Article first published as TV Review: THE SINNER on Seat42F.
USA premieres THE SINNER tonight, an
eight-episode miniseries based on the novel of the same name. The
international best-selling book by Petra Hammesfahr is a different take
on the crime drama, as is the show. Different because it starts out by
introducing us to a protagonist who, midway through the pilot, we’ll see
do something truly horrible and violent in full public view. There is
no question as to whether she is guilty or not, but rather, the drama
stems from why this seemingly normal wife and mother would do something
so heinous?
There is definitely a reason, and THE
SINNER lets us know that, if not the details of it, pretty early on. As
we meet Cora Tannetti (Jessica Biel, 7th Heaven, The Book of
Love), she is acting strange. She doesn’t look happy or comfortable in
her job, working for her husband’s family. Her marriage to said husband,
Mason (Christopher Abbott, Girls), is strained, at least from her side;
it’s not clear Mason really sees there is a problem. She is haunted by
some bad memories, and even appears like she might be leaning towards
suicidal.
But we don’t know why she’s so troubled.
Things seem good. She and Mason have a little boy she adores, and their
home and careers seem stable, childcare taken care of, food on the
table. They may be around Mason’s family a bit more than Cora would
like, but there’s nothing glaringly wrong that would drive an otherwise
normal woman to act that way Cora acts.
I debated even mentioning that Cora
snaps in this review, so unexpected was it to me, going in cold. But the
show description on the official website gives it away, and this is the
premise, so it had to be said.
Biel is fantastic as Cora, playing the
lead in a way that is engaging and complex. My instinct is to feel sorry
for Cora, sure there’s a good reason for her mental instability, rather
than condemn her. What trauma has caused her to act like this? How can
she get the help she needs, rather than rot away in a prison cell where
she doesn’t belong?
Which begs the question, how close is
something like this to real life? How many women are there even now
sitting behind bars who should instead be in therapy to get better? How
many men? THE SINNER really calls into question motivation and how life
experiences shape a person. One cannot excuse what we watch Cora do, but
that doesn’t mean you can’t feel for her, and think there’s not a
better path for her than a long stint in prison. She’s not a psychopath.
As much as I was sucked into Cora’s
story, and to a lesser extent Mason’s, where THE SINNER slows down for
me is any time it shifts to the third lead, Detective Harry Ambrose
(Bill Pullman, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Independence Day). No offense to
Pullman, whom I often enjoy, but I just don’t care about the law
enforcement officer trying to understand Cora. What we do see of his
character doesn’t paint him in a good light, and for some reason, I had
less desire to understand him than I do Cora. Though presumably he
recognizes something in her no one else does, which says something about
him.
THE SINNER is being billed as a
close-ended series, and I’m sure it will be. But it also seems like USA
might like to continue it somehow. With True Detective coming back, I’m
not sure we need another gritty crime drama like this. But if another
protagonist as good as Cora can be found for a second outing, I might be
up for it. And I haven’t even watched that much of Cora’s tale yet,
which I would very much like to see through.
THE SINNER premieres tonight at 10/9c on USA.
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