By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Sunday, January 10, 2016
The mesmerizing, Peabody-award winning Sundance drama "Rectify" will conclude with this year's fourth season.
Former Atlantan Ray McKinnon, who set the drama in a fictional small Georgia town, released a statement, which captures his somewhat sardonic personality:
"Rectify is in many ways an existential story that was allowed to come to life during an existential era in serial storytelling. It was a case of perfect timing with the perfect partners. I have always felt that Rectify could end at any time or just as easily continue. Well, not easily. But there is no perfect 'end' for this story nor for these characters. They will continue to live on. We just won't document them any longer. And the timing of this 'non-end' end feels exactly right. SundanceTV has been a dream to work with on this journey; I am so grateful to have been allowed the freedom to tell the tale I wanted to tell in the way I felt it should be told with the mad and beautiful collaborators who joined me on the ride...Oh wait, we haven't shot the final season yet. I'll get back to you."
Production of the final season of "Rectify" will begin in Griffin in April (and I will certainly do another set visit). The final season will air in the fall.
It was Sundance's first original series and captured the spirit of independent film making to a tee. Aiden Young plays Daniel Holden, a man who was in prison for nearly two decades on a murder charge. But Daniel was released on a technicality. When he returned back to his hometown of Paulie, many still thought he was guilty.
While he grappled with newfound freedom in both positive and negative ways, family members were also deeply affected by his presence. Without giving away too many spoilers, he has been exiled from Paulie for the final season. I'm curious to see how McKinnon plays with the various characters now that Holden is no longer in Paulie and whether the actual murder case will be truly resolved.
McKinnon, a self-admitted perfectionist, has been open to me over the years about the struggles of doing episodic TV on tight budgets and deadlines. He did 10 episodes season two but found that so taxing, he cut back to six season three, which was the same as season one. He will do eight this season, clearly a compromise between seasons two and three.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
