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I would give this a 6.5 if I could. Burden of Proof avoids most of the pitfalls of the genre, with the exception of padding. It could've been a tight three episodes just by cutting repetitive and meandering content. Which might have helped nudge Jennifer Pandos, the missing 15-year-old whose brother relentlessly pursues justice here, more squarely into the center of things.

From the start, the Pandos parents hurt themselves in the investigation. Until Stephen has to suspect their involvement, becoming estranged from them after hiring investigators and experts in an attempt to tell Jennifer's story.

Increasingly, though, the focus is on Stephen's agonizing over his sister's fate, setbacks in the case and his mother's honesty. I question whether the documentary team had free rein...or if they were beholden to Stephen Pandos for funding.

To wit, one question I waited for: In an abusive home, with a violent, controlling father who isn't getting along with his increasingly troubled teenage daughter, was there also sexual abuse?

It would explain Jennifer's emotional issues and her parents' unfathomable choices and behavior during the investigation. For an outspoken kid, I noticed none of her friends knew exactly what was going on in the house where she felt unsafe.

Without spoilers, I think the issue of the note is far from settled and the final testimony we hear raises as many questions as answers. Possibly more.

Fascinating immersion into a troubled family and the disappearance of their youngest member. Small details are pitch perfect, extremely well done.

It's difficult to write a fulsome review without spoilers. I highly recommend it - it has a Mare of Easttown feel, but it really happened.

Stephen Pandos, no matter the failings of his parents, is such a decent, strong man. His dad gave me the full-on heebs. He seems to be always banking down a dark, unsettling menace while trying to appear as a righteous straight shooter.

But Stephen's mother has, obviously, done something right because her son is quietly remarkable.

Gotta say too, the private investigator seemed a waste of money. The filmmakers appear to be the real sleuths who moved this case along.

Also, Wendi Reed, an investigating officer, is straight out of the Fargo series.

The mother though, she will drive you nuts...her actions, comments never help her, why? You'll be mentally Rubik's-cubing this for a long time afterward. Highly recommend.

Burden of Proof is an outstanding true crime series. I genuinely loved every minute of it and finished all four episodes in one sitting. I would consider on par with some of the best true crime documentaries.

I love how the investigation of this case actually takes place in real time, so we get to watch it unfold as the show was filmed over 7 years. This is an aspect of this series that makes it so compelling, and it is emblamatic of many of the best true crime documentaries. One example that comes to mind would be the Netflix series Making of a Murderer, and also some of the true crime classics like Capturing the Friedmans and The Thin Blue Line.

The production is excellent as it is clear the director and producer are deeply invested in this case, and it is clear that their primary goal is to get to the truth.

The producers go out of their way numerous times to try and track down everyone involved in the case so that they can give them a chance to tell their side of the story in relation to the case. At one point they even manage to track down a person of interest whom the police could not even locate for several years. And the filmmaker's also focus heavily on the family that has literally been torn apart by this tragic case for decades, but they do so in a way that is both objective and compassionate.

On top of that, this case turns out to be a huge mystery, with twists and turns that you will not see coming, and a motley crew of potential suspects.

Burden of Proof will tug at your hearstrings, but it is very entertaining because it covers such a fascinating mystery of a case. I was hooked after watching the first 15-20 minutes and did not stop watching until I had binged all four episodes.

Highly recommended.

There are aplenty of detective shows with savant, heavily invested in truth and have always the right intuition. This true crime documentary puts you in the shoes of an a brother who is obsessed with finding out what happened to his missing sister, as parents suspected of crime against their own kid and detectives as they process the case.

This documentary is not just a mystery, but also a family drama and a psychological exploration. It shows how we can be biased, mistaken and misled by our own emotions and assumptions when we judge others. It also raises the question of what could happen when we are not patient and compassionate, but heavily biased, thinking the worst. It follows the folly with police process when not done correctly but also highlights some incredible techniques that are used.

The brother, Stephen, believes that his parents are somehow involved in his sister's disappearance. He thinks his father did something terrible and his mother helped him cover it up. He spends years trying get an answer in the way he likes, even at the cost of his relationship with his mother. He takes keen interest in the case police reopened and he conducts his own investigation, uncovering new evidence and secrets.

The documentary follows his journey as both a victim and an accuser, as well as the work of the police, who face challenges, errors and breakthroughs in their quest for justice. The direction is impressive, but not flawless. The series could be shorter and avoid some repetition. It could also give more insight into the bond between the siblings and what Stephen was doing when his sister vanished. The ending is powerful but unsatisfying, as it leaves many questions unanswered and many details unexplored. It seems like the makers have made up their minds about the case and do not want to share more information. Stephen gets some closure, but not the kind he expected.

Despite these flaws, the show is captivating and the ending is shocking. It will leave you wanting to know more about the case and its aftermath.

It is definitely an interesting and sad story but the interviews with the father, Ron, and his watered down Walmart-level 3rd wife are so unnecessary. Who need to hear from that couple? He's a felon and still acts arrogant although a christian? He's as trash as they come. That 3rd wife has absolutely no reason to talk about this issue at all. She should have been wiped from any footage. The other interviewees contributed more to this series and were much more interesting to watch. All the father contributed was his little man syndrome machismo.

The brother spending his life looking for his sister is just heartbreaking and his parents are the epitome of deplorable human beings.

Put simply, and without a doubt: it's remarkable.

I don't watch much true crime, and yet I'm not sure that label really fits here. "Burden" is deeply humane, entirely un-sensational, and far more artful than anything I know of in that genre.

It's a special and gripping work, with a haunting though subtly conveyed reminder of the pervasiveness and elusive justice around partner violence.

And in terms of filmmaking craft, it's an impressive display of both endurance (the project stretches over nearly 8 years) and skill (cinematography is deft and compelling throughout).

It's worth your time. And you'll be thinking about it.

This beautifully presented documentary is at once a profound family drama and a haunting mystery. Its themes range from coming of age feminine angst over first love lost to a dogged pursuit of elusive justice for a younger sister whose fierce light never dims for the older brother investigating her disappearance in the course of decades. Away at college when she simply vanishes from her bedroom one night, aged 15, he turns over every stone he can, sacrifices a relationship with his mother, and turns middle aged while believing that both his parents conspired to cover up their part in her loss. His own "side investigation" and the case authorities re-open at his urging unfold and show various facets, growing ever more complex, while his personal perspective slowly but surely begins to shift. So we, the audience, also grow in knowlege--and ultimately--in some measure, in wisdom. Pacing is wonderful, allowing for reflection, which continues after the credits have rolled.

This series reminds me of several Discovery Network (History Channel, NatGeo, etc.) shows. You know, the ones where the hosts go on expeditions to find lost treasure, ancient civilizations, evidence of paranormal activity, etc. And along the way, they sometimes discover the random coin, ancient tool or artifact, and maybe even a skeleton or two. But at the end of the show, you end up right back where you started - nothing solved, no huge treasure found. Case in point - "The Curse of Oak Island." They've milked this treasure hunt for 10 years and almost 170 episodes, and found the square root of diddley. This is what you have here, only it's FOUR hours long. This could have easily been condensed into an hour, maybe less. I could have given this production a pass for taking an hour of my time, but I really feel cheated about losing the other three hours. Its only redeeming quality is that it highlights how easily "investigators" from our law enforcement agencies can screw up a wet dream.

If you're expecting to watch 42 minutes and get the answers you're seeking, you're probably going to be this a '3'. This is more about a glance inside the agony of a brother trying to find answers to his sister's murder, than it is about satisfying the viewer's need for instant gratification.

If you appreciate exceptional film-making that captures raw emotion, ranging from hope to complete hopelessness, give it a shot. If you're looking for another true crime 'hit and run' then skip this one because it might be a waste of 4 hours for you.

I can't wait for a follow up to this documentary as the story is compelling.

The loss of a child, in any way is devastating, but to not know what happened to your child, sister, relative, friend has no words. As Stephen searches for his sister who went mysteriously missing when she was 15, we walk the same walk of hoping to discover what happened to her with him. Solving a crime takes a lot of time and energy and when it is this type of crime, it takes literally years, if it gets solved at all. The reviewers who complain about there being 4 episodes are not in it for the live filming that was done over a period of 7 years. Each part was necessary. The story and the family become real with this type of documentary. The filming is excellent, the editing perfect and the heartbreak is so hard that it leaves you totally engrossed. It is definitely one of the best documentaries I have seen in a while.

The Documentary 'Burden of Proof' is four hours long. With absolutely no reason to be more than - at a maximum - two. And that is its major failing. As I watched I found myself feeling that what I was seeing was something I'd seen before. And I had. In this very episode, or in one earlier. The same points are made again and again. And it's not as though it's a confusing story. It's not as though there are dozens of characters to keep track of. And this made me angry and impatient and I know that you'll feel that, as well. Who wouldn't?

The story is simple. When he was a teenager a man's younger sister 'disappeared'. Or was murdered. Or took her own life. And the man, now an adult and clearly very well off, has spent much of his life trying to uncover the answer. He believes he knows that answer, and early in the film tries to prove it. But as the story progresses he finds that the answer may not be quite so easily determined.

I gave the film as many as three stars because, at its heart, it's an attempt to make an important statement about forgiveness and family dynamics. The lead character's relationship with his parents is what the film's really about. But even here, the scenes with his parents are muddled and I had no idea, at the film's end, where those relationships were headed.

So please, don't waste your time. I mean, in the end, time's really all we've got.

If you're looking for an open and shut case or your typical take on true crime, this isn't for you. This docuseries is part true crime but also (and maybe more importantly) it is an expose on the devastating but real impact that crime, especially a disappearance turned cold case after years can have on a family. It examines how different people who were close to the victim have different viewpoints on the traumatic event, and how those different view points and emotions can lead to seemingly unsurmountable schisms. Rarely is this type of raw emotional depth and focus on what happens after the headlines and behind closed doors, regardless of what others may be thinking.

This documentary is a journey you can take along with the brother of the victim, and join him on his search to bring the person (or people) behind his sisters disappearance to justice. There are twists and turns and sometimes more questions than answers, but it is a very honest take on what it's like to be someone searching for answers, justice, and peace, after decades of wondering what horrible thing happened to rip someone so close to you away.

This overly long and tedious series was a total waste of my precious time. At first it presented as a novel way of solving a decades long crime that had gone unsolved. With family dynamics involved, the filmmaker leads us to a frustrating waste of time. I'm now upset that I convinced other suckers to watch this drudgery with me. There were interesting interviews that were projected over the decades. As I continued to watch I expected quite an interesting turn and received none. The investment of my time was wasted by watching this protracted and pointless piece of filmmaking drudgery. If you have a chance to see this.... SKIP IT,

Whilst the events surrounding Jennifer's disappearance and strange and intriguing the main thing I took away from watching this is the awful way Margie was treated both by the police and Stephen, her own son.

The officers in the 2006-2009 investigation were disrespectful, obnoxious, accusatory and borderline abusive. The way the spoke to Margie was appalling and downright out of line, they should be ashamed.

As for Stephen he was nothing but mentally abusive towards Margie. He was so obsessed with the notion that his father murdered Jennifer and that Margie was complicit in covering it up that he veered of the path of justice to that of pure vengence, he just wanted his mother to pay whatever the cost. In my view he was cruel and abusive to his mother. He dangled promises of reconciliation and the prospect of allowing Margie a relationship with his daughters like a carrot. She could have these things but only if she (Margie) told him (Stephen) what he wanted to hear regardless (in my opinion) of what was true.

Margie was nothing but consistent in her denial of involvement or that of Ron's involvement and yet Stephen, so blinded by his obsession, was determined to break her down and get her to confess. He comes out of this badly, very badly. He ruined his relationship with Margie and denied her and his daughters any kind of relationship. He doesn't deserve forgiveness for his treatment and abuse of Margie. Shame on him and respect to Margie for somehow remaining decent and dignified through out.

First off, don't believe the naysayers. This doc is plenty worth your time, both because it's a well-made, psychologically gripping film, and because the story/subject matter teaches us something essential about human nature. Like any good doc, it balances perspectives (though admittedly, the first couple episodes are largely told from the brother, Stephen's, point of view; the last couple by his detractors), but one needs to remember the media (documentaries included) always set the agenda. What's left on the cutting room floor and when specific information is revealed depends solely on the director's/documentarians' discretion. As such, this doc purposely revealed certain pieces of info because it supported Stephen's theory at the beginning, but counters this with info juxtaposing Stephen's theories in the latter half of the series. This creates a very real, very palpable feeling of confusion in the viewer - something the creators of this film fully intended. They want you to see the issue truthfully by showing you, the viewer, all the biases, facets, emotions, and angles in this (and nearly every) complex human story. So, like other reviewers have said: if you go into this thinking things will be tied up in a nice, clearly explained summary bow - with definite criminals and definite saviours - you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you go into it with eyes wide open, empathetically witnessing the behavioral nuances and rich emotional responses of all parties involved, you just might gain a greater understanding of who we are as a species.

You'll also see why a basic education in human psychology should be requisite material on every police detective's resume. When cops don't think about how they think (and what fundamental biases they can fall prey to) bad things happen.

Summary: This is a top-notch true crime doc of the highest caliber. It's just not as formulaically presented as other docs of its type. Try to enjoy it for what it is.