Accused – Season 1 Episode 8 “Laura’s Story” Recap & Review

Laura’s Story

This episode’s story revolves around Laura Broder, a grieving mother who lost her 12-year-old son Liam in a school shooting incident. However, Laura is the one on the stand and we go into the past to learn what happened.

Laura is a professor and actively advocates the passing of bills in the Senate to ban assault rifles. She desperately wants other parents not to have to go through something like this again. In the process, she has neglected her other child, Jonah, who feels isolated and alone. His father, Eric, gives him emotional support and tries to explain what Laura is trying to achieve.

On a live television discussion, Laura is confronted with a category of people who deny the shooting ever happened. One of them is Joanna Pierce (Margo Martindale), who is a gun owner and arms activist. She says the video was doctored and none of the dead children actually existed. It takes a heavy toll on Laura who then proposes to publish Liam’s death certificate online to give people like Joanna factual proof.

Even though the parents are supportive of Laura’s idea, none of them show up to the face-to-face confrontation Laura has planned with the online trolls, except Ben and Molly.

The first question one of the trolls ask is why there were no helicopters to take the victims. Laura says the nearest hospital did not have any. Helicopters were called when three victims needed to be transferred to a bigger hospital.

Another questions the lateness of the first responders’ arrival but Eric says that was not true. Another mother questions how an activity of this magnitude is this frequent in the country. Joanna shows up and brings up Laura’s maiden name. She alleges that a European reporter with the name Laura Berkheimer (Laura’s maiden name) had previously advocated against gun violence in three other countries. Joanna also questions why the doubters were not allowed to visit the site of the shooting.

Her next allegation is that Liam was actually adopted, worsening the situation. Someone had been recording the whole time and the clip airs on the internet. The questions get dirtier and the parents leave in disgust.

Joanna and the others heckle them off but we see Joanna was doing it for recording a video and getting her popularity up. Trolls have now got hold of the family’s personal details, and someone sends them a call with a threat to pick up Jonah.

The parents contact the police. Eric suggests they move to Baltimore but Laura is offended, believing they shouldn’t have to uproot their life because of other people.

Molly informs Laura that the other parents in the grieving group have requested the Broder couple not come anymore. They are scared of becoming targets.

As we soon find out, Jonah and Liam are both adopted and real brothers. Jonah is targeted by a big vehicle while coming back from school. He comes home and admonishes Laura’s proactiveness to go on television.

Eric’s suggestion to move out of town is more assertive this time. Laura still does not want to but Eric says the community already hates them. She sees Eric’s point and the couple agree to move out. Unbeknownst to the others, Eric buys a gun for personal defence while Laura and Jonah go for lunch alone.

The latter reiterates Laura’s point that they did not do anything wrong and should not be the ones to leave. Laura says they’re moving because she fears for Jonah’s life, delivering a genuine moment between them.

Joanna’s group is growing in numbers and their protests are becoming more obnoxious. Laura physically confronts her and is arrested. Joanna also gets an RO against Laura. In the present, the prosecutor questions Laura about it but she maintains she did not intend to harm Joanna when she went to her house the next day.

In the past, we see Laura found Eric’s firearm license application. Jonah hears them fighting about it. Eric accuses Laura of purposely making an enemy in her bid to deal with her grief. The parents suddenly realize that Jonah is missing when Eric goes to show Laura his newly bought gun.

The gun is missing and Jonah notes down Joanna’s address. Laura calls him while we see Jonah in the taxi. Joanna finds him in her cupboard but before the parents can reach the house, he shoots her. Laura takes the fall instead of Jonah, and that is why she is on the stand.

Meredith, Laura’s attorney, says the prosecutor does not have a counter against Laura’s self-defence argument and they will win the case. Laura vehemently dismisses the idea of having Jonah on the witness stand, and instead talks to Eric alone and asks him to take care of Jonah. Their son has already gone through so much and she needs to protect him.

Laura takes the plea and is taken into custody for sentencing. The episode ends with Eric embracing Jonah and assuring him everything will be alright.

The Episode Review

This was possibly the most balanced and morally virtuous episode in Accused thus far. Laura’s story was a powerful way of manifesting the sacrificial love of a mother. The Broder family had a sweeping dynamic that most families could potentially relate to. Even though we saw episode 1 of the series also feature gun violence in schools, this episode took it a notch ahead to represent the trauma and grief beyond that.

The makers had the slightly astray but unique idea to merge that with another emerging tangent – bigoted conspirators. This is a new breed of hasslers that is spiraling out of control. It all became significantly prevalent after the COVID era. But “deniers” have always existed in human consciences, as the voice of “the other side.”

Molly Parker made an impactful appearance as Laura, captivating one instantly with her vulnerability on-screen. She also brought inner resilience to strengthen her portrayal. Overall, this episode has chances of being liked by a larger chunk of the audience, something that Accused has not been too consistent with.