The Sinner season 2, episode 1 recap: The crime and the kid

By Deanna Chapman | Aug 2, 2018

THE SINNER -- "Part I" Episode 201 -- Pictured: (l-r) Bill Pullman as Detective Lt. Harry Ambrose, Tracy Letts as Jack -- (Photo by: Peter Kramer/USA Network) /

The Sinner returns with a new story and new cast members, but one familiar face is back!

The Sinner pulled no punches with its return. Within the first 15 minutes, we meet a new family who are making a trip. They’re a little over two hours from Niagra Falls when car troubles hit. The family winds up in a motel for the night and the next morning is when we have our crime for the season.

Julian’s parents both die a short while after he makes them tea and when the cops get there, they find him in the nearby woods. We see Detective Harry Ambrose briefly before Detective Heather Novack gives him a call to ask for his help. After the call, we see that Detective Ambrose has been having struggles of his own since the Cora Tannetti was technically only three months ago for him.

Keller, the city where the crime took place, is Detective Ambrose’s hometown. After getting the facts of the case, the two detectives go to Julian’s foster home. Novack gets him talking and Ambrose notices the marks on his left hand before he starts to get agitated and they’re asked to leave. Elisha Henig is already playing the role of Julian well.

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Carrie Coon’s Vera already seems to know Julian pretty well when we first see her asking him questions. While Heather and Harry have dinner with her dad, we learn that Julian is actually 13.

The next day, the two detectives return to the motel. Ambrose is quickly piecing things together when the motel manager mentions seeing him making tea with tissues in his hand. Ambrose presents Julian with a flower that can be deadly if you ingest it and he admits to what he did.

At this point, things seem to be moving fairly quickly since he was already willing to admit what he did. Ambrose wants to know why, but we don’t get to that just yet. He’s not ready to press charges and decides to stay a little longer. Novack asks how he ended up in Dorchester and he mentions that things don’t stay quiet in Keller.

Vera mentions Shadow Julian and how he needs to be let in when he comes knocking. It sounds like he might have a split personality, so there’s some sort of darkness inside him.

Harry has some dark memories, which we get a glimpse of as he drives by what is presumably his old house that went up in flames. The cops find the car and Novack has it towed and the contents taken to the station. Harry notices that they didn’t pack anything for Julian and that leaves everyone wondering what is going on. However, we get another dagger when Vera walks into the station and says that she’s Julian’s mother.

More. Where to watch The Sinner season 2, episode 1. light

There’s a lot more to the story than anticipated. The preview gives us a look at what to expect next and the show will dive into a cult. Cults are always weird, yet fascinating, so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays into the crime.

The Sinner airs on USA on Wednesdays at 10 p.m.