S01.E06: Naataanii's Story

[statsgirl]

Quote

After some Navajo friends are arrested for protesting the local uranium mine, they come up with a plan to try and shut it down for good.

airdate March 1 2023

[Snazzy Daisy]

Accused | 1x06 Promo "Naataanii's Story"

Edited February 27, 2023 by SnazzyDaisy

[AnimeMania]

Robert I Mesa as Naataanii

Forrest Goodluck as Chase
Kiowa Gordon as Derrick
Natalie Benally as Shandiin
Jennifer Podemski as bailiff
Deanna Allison as Attorney Dezba Lower
Lindsay G Merrithew as Judge Vogel
Tazbah Rose Chavez as writer and director

[DanaK]

Always check for a phone that could be recording Mr. FBI Man. That took an unexpected and welcome turn

[Simba122504]

This one bored me, but I understood the message. 

[Snazzy Daisy]

This episode should be called "Shandiin's Story". There's not much about Naataani. His character is underdeveloped and overshadowed by Shandiin and Derrick.

The bailiff has sort of redeemed herself with that recording after what Chase said about her.

Quote

"Well, thanks to felony murder rule, that gets blamed on you. Doesn't matter if you didn't pull the trigger. White man's justice. It's a bitch, right?"

Overall, it's a boring episode as compared to last week. They get the message delivered but not with full impact.

[possibilities]

I like that this show highlights how our justice system is very fragile. One failure along the route (a lying witness, a cell phone recording-- or not) and the whole thing collapses and changes direction. Even when the momentum is on one side or the other-- which itself may or may not be the truth of the matter but merely the way the wind is blowing-- and it still could shift with one bump.

[Court]

I actually liked this one and enjoyed it but I'm confused about the FBI and the deal. Because those 3 weren't doing anything illegal at all until Derrick told them to. Was he just supposed to give information on the protesters? I don't get it. 

[DanaK]

16 minutes ago, Court said:

I actually liked this one and enjoyed it but I'm confused about the FBI and the deal. Because those 3 weren't doing anything illegal at all until Derrick told them to. Was he just supposed to give information on the protesters? I don't get it. 

It looked to me that because the agent was corrupt, he just wanted to use any means he could to shut the protestors down. Though I'm not sure why he killed Derrick, unless he felt that was a way to succeed in his task. But it was so blatantly wrong and illegal and obvious, though obviously not the first time members of law enforcement had corrupt attempt, I'm surprised he thought he could get away with it in full view of his men, the security guard and the 3 remaining protestors (though it looks like he almost did)

[possibilities]

I think they idea was to send in their mole as a provocateur, to get them to do something he could arrest them for. That is a real thing that happened during COINTELPRO, where the feds infiltrated various leftist organizations to sow conflicts and provoke trouble. I don't know if they still do it, but it did happen in the past at the least. 

Yes, it's corrupt. But the FBI guy was clearly corrupt, and wanted to entrap the protesters. His pressing the guard to get a meeting without the lawyer was another way to show he was willing tp push the limits of what's okay.

[marceline]

Did the woman playing the bailiff have a single line of dialog? 

It's kind of nice watching bad cops face consequences. This episode made me realize just how rare that is on television.

[possibilities]

5 hours ago, marceline said:

Did the woman playing the bailiff have a single line of dialog? 

 

She told the corrupt prosecutor that it was the law that the defendant only meet in the presence of his lawyer.

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 3/4/2023 at 2:38 PM, Court said:

I actually liked this one and enjoyed it but I'm confused about the FBI and the deal. Because those 3 weren't doing anything illegal at all until Derrick told them to. Was he just supposed to give information on the protesters? I don't get it. 

So trying to put some more flesh on the bones of this one:

Corrupt FBI guy had gotten his hooks into Derrick as shown and was using him as an informant to get info on Indigenous activists who threatened the status quo. Since Derrick had left the reservation, Corrupt FBI Guy's plan was to essentially use little fish Derrick to catch bigger fish in the activist movement, to (presumably) catch even bigger fish. Why he has such a massive boner for the activists is never explained. Nor is how he can be making deals without the involvement of at least a prosecutor.

Generally speaking, even though Our Heroes had no intent beyond protest until Derrick came to them with a criminal scheme, they probably would not have been able to use an entrapment defense. Nothing Derrick did was enough to overcome their own free will in agreeing to it. He didn't order them to do it. He just (presumably) made up a story about how this would shut down the mine if they followed the steps in this paper supposedly handed down from his dad. Derrick didn't order them to go along. They thought it was a good idea. Derrick laid out the plan, and they agreed to various acts to enable it, such as swiping the one guard's ID card. They did not know that Derrick was going to be bringing a gun but could be found guilty regardless, as conspirators are generally guilty of all the acts of their fellow conspirators in furtherance of the conspiracy. 

Corrupt FBI Guy knew that Our Heroes were not weak punks who would flip on their cause for mere prison time with the break-in alone. So he literally was willing to murder someone and take the chance that none of the cops or security would say "He stone cold shot a defenseless man" and that no one would believe Our Heroes when they said this.