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"Episode 2" is the second episode of season two of the ABC television series American Crime. It was written and directed by executive producer John Ridley.

Plot
In Season 2 of American Crime Episode 2, The story picks up where episode 1 left off with Anne Blaine reporting her sons rape case to the local police department. She does everything in her power throughout this episode to protect and find justice for her son, Taylor. Meanwhile, Taylor struggles with the traumatic memories of what happened the night of the captains party. This is made apparent when the doctor is performing the rape kit. Taylor wishes it would all just go away. Classism and race discrimination is also brought to light in episode 2 among different characters. Terri's true character is shown when she almost collides with another vehicle driven by a white man, as well as when she finds out that her son, Kevin bought a bracelet for his girlfriend after an ugly fight. Another thing that we see carried out in this episode is victim blaming from the school with the basketball players being protected instead of Taylor, the victim. While Eric is dealing with his dysfunctional family at home and being the only captain that is sat out for the captains party.

Perspective on Rape Culture
Victim blaming is shown throughout this episode. Victim blaming is when the victim is held responsible for the crime perpetrated against them. The episode starts with Anne speaking with the local police. When she says her son they are insanely confused and double check that she is talking about rape in the report. Another scene it occurs in is when Leslie tells Dan that he must sit one of his captains to avoid future problems and to make it look like Leland school did something about the problem. When Taylor goes into the clinic for a rape kit shows how uncomfortable and how traumatic the situation is to Taylor. Especially when she is swabbing and he starts to have the flash backs of the incident. The nurse is also extremely insensitive. With everything going on, STD’s are not everyone’s first concern. The makers of American crime did a great job of showing these emotions. As well as showing that this process isn’t simple and a lot of people have to be talked to. Another thing that needs to be addressed is when Eric was playing basketball with his dad and he says that he needs to start taking care of himself or we will never ‘get some’. And this leads us into the principle at Marshal saying that boys will be boys to the incident that took place at the school instead of trying to figure out what was actually going on. Anne goes to talk with her counselor while she is under stress and confused as to why nobody is listening to what she has to say. Her counselor considers Taylor's needs when he tells Anne she needs to make sure what she is doing is right for Taylor. This shows the struggle of nobody listening that pertains to rape culture. One of the last scenes we are shown in episode two is when Anne is shown speaking to a detective. All he has to say is that kids tend to do dumb stuff and that he has a 15 year old and he know what it’s like. While he finishes his conversation with Anne telling her, “If your son has a drinking problem you should try and get him help.” The last scene is Anne talking to the press because she has found many other situations online that Leyland has covered up and not taken responsibly for it. Anne Blaine wants justice serve for her son and she will do anything to get it.

Broadcast and reception
PopMatters.Com reviewed Season 2 Episode 2 of American Crime, they talked about how American Crime focused on the human side of crime. How hard it can be for someone to report to the police and how the police will treat you. It talks about how most TV shows are about cops getting a win out of a dismal situation or a doctor solving a complex mystery, but rarely does the TV show ever cover how the victim deals with this situation. This review talks about that in detail and really takes the side of the straggle of the victims.

Time.Com talks about how American Crime is willing to turn over the ugliness of Americas politics and make a TV show centered about it. They really got into the real theme of American crime, that it was trying to put a mirror up to American society and get us to examine how we deal with current problems in our society. It also talked about how well the show balances pointing out the problems in our society without being to glaringly obvious about it.

TVFanatic.Com talked about the emotional turmoil that Taylor was going through and how the issues of the show, like him being rapped have affected him. It talked about how his mom should have consulted him before going to the cops, and how he had a really hard time dealing with the authorities when it came to his rape.

"I saw America as a rape culture, a culture of misogyny" (Transforming a Rape Culture) p. 50

"No one whose life Is lived In and around schools can doubt that sexual harassment In schools exists and that it exerts a powerful influence on the quality of school life" (Transforming a Rape Culture) p. 59

“To treat a person as an object of conquest means to suppress empathy for such a person. But boys and men have mothers, sisters, female cousins, and friends whom they know as people and whom they are taught to protect and care for. How can they conjure up the emotional distance to sexually assault woman? Homosocial bonding among men, especially the sort of sexualized dominance bonding I discussed above, is a poor environment for the development of empathy (or respect) for woman.” (Transforming a Rape Culture) pg. 33-34

“Sixteen-year-old girl, at a party with a bunch of other high school students. She’s had a lot to drink, and she’s not feeling so good. A couple of guys- popular ones, stars of the town’s beloved football team… There she vomits, other people notice… This will be the only part she remembers later… Others take pictures and videos.” (Asking For It, Harding) Pg. 47

“Rape and sexual assault are unusual, if not quite unique, in that often, the only real evidence of a crime is the victim’s testimony…Ultimately, in the absence of photographic or video evidence, it comes down to one person’s word against another’s”. (Asking For It, Harding) pg. 62