Proven Innocent turned the usual lawyer format on its head by telling stories about a defense firm dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions.
This series unfortunately only lasted one season before being cancelled.
There’s a lot to miss here!
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite 13 things about Proven Innocent in honor of this 13-episode series. Check out our slideshow and hit the comments with what you’ll miss most about Proven Innocent.
And if you missed a few episodes, you can watch Proven Innocent online right here on TV Fanatic.
Bellows’ Twisted Sense of Justice
Gore Bellows was the best kind of villain: a guy who did horrendous things for what he believed to be excellent reasons. Bellows was committed to justice, but his refusal to believe he could ever be wrong was his undoing. Not only did he waste time and money pursuing Madeline for a murder she didn’t commit, but he did countless other unethical things in his quest to see justice be served.
Its Spotlight on Problems In the Criminal Justice System
Proven Innocent addressed the need for criminal justice reform regularly. One of the most moving episodes was Proven Innocent Season 1 Episode 9, where Madeline tried and failed to stop an innocent man from being put to death. This show also addressed the mass incarceration of brown and black people, corruption in various parts of the justice system, the intersection between immigration laws and criminal justice, and more.
Madeline’s Determination
The greater the odds against winning, the more determined Madeline was to win. She was not only dedicated to getting justice for wrongfully convicted persons, but inspired her team to go the extra mile too. For example, on Provent Innocent Season 1 Episode 11, she refused to give up on the case of a woman accused of shaking her baby to death even though there was almost no evidence the defense could use and winning seemed impossible.
Madeline’s Relationship with Wren
Proven Innocent turned the stereotype of “gay for the stay” on its head by developing a relationship between Madeline and her fellow prisoner Wren. While Wren was still incarcerated, the relationship was difficult to maintain and was little more than a booty call, but Madeline came out as bisexual to her parents when she learned Wren would be released and Wren ended up being an important part of the Proven Innocent family.
The Weekly Podcast
Violet’s podcasts opened and closed each episode of Proven Innocent, summarizing the issues in the current case and highlighting some of the ways that the criminal justice system dehumanized prisoners and destroyed relationships. Violet loved her job so much that she turned down the opportunity to work for NPR on Proven Innocent Season 1 Episode 8 and now we will miss her weekly commentary.
Easy’s Family Troubles
At work, Easy was a soft-spoken yet passionate attorney who had an impressive win record. But his personal life was messy. His wife resented how much time he spent at the office and his teenage son was rebellious and headed for trouble. Easy tried marital counseling, but he ultimately lost his marriage to the desire to get justice for strangers.
Madeline and Bellows’ Relationship
Although Bellows believed Madeline was a murderer who got away with it and Madeline believed Bellows was a corrupt snake who didn’t belong anywhere near the Attorney General’s office, the two had mutual respect for each other and Bellows even tried to warn Maddie about a client’s guilt on Proven Innocent Season 1 Episode 6.
Madeline and Levi’s Mutual Distrust
Brothers and sisters are supposed to have each other’s backs, but for a while Madeline and Levi didn’t. Madeline suspected that Levi was involved in Rosemary’s murder, and his substance use issues didn’t help. Levi finally proved himself on Proven Innocent Season 1 Episode 13 when he refused to testify against Madeline at her re-trial, but for a while it was touch-and-go.
Positive Depiction of LGBT Issues
It’s become more common for shows to feature positive depictions of gay and lesbian characters, but Proven Innocent went beyond expectations. Proven Innocent Season 1 Episode 8 featured a tribute to the trans women who started the gay rights movement at Stonewall Inn as well as depicted some of the ways transphobia and homophobia manifest themselves in a supposedly more accepting society. Madeline’s bisexuality was also a major part of this show, which is unusual because bisexual characters are seriously underrepresented on TV.
Emotional Subplots
Although the main focus was on the case of the hour, Proven Innocent often had subplots that tugged at our heartstrings! One of the best was on Proven Innocent Season 1 Episode 9 when Easy had to face the fact that his old mentor was becoming senile and making questionable decisions from the bench as a result.
The Victory Wall
Almost every episode ended with a victory over an unfair system. Clients often got to hug their lawyers and their loved ones and their names were put up on the wall. The sweetest victory of all was Madeline’s proving that she did not kill Rosemary for once and for all on Proven Innocent Season 1 Episode 13.
Bodie
Bodie was a fun, quirky character. He investigated cases in sometimes goofy ways and always got the information the defense team needed and in his spare time liked playing with swords and gadgets. His relationship with Castro was irritating at first but grew on viewers, especially when he became protective of little Nathan.
Imperfect Justice
Although the team usually won its cases, justice wasn’t always served perfectly. For example, Easy struggled with getting justice for a white supremacist whose reformation he doubted on Proven Innocent Season 1 Episode 5, while a guilty person tricked the lawyers and regained her freedom on Proven Innocent Season 1 Episode 6. These stories left viewers to question the meaning of justice and what kind of justice system might be better than what we currently have.
