AppleTV+'s Truth Be Told - Episode 1.04 "No Cross, No Crown"
Poppy and Markus trace their prime suspect's movements on the night of the murder.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of AppleTV+'s Truth Be Told.
"No Cross, No Crown" was written by Davita Scarlett and directed by Mikkel Nørgaard
Markus freely admits that it's strange there is such a wide time gap between calls for Owen Cave on the night Chuck Buhrman was murdered. As a former cop though, he understands that officers do a lot of strange things on the job that they don't always record. There can always be a rational explanation. However, this episode continues to present a damning case against Owen. It seems like he is so eager to frame his son for this murder that he is even willing to order his death in prison. Warren survived being shanked. He too needs to understand who did it to him and why. Those are the answers he seeks. He gets immediate clarity even though it may upset the business the leader of the Aryan Brotherhood unit is running in prison. It's simply more important to Warren. He believes in his innocence just as fiercely as his mother and Poppy. He may not get exonerated in time to see his mother freely again. She is admitted to the hospital here after coughing up blood. That is not a good sign at all. Her body is failing her. That may make her more willing and open to sharing all the details of her life with Poppy that she was once embarrassed to have out in public. Lanie once confronted her about the need to keep certain secrets. There are certainly plenty to go around in this central case. So far, Owen hasn't laid out a good enough reason for why he believes his son committed this crime. His testimony was the most damning piece of evidence against Warren. If Poppy can destroy that completely, then it may be enough to cast doubt on everything that happened on that fateful night. Again, it may not be enough to reopen the case or secure a new trial for Warren. Poppy may be too determined to prove that it was Owen who actually killed Chuck. The evidence is certainly lining up in favor of that argument. However, that may just be the reality she is eager to pursue and accept. She may be making the same mistakes here as she did in reporting the original case. She has to be open to all pieces of evidence even if they contradict her current narrative of the case. She feels like she has a personal connection to all of this. Her family is hurting as a direct result of her making an enemy out of the chief of police in Oakland. Owen has the ability to make their lives difficult. Ingram even believes that his wife needs to file a restraining order against her father. She still has compassion for him knowing that he can be loving and protective when he needs to be. He shielded her from some of the more difficult moments of her mother's death. However, that is still a memory that lingers for her. It shapes her view of the world. It allows her to be there for Melanie in her time of need. And yet, she may still just be looking to get information out of people. She may not care about them on a personal level. They may just be sources to help figure out all the details of this case. That can be beneficial for making a good story. However, there are extreme consequences to all of this. Ella meets her aunt Josie for the first time here. She didn't know her mother had a twin sister. Josie is still hiding so much of her New York life from her family as well. Poppy doesn't even know that Josie is in town for Susan's funeral. It's a difficult time for this family as they are burying another member. They struggle with loss. They struggle with feeling in control of their lives. It's easy to see that they weren't the picture perfect family everyone thought they were once upon a time. In fact, they are quite dysfunctional and destructive to one another. Josie has the right impulse to get as far away from any reminders of this past life. However, she still reaches her hand out for her sister in the end. That may provide some comfort. That may be what everyone is searching for as they journey through life. Lanie and Josie may have had that from the very beginning. This podcast could bring them back together. But it may also be just as likely to tear families apart because of the truth being unearthed and unsavory actions ruining reputations for good. That's the power of journalism. Poppy is determined. That can just blind her along the way too.
