CONVICTION: Five “Oh My” Moments in the Pilot

Conviction tells the story of a New York City’s Conviction Integrity Unit, who seek to determine if a prisoner was justly or wrongly convicted of a crime. The team, headed by Hayes Morrison (Hayley Atwell), who takes the job to avoid her own jail sentence and to equally avoid her mother’s Senatorial campaign.

Tonight the team was skeptical for Morrison’s role in the process, especially Sam Spencer (Shawn Ashmore), her boss’ first choice for the job. But he’s not the only one who wants to question what she’s doing, and it seems as if the whole team will be at odds at times as they work doggedly to challenge older cases and unintended consequences from the incarceration.

But for all the times that the team came together, there are equally more questions that have nothing to do with the case of the week. Even after one episode, mysteries about the team’s motives and reasons for joining it are coming to light.

(ABC/John Medland)
MANNY MONTANA, EMILY KINNEY, HAYLEY ATWELL, SHAWN ASHMORE

Here are the five biggest of those mysteries that made me go “Oh my!” during the episode.

1. Hayes Morrison’s Drug Problem – Sure, Hayes is a wild child with some serious mommy issues, but how much cocaine did she do to finally only have CIU as her option? Or is she finally looking for some other form of validation that drugs can’t provide? She certainly does have a way with perception in picking the first case. How she gained that perspective with or without drugs might be something that is explored later in the series.

CONVICTION – (ABC/John Medland)
HAYLEY ATWELL

2. Picking the Winners – The team has a real case of “Open Mouth, Insert Foot” but will that cause more problems with those connected in the case aren’t as forgiving as Mrs. Dwyer? Will we see more Mrs. Ramos’ or not?

3. Dirty Secrets – Hayes isn’t the only one with a darker secret, but how much of Tess’ (Emily Kinney) past can influence her job? It’s not like Tees isn’t the only one with secrets, though. Maxine (Merrin Dungey) and her connection to the NYPD came in handy this week, but she’s making enemies in the name of righting this wrong.

4. Creative Outlets – Frankie (Manny Montana) and Tess work well as a team to determine when and how our victim died, but it made me question every other way in which a class has cleared in other shows. A pig is a new one, but if that is now par for CIU then we’re in for something that mixes several other procedural.

5. Sam Spencer – What is his end goal? He wanted the job, but he also wants something else. Will he go private sector just to stick it to his boss (Eddie Cahill) because he wasn’t promoted?

CONVICTION – (ABC/John Medland)
SHAWN ASHMORE

Conviction airs Mondays at 10PM/9PM Central.