Episode 1 of "American Rust" unfolds with a haunting prelude, as Del Harris swallows a handful of pills, steeling himself before grasping his gun and venturing into the seemingly serene town of Buell. Little does he know, beneath this veneer of tranquility, simmers a cauldron of tensions ready to boil over.
At the epicenter of this simmering storm stands Isaac, a youngster who stealthily plunders money from his father's pockets and embarks on an excursion with his companion Billy. But their path crosses with a formidable foe, Novick, a name that evokes a bitter history—Billy's previous arrest at his hands. The animosity between them runs deep, a narrative that gradually unwinds throughout the episode.
Del's peaceful day off is abruptly shattered by a call from work, whispering of a possible corpse discovered within the decaying confines of the old mill. Ironically, this is the same mill that Isaac and Billy had just prowled moments ago. Spurning the comfort of his downtime, Del sets out solo, navigating the dim, musty corridors until he stumbles upon...something that sends a chill down his spine.
The narrative rewinds six months, painting a portrait of desperation in Billy's household. Grace, Billy's mother, confronts her husband Virgil in the unlikeliest of scenarios—finding him entwined with another woman in their bed. This harrowing revelation underscores the shattered state of their home, mirroring the fractured souls that roam Buell.
Yet amidst the wreckage, one figure stands apart—a local auctioneer, a beacon of normalcy amidst the chaos. As houses across town are put up for sale, Virgil and his cohorts descend, guns at the ready, their intentions clear: to intimidate potential buyers and safeguard their own interests. The auctioneer's dispassionate protest only serves to enrage Del further, though their efforts ultimately prove futile as he's escorted out of town.
Isaac's world takes a dark turn when he finds himself at the brink of despair, stepping into a frigid lake, resolved to end it all. But Billy's timely intervention saves him from the icy embrace of death, though the incident leaves a haunting shadow. Isaac, though intellectually astute, struggles under the weight of poverty and his father's illness, painting a bleak picture for their future.
To add insult to injury, Isaac's sister Lee, once Billy's sweetheart, has fled to New York and married into wealth, a stinging reminder of the life that seems forever out of reach for Isaac.
As Del's evening with Grace escalated into a passionate rendezvous at her abode, their intimacy was abruptly shattered by a distressing call about a brewing brawl at a local bar. This confrontation, it transpired, pitted Billy against a resentful college student, seething with jealousy over Billy's scholarship. Despite Billy's valiant efforts to defend himself, the situation spiraled out of control, leaving him sprawled on the floor, a gun menacingly pressed against his back, as Novick unexpectedly intervened.
A subsequent video footage from the chaotic scene painted a damning picture of Novick, casting doubt on his actions and confirming Billy's self-defense. Harris, swift and decisive, took immediate corrective measures, dismissing Novick on the spot, disarming him, and sending him home in disgrace. Meanwhile, Billy was escorted away in handcuffs, his future hanging in the balance.
Del's struggle with drug addiction, rooted deeply in his traumatic experiences from Iraq, looms large over his life. The horrors of warzone service often unleash a torrent of PTSD, and Del teeters on the brink of addiction's abyss. His futile attempts to drown his demons with a cocktail of pills and alcohol seem destined to exacerbate his plight, as evidenced by the ominous events that unfolded thereafter.
The courtroom drama unfolds, with Billy reluctantly pleading guilty. His world shattered—job lost, forced to return to his mother's home, and burdened with a six-month probation—Billy finds a glimmer of hope in the form of a football scholarship. The judge's sage advice echoes, urging him to seize this opportunity before fate deals another cruel blow.
Six months leap forward in our narrative's timeline, and a chilling discovery rocks the community: Novick lies lifeless, a pool of his own blood the macabre testament to his demise within the confines of the Mill. Del, the first responder, stumbles upon Billy's jacket, stained with blood, abandoned on the floor. Without hesitation, he conceals it from the prying eyes of arriving officers, a move that inadvertently implicates Isaac and Billy in the heinous crime. But is this merely a facet of a more intricate web of deceit, or does the truth lie hidden beneath layers of deception?
