Hope you're all breathing after that explosive finale!

American Crime has provided us with another way to look at how criminal cases are handled and how we can be quick to judge those around us. On American Crime Season 1 Episode 11, they further proved this theory by providing us with us with an unforgettable season finale.

Let's not waste anymore time and discuss tonight's finale of American Crime.

It seemed fitting the episode would open up with three different church services which were all preaching the same message – forgiveness. Looking at the entire season as a whole, you can clearly see forgiveness was never offered by any of the characters, but at the end of the day, this is what will set you free. It was such a profound message and resonated throughout the hour. 

It was shocking to see Hector give up so quickly on his case, but can you really blame the guy? I know we've discussed it in the comments about Hector being the true villain of the series, but him giving up and realizing things aren't going to go the way he wants them to go shows at least a little bit of growth on his part. It was startling to see Hector get an acquittal so quickly in Mexico – I figured he would have been thrown in jail for a few years and eventually released. 

Barb's deterioration has been the most interesting thing to watch. When American Crime Season 1 Episode 1 began, we were given this woman who was strong in her beliefs and wanted to find Matt's killer, but fast forward to tonight, and she's a completely different person. Barb has been beat down and it was clear she has no more fight left in her.

While Barb has deteriorated, Russ has turned into a maniac and can't seem to form a coherent thought, which is a shame. Barb trying to persuade Russ he needs to let things go is such a stark contrast from the woman she once was, and it's clear they've reversed roles in this whole murder case – for once I agree with Barb, and Russ should have listened to Barb and let things go, because it's only going to lead to destruction.

Did they really think they would be able to keep Aubry confessing to the crime from Carter? He deserved to know what was going on the minute he was released from prison, but no, they had to try to "protect" him from the truth.

Thank you Alonzo for speaking up for Tony when he wasn't involved in any violence at school. You cannot fault a kid for the things he did in his past and expect him to move on with his life, but I'm thrilled Alonzo is finally going to be there for Tony and have a more open dialog with him.

Speaking of Alonzo and Tony, it's fantastic to see their relationship really grow and see them acting more like father and son. You can't blame Alonzo for wanting to get a fresh start and wanting to open up his own business, and I appreciated the fact Jenny was honest about why she didn't want to go with Alonzo when he moved. Good for Alonzo for accepting Jenny's wishes and realizing she is growing into a wonderful young woman.

Aubry was foolish to think Carter would want anything to do with her when he first visited her in the hospital. This is one relationship which has run its course and Carter was finally seeing who Aubry truly is. Carter provided us with more information on what he went through as a kid and you got a better understanding of why he was so attracted to a life with Aubry – she was his "perfect" girl, but she was never real – the drugs made them beautiful.

I can't express in words how angry I was when Russ shot Carter right in the head – it was such a senseless crime and Carter didn't deserve to die; though I'm pretty sure everyone knew the gun was going to play a huge part in the unraveling of Russ. I never wanted to see Russ turn out to be a killer, and a part of me was hoping he'd listen to Barb and move on.

Aubry's reaction to Carter's death was probably the most human thing she has done and despite everything she's done, you can't help but feel terrible for her. At the end of the day, you can't deny Aubry loved Carter in her own twisted way and she felt like they had this perfect relationship – so it was no wonder Aubry would take her own life because she wasn't able to go on living knowing Carter was not around. 

The most shocking moment came when Russ's fate was revealed – he committed suicide after killing Carter. Barb being the one to identify Russ's body brought the entire series full circle and she finally stuck up for Russ when talking to Mark. Even though I was never a huge fan of Barb, tonight I felt more emotion and sympathy for her – thankfully Mark and his girlfriend decided not to turn their backs on Barb and even invited her back into their lives. 

In the end, it was Hector who received the happy ending everyone was striving to achieve – after getting acquitted for his crimes, Hector finally wised up and is doing something to provide for his family. 

American Crime has shown the harsh side of the law, but has also looked at how it truly affects everyone involved in the case. Every single character was fighting to find the light at the end of the tunnel, but they could never truly forgive themselves for the things they had done. At the end of the day, it didn't matter what the outcome of of the case was going to be because everyone had already been judged by their peers.

I have truly enjoyed discussing American Crime with all of you and look forward to seeing what you all have to say about tonight's shocking episode. I'll see you next season when we get a whole new story and utilizing a lot of the same actors playing different, much like American Horror Story.

What did you think of the American Crime Season Finale, "Forgiveness"?

You still have time to catch up on the entire season of American Crime. Go watch American Crime online now via TV Fanatic and make sure to come back and let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Samantha McAllister was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in November 2018.