With its launch in early November, Apple TV+ is still in the early stages of the tech giant’s original content game. After a fine but unremarkable launch with some ambitious and expensive series like The Morning Show, See, and For All Mankind, as well as the praised teen comedy Dickinson, it seemed as though the service may have found its best new series yet with the M. Night Shyamalan-produced Servant. Unfortunately, any goodwill brought on by that terrifically discomfiting series may prove to be undone by the moralistic crime dram Truth Be Told

The series stars Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer as Poppy Parnell, a journalist and podcaster aiming to reopen the case against convicted murderer Warren Cave (Aaron Paul), a man her writing helped put behind bars, as new evidence suggests he might not be guilty of the murder he’s been jailed for. It also features a dual role for Lizzy Caplan, as Lanie and Josie Buhrman, twin daughters of the man Warren was convicted of murdering, as well as Elizabeth Perkins, as Warren’s ailing mother.  

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Despite the talent in front of the camera and behind it — the series is executive produced by showrunner Nichelle Tramble Spellman — and the way it capitalizes on the likes of Serial and other podcasts and documentaries that have captured the attention of more than just true crime aficionados, Truth Be Told struggles to be as compelling as the stories — real or fictional — that it and the book by Kathleen Barber are clearly interested in exploring. Some of that has to do with the scope and intention of the series, one that uses a single incident  and the nearly two decades since to investigate complex issues of morality, culpability, and the unintended consequences of a horrible crime. And in doing so, the series raises additional questions, such as whether or not who a person has become changes the way he is treated, especially when his circumstances are not his to control. 

Aaron Paul in Truth Be Told Season 1 Apple TV+

That’s one of the biggest questions asked by the series early on, as Poppy comes to believe Warren may have been wrongly convicted of murdering Chuck Buhrman, a crime for which he’s now served 19 years behind bars. In that time, the then-17-year-old has become a hardened convict, one affiliated with white supremacists in prison, initially as a means to survive in a harsh environment. It’s an interesting quandary: How much sympathy can Poppy and the audience have for someone whose life is fueled by racism and hatred? And for his part, Paul makes for a compelling character study, as his supposed innocence has suddenly become relevant again after nearly two decades behind bars, leaving the audience to wonder if the person Warren has become should benefit from any potential absolution for the crime he was possibly erroneously convicted of. 

To that end, Truth Be Told has an undeniable hook, one that is firmly entrenched in the appeal and addictive qualities of True Crime stories, podcasts, and documentaries. And it’s one that is further complicated by Warren’s actions both before and after he was convicted. Adding to the moral complexity of the story is Poppy’s role as an up-and-coming journalist who benefitted greatly from her coverage of Warren’s trial and who, the series claims, is partially responsible for his being convicted. As such, Poppy’s change of heart puts her on a difficult path of admitting she may have been wrong, and trying to help someone who may be beyond help, let alone redemption.

Octavia Spencer as Poppy in Truth Be Told Season 1 Apple TV+

Truth Be Told is a dark, sometimes harrowing narrative, though, it could be argued, one that might have been better suited to a short miniseries or, better yet, a feature film. As such, Spellman and her writers’ room are tasked with stretching the drama out over 10 hours. Though Apple only made the first four available to critics ahead of time — the first three will be available to subscribers when the series premieres — it’s clear that the biggest challenge facing the series has to do with the real estate it’s being asked to cover. This is most apparent in the show’s asides with Poppy’s husband and family, played by Michael Beach, Tracie Thoms, and Ron Cephas Jones, and with Caplan as the troubled Buhrnam sisters. All these subplots should help flesh out the main characters and humanize the otherwise forgotten victim in this story, but for one reason or another, they feel extraneous to a fault. 

The result, then, is a compelling concept, a visually impressive presentation, and a number of terrific performances that, weirdly, don’t add up to a propulsive or captivating series. It’s an interesting idea and it’s easy to see why Apple would be interested — gotta love those podcasts — but in the end, Truth Be Told’s pace is too languorous for its own good. 

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Truth Be Told episodes 1-3 will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on Friday, December  6, 2019.