Truth Be Told Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Other People's Tears Are Only Water

Did anyone else let out a huge sigh of relief at the end of Truth Be Told (2019) Season 2 Episode 1?

After watching the first half of "Other People's Tears Are Only Water," I was concerned this new case would be worse than the original.

It was hard not to be worried about the series because the only character that got some marked progression in the initial half of the premiere was Poppy, who Octavia Spencer continues to play to perfection.

The arrival of Micah understandably brought back a certain type of feelings. Micah is cold as ice. There's no getting away from that.

If the intent from the writers was to make me feel sorry for her, they failed miserably at it. Then again, it's evident she's a complex character who is harboring a lot of secrets.

Joshua's death was a surprise, but there seemed to be a lack of care on Micah's part. Was she shocked? Did she know her husband was possibly having sex with a much younger man or was she too concerned with the optics of being associated with such a death?

The intriguing nature of the case is that Micah and Joshua have no shortage of enemies, and it sounds like his documentary ruffled more than a few feathers, which helps expand the suspect pool.

Micah's assistant's lack of care for the death wasn't even concerning. Poppy was on a fact-finding mission, reading every single aspect of the relationships with Joshua to get a feel for what could have transpired.

The assistant probably had an opinion of Joshua due to whatever Micah had been saying about him, making me think their marriage was more about convenience than love.

Undoubtedly, the incident has brought many feelings to the surface for Micah, and while I was initially concerned Kate Hudson had picked the wrong role for her TV debut, Micah managed to suck me in by the end of the episode.

The truth is, there's no telling someone how to act when they lose someone they love. Everyone reacts differently, but the ice-cold exterior from Micah throughout the episode suggested that she had these walls up to avoid being disappointed.

If anyone can break down those barriers, it's Poppy. She's proven time and time again to be one of the most observant people in the world, but I hope this isn't the case that breaks her.

Poppy very nearly lost everything on Truth Be Told Season 1, and a new case, coupled with a lot of media attention, as well as her father's diagnosis, might be the thing that tips her over the edge.

I'm happy Poppy wanted to steer away from the case because it showed that she was finally looking out for her own needs, but now she's been sucked all the way in by the lack of justice or resolution.

You don't have these two big deaths in the first episode to be ruled a murder-suicide. There's no fun in that, and Spencer's impressive range was on full display when Poppy realized the case's trajectory.

It's obvious someone is out to get Micah, and the photo with Micah, Poppy, and Ingram was certainly telling. There's a good chance the individual building the replica of Micah's house and painting dolls with blood is the same person Poppy saw when she was hanging around the house.

Then again, it could also be another of Joshua's lovers. We don't know so much about him, but you could tell during his chat with Poppy that he was checked out of the marriage. There were so many signs that something was off, and Poppy is going to be overanalyzing that final chat with Joshua until the case is cracked.

It was almost like he knew something would happen, and Poppy couldn't quite put her finger on why he was acting so off.

There was much emphasis on Shelter and the origins of the company, so it's possible a disgruntled employee could be the stalker.

We're going to need to take a deep dive into Micah and Joshua's life to unravel the mystery, but something tells me Micah is going to find her career in tatters before long.

She's been vocal about her struggles, and the moment the media gets wind of her turning to drugs in the aftermath of the death, well, it's going to cause many problems.

The final scene was also very telling. Micah had somehow shut herself off from Poppy and her family despite them helping her greatly in her formative years. Heck, Poppy edited the first draft of one of her books, meaning there was a strong relationship.

It seemed like Micah ghosted the people who helped her the moment she got a sniff of success, and that will be fully explored as we go through every beat of Poppy and Micah's fractured relationship.

As a whole, the premiere was very slow until the second half. There are some compelling plots, but some of the carryovers from the first season don't seem like they belong on the show anymore.

Time will tell, but I'll be here every week running down the latest episodes.

Your thoughts on Kate Hudson's TV debut?

Are you convinced by the new mystery, or do you think it could be better?

Do you think Micah took the drugs?

Hit the comments below.

Catch new episodes of Truth Be Told Fridays on Apple TV+.