Seven Seconds is a powerful anthological crime thriller from acclaimed creator and executive producer Veena Sud (The Killing), starring two-time Emmy winner Regina King (American Crime) alongside breakout British actress Clare-Hope Ashitey (Doctor Foster). Ashitey portrays KJ Harper, a black assistant prosecutor assigned to the incident, with troubles of her own. She grapples with the weight of the case and what it will mean to bring justice not only for Brenton, but for the Black community. KJ works closely with the teen?s mother Latrice Butler (Regina King) who realizes there may be more to her son than she and her husband (Russell Hornsby) were aware of, and becomes consumed with finding out what happened. Seven Seconds tackles the controversial issues of race relations between law enforcement, the people they serve, and the personal stories of those involved. At its core, the series goes beyond the headlines, examining the impact a tragic accident has on a community and a family's need for answers and justice. The freshman series also stars Beau Knapp, Michael Mosely, David Lyons, Raul Castillo, and Zackary Momoh.
The series still works, mostly, as a binge-able drama, thanks to the various twists and revelations about characters, including the victim; and the general strength of the cast, led by King and Ashitey, a British actress with a very bright future.
I would have gladly given Sud a few extra seconds to edit Seven Seconds into the series it wants to be, the series that both the cast and the audience deserve.
Seven Seconds can be a bit obvious at times - a shot of blood in the snow with the Statue of Liberty seen off in the distance - but ultimately it settles into a worthwhile character-driven crime thriller.
... while it tries to make big statements about police and race relations in America, it gets lost in a sea of unlikable characters and predictable plotlines.
The juxtaposition of Ashitey's hard-drinking and messy prosecutor with King's churchgoing mother is a necessary representation of two different, fully developed black women on television.
With each episode, [Veena] Sud and her writers demonstrate a sharpened skill for pace and revelation, along with gracefully subtle ruminations on corruption, racial profiling and - more profoundly - the very nature of morality.
It is tough, unflinching and told with great skill...Sud's series is also almost documentary in style, telling this highly emotional story in all its intricate nuance.
