We, too, are complicit.

Ultimately, this is a story of complicity. After watching the final episode, I went back to revisit scenes where Catherine tries to explain things but stops short of revealing the truth. I was shocked; in my memory, I had recalled her words as fully supporting the voiceover’s story and aligning with scenes adapted from the novel. But as I rewatched, I realized that all the coherence I’d remembered was actually constructed in my mind. Catherine is not the one failing to try—the real problem is that no one is listening. I had so easily fallen into the narrative presented in the scenes, taking their truthfulness for granted. I forgot that even the camera angles shape the storytelling—and I overlooked the warning in the opening episode: “Beware of narrative and form; their power can bring us closer to truth, but they can also be potent tools of manipulation.” Perhaps the critique goes even deeper than simply questioning the form of narrative. For those of us who unthinkingly bought into the story, steeped in the dangerous, misguided social narrative surrounding rape—the critique points its finger at us. We, too, are complicit.