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- Apple TV+
- Dec 6, 2019
- Apple TV+
- Dec 6, 2019
Summary New evidence causes true crime podcast host Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) to take another look into the conviction of Warren Cave (Aaron Paul), whose case made her famous in this drama based on Kathleen Barber's true-crime novel Are You Sleeping from Justified writer Nichelle Tramble Spellman.
- Apple TV+
- Dec 6, 2019
- Apple TV+
- Dec 6, 2019
Summary New evidence causes true crime podcast host Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) to take another look into the conviction of Warren Cave (Aaron Paul), whose case made her famous in this drama based on Kathleen Barber's true-crime novel Are You Sleeping from Justified writer Nichelle Tramble Spellman.
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Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
46
21% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
57% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
21% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
46
21% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
57% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
21% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Not only its most promising show to date but one that could serve as a template for future Apple TV+ shows. It’s a good-verging-on-great anthology series with storylines, writing, and casting that could be replicated again and again, allowing Apple to widen its lane while shrinking HBO’s. ... [Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul] alone are worth the investment of eight hours of your time.
There is, empirically, way too much going on. But Truth Be Told is romp, albeit kind of a gory one. The story is ridiculous, and gloriously so. ... It can be a bit much, but the show earns it.
At a minimum, Truth Be Told is an entertaining watch that does hook the viewer. But it’s not likely to be the series that turns around the otherwise rocky deployment of Apple TV+ offerings. Truth be told, the podcast within the show might’ve been the better medium for this campy tale of thwarted redemption.
By nearly halfway through the series we have had only a set of decidedly unoriginal revelations revealed in a deeply pedestrian manner. You can feel the on-screen talent longing to let rip, but the script and the structure and the sense just aren’t there.
The cast does the best it can with thin characters; Elizabeth Perkins brings engaging pathos to Warren’s cancer-stricken mom Melanie. Sadly, Truth Be Told doesn’t seem to have much to say on their plight that superior predecessors including Netflix’s hilariously sophomoric true-crime mockumentary American Vandal haven’t already covered. ... It marks another misstep for Apple TV+ because it’s so bland and forgettable.
The series lacks the tact or nuance to investigate the idea of inherent evil, and what’s left is a rather muddled whodunit in which the answer ceases to be very interesting.
Its most egregious sin may be wasting an incredibly talented cast, who all get sucked into the quicksand of hackneyed dialogue and clichéd plotting. There’s not a single moment in the first three episodes that feels true or even interesting as a soap opera. The truth is that it’s one of the worst shows of the year on any network.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 10 User Ratings
4.8
40% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
30% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
30% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 10 User Ratings
4.8
40% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
30% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
30% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
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