S01.E10: The Lie

[formerlyfreedom]

Season Finale- Certain that he is not responsible for Tom's death, Ben tries to finally relax and enjoy the Christmas that he missed with his family -- until a shocking discovery changes his plans. Meanwhile, with the evidence having been re-tested, Cornell puts all the pieces together and prepares to make an arrest. But in the stunning conclusion, Ben makes a decision that will change his family's life forever. The nightmare is only just starting.

[sjohnson]

I think we should definitively know by the time the titles roll who the murderer is. 

[Valny]

I stopped watching at around episode five. Don't know if I'm going to watch the rest.   Is the show ten episodes and done? It hasn't been renewed has it?

[Spartan Girl]

Well, we all called it.

Poor Natalie. Only person in that whole family with any sense.

And it annoyed me that it was all about Ben taking responsibility for being a shitty parent. Christy was just as culpable, using her kids as pawns against Ben and not caring about how all the fighting was affecting them, but she never answers for it. If Cornell is right and Abby kills again, please at least let it be Christy.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I love this show now... 

[Mama No Life]

Had to go online to watch the last five minutes, which bugged.  But at least got to see Abby caught, which unbugged.

 

Didn't understand why they were talking about Ben like he was dead in the Cornell Confidential.  I mean, yes, he's in prison, but he can still be proud of Nat and know about her accomplishments.  Did he just cut everyone off?  That's crazy too. 

 

It was the only CC I watched, and now I wonder if I would have liked the show more if I had watched them.  And then it annoys me that it's even an option and no way in hell am I going back to watch them now.  Grrrr

[briochetwist]

Ugh.  I was so hoping the surprise twist would be that it was Jess.  

 

Things I did like, Cornell turns out to be a good guy.  I loved her description of budding sociopath Abby, I knew it wasn't just an 'accident', and Cornell was right, she was going to drown him in the river.  I don't think either parent was to blame.

 

Loved seeing Jake Weber again, and with his swoonworthy British accent.  

[Laurie4H]

Ok so is there another season or is the end just online?

[gameoff]

I really enjoyed this show.  Yes, I rolled my eyes so much at Ben's various accusations I think I sprained one, but I still found the story interesting.  

 

I hope they have another season.  What did it say at the end about it not being over?  My DVR kicked on and flipped to another channel.

[dbklmt]

So it was the daughter Abby that did it?  Did he take the blame for it and they're going to drag it out for another season or as in the Australian version it ended with her being revealed as the murderer with the wife there for her confession and the husband watching and listening in another room?  After seeing the Australian version this past week this show was a really inferior version of what was a good mystery just as it was in other foreign series such as Gracepoint/Broadchurch and The Returned/Les Revanants. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I rewound the part with Abby in the car like 4 times and it was hard for me to hear, she says: "I really thought Jess would move away", first, right?

[Sandman]

Well, that was depressing.

 

Would it have destroyed the through-line of the show to show that Detective Glary McTruculence was actually human, y'know, before the very last freakin' episode? I would have said not.

 

Kudos to buckbuck, whose surmises from Episode 8 were apparently on the money:

 

She was scared when Cornell came to the house the first time; she was constantly asking throughout the episodes if they knew who'd killed Tom; she was very upset the times that the police searched the house (once for evidence, once for the hidden cameras); she was very quick to go see the photos of flashlights that Cornell brought to show Ben. I think they've been laying the groundwork subtly all the way through.

 

I didn't want to believe it, but that was a good call.

I rewound the part with Abby in the car like 4 times and it was hard for me to hear, she says: "I really thought Jess would move away", first, right?

 

That's what I heard, Ms Blue Jay.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Sandman

[Mama No Life]

I'm pretty sure the series is over. If you go online you can watch five extra minutes to let you know how things wrap up with Abby, but that's it I think.

[KaveDweller]

Ok so is there another season or is the end just online?

 

It hasn't been renewed or cancelled yet, but I've seen some places predicting renewal.  I'm not sure where they'll go with a second season though.

 

My DVR cut off while they were taking mug shots of Ben.....did anything happen after that?

[Lolabelle]

Yes!  Abby was my choice for the 2nd half of the season.   They way she came off set off too many red flags for me- that she's coddled and has no emotional maturity.  One of the big tip offs for me was that she had no friends- her old ones from the Christmas party probably caught on to her lies. 

 

The scene with her in the car with her mom at the end of so creepy. Totally knew that she was lying about it being an accident.  But how the hell does Christy run off and live her?  My roommate and I were betting that the last shot of the episode would be Abby killing her mom.

[marieYOTZ]

Sounds like Ben got killed in prison. Probably accused the wrong guy of stealing his tater tots... A moron til the bitter end.

[TheRabbi]

I wasn't 100% crazy about the motive (the "complete raging psychopath" came slightly out of left field I think), but overall I thought this was a pretty satisfactory conclusion.  

 

The series was a little rough at the beginning, as they had to spend a few episodes having Ben accuse the random "lead of the week", but the second half was much better.  And the fact that almost everyone on here guessed the killer correctly in the preceeding week or two, in my opinion, really goes to show that the series did a good job of planting clues and having a general story arc planned, as opposed to completely making it up as they go along with endless red herrings (I'm pointing at the first season of The Killing here).

 

I probably enjoyed Gracepoint a tad more than this, but this was still a better show than I was expecting it to be, and I'd probably be back for a season 2 with a new case if it comes back.

 

But really ABC, are you actually saying you're going to force us to watch the end of this ONLINE?  That is utterly ridiculous.  Cut a few scenes from previous episodes to make sure all the necessary content gets in there.  If they had too much content for the final episode, that's poor season planning.  If this was planned all along, then screw you ABC.

Edited May 4, 2015 by TheRabbi

[Ms Lark]

Didn't understand why they were talking about Ben like he was dead in the Cornell Confidential.

I'm not so sure he isn't. Even hard-core murderers will take out a baby killer in prison. It's considered unforgivable to kill a kid.

 

Well, glad Cornell came after Abby in the end since she's clearly a sociopath, but Ben totally deserved to be in prison for his numerous counts of felony stupidity!

[sleekandchic]

Did Cornell lie to Ben (to shock him out of his false confession) when she said Abby had struck the child five times in the head? I thought we were led to believe that Tom died due to one huge blow? Either way, Abby was revealed to be a psychopath. Natalie and Mom better watch their backs.

And in the true spirit of fairy-tale endings, Dave is in love with a hot, sweet, kindergarten teacher! And she's in love with him! Lol. When did this meetup and courtship have time to take place?

I know this is a kind of cotton candy-tv and I shouldnt overthink it, but I cant help getting annoyed at senseless plot devices. For example, the Crawfords come together, happy that Ben has been cleared, and ready to chow down on takeout. But FiIRST......Ben excuses himself to "clean up" outside and then fortuitously finds the bloody sneakers? Ridiculous to me.

Edited May 4, 2015 by sleekandchic

[sjohnson]

They're talking about Ben like he was dead because they won't want to rehire Ryan Phillippe. The show was moderately successful but not a huge hit, which is always the star's fault. The implication is that he was killed in prison, or possibly committed suicide. 

 

The Cornell confidential may be all the wrap up on the Tom Murphy case we see. Dramatically speaking there's nothing much left, so it's really all we need. I suppose they left Ben's fate unspecified just in case. 

 

The dramatic contrast between Cornell with her ex and Ben was surprisingly effective I thought. I think her certainty that Abby will kill again is not better founded than her certainty that a drowning murder means a female perpetrator.

 

The ending wasn't unexpected but overall there are some times when an unexpected ending would do such violence to the logic of the plot or the personalities it would be a horrible misstep. Personally, I like mysteries to make sense and on that count this delivered better than True Detective. Heresy, I know, I apologize for the ungoodthink.

 

Dave was more broken up at Ben's farewell than Christy. I don't know if that the characters staying true to themselves or an odd little tribute to one of the great bromances. 

[TheRabbi]

 

The ending wasn't unexpected but overall there are some times when an unexpected ending would do such violence to the logic of the plot or the personalities it would be a horrible misstep. Personally, I like mysteries to make sense and on that count this delivered better than True Detective. Heresy, I know, I apologize for the ungoodthink.

 

Definitely.  This is what I was trying to articulate earlier, but you worded it much better.  Having a crazy stupid twist in the finale can often only undermine the entire season.  I was glad they threw in that shot of Abby looking at the pictures of all the flashlights, because even after she had confessed, I was still thinking "ok, what about that scene where he opens the garage door and sees 50 of those things?"

[briochetwist]

You know what really sucks?  When ABC wraps up the fucking show with a 'Cornell Confidential' that no one outside of the US can see.  WTF?!  We don't get them here in Canada.  If ABC is going to sell a show to a network in another country, then they should make sure we can see the entire thing.  I'm pissed off. 

[Madding crowd]

My DVR cut off when Christy was driving away with Abby so I don't know if I missed anything there. I actually didn't like the ending. We all guessed it was Abby; but hearing your parents argue doesn't make one a psychopath. Abby would have to have shown symptoms of some kind earlier. I didn't believe her story about wanting to wake up Tom and having him run away either.

 

Again, I think Jess might be the world's heaviest sleeper, but I admit I hear everything and no could skulk around my house. I didn't like Ben having to take the rap and if he was killed or committed suicide in prison it makes it even worse. To me, since the vast majority of the show was about Ben being unjustly accused, the idea of him being arrested anyway just sucks.

 

I guess I will have to see the last five minutes online stuff; I hope this constant online stuff is not going to be a new trend with shows. I don't always have the time to look stuff up and I should be able to find out everything I need to know while actually watching the show.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Here's the link that still has it as RENEWAL PREDICTED by today's numbers:

 

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/05/03/bubble-watch-down-to-the-nitty-gritty-edition/398573/

[truthaboutluv]

Well many called it but I have to say I give the show props for going there. As some noted, shows don't often like to make kids, especially really young kids, since Abby's only 12, a murderer. And then to not only make her guilty but set it up that she's kind of a sociopath - totally didn't see that coming. I was suspicious though when she told her story of what happened because I remembered Cornell talking about Tom being hit multiple times.

 

What I am still a little confused about is what exactly was Abby's plan. If we discount her story that she just wanted to take Tom to a place where he could hide so his dad would come back and then her line at the end about bringing him to the lake, am I to assume her intent was to drown him? And I guess his freakout in her story was real because Tom, being a child, started throwing a tantrum because he was cold, wet and scared. And then he probably did start screaming for his mother and threatening to tell and she snapped on him.

 

The other proof of Abby's coldness and when I knew for sure I was right about it being her, was her reaction when the rest of the family were talking about their shock over Jess being guilty. She was completely blase and didn't know why they were still talking about and why they cared because her family was back together and that's all she cared about. That said, I have to believe Natalie would go to the cops and not just silently sit by while her dad goes to jail.

 

I was still thinking "ok, what about that scene where he opens the garage door and sees 50 of those things?"

 

 

I believe it was confirmed that it was the crazy neighbor who did that, the one who water boarded Ben. I think it had leaked in the media that Tom was killed from a blow to the head from a flashlight. So the guy set that up to mess with Ben. 

Edited May 4, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[sleekandchic]

Cornell Confidential did not imply that Ben is now dead, either via murder or suicide.

Its 14 months later, and Cornell appears at the diner where Natalie and Dave are having a tiny celebration of Nats 18th birthday. Cornell makes it known that she's been keeping up with Nats life, congratulating the girl on her academic success and acceptance at every school to which she applied. However, Nat has put off attending college.

Then Cornell tells Nat she needs her help to clear Ben, that Abby must be made to pay for the murder of Tom. Cornell asserts its only a matter of time before Abby kills again.

Natalie agrees to help. Dave says he will support her decision. Cornell says the first step is to overturn Bens conviction.

Last scene is Cornell greeting Abby and Mom as they happily stroll after a shopping trip. Mom puts her arm protectively around Abby and both look alarmed as Cornell smiles at them.

Dave wears a wedding band in the diner scene.

Edited May 4, 2015 by sleekandchic

[sleekandchic]

You know what really sucks?  When ABC wraps up the fucking show with a 'Cornell Confidential' that no one outside of the US can see.  WTF?!  We don't get them here in Canada.  If ABC is going to sell a show to a network in another country, then they should make sure we can see the entire thing.  I'm pissed off.

I understand your annoyance for sure, but you didnt really miss anything.

[Madding crowd]

Cnfidential did not imply that Ben is now dead, either via murder or suicide.C

 

Yes, it did. They didn't say anything about her dad "rotting in prison" they said now that your dad is gone. Dave mentioned several times that her dad would have liked to know she turned out to be a good person. if he was alive he could be in contact with Natalie and have visitations with her. They also were talking about clearing his name, not about setting him free. It wasn't said outright, but saying someone is gone means dead to me. Of course, if Ryan Phillippe ends up coming back they could just pretend the conversation meant something else.

[Blue Plastic]

After having been excited to see how the ending unfolded, I am feeling pretty let down.  For some reason they tried to make the ending different from the Australian version while keeping the actual culprit the same, and it didn't work for me at all.  In addition, they put the last 5 extremely unsatisfying minutes online for some bizarre reason.  That's okay for me personally since I'm in the US and able to see it, but I'd rather just watch the ending of the TV show on TV, plus if you make me go online for the final 5 minutes of show it'd better be a bleeping awesome 5 minutes and this was decidedly not, IMO.

 

I guess I'm mean, but I kind of wanted to see Abby (I know she's a child but she's a sociopath and she needs to be put where she can't hurt anyone and get LOTS of help that she is NOT getting on shopping trips on the boardwalk with her selfish, oblivious mother) and Christy suffer, cry, etc. after all the shit both of them put their family through.  Sorry if that's mean but it's just a TV show and that's what I wanted to see.

 

Sounds like Ben got killed in prison. Probably accused the wrong guy of stealing his tater tots... A moron til the bitter end.

This is LOL funny and probably exactly what happened.

 

But really ABC, are you actually saying you're going to force us to watch the end of this ONLINE?  That is utterly ridiculous.  Cut a few scenes from previous episodes to make sure all the necessary content gets in there.  If they had too much content for the final episode, that's poor season planning.  If this was planned all along, then screw you ABC.

Amen.

 

I did really like the evolution of Cornell's character.  I went from hating her to really liking her and never would have thought that would happen if you asked me what I thought of her after the first couple of episodes.  Other than that, thumbs down.  I would have much preferred the ending to go exactly as it did in the Australian version than to have this misbegotten piece of trash ending.

[LeGrandElephant]

"Didn't understand why they were talking about Ben like he was dead in the Cornell Confidential. I mean, yes, he's in prison, but he can still be proud of Nat and know about her accomplishments. Did he just cut everyone off? That's crazy too. "

My theory was they were trying to set up a second season without knowing whether they have Ryan Phillippe, so they tried to make the dialog work for either "in jail" or "died in jail". Does anyone know what's going on behind the scenes? Any chance of another season?

I was really annoyed with Ben confessing, even tho we knew he would. I think part of what bothers me is his sacrifice is so out of proportion to the danger she faced. This isn't a parent running into a burning building to save their kid. This is him throwing away his entire life and leaving Natalie essentially an orphan, to save Abby from what, a couple years in juvie? Not to mention he didn't even know Cornell suspected her at that point.

[Uwbadgmad]

Ryan Phillippe said in an interview on Howard Stern that he only signed up to be on the show for one season.

I think the show might go on with a different cast or a different lead. I don't like that we have to go online to find out the complete ending though.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Uwbadgmad

[slasherboy]

Two things:  

 

First, I thought the scene where Ben brought Abby's bloody shoes into the dining room and put them on the table was really well done, especially by Ben, Christy and Natalie.  The instant all 3 realized Abby had killed Tom, they each reacted so realistically.  I didn't have a lot of love for Natalie throughout the series because she was so snotty, but she totally won me over when she wanted to turn her sister in.

 

Secondly, why did Cornell wait 14 months before she approached Natalie to testify against Abby?  Oh, wait, I just figured it out.  Natalie needs to be an adult to make her own decisions, thus, her 18th birthday.  Nevermind!

 

I enjoyed this series, and didn't even mind Cornell once she grew a heart.  (I know, I know, she was just doing her job)

[sleekandchic]

Yes, it did. They didn't say anything about her dad "rotting in prison" they said now that your dad is gone. Dave mentioned several times that her dad would have liked to know she turned out to be a good person. if he was alive he could be in contact with Natalie and have visitations with her. They also were talking about clearing his name, not about setting him free. It wasn't said outright, but saying someone is gone means dead to me. Of course, if Ryan Phillippe ends up coming back they could just pretend the conversation meant something else.

I disagree. I know the show isnt a legal procedural, so it definitely could be taking poetic license, but when Cornell said the first step in clearing Bens name was to overturn his conviction, that told me he was still alive. Convictions cannot be overturned for dead people, to my knowledge.

My sense of Bens actions at the end was he was willing to sacrifice himself completely for the sake of his family. And that decision included his complete disappearance from their lives, so that they could move on, unencumbered in any way by the death of Tom.

Once Ben fired his lawyer, said he was representing himself, put on the orange jmpsuit and watched the cell door bang shut, he was gone, in every sense. He blamed himself for Abbys crime and for the implosion of his family. So he decided his disappearance from their lives was his ultimate penance.

[coloradoqt]

Ok I bow to you cynics,seers, soooo glad I didn't bet any of you...Never,ever believed it was Abby, what a bitch, yeah a 12 year old bitch. 

[Madding crowd]

People can have their convictions overturned after they are deceased. Families sometimes still want to clear their name if new evidence is discovered. I believe the Cornell Confidential was clearly saying Ben is dead, yet is ambitious enough that they could have had Ben alive if they wanted. Even if Ben were in prison he would want to know his daughters were safe and healthy. I just can't imagine him having zero contact. If Dave said "Your father is in prison" instead of gone I would agree with you. No idea if the show is coming back, but I think it is set up to come back without Ryan. I read a few recaps on TV sites (still don't know how to link) and they all think Ben is probably dead. I tried linking the one from TVonline but failed. :)

Edited May 4, 2015 by Madding crowd

[slasherboy]

Two more things:

 

First, Christy abandoned Natalie, right?  That's why Natalie was staying with her uncle?

 

Secondly, Ryan P. is HOT and I don't want him to be dead.  I want him out of jail and happy.

 

Ok, three things:

 

Third, Dave looked nice at the end.  I'm happy for him moving on from being a major slug.

[nara]

You know what really sucks?  When ABC wraps up the fucking show with a 'Cornell Confidential' that no one outside of the US can see.  WTF?!  We don't get them here in Canada.  If ABC is going to sell a show to a network in another country, then they should make sure we can see the entire thing.  I'm pissed off. 

100% agree with you.  I don't object to them trying to drive traffic to their website and engage people across channels.  However, not making sure that CC is available internationally is lazy and shows a complete lack of understanding of multi-channel programming. 

 

I was hoping that Abby would kill her mom so that she could "get back to her father" which is of course a completely unrealistic way of thinking...

[Master007]

I liked the ending. While it does seem like Ben takes the fall in a sad way(since there was no accident), Cornell's Confidential makes it seem that his name will be cleared and Abby will get what she deserves.

I'm hoping for a renewal.

Also the actual last scene of the show was very chilling. Abby really is a sociopath child.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Master007

[Sandman]

Is it still called "overturning a conviction" after the death of the convicted person? It IS possible to obtain posthumous exoneration.

[Mmazeo]

Abby = Keyser Soze. The showing of all the clues throughout the season.

[sleekandchic]

Im not an attorney, so you might absolutely be right. My understanding has always been that judicial convictions cannot be overturned for a dead person. Thats not to say that families or other interested parties must stop working toward clearing a persons name, even if hes passed away. They can continue to pursue a pardon for sure. But I dont think the conviction can be legally overturned post-death.

I think when Ben made his decision to be sacrificial lamb, he made it final and all-encompassing. After all, the Crawford family ALL knew the Truth at the end. What would continued communication with Ben entail? Abby apologizing; Natalie begging him to reconsider; Christie expressing her eternal gratitude, and filling him in on her new dating life?

That way, everybody is stuck. If he shuts himself away and refuses to maintain contact, then the women and girl can move on. A new life as Bens ultimate gift to them. Ben showed his mulish, dogged personality and approach throughout the series.

Thats my interpretation, anyway. :)

Edited May 4, 2015 by sleekandchic

[sjohnson]

As for the Australian version, when I tried to watch it on Netflix, I quit halfway through episode two. As I remember, it was because I was so frustrated that they still hadn't revealed the parentage. The withholding was driving me crazy. I like Ryan Phillippe better than Martin Henderson too. And most of all, Juliette Lewis at least made Cornell stand out as a character.

[tinderbox]

Cornell Confidential did not imply that Ben is now dead, either via murder or suicide.

Its 14 months later, and Cornell appears at the diner where Natalie and Dave are having a tiny celebration of Nats 18th birthday. Cornell makes it known that she's been keeping up with Nats life, congratulating the girl on her academic success and acceptance at every school to which she applied. However, Nat has put off attending college.

Then Cornell tells Nat she needs her help to clear Ben, that Abby must be made to pay for the murder of Tom. Cornell asserts its only a matter of time before Abby kills again.

Natalie agrees to help. Dave says he will support her decision. Cornell says the first step is to overturn Bens conviction.

Last scene is Cornell greeting Abby and Mom as they happily stroll after a shopping trip. Mom puts her arm protectively around Abby and both look alarmed as Cornell smiles at them.

Dave wears a wedding band in the diner scene.

That's how I interpreted the CC scene. It never crossed my mind that Ben was dead. That said, it was my first time ever watching the CC so I was a bit put off by having to logon to abc.com to see what happened. Sooooo glad Cornell was able to find/arrest Abby.

Also, I never noticed the wedding ring on Dave. Too busy admiring him dressed in a suit! heh

 

 

Yes, it did. They didn't say anything about her dad "rotting in prison" they said now that your dad is gone. Dave mentioned several times that her dad would have liked to know she turned out to be a good person. if he was alive he could be in contact with Natalie and have visitations with her. They also were talking about clearing his name, not about setting him free. It wasn't said outright, but saying someone is gone means dead to me. Of course, if Ryan Phillippe ends up coming back they could just pretend the conversation meant something else.

Hmmmm..... You're probably right. They didn't make it obvious either way so they're covered if Ryan returns to the show. If the show is renewed I do hope Ryan returns. I thought he did a great job in his role. However, I'm not sure how much further they could go with his character. They could go anywhere/everywhere with Cornell, for sure.

 

 

"Didn't understand why they were talking about Ben like he was dead in the Cornell Confidential. I mean, yes, he's in prison, but he can still be proud of Nat and know about her accomplishments. Did he just cut everyone off? That's crazy too. "

My theory was they were trying to set up a second season without knowing whether they have Ryan Phillippe, so they tried to make the dialog work for either "in jail" or "died in jail". Does anyone know what's going on behind the scenes? Any chance of another season?

I was really annoyed with Ben confessing, even tho we knew he would. I think part of what bothers me is his sacrifice is so out of proportion to the danger she faced. This isn't a parent running into a burning building to save their kid. This is him throwing away his entire life and leaving Natalie essentially an orphan, to save Abby from what, a couple years in juvie? Not to mention he didn't even know Cornell suspected her at that point.

I hear you about his sacrifice being out of proportion to the obstacles she would have faced. The character was only 12 years old. Did Tom think a jury would put her to death? She needed tons of mental health intervention.

 

 

People can have their convictions overturned after they are deceased. Families sometimes still want to clear their name if new evidence is discovered. I believe the Cornell Confidential was clearly saying Ben is dead, yet is ambitious enough that they could have had Ben alive if they wanted. Even if Ben were in prison he would want to know his daughters were safe and healthy. I just can't imagine him having zero contact. If Dave said "Your father is in prison" instead of gone I would agree with you. No idea if the show is coming back, but I think it is set up to come back without Ryan. I read a few recaps on TV sites (still don't know how to link) and they all think Ben is probably dead. I tried linking the one from TVonline but failed. :)

Again, I didn't think it was clear but could easily accept either theory now that I've read all of your opinions.

When all is said and done, I really enjoyed this series and knew nothing about any other version or I would have investigated it. I also have to say I couldn't stomach Christy. Yuck. Didn't like the character or the actress!

HATED Cornell in the beginning but LOVED her in the end.

Edited May 4, 2015 by tinderbox

[memememe76]

I was FF through a lot of the episodes but I did watch the finale all the way through. I am surprised how emotionally engaged I got. Watching Dave in the car crumbling *really* got to me. And Cornell's final scene, where she is *determined* to capture Abbey. Given my utter hatred for both characters at the start, totally caught me off-guard.

 

That said, I still don't get how Ben was such a strong suspect. And I know that I won't sit through another character wrongly accused 90% of the season. Not sure how they can avoid that without it just being another procedural.

[Chairperson Meow]

Yeah, add me to the Ben is dead camp. Ryan Phillipe tweeted that the show is over, at least for him.

Here's to hoping he can be wooed or lies to twitter. But he also tweeted that he has other shows and movies in the works.

[Anela]

I thought there was supposed to be a different killer, but Phillippe did say a different ending, and we got that. I actually found the Australian ending better/more gripping, and didn't like seeing him go to jail for Abby. I thought she might hurt her mother next - I couldn't believe that she kept driving, after Abby's comment. 

[mertensia]

Ha! I knew it was Abby. Probably because I've watched way too much CSI.

I can't believe they really think they can stop Abby this way. She'll be brainng whoever steals her boyfriend. A teacher who fails her.

Run Natalie run!

[briochetwist]

So, thanks to a nifty app, I was able to see the Cornell Confidential.  I'm not sure how anyone could see that and not think that Ben is dead.  Natalie is not angry with her father, she would be seeing him on a regular basis if he were still alive.  If he were still alive, he would have told her how proud he was of her himself and not needed Dave to do it.  Last of all, if he were still alive. Cornell would be talking about getting his conviction overturned and getting him out of jail instead of just clearing his name.  Can't see how he'd still be alive.

[cooksdelight]

I can't remember, because I skipped some episodes, but did the family have any pets that disappeared? Abby knows where they are, if so.

They have to put her away somewhere before she goes on a killing spree and winds up on death row one day.

[mwell345]

The episode synopsis sort of gave it away with the "Ben makes a decision that will change his family's life forever" .  I read that to mean he was going to take the rap, and he would only do that to protect one of his kids,and the older girl had already been suspect, so that left the Bad Seed who I guess forgot about those sneakers.