The Killing Season

While investigating the "west mesa" killer, Josh and Rachel consult amateur profiler Peter Brendt. He says (paraphrasing) "when in the past 500 years has a serial killer buried his bodies so close to home? The record was Ted Bundy at 120 miles"... have you ever heard of John Wayne Gacy (killer clown)? He buried 40 boys under the floorboards of his basement. Perhaps you may have heard of Anthony Sowell (Cleveland Strangler), who lived among dozens of corpses in his own house. Or Anthony's copycat Michael Madison. Or H. H. Holmes for god sake. I think Peter Brendt made some very good observations but this comment had me yelling at the TV. They even mention Sowell and Madison with Brendt in the last episode but give no explanation to his comment from the previous episode.

If you were knocked off the edge of your seat by The Jinx...or transfixed to the screen while binge watching Making A Murderer...you can thank Cropsey filmmaker Joshua Zeman, and his partner Rachel Mills, for their new documentary series: The Killing Season- which looks at the numerous cases of dead women (most being sex workers) and disposed bodies in and around Long Island, New York.

At least, that's where it begins...

Two episodes in and I'm already hooked.

We follow along as we watch Zeman, Mills, and their team make huge discoveries, as they uncover clue after clue...making progress in weeks, where the police seem to have failed for years (though not without someone in the dept's help, at least).

The filmmaking team have enlisted the help of a Herzogian Serial Killer Profiler, who sort of acts as the narrator, outlining the potential narrative as he sees it (and he's even German). I'm not sure I agree with everything he says, but f*ck if he doesn't keep things interesting with his far fetched and/or extremely intuitive theories (you be the judge).

Their seems to be two things going on: on one hand, an investigation into what is either one insanely clever and prolific serial killer, or, alternatively, two different serial killers, with two different MO's, working the same stomping ground (or perhaps even hunting each other, as the crazy German guy implies). Hell there may even be more than that... While on the other, it acts to query why the police seem wholly unconcerned about investigating and solving these crimes.

The filmmakers seem to imply they are about to break something huge, and of significance to more than just Long Island (a serial killing cabal, perhaps?)...

I guess we'll see how it plays out as the series progresses. But, one thing is certain, the filmmakers have really managed to fashion the narrative as to leave you on the edge of your seat, and dying to know more, as the end of each episode rolls around.

Awesome series from executive producer Alex Gibney, and filmmakers Joshua Zeman, and Rachel Mills, so far.

A must see series, for sure.

10 out of 10!!!

I like many have always loved following and keeping up with real life unsolved murders especially that of serial killings. Of late one of the most famous is that of the "Long Island Serial Killer" and that's where this A@E series "The Killing Season" begins. The series follows two Documentarians Joshua and Rachel who investigative serial killings all around the U.S., as mentioned the series starts out on Long Island, only to branch out to Atalntic City, NJ as a group of bodies found in America's playground were similar to the ones in Long Island, NY with all being sex workers, escorts, and street walkers could it be the same killer? The series makes connection to different unsolved murders it features interviews with victims family members and police and theories are provided from private investigators and comments are giving on the web from many sources. Plus geography plays a part in the series as Josh and Rachel believe that the killer travels up and down the east coast and the interstate system is looked up at as a dumping ground of truck driving serial killers. And VICAP is spotlighted and the theory is giving that police around the country don't share information and police corruption is often the problem that many of these serial cases aren't solved. The series even branches out west to the New Mexico sand area to hunt for a killer after many bodies are found. Overall thought provoking and informative investigative series need I say more.

Just finished the first episode and I'm going to ramble off why the show sucks but is still decent enough to have as something on in the background. They're using websleuth and wikipedia to chase down leads. All you have to do is go to websleuth and click any thread at random and you'll see that the website is filled with extremely bored housewives that have read one too many sexy murder novels or borderline schizo delusional individuals that make up random nonsense with no basis in reality. Then they're literally tracking down and confronting people based on Wikipedia edits. They're also using an absolutely completely random foreigner that called into a radio program as an expert. They dropped off a prostitute at a hotel and started panicking after she was in there for more than an hour as if this was some sort of legitimate job where at an hour she just packs up and leaves. Then they play a recording of the guy that they tracked down and confronted expecting a girl to recognize the voice 6 years later when she has tons of random guys calling her every day. This is like children playing detective. I'm going to watch the entire series but only after watching the first episode it's clear to me what kind of show this is.

I give them kudos for bringing to light the many unsolved murders that seem to be all but forgotten by law enforcement, but their investigation instincts are novice at best and they jump on leads of no apparent connections.