American Rust: Season 2, Episode 10, "Broken Justice," kicks off with a poignant scene as Billy stands poised, bags packed, ready to embark on his military journey via the rumbling bus. Grace and Virgil stand by, their eyes filled with a mix of pride and sorrow, yet Lee's absence lingers like a heavy cloud. With a final nod, Billy steps aboard, leaving behind a trail of emotions and uncertainties.
Meanwhile, Burgos delves deep into the labyrinth of evidence, uncovering potential threads linking Harris to the ghastly triple homicide in West Virginia. Harris, determined to clear his name, confronts DA Gossage, their conversation rife with tensions. Gossage drops a bombshell—a former employee, Ramona Potts, who held the key to unraveling the Herlitz-Landwill Energy web of deceit.
Ramona's revelations are chilling—Sue Herlitz, on the brink of exposing Landwill's wrongdoings, had five witnesses ready to testify. But McKenna, driven by greed, tampered with evidence and sought to extort the corporation. Herlitz, unaware of McKenna's treachery, sought to confront her, unaware of the deadly game she was entering.
Harris's investigation takes a sinister turn when he uncovers Lee English's name in McKenna's prison visitors' log. Stunned, he realizes Lee's paralegal work had inadvertently drawn her into this web of danger.
Elsewhere, passion ignites between Isaac and Russell in a motel room, their bodies entwined in a fleeting moment of intimacy. But as dawn breaks, Russell slips away, leaving Isaac with a note, a false promise of sandwiches, and a handwriting that eerily mirrors Nate's. Isaac's heart sinks as he realizes that not all is as it seems.
Back at the English House, Lee's world shatters as Russell's treachery unfolds. Finding him in her sanctuary, Russell's trigger-happy finger spells doom, and Lee falls victim to a senseless act of violence. The stage is set for a season filled with betrayal, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of justice amidst the American Rust.
Park, accompanied by his partner Hannah, arrives at the English residence, their footsteps echoing up the stairs. As they ascend, Park's eyes land on Lee, sprawled helplessly on the floor. Just then, Russell makes his ominous entrance, his presence felt before seen, as he coldly executes Hannah with a bullet to her neck. Park, swift in retaliation, unleashes a barrage of gunfire, bringing Russell crashing down the stairs, lifeless. Urgently, Park calls for reinforcements.
Harris enters the fray, only to find Park's pistol trained on him. Ignoring Harris's demands to know Lee's whereabouts, Park insists on their earlier bargain, demanding a confession in exchange. Harris, complying reluctantly, tosses his gun aside and begins to confess as Park presses record. But just as the truth begins to unfold, Grace appears, a fatal shot ringing out as she takes Park's life with a bullet to the head. Harris, swift in his deception, stages the crime, planting the gun by Russell's side and urging Grace to flee the scene.
Hannah lies unconscious, her fate sealed, as Harris rushes to Lee's side, only to find her lifeless. Time passes, ten weeks to be exact, and Del Harris is formally sworn in as Sheriff of Fayette County amidst a sea of changing fortunes.
Billy, his heart heavy, visits Lee's grave, laying flowers and leaving behind an engagement ring, a symbol of love forever unfulfilled. Isaac joins him, their shared grief palpable as they mourn her loss.
Meanwhile, a glimmer of hope shines as Steve Park's partner, miraculously still alive, awakens from a coma in the hospital, a jolt of reality shaking her back to consciousness.
The story takes a somber yet intriguing turn as Harris, Grace, Billy, and Isaac gather for dinner at the cabin, their conversation tinged with memories of Lee and a solemn tribute to her life. Billy's grief threatens to overwhelm him, his tears betraying the depth of his loss.
But the tranquility of their gathering is shattered by Fisher's sudden arrival, a sniper rifle trained on the unsuspecting group. Billy, his instincts on high alert, spots the telltale red dot and rushes outside to confront the threat. The tension mounts as he approaches Fisher, the sound of a gunshot shattering the silence. The episode concludes on a breathtaking cliffhanger, leaving us uncertain if Billy has emerged victorious, or if he too has fallen, his fate hanging in the balance.
