Rectify

Last updated
Rectify
Rectify series logo.svg
Genre Tragedy [1]
Legal drama
Southern Gothic [2]
Created by Ray McKinnon
Starring
Opening theme"Bowsprit" by Balmorhea
ComposerGabriel Mann
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes30 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerDon Kurt
Production location Georgia
Running time43–68 minutes
Production companies
  • Gran Via Productions
  • Zip Works
Original release
Network SundanceTV
ReleaseApril 22, 2013 (2013-04-22) 
December 14, 2016 (2016-12-14)

Rectify is an American television drama series exploring the life of a man after he is released from prison after nearly 20 years on death row following a wrongful conviction. It was created by Ray McKinnon and is the first original series from SundanceTV. It stars Aden Young, Abigail Spencer, J. Smith-Cameron, Adelaide Clemens, Clayne Crawford, and Luke Kirby, [3] and premiered on April 22, 2013, with a first season run of six episodes. [3]

Contents

A second season of ten episodes, premiered on June 19, 2014. [4] [5] A third season of six episodes premiered on July 9, 2015. [6] A fourth and final season of eight episodes premiered on October 26, 2016. [7] [8] [9] All four seasons of the show have been critically acclaimed.

Synopsis

Daniel Holden was imprisoned as a teenager for the rape and murder of his 16-year-old girlfriend, Hanna. After nineteen years on death row, analysis of DNA evidence from his trial contradicts the prosecution's case, and an appeals court vacates the judgment of his original trial.

Daniel is allowed to return to his hometown, Paulie, Georgia. [10] The subsequent adjustments and events in the lives of Daniel, his extended family, and the townsfolk are explored as a character study in a slowly unfolding Southern Gothic story. [11]

Cast and characters

Main cast

Recurring cast

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 6April 22, 2013 (2013-04-22)May 20, 2013 (2013-05-20)
2 10June 19, 2014 (2014-06-19)August 21, 2014 (2014-08-21)
3 6July 9, 2015 (2015-07-09)August 13, 2015 (2015-08-13)
4 8October 26, 2016 (2016-10-26)December 14, 2016 (2016-12-14)

Development and production

The series began development in 2008 when it was planned to air on AMC with Walton Goggins set to play the lead role. [12] Three years after originally being developed at AMC, sister channel SundanceTV announced it had ordered the series for six episodes, to become the channel's first original scripted series. [13] Production for the second season began on February 3, 2014, in Griffin, Georgia. [14] Production began on the fourth and final season in April 2016. [15]

Casting

In April 2012, Abigail Spencer, Clayne Crawford, Adelaide Clemens, Jonah Lotan, and J. Smith-Cameron were all cast in the series. [10] Aden Young was cast as the series lead in May 2012. [16] Luke Kirby was cast in June 2012, replacing Lotan as Daniel Holden's lawyer. [17]

Reception

Critical response

Critical response of Rectify
Season Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
188% (33 reviews) [18] 82 (28 reviews) [19]
296% (23 reviews) [20] 92 (16 reviews) [21]
3100% (20 reviews) [22] 89 (11 reviews) [23]
4100% (20 reviews) [24] 99 (11 reviews) [25]

Season 1

The first season of Rectify received critical acclaim, scoring a Metacritic rating of 82 out of 100 based on 28 reviews. [19] One of the positive reviews of Rectify was from the Los Angeles Times , which called the series "mesmerizing." [26] A less positive review in The New York Times noted the slow pace of the series after the first episode and a quarter. [27] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a rating of 88% based on 33 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4 out of 10, with the critical consensus: "Rectify is a stylish drama that rewards patient viewers with deep characters and plotlines." [18]

Season 2

The second season continued to receive critical acclaim, with a Metacritic rating of 92 out of 100 based on 16 reviews. [21] Rotten Tomatoes gave the second season a 96% rating, based on 23 reviews with an average rating of 9 out of 10 and the critical consensus: "Its scenic landscapes and rewarding slow burn prove Rectify's second season to be just as good, if not better, than the first." [20] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "it remains as riveting and unique as ever." [28]

Season 3

The third season also received critical acclaim with a Metacritic rating of 89 out of 100 based on 11 reviews. [23] Rotten Tomatoes gave the third season a 100% rating, based on 20 reviews with an average rating of 8.3 out of 10 and the critical consensus: "Rectify's subtlety draws viewers in deeper during season three – and they continue to be rewarded with quality acting, compelling dialogue, and thought-provoking drama." [22] Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "It's rich with beautifully crafted scenes that capture the distance, anger, and confusion of a fragmenting family and souls in flux." [29] Brian Lowry of Variety wrote, "Rectify remains a master class in nuance — in small looks and long pauses that say more than pages of dialogue." [30]

Season 4

The fourth and final season received universal acclaim with a Metacritic rating of 99 out of 100 based on 11 reviews. [25] Rotten Tomatoes gave the fourth season a 100% rating, based on 20 reviews with an average rating of 9.6 out of 10 and the critical consensus: "In its final season, Rectify endures as a vital and compelling drama, poignantly driven by a narrative that envelops its characters in complexity, humanity, and a bittersweet beauty." [24] Matt Roush of TV Guide called Rectify "One of TV's truest, finest and deepest dives into pure character drama." [31] Malcolm Jones of The Daily Beast wrote that "Rectify is the best series I have ever seen on television. Not may be. Not might be. It just is." [32]

Damien Echols, who as one of the West Memphis 3 was convicted and served nearly two decades in prison before being released in part based on DNA evidence, wrote about the series in The Huffington Post: "Rectify is the story of a man who was sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit, and spent 19 years on death row before getting out. Much like my own real life case, the local politicians refuse to admit he's innocent even after DNA testing points towards someone else. In fact, there was so much about this show that mirrored my own life I began to wonder how much of my story had crept into the script." And, "I can tell you from first hand experience that Rectify is a very realistic show." [33]

Critics' top ten lists

Accolades

Ray McKinnon, along with Mark Johnson, Clayne Crawford, Aden Young, J. Smith-Cameron, Abigail Spencer and Melissa Bernstein, accept the Peabody Award for Rectify. The cast and crew of Rectify at the 74th Annual Peabody Awards.jpg
Ray McKinnon, along with Mark Johnson, Clayne Crawford, Aden Young, J. Smith-Cameron, Abigail Spencer and Melissa Bernstein, accept the Peabody Award for Rectify.

Abigail Spencer was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013. [38] For the 67th Writers Guild of America Awards, Kate Powers and Ray McKinnon were nominated for Best Episodic Drama for "Donald the Normal". [39] For the 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards, Aden Young was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Series. [40]

The series was awarded with a 2014 Peabody Award, with the organization stating, "A powerful, subtle dramatic series about a death-row inmate released after nearly two decades thanks to new DNA evidence, it ponders whether what's been lost can ever be repaid, not just to him but to everyone he and his alleged crimes touched." [41]

For the 6th Critics' Choice Television Awards, the series received three nominations, for Best Drama Series, Aden Young for Best Actor in a Drama Series, and Clayne Crawford for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. [42]

Home media

On DVD, the first season was released on June 18, 2013, [43] the second season was released on June 2, 2015, [44] and the third season was released on September 6, 2016. [45] The series was available to stream on Netflix in the United States and Canada until March 2021. [46]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayne Crawford</span> American actor

Joseph "Clayne" Crawford is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Martin Riggs on the Fox series Lethal Weapon (2016–2018) and Teddy Talbot on the SundanceTV series Rectify (2013–2016), the latter earning him a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He has also had supporting roles in the films A Walk to Remember (2002), Swimfan (2002), A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004), The Great Raid (2005), and Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abigail Spencer</span> American actress (born 1981)

Abigail Leigh Spencer is an American actress. She began her career playing Rebecca Tyree on the ABC daytime television soap opera All My Children (1999–2001) before going on to star in the Lifetime crime drama series, Angela's Eyes (2006). From 2013 to 2016, Spencer starred as Amantha Holden in the SundanceTV drama series Rectify, for which she received a nomination for a Critics' Choice Television Award; she then starred as history professor Lucy Preston in the NBC science-fiction series Timeless.

<i>Love</i> (TV series) American romantic comedy-drama streaming television series

Love is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, and Paul Rust. The series stars Rust, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Mitchell, and Claudia O'Doherty. Netflix originally ordered two seasons of the show. The first 10-episode season was made available on February 19, 2016, and a 12-episode second season premiered on March 10, 2017. Netflix renewed the series for a third season one month prior to the second-season premiere. On December 15, 2017, Netflix announced that the third season would be its last. Season 3 premiered on March 9, 2018.

<i>Looking</i> (TV series) 2014 American comedy-drama television series

Looking is an American comedy-drama television series which ran on HBO from January 19, 2014, to July 23, 2016. Created by Michael Lannan and produced by David Marshall Grant, Sarah Condon, and Andrew Haigh, it stars Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez, Murray Bartlett, Lauren Weedman, Russell Tovey, and Raúl Castillo. The show follows the experiences of Patrick, Agustín, and Dom, three gay friends who live and work in modern-day San Francisco. It was the network's first series centered on the lives of gay men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aden Young</span> Canadian-Australian actor

Aden Young is a Canadian-Australian actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Daniel Holden in the SundanceTV drama Rectify, for which he was twice nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series. He has appeared in American, Canadian and Australian productions and since 2024 has performed the lead role of Det. Henry Graff in Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.

White Collar is an American police procedural television series created by Jeff Eastin, starring Tim DeKay as FBI Special Agent Peter Burke and Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey, a highly intelligent, charming and multi-talented con artist, forger, and thief, working as both Burke's criminal informant and an FBI consultant. Willie Garson and Tiffani Thiessen also star. The show premiered on October 23, 2009, on USA Network, and aired six complete seasons, concluding on December 18, 2014.

<i>Orange Is the New Black</i> American comedy-drama television series

Orange Is the New Black is an American comedy-drama television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum security federal prison. Produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television, Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on July 11, 2013. Its seventh and final season was released on July 26, 2019.

<i>Bates Motel</i> (TV series) 2013 American drama thriller television series

Bates Motel is an American psychological horror drama television series based on characters from the 1959 novel Psycho by Robert Bloch that aired from March 18, 2013, to April 24, 2017. It was developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano for the cable network A&E.

<i>Top of the Lake</i> Australian television series

Top of the Lake is a mystery drama television series created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and directed by Campion and Garth Davis. It was broadcast in 2013, and the sequel, entitled Top of the Lake: China Girl, in 2017. It is Campion's first work for television since An Angel at My Table in 1990.

<i>Turn: Washingtons Spies</i> American historical drama TV series

Turn: Washington's Spies is an American period drama television series based on Alexander Rose's book Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring (2007), a history of the Culper Ring. The series originally aired on the AMC network for four seasons, from April 6, 2014, to August 12, 2017.

<i>The Red Road</i> (TV series) American TV series

The Red Road is an American drama television series that aired on SundanceTV from February 27, 2014 to May 7, 2015. This was SundanceTV's second fully owned scripted original series; the first was Rectify. The Red Road was canceled after its second season, as confirmed by Jason Momoa, who played Phillip Kopus in the series. The show's plot is based on the plight of the Ramapough Lenape Nation at the Ringwood Mines landfill site in New Jersey, where toxic wastes from the nearby Mahwah Ford plant were dumped.

<i>Transparent</i> (TV series) American TV series (2014–2019)

Transparent is an American comedy-drama television series created by Joey Soloway for Amazon Studios that debuted on February 6, 2014. The story revolves around a Los Angeles family, the Pfeffermans, and their lives after learning that their parent is a trans woman now going by the name Maura. Transparent tells the story of Maura's coming out, as well as her family's personal journeys in discovering their own identities and coming to terms with Maura's identity. Transparent moves away from a solely transition-centred narrative and represents Maura's story in her role as a trans parent, grandparent, professor, partner, ex-spouse, sibling, and as an older person transitioning. Transparent also includes other queer representation in the Pfefferman family. Sarah explores her sexuality and works through relationship dilemmas throughout season one while Ali explores their gender and sexuality. Transparent's first season premiered in full on September 26, 2014, and its second season on December 11, 2015, third season on September 23, 2016, and fourth season on September 21, 2017.

<i>American Crime</i> (TV series) 2015 American crime drama television series

American Crime is an American anthology crime drama television series created by John Ridley that aired on ABC from March 5, 2015, to April 30, 2017. The first season centers on race, class, and gender politics as it follows the lives of the participants in a trial who are forever changed during the legal process.

<i>The Affair</i> (TV series) American television drama series

The Affair is an American drama television series created by Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi. The series premiered on Showtime on October 12, 2014. It ran for five seasons, concluding with its final episode on November 3, 2019.

Ozark is an American crime drama television series created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams for Netflix and produced by MRC Television and Aggregate Films. The series stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as Marty and Wendy Byrde, a married couple who move their family to the Lake of the Ozarks to continue their work laundering money for a Mexican drug cartel. Bateman also serves as a director and executive producer for the series.

<i>The A Word</i> British drama television series

The A Word is a British television drama series, based on the Israeli series Yellow Peppers. The series follows a young boy and how his family cope with the revelation that he has autism spectrum disorder. Following filming in the Lake District from October 2015, a six-part series began airing on 22 March 2016. On 26 May 2016, the BBC announced that a second series of The A Word had been commissioned. It premiered in the UK on 7 November 2017. The third series began airing on 5 May 2020.

Lethal Weapon is an American buddy cop action comedy-drama television series developed by Matt Miller and based on the Lethal Weapon film franchise created by Shane Black. The series served as a reboot, which ran for three seasons on Fox, from September 21, 2016 to February 26, 2019.

<i>The Killing of Two Lovers</i> 2020 American film

The Killing of Two Lovers is a 2020 American drama film, written, directed, produced, and edited by Robert Machoian. It stars Clayne Crawford, Sepideh Moafi, Chris Coy, Avery Pizzuto, Arri Graham and Ezra Graham.

<i>As We See It</i> American comedy-drama television series

As We See It is an American comedy-drama television series created by Jason Katims, based on the Israeli series On the Spectrum by Dana Idisis and Yuval Shafferman. The 8-episode series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 21, 2022. It was canceled after one season.

References

  1. Potts, Kimberly (November 3, 2018). "Rectify' Creator Ray McKinnon on 'Yolk' And Breaking Free of The Past". Yahoo. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2020. They are very astute. They want to be challenged intellectually, but they also want to feel things emotionally. They want to feel. That goes back to Greek tragedy days. People are still drawn to stories that make them feel sad, feel the tragedy, and the bittersweet sadness of the human condition.
  2. Sims, David (July 9, 2015). "Rectify Is Still Television's Quiet Triumph". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Sundance Channel original series RECTIFY premieres April 22 at 9PM". Sundance Channel. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on December 20, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  4. "'Rectify' Renewed for Season Two by Sundance". TV by the Numbers. May 1, 2013. Archived from the original on May 4, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  5. "The Second Season of Sundance TV's Critically-Acclaimed Original Scripted Drama "Rectify" Will Premiere on Thursday, June 19th at 9:00 PM ET/PT" (Press release). Sundance Channel. March 6, 2014. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  6. Surette, Tim (May 15, 2015). "SundanceTV Slowly and Methodically Gives Rectify Season 3 a Premiere Date". TV.com. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015.
  7. Mitovich, Matt Webb (July 8, 2015). "Rectify Gets Early Season 4 Renewal". TVLine. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  8. Iannucci, Rebecca (January 8, 2016). "Rectify to End After Season 4". TVLine. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  9. Welch, Alex (July 31, 2016). "'Rectify' season 4 premiere date announced by SundanceTV". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  10. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (April 25, 2012). "Quintet Of Actors Cast In Sundance Channel's Drama Series 'Rectify'". Deadline.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  11. Dollar, Steve (April 25, 2013). "Building a Southern Gothic". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  12. "AMC Announces Rectify as New Series in Development" (Press release). AMC. November 11, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  13. "Sundance Channel Greenlights Original Scripted Series "Rectify"" (Press release). Sundance Channel. October 31, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  14. "Season Two of SundanceTV's Critically-Acclaimed Original Series "Rectify" Begins Production" (Press release). SundanceTV. February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  15. "SundanceTV Begins Production on the Fourth and Final Season of Acclaimed Drama "Rectify"" (Press release). SundanceTV. April 11, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  16. Guthrie, Marisa (May 31, 2012). "Aden Young Snags Lead in Sundance Channel's 'Rectify' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  17. Marechal, Al (June 13, 2012). "Luke Kirby cast in Sundance's 'Rectify'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  18. 1 2 "Rectify: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  19. 1 2 "Rectify - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  20. 1 2 "Rectify: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  21. 1 2 "Rectify - Season 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  22. 1 2 "Rectify: Season 3". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  23. 1 2 "Rectify - Season 3 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 19, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  24. 1 2 "Rectify: Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  25. 1 2 "Rectify - Season 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  26. McNamara, Mary (April 22, 2013). "Review: 'Rectify' is a revelation that sets a new standard". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  27. Hale, Mike (April 21, 2013). "After Freedom, Peace Is at Stake". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  28. Goodman, Tim (June 17, 2014). "'Rectify': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 21, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  29. Jensen, Jeff (July 6, 2015). "Rectify Review". Entertainment Weekly.
  30. Lowry, Brian (July 6, 2015). "TV Review: 'Rectify,' Season 3". Variety. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  31. Roush, Matt (October 21, 2016). "Rectify Review". TV Guide (October 24–November 6, 2016): 17.
  32. Jones, Malcolm (October 26, 2016). "'Rectify' Is Still the Best Damn Show on TV". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  33. Echols, Damien (April 19, 2013). "Returned From the Land of the Dead". Huffington Post. No. 45. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  34. "Best of 2013: Television Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. December 10, 2013. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  35. "Best of 2014: Television Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. December 9, 2014. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  36. "Best of 2015: Television Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. December 8, 2015. Archived from the original on July 6, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  37. "Best of 2016: Television Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. December 6, 2016. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  38. Gonzalez, Sandra (May 22, 2013). "'American Horror Story' and 'The Big Bang Theory' lead Critics Choice nominees". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  39. Gelman, Vlada (December 4, 2014). "Good Wife, True Detective, Thrones, Louie Among 2015 WGA Nominees". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  40. Li, Shirley (May 6, 2014). "The Critics' Choice TV Awards 2015: And the nominees are..." Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  41. Holston, Noel (April 16, 2015). "74th Annual Peabody Award Winners". The Peabody Awards. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  42. Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 17, 2016). "Critics' Choice Awards: TV Winners Include Fargo, Mr. Robot, Master of None, Rachel Bloom and Carrie Coon". TVLine. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  43. Lambert, David (May 24, 2013). "Rectify - Press Release Announces 'The Complete 1st Season' of the Sundance Channel Show". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  44. Lambert, David (March 17, 2015). "Rectify - Press Release, Box Art Announcing 'The Complete 2nd Season'". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  45. Lambert, David (August 5, 2016). "Rectify - DVDs are Scheduled in a Month for 'The Complete 3rd Season'". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  46. Moore, Kasey (February 6, 2021). "'Rectify' Seasons 1-4 Leaving Netflix in March 2021". What's On Netflix. Retrieved April 2, 2021.