In the premiere episode of Season 2 of "Accused," we are introduced to Lorraine Howell, a psychic medium grappling with financial hardships. Her modest income from a dry cleaning business barely keeps her afloat, leaving her in a perpetual state of economic distress. With Ray, a recovering alcoholic, as her sole confidant, Lorraine's world is a solitary one.
One fateful evening, Lorraine catches a news broadcast about Roy, a six-year-old boy who has been missing for an entire year. His family's desperation to uncover his whereabouts is palpable, offering a substantial reward of $50,000 for any information that could lead to his safe return. Unable to shake the story from her mind, Lorraine finds herself tossing and turning throughout the night, glued to her television screen as she watches every available news clip pertaining to Roy. Driven by an inexplicable urge, she eventually dials the police.
The narrative of the show skillfully intertwines the unfolding courtroom drama with haunting flashbacks that provide crucial insights into the case's origins. Lorraine reaches out to the authorities, revealing her extraordinary gift and describing vivid images of Roy. She claims to witness a Southern woman speaking to him, while he ignores her playful antics with a purple toy.
Intrigued by Lorraine's mention of the purple toy, Roy's family hastily arranges for her to travel to North Carolina to aid in the investigation. Despite Ray's pleas for her to stay out of it, Lorraine remains steadfast in her conviction to help. With a heavy heart, she entrusts her cherished fern plant to his care before embarking on this unexpected journey.The family embraced Lorraine into their home with open arms, clinging to the hope that she might bring them the assistance they desperately sought. Roy's mother, Melissa, harbored a hint of skepticism, yet clung to the straw as any glimmer of hope. The police investigation had hit a dead end, and Lorraine seemed to be the genuine article—a beacon of hope. Her past success in rescuing another girl years prior filled them with confidence that she could save their beloved Roy. Moreover, Roy's father, Frank, was in a state of desperate hope, clutching at any potential answers.
Upon inspecting Roy's room, Lorraine drew a blank, devoid of any visions. She thus decided to temporarily reside with the family, just in case a vision materialized. Although she politely declined their offer of monetary compensation, the family insisted on covering her pending expenses, such as rent and other bills that arose, determined to keep Lorraine within their sphere for as long as feasible.
Yet, as weeks elongated into months, Melissa's doubts about Lorraine began to fester. It culminated during a visit to the police station to update them on Lorraine's visions. Detective Serrano, the officer in charge of the case, disclosed a startling revelation: Lorraine had failed to locate victims in six separate instances, a detail she conveniently omitted.
Tensions reached a boiling point when Serrano apprehended a man who confessed to murdering three children, including Roy. Melissa summarily evicted Lorraine from their home, but Frank insisted on housing her at a nearby motel. Lorraine persuaded Frank that Roy was still alive, amidst the police's inability to unearth concrete evidence linking the confessed killer to Roy. They discovered only two bodies out of the three victims, none belonging to Roy. Driven by Lorraine's assertions, Frank embarked on a media blitz against the local police, demanding answers.
Weeks later, Melissa stumbled upon the fact that Frank was still supporting Lorraine and confronted him. She revealed that the DEA had contacted her, seeking her cooperation to charge Lorraine with exploitation and obstruction of justice. Conviction would result in Lorraine facing time behind bars. Melissa proposed a deal: she would pay Lorraine to leave and disappear if she told Frank that Roy was no longer with them. Lorraine's patience snapped, revealing the heavy burden of her gift—a gift that had shattered her marriage and robbed her of any semblance of a normal life. She vigorously defended herself against accusations of fraud and rejected the offer.
Currently, the prosecution is presenting their witnesses and laying bare their accusations. Lorraine's defense team finds themselves ensnared in a predicament as the prosecution shreds the credibility of their sole witness to ribbons. The prosecution orchestrates a narrative that portrays Lorraine as colluding with the detective heading the case in 2007 when she discovered one of the victims. They further depict her as a chronic attention-seeker, highlighting her childhood tendencies. Leveraging her brother's abduction saga, they distort the narrative to suggest that Lorraine has always yearned to be the hero, stemming from her status as the black sheep of the family. They mangle her words and attempt to saddle her with the blame for her brother's mishap. It bears mentioning that Lorraine's assertions about her brother's kidnapping were accurate; however, forecasting the future is beyond human capability. She couldn't foresee that he would perish in an accident six years after his rescue while en route to pick her up.
Meanwhile, Melissa and Frank stand at a crossroads, deadlocked in their differing viewpoints. Frank remains steadfast and unwavering, while Melissa desires to put an end to the ordeal and move forward. She urges Frank to do the same, believing his lingering hope is hindering his progress. She perceives him as being in denial about the loss of their son. Conversely, Frank seeks definitive answers, fearing that moving on would equate to abandoning his son. Even when Roy was alive, Frank found it challenging to be stern. His soft heart and empathy make Melissa convinced that Lorraine is manipulating him.
Following the concluding remarks from both parties, the jurors retire to deliberate. Ultimately, they acquit Lorraine of all charges. Frank exacts a promise from Lorraine to reach out if she has any further visions. Eventually, Melissa comes to the realization that Frank will never relent. The episode concludes with them engaged in a heated altercation outside the courthouse, as Ray picks up a melancholy and conflicted Lorraine.
