This Freeform network (formerly ABC Family) series is a crassly exploitative murder mystery/courtroom melodrama that is not so subtly modeled on the notorious Amanda Knox case. Daisy Head stars as Grace Atwood, an American student in London whose roommate Molly (Rebekah Wainwright) is brutally killed in their apartment. After an explosive video of Grace and Molly goes viral, Grace is charged with murder, and her sister Natalie (Emily Tremaine) and a flamboyant American lawyer (Billy Zane) take on the defense. Fillint out the ensemble characters are the chief police investigator (Cristian Solimeno) who becomes emotionally invested in Natalie; the crown prosecutor (Naomi Ryan), who is also the cop's former girlfriend; Molly's brother (Kevin Ryan), who is out for revenge; Prince Theo (Sam Cassidy), a wolfish member of the royal family who had a connection with the dead girl; Grace's druggie boyfriend (Zachary Fall); and the roommate (Simona Brown) who shared the apartment with Grace and Molly. The narrative boasts many steamy revelations and implausible turns before the actual trial (which is treated rather summarily), but the finale is an especially wild ride that features an attempted prison break, the disclosure of the killer's identity, desperate efforts to collect proof, an imminent verdict, and another shocking murder—all obviously designed to set the stage for a second season of lurid intrigue. However, the dangling plot threads will never be resolved, as the series was cancelled after the initial run. This ostentatiously salacious tale might be a Guilt-y pleasure for some, but it is basically a tawdry potboiler. Compiling all 10 episodes from 2016, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette and deleted scenes. Not a necessary purchase. (F. Swietek)
Guilt: Season One
Lionsgate, 3 discs, 420 min., not rated, DVD: $24.98 February 6, 2017
Guilt: Season One
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