I discovered "Disappeared" in 2013 on Netflix. I didn't know what "binge-watching" meant at the time but learned fast. As another reviewer has said, this series is haunting and riveting. No other true crime show--maybe even including beloved Unsolved Mysteries-- comes close.
There are several reasons for its effectiveness. Early seasons had minimal musical background. Intrusive music in true crime shows often overwhelms, rivals, or trivializes stories of heartache and ongoing loss. What little music there is conveys the melancholy and ominousness of the "disappeared's" loved ones' lives. The narration likewise is not melodramatic; the single-camera interviews have often brought me to tears, because parents, siblings, police officers look straight into the camera as if they're appealing to you--and they are.
So many of these stories remain sincere mysteries. Tragically, a few have been solved with the discovery of remains. Fewer have been solved with the surprise reappearance of a person who consciously chose to disappear (and these stories are often as troubling, in their own way, as those of the poor souls whose fates we have to imagine). No matter what the outcome, "Disappeared" somehow has an unmatched sensitivity in approaching an awful subject. It plumbs the psychological background of any given missing person without being prurient or sensational. It is compassionate to those missing people--generally very young--whom the show freely admits never knew a level playing field in life.
I would not recommend that children younger than thirteen watch this show--especially in re-runs or on streaming online "channels." Two stories in particular concern missing children and are among the most disturbing I've ever seen. On the other hand, if I had teenage children, I would make "Disappeared" required viewing. So many of the stories deal with young people trying to rebuild lives ruined by substance abuse, or plain abuse--but who choose to befriend or become lovers of partners whose danger is almost written on their faces.
The word "modest" comes to mind when I think of "Disappeared." I know nothing about the producers or history of the series. All I know is that it has remained my "go-to" streaming crime series; I don't feel like a voyeur watching it. I often watch it and say prayers for the parents, the kid sister, the older brother, the bereaved wife or husband, still waiting for peace in the most awful of circumstances.
Blessings on every one of these folks still waiting, and on those whose worst fears have been realized. "Disappeared" honors victims; it doesn't glorify crime. Do not miss this superb program.
