The Lizzie Borden Chronicles
Episode 1.7 “The Sisters Grimke”
Directed by Constantine Makris
Written by Richard Blaney, Gregory Small
Starring Christina Ricci, Clea DuVall, Chris Bauer, Ronan Vilbert, Steven McCarthy, Gage Munroe, Robert B. Kennedy, Adrian G. Griffiths, Gianpaolo Venuta
Lifetime
Air Date: Sunday, May 17, 2015, 10pm ET

Last week was the unofficial finale of sorts for The Lizzie Borden Chronicles. We know, thanks to writers, Rich Blaney and Greg Small, that originally the plan was for 6 episodes. Then, when two more were ordered, after the arc was pretty set for those six, the last 2 episodes were really an “opportunity” to explore, leaving the 6th episode with a finale-like feel. And boy! They weren’t kidding!

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles
Episode 1.2 “Patron Of The Arts”
Directed by Stephen Kay
Written by Richard Blaney and Gregory Small
Starring Christina Ricci, Clea Duvall, Cole Hauser, Bradley Stryker, Jeff Wincott, Olivia Llewellyn, Dylan Taylor, Kimberly-Sue Murray
Lifetime
Air Date: Sunday, April 12th, 2015, 10pm ET

Let’s recap Episode 1 of Lifetime’s limited series, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, before we get to this week’s review.

Last week’s episode ended with a smile. Lizzie Borden’s (Christina Ricci) smile, that is. Her smile contained the promise of an evil little secret, one that the audience is in on of course. I’m not sure I would not have believed Lizzie either. Ricci plays her excellently.

Four months after she was acquitted of killing her parents, Lizzie and Emma Borden (Clea DuVall) still live in the same house in the same town. She is infamous and frightening to most of the townsfolk. As well they should be. Detective Siringo (Cole Hauser), a Pinkerton man, rolls into town to quietly do some of his own investigating into the Borden murders. I hope he doesn’t find himself on the wrong end of a blade, rope, horseshoe, whatever. Lizzie and Emma bail their brother William out of jail, and he proceeds to make demands and threats to the sisters, which we know does not bode well for him.

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles
Episode 1.1
Directed by Stephen Kay
Written by Richard Blaney and Gregory Small
Starring Christina Ricci, Clea Duvall, Cole Hauser, Bradley Stryker, Jeff Wincott, and Dylan Taylor
Lifetime
Air Date: Sunday, April 5th, 2015, 10pm ET

On January 25th, 2014, Lifetime premiered the movie Lizzie Borden Took An Ax starring Christina Ricci in the title role and Clea DuVall as her sister, Emma Borden. After her father and stepmother were found brutally murdered with a hatchet, based on a true story, the TV movie took them through the investigation and trial of which Lizzie was eventually acquitted. The ending revealed that she did kill her parents. The movie had high ratings, so a six-episode limited series was ordered, which was recently increased to eight.

The Lizzie Borden Chronicles 1.1 review: The episode opens with some little girls playing jumprope singing the famous Lizzie Borden poem. These words flash across the screen – “Four months after the acquittal of Lizzie Borden for the murder of her parents.” The girls jumping are interrupted with flashes of a raised ax dripping with blood. It’s not just little girls who think Lizzie is a murderer despite the verdict, pretty much the whole town does, with whispering stares.