The Crowded Room episode 9 recap & review: Family

Open Go TV / July 23, 2023 / Reviews

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In The Crowded Room episode 9, Danny’s trial begins as Candy has to tussle with grave choices.

Recap

Stan keeps trying to reach out to Candy but she refuses to respond since Marlin also hovers behind discouraging her to utter a word until the trial’s over. The trial begins and Danny looks his best for a presentable getup at the hearing.

Patricia comes blazing, putting forth the facts and figures of the incident that Danny caused, while Stan opens strong as well, managing to eke out some strong and honest statements regarding his assessment of Danny in front of the jury.

However, they have no case unless Candy says something, which she refuses to do. Marlin does, though, and paints the picture of Danny as a regular offender while pretending to be sympathetic. Angelo and Annabelle follow and their testimonies more than not work in favor of Danny, although the facts about his violent acts muddy the waters.

While Candy refuses to hear out Rya and Stan or oblige, Jerome comes to the stand, and his testimony doesn’t do much for Danny either. Stan tries to get Candy to speak out but she remains relentless in her refusal, while the internal crisis gnaws at her conscience like an ethical dilemma came alive.

Rya comes to the stand and Patricia grills her to little success until the big question, which is whether Danny ever told her that he was abused, which he hasn’t because he believes it happened to Adam. Rya enters the bar after breaking down, and Candy meets her there, blaming her for her son’s situation.

Rya tries to impress upon Candy the helpless state that victims often find themselves in, also implying that Candy herself is a victim. Candy finally breaks down and prepares to give the testimony, but because of Marlin’s threats before it, she ends up refusing that Danny was ever abused when Stan asks her about it.

Candy goes home and has dinner with Marlin, while Danny goes back to his cell and slits his wrist with the paper clip he snuck back in The Crowded Room episode 8.

Review

The Crowded Room delivers a gut-wrenching affair in its penultimate episode as the knots within Candy’s conscience are so effectively rendered, thanks to Emmy Rossum’s brilliant performance and the writing.
The episode does a great job of educating the viewers about the dire state of helplessness that the victims of sexual abuse often face.
Marlin’s testimony at the court inspires a blood-boiling hatred for the character. Props to the actor for etching out such a loathsome predator.