5 Things You Need To Know About ‘Rectify’
By Sundi Rose
Photo: SundanceTV
1. It’s Not A ‘Whodunnit’
Although much of the show focuses on Daniel’s guilt or innocence, to reduce this show to a murder-mystery would be wildly unfair. Even though it becomes increasingly important to audiences to know if he did it or not, we’re so distracted with the beauty that we aren’t annoyed when we don’t.
Instead, Rectify diverts our attention inward; asks us to consider more than Daniel’s guilt. We’re meant to look at Daniel as a human, not as an inmate. This show is more a meditation on our own humanity, and how people either serve or reject it.
Daniel was in solitary confinement for much of his 19 years, so Rectify spends a lot of time watching him try to find his way outside of prison. In the early seasons, he had an incredibly hard time figuring out just how to be in the world.
One of the most provocative and touching scenes comes from the first season, in which Daniel’s mother takes him to Walmart. For a man who has lived in an 8 foot room for almost 20 years, you can imagine how overwhelming a place like Walmart can be.
Aden Young, the actor that plays Daniel, is so adept at capturing the stillness within Daniel, it can sometimes be a little unnerving. Watching Daniel watch the world around him has become the central theme.