Diksha Sundriyal
The third episode of Fox’s ‘Accused’ tells the story of a boy named Danny. Following the death of his mother, he discovers that his father has started dating Alison, the hospice worker who had been caring for Danny’s mother. The boy resents his father for getting over his mother’s death so quickly, but he can’t help but wonder if Alison has something to do with this and if she has an agenda behind all this. On everyone’s insistence, Danny tries to give Alison the benefit of the doubt, but all of that is erased when his dog, Chester, dies. What happened to Chester? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD
Chester’s Death: A Walk Turns Tragic
Danny always had his suspicions about Alison. Even when his mother was alive, Danny never warmed up to Alison. He felt that she was always trying to present herself as an altruist. The fact that she was always bringing up the good things that she supposedly did all the time irritated Danny and made him wonder if she was overcompensating with these mentions for being a terrible person. Unfortunately, no one shared his suspicions and the whole family had to pay a terrible price for it.
The only other member of the family who never settled down to Alison’s presence in the house was Chester. The first time Alison appears in the episode, she receives a cold response from Danny. Chester, on the other hand, barks aggressively, making it clear that he doesn’t like Alison at all. This continues as Alison invades their lives and moves into the house. Danny remains defiant towards his father’s new relationship, and Chester makes his disapproval known by constantly barking whenever Alison is around.
By the end of the episode, it becomes clear that Danny and Chester had been right in not accepting Alison as the good person she wanted everyone to think she was. She destroys the family by initiating the events that lead to Danny ending up in a psychiatric hospital. Then, once she and John are married, she kills him. This leaves Matthew, who is left alone in her care now, and it is indicated that she will kill him too, leaving herself as the only inheritor of John’s estate.
One night, Alison takes Chester for a walk, giving the impression that she is trying to bond with the family. This is appreciated by everyone, including Danny. However, when she comes back, Chester is dead. She explains that they’d been walking on the street and a car came out of nowhere and hit Chester. Everyone believes her, but Danny knows that she is lying. He claims that Alison never liked Chester so she killed him.
Considering that Alison didn’t hesitate before killing people, it is highly unlikely that she would have made any exceptions with animals. Step by step, she removed anything that stood in her path, and Chester happened to be one of them. The dog was an important and beloved member of the family. It was clear to Alison that if she was to make herself at home in John’s house, she needed the approval of his sons as well as the dog. It was easier to manipulate the children and their dad. But the same tricks couldn’t be applied to the dog. So, she decided that it would be best to dispose of him.
It is the death of his dog that confirms all of Danny’s doubts. He tries to be good to Alison, but when Chester dies, he realizes that Alison is capable of murder. If she can kill the dog, she can try and kill them too. This fuels his desire to expose her, but to his bitter luck, no one ever takes him seriously, and Alison gets away with murder.
Read More: Is Accused Episode 3 “Danny’s Story” Based on a True Story?
