Directed by Tim Hunter
Written by Veena Sud
The team looks into the 1939 case of Sadie Douglas, a 25-year-old black woman who was raped and murdered, after her granddaughter comes forward with new information and evidence. Previously thought to be a prostitute murdered by a client, a series of letters reveal Sadie was involved in a secret romance.
Tropes for the episode:
- Ambiguously Absent Parent: The parents of Pierce and Jonesy's respective protective grandchildren (who inherited Pierce's house and act as Jonesy's caretaker, respectively) are never mentioned.
- But Not Too Black: The crew used lighting techniques to make Sadie appear lighter. This is relevant to the plot as Jonesy seriously pursues Sadie in part because he feels like it could work if she tried to pass, and refuses to take in her daughter when he sees she's darker than Sadie.
- The Dead Guy Did It: Downplayed. One of the men who gang-raped Sadie and led to her death had died of old age. However, at least two of the other participants are still alive.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Pierce's gang may be a bunch of white supremacist rapists, but they look shocked and unnerved after one of their victims dies (although this could just be fear of punishment).
- Mercy Kill: Jonesy suffocated Sadie to spare her from the trauma of being gang-raped when he was unable to stop his friends from assaulting her.
- Misplaced Retribution: The Fifth Day hate group apparently got started after they were injured when the milk plant they worked at was set on fire for employing black workers, but targeted people like those black workers rather than the arsonists (although it’s also possible they were the arsonists themselves and got hurt when the fire spread too fast).
- Never Learned to Read: Arletta helps Sadie compose letters to her daughter and Jonesy.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Sadie was gang-raped by the Fifth Day, which led to her death.
- Techno Babble: The detectives use a bunch of this to convince Jonesy that they have DNA evidence proving that he killed Sadie in order to get him to confess.
