Colin Sweeney (Dylan Baker), which is a name that makes me think serial killer the moment I hear it, was found not guilty of killing his wife, but everyone believes he did do it. Now, his step-daughter is suing him in civil court - he should not inherit any money from a death that he caused.
Alicia believes that Sweeney killed his wife, yet she still does her best to defend him. Even at the end of the episode, when it looks like the daughter was the one who committed the murder when the body was finally found on her farm, Alicia is still convinced that he is the murderer.
And I can't decide whether or not she is right. Dylan Baker knows how to maximize his creep-factor, and his portrayal of Sweeney was not meant to be sympathetic - the S+M, the other women, the violent paintings on his wall. Many people are very uncomfortable with what he considers normal sexual behaviour, and he makes no effort to hide who he is or make himself more socially acceptable.
And thus my confusions. Is this man, though in many ways a social deviant, a murderer? Do his different social norms go so far as guiltless murder? Or is the sweet and pathetic step-daughter the actual killer, insinuating herself so carefully into society that no one would suspect her first? The best defense is not to be noticed or suspected, which Sweeney clearly did not do, but perhaps he could not, or it was too late anyway.
Though at the end of the episode, Alicia still believed Sweeney to have murdered his wife, framing the step-daughter, I still cannot be sure. Often, the most obvious suspect - the cheating, bondage-loving husband - is the murderer, but sometimes, he is not.
Who do you think killed Sweeney's wife?
No comments:
Post a Comment