Showtrial shows us one of those legal cases that grabs a nation’s attention. This one happens to be fictional, but it should be no less gripping, especially with a “rude, entitled little cow” as the accused.
Over five thrilling episodes, Showtrial is available to watch on Channel 7 and 7plus for Australian crime fans. You can quickly create a free account and log in right now, to binge the whole saga from its mysterious beginnings to a subversive, flashback-filled finale that changes everything.
Tracy Ifeachor stars as solicitor Cleo, who can’t seem to get across to her spoiled client Talitha (Céline Buckens) just how serious her situation is. The girl has been blamed for another student’s disappearance after a uni party, but she answers the DI and her defense’s questions with yawns, laughs, and insolent tapping of her neon-green acrylic fingernails.
“The jury will hate her”, her own dad complains to Cleo in the trailer below: he’s a super-wealthy entrepreneur, a class factor that only turns the public’s opinion more. But the lawyer tries to remain objective, saying, “I don’t hate her.” As the BBC’s tense storytelling reveals itself, we might continue to dislike Talitha, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s guilty of a terrible crime.
Reviews so far for Showtrial have been mostly positive, The Guardian’s reviewer commenting on writer Ben Richards’ clever, gradual exposition. “The slow, steady reveal of what we do know is devastating and done with care.” Apparently the scene of the missing girl’s mother calling the police, “insisting that she knows deep down that something is wrong…is every viewer’s worst nightmare.”
You’ll feel your allegiances and preconceptions shift with each coming episode of Showtrial, especially as the prosecution starts to close in and accuse Talitha of working with an accomplice. 7plus is the only way to see it from Australia, a great option for fans of shows like Bodyguard and Vigil—only this time, they can watch without the monthly subscription fee.
