Truth Be Told (2019)

Spencer creates a truly formidable foundation around which everything revolves. Not only ensuring that this series rarely drifts into cliché, but also stays true in its dramatic exploration of sex trafficking full stop.

There is, empirically, way too much going on. But Truth Be Told is romp, albeit kind of a gory one. The story is ridiculous, and gloriously so. ... It can be a bit much, but the show earns it.

At a minimum, Truth Be Told is an entertaining watch that does hook the viewer. But it’s not likely to be the series that turns around the otherwise rocky deployment of Apple TV+ offerings. Truth be told, the podcast within the show might’ve been the better medium for this campy tale of thwarted redemption.

Sluggish. ... [Spencer is] miscast and overly serene. ... You know you're in trouble when the least fascinating character is the one driving the action. [9-22 Dec 2019, p.13]

The cast does the best it can with thin characters; Elizabeth Perkins brings engaging pathos to Warren’s cancer-stricken mom Melanie. Sadly, Truth Be Told doesn’t seem to have much to say on their plight that superior predecessors including Netflix’s hilariously sophomoric true-crime mockumentary American Vandal haven’t already covered. ... It marks another misstep for Apple TV+ because it’s so bland and forgettable.

The series lacks the tact or nuance to investigate the idea of inherent evil, and what’s left is a rather muddled whodunit in which the answer ceases to be very interesting.

Its most egregious sin may be wasting an incredibly talented cast, who all get sucked into the quicksand of hackneyed dialogue and clichéd plotting. There’s not a single moment in the first three episodes that feels true or even interesting as a soap opera. The truth is that it’s one of the worst shows of the year on any network.