The Best And Worst Shows On TV In 2016
By Sundi Rose
Image via ABC
6. Conviction
Even the high concept couldn’t keep Conviction from being dead on arrival. That’s probably a bad joke, considering that it’s about a unit called the Conviction Integrity Unit that reinvestigates death row cases to ensure justice prevailed. Headed up by Agent Carter herself, Hayley Atwell pays Hayes Morrison, but she doesn’t do it very well.
Hayes is a spoiled, self-centered former first daughter, who gets the job essentially through her wealth and connections. The show tries to subvert the themes of privilege, but really it just winds up reinforcing them. There is a lot of talk about complicated American issues like race and class, but when we’re continually getting lectured by a rich, white lady about said complicated issues, it loses its bite.
The formula is, at least, mildly interesting and could’ve provided a solid vehicle for the show to take on the criminal justice system. At times, it seems like it might almost make a coherent statement about social injustice, but then the team wins every case and the ethos of the show gets in the way of its own storytelling. I spent most of the hour rolling my eyes and sighing about how predictable it is.