6 things to remember about Accused season 1 before season 2

Premiering in January 2023, Accused became a hit for FOX, so much so that it earned a second season renewal midway through its first year. That second year was delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes with FOX deciding to hold the series off until the 2024 season.

The network's decision looks like a good move, as the series is set to premiere on Tuesday, Oct. 8 to continue its great storylines! So here are a few things to remember about the show ahead of its season 2 debut.

Accused is based on a British series

The show isn't that original as it's adapting a 2010 British show created by Jimmy McGovern. It ran for two seasons and won an International Emmy. A few episodes of the American version use the same storylines as the U.K. version, just altering things for the different legal systems and cultures. Howard Gordon developed the new version and shows the care needed to develop its stories. 

It's an anthology

Accused is unique in today's TV landscape in that it's not a standard drama with a regular cast. It's an anthology, with every episode telling a fresh storyline. It opens showing a person on trial with flashbacks throughout the episode showing what led up to the crime and what happened. This makes the series a fun spin on the legal procedural with some twists and turns, and that no two episodes boast the same cast or storyline keeping it fresh, so it's easy to latch onto for a good watch.

The cast is amazing

The show uses the anthology format to land some big-time guest stars who only have to work for one episode and so are not tied down for a regular series. The first episode had Emmy award winner Michael Chiklis in a great turn as a father worried his son was planning a deadly crime.

Later episodes featured Megan Boone, Rachel Bilson, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Margo Martindale, Molly Parker, Jason Ritter, Abigail Breslin, Keith Carradine, and more. This flowing cast is the best part of the show to fire the storylines up. Each actor puts their all into a brief role for some fine performances that elevate the entire series. 

The cases are never what they seem

The real joy of Accused is that the episodes are never as clear-cut as they seem. As the flashbacks develop, the viewer learns more about the events leading up to the crime and then the crime itself and it's almost never what one expects. Often, the person on trial is shown to be the more innocent party involved, and the "victim" is not that nice.

There's also the bitter turn that often justice is not truly done, a good person goes to jail while the real criminal goes free as well as the sad truth that there's rarely a "happy" ending for those involved. Much like the justice system itself, it can be unfair which makes for some amazing drama. 

You can enjoy any episode on its own

Thanks to the anthology format, there's no need to worry about jumping into Accused. Every storyline is wrapped up in a single episode and there are no lingering plot points to worry about. It's like an old-time 1950s series where every installment is its own stand-alone play, and it's a testament to the writers' ability to make you care about these characters in so little time.

While every episode of the show is good and enjoyable, the fact you can watch them in any order you want and not have to be beholden to a long-range continuity makes Accused an enjoyable series, whether as a binge or an episode at a time. 

Season 2 looks to be better

With more time to develop season 2, it appears the writers are doing their best to make it better. Expect more original stories based on current events and a top cast. Chiklis returns as a different character and there's also Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Cobie Smulders, Patrick J. Adams, Danny Pino and more. The mix of actors and storylines with sharper plotting looks to keep Accused as one of the best dramas on television and more than worth watching.

Accused season 2 premieres Tuesday October 8 at 9/8c on Fox.