness… is downright terrifying.

Because who do we become when we cannot control the most important part of who we are? Not to mention, who will we become when that which defines us is wiped away in a slow and silent manner? Well, those are questions we hope to never have to answer in life, but some folks do sadly and the threat of that haunts us enough that stories are eager to explore such matters. Such as the brand-new series, The Suspect on Sundance Now. For this series, ponders heavily on the terror that would come forth over the reality of losing one’s mental faculties to a severe illness… with a twist of course. Which are feats that this story accomplishes by introducing us to a doctor at quite the unique crossroads in his life.

For Joe O’Loughlin, a brilliant psychologist who has stepped into the limelight by saving a life in an epic and viral fashion, recently came to learn… that he has early onset Parkinson’s disease. A reality that has rocked him to his core since he will now deal with the slow decline of his body and his mind and that truly has put him in a difficult place. Where the next steps in his journey are as unclear as it gets and to make matters worse… he is suddenly worried he might be a monster because of the changes that have come into his life. For the murder of a woman that once admired him and accused him of sexual assault before disappearing from his life, has him wondering if this diagnosis has unlocked something dark within him. Since there are too many coincidences involving him in this matter.

Which is… the perfect way to explore those fears. Since the show does a wonderful job of focusing on Joe’s worries and panic regarding the changes coming forth in his career and his life and of course… the terror that stems from the possibility that he might be a murderer because of the slipping nature of his conscious mind. Which leads to some powerful moments, the kind where you feel for Joe and really feel the terror in his soul. Emotions that are replaced with skepticism and concern because the coincidences regarding Joe and this murder, are too great to ignore, giving rise to a quality murder mystery, one that we must know the answer to. 

Because that’s what a good mystery compels us to do, to quest for knowledge and in this instance, the truth will either break our hearts or fill us with joy. For if Joe did do all these terrible things, then indeed he is our worst fears come to life and we will revel in the horror of what we are capable of when the moral hold on the mind that we cherish is released. But if he is vindicated, then a seemingly decent man will be able to live the last good days of his life in comfort and calm, and well, that is the perfect way to set the stage for a binge watch, since all five episodes of this series are now available on Sundance Now and we will break down every last one of them, to savor the uniqueness of this series and the grand mystery that awaits us. Until next time.

---

Powered by JustWatch