TV Talk: American Rust makes case for renewal with a twisty 2nd season [Video]

The first season of filmed-in-Pittsburgh “American Rust” started too slow and painted most of its characters and the fictional town of Buell, Fayette County, with the same turbid gray. It’s no wonder viewers tuned out and Showtime canceled the show.

But even in that first season, “American Rust” found its way and became a better, more propulsive series by the end of its initial nine episodes. Asking viewers in a Peak TV environment to have patience may have been foolhardy but it did ultimately pay off for those who stuck around.

Season two, now streaming all 10 episodes on Amazon’s Prime Video, takes what was great about the latter half of season one and bakes it into season two from the jump.

Now called “American Rust: Broken Justice,” the new season grabs viewers and whisks them along on a ride that ratchets up multiple mysteries while continuing to delve into the characters and their relationships, although some of …