Soupçons

I knew nothing about the Peterson case before watching this film obsessively over a weekend. Even with Lestrade's clearly biased presentation, I came to the same conclusion the jury did - testament to the strength of the autopsy evidence. Res ipsa loquitur - she simply could not have died from a fall down the stairs given the lacerations and the blood. And nothing to suggest that an intruder caused her death. Sure, I winced when Freda Black went on and on about the porn, as if its existence on Peterson's computer in and of itself indicates anything. But all in all it was an interesting lesson into how the skilled storyteller can skew anything towards his chosen bias. And the score was absolutely exquisite.

If you want to watch a police documentary don't watch this one because the mystery is still here (even though there are certain theories going around on the internet, I'll let you look by yourself).

This documentary is about a broken justice system that doesn't allow the defendant the fair ability to defend themselves. The State is the prosecution so why would they handle themselves all the evidence? It needs an unbiased third party to handle such evidence. Politics come into play in all aspect of society and it's just sad that it also colors the justice system, which should be politic-free and unbiased, always.

I wont go over the whole story here as many other have already done so. Yes, this is a tragic story and has some interesting twists. Yes, I feel that justice was not well served for this whole investigation and trial. However, this 13 episode series could have easily been edited down to 6 or 7 episodes. There is SO much fluff. There are SO many scenes that drag on or rehash the same info. The characters are just not that interesting to hear them go on and on. They even have drawn out scenes of cars parking or driving away or people walking...nothing going on. No drama. No storytelling. No point. It makes a slow story feel a LOT slower.

What happened the night of December 9, 2001 will never be known. Did Michael Peterson, an established author and mayor, kill his wife Kathleen Peterson or have the past twenty years of his life been an endless tragedy? At the conclusion of this docuseries, I still do not know if he killed his wife or not.

This series is shot over many years with most of the episodes filmed in 2002-2003. For some strange reason, it seems that there is a vendetta to charge Michael Peterson with first degree manslaughter. The prosecution is convinced that he has killed his wife, but there is not really any proof that he did so.

I will not share the evidence that the prosecution has, but all of it is very slim and circumstantial. I was left with the feeling that everyone involved with the prosecution were complete morons and did not seem to listen to any form of logic.

It's their ineptitude that causes a hearing later on to address Michael Peterson's trial. Several pieces of information are brought to light that demonstrate the police's desire to blame Michael Peterson for the death of his wife (none of which I will disclose).

I do want to add that I thought Michael Peterson was a very odd individual. His tone of voice was strange and he always seemed to be pretending to be someone he is not. His choice of attorney, David Rudolf, was not the best selection as well. He allowed those on the witness stand to try to persuade the jury of Michael Peterson's guilt rather than the standard yes or no questions that a defense attorney typically employs. After the trial concludes, it feels like a different series.

This series was interesting as it morphed with the later episodes. It stopped focusing on the trial and instead became a story about Michael Peterson's family. It humanized the story and, as a viewer, I sought closure for Michael Peterson and his family. However, the episodes that were about his family felt too slow and it bothered me.

The Staircase is a daunting thirteen episodes and it is just too long. The pacing is a little uneven, but it is still fascinating. I just think that it can easily be ten episodes and the pacing would probably be better as well.

It is still an amazing docuseries and I highly recommend it. Just be aware of how long it is and that it can be somewhat boring at times. Thank you for reading this review.

After viewing the entire 13 episodes now available on Netflix, I'm horrified at the incompetence of the local agencies responsible for investigating, collecting evidence, and evaluating evidence. However you feel about the character or guilt of the accused Michael Peterson, we should all be concerned about how law enforcement, prosecutors and those involved in evaluating scientific evidence, clearly mishandled their positions of authority. By allowing us to witness the flaws in the judgement of the judicial system, I can only say that fairness was not present in this case and no that one can claim any winners. It's obvious that under the right circumstances, anyone could find themselves unable to get a fair trial. Truly riveting and well produced documentary.