Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders

If I learned anything while watching Painkiller: The Tylenol Murders, it was just how simple it was to get away with multiple crimes before the Internet was invented. There's one episode of this docu-series where they say the main suspect's wife is "only guilty" of having a false Social Security card. Stealing someone's identity must have been a walk in the park, since her husband committed multiple acts of fraud and extortion by simply moving from state and state and may very well be a serial killer.

I was a small child when the Tylenol murders happened so I don't remember them but I remember the whole thing surrounding pill bottles and contaminated Halloween candy in the 1980s, it's totally crazy that as late as 1982 Tylenol was mass-produced by a major corporation and didn't have a safety seal or even tape on the box, let alone a hard-to-open "child safety" lid. Yeah "child safety" not "crazed cyanide killer proof lid." I guess it just doesn't have the same ring to it for the people in Tyelnol marketing.

Watching the first episode, I was interested in the subject matter and actual news reels from 1982. It wasn't great, but I had hopes it would get better. It didn't.

This "documentary" was much more focused on skewing the actual fear of that event into some sort of manufactured drama. It substituted or embellished the facts of the story with conjecture.

The entire 4th episode was focused completely on the "journalist" making this pile of compost. We are forced to follow him from place to place as he tries to track down the houses where ancillary characters, long deceased, used to live. We are treated to his frustration at being foiled in his noble efforts. It reeks of ego and desperation for relevance. You can almost smell his hair products and Drakkar Noir.

If you must watch this limited series, be sure to count the number of times the interviewees are asked irrelevant, repetitive, asinine, or insulting questions.

The ONLY saving grace is the genuine likability of the victims' family members.

It's a great subject for a documentary. This was such a tragic, scary, and massively impactful event in history. It changed so many things - and it's a very interesting story. The documentary itself is a little cheesy - but the subject matter is so good, that over powers the weaknesses in its execution. The reporter guy they bring in later in the documentary is completely over dramatic - and he seems fairly fake. But again - the actual news footage and the details of the event are phenomenal. It's a very interesting subject - and it's definitely worth a watch. It's NOT unwatchable - it's okay - but the subject is what really makes this documentary good!

The more true crime I've watched, the more I'm absolutely convinced that capable, qualified and competent filmmaking is all but dead. This series is FAR TOO LONG, a single episode would have sufficed at a two-hour length and everything that still remains unknown would be unknown.

There's some interesting evidence that suggests Lewis is likely the perpetrator, but he was careful enough to keep from being linked to the case in any significant way. Sure, you could test capsules and whatnot for DNA, but my GOD, you have to remember this is cyanide- to handle this substance you absolutely have to wear strong gloves, and possibly a mask to avoid inhaling particulates. The state can present a whole lot of evidence to be tested, but the likelihood of even trace amounts of DNA being present is unlikely.

There's so much nonsensical information shoved in here, and a lot of people trying to put the cape on to portray themselves a hero, and we're even subjected to wild accusations, absolutely insane conspiracy theories, and a lot of blame for people who seem to have forgotten what life was actually like in the 80s. For sobbing out loud, NOTHING had safety caps, seals, etc., and far worse/more dangerous products than Tylenol. WE HAVE ICE CREAM THAT IS ABLE TO BE OPENED that became a ridiculous trend for a while.

The moronic 'journalists' (although I believe the female voice is a producer) who are gross in their approach and absolutely speaks to the quality of journalism as a whole in this current time. Brad is like fingernails on a blackboard type of bad at this in particular and I'm so grossed out by the 'meeting' with the nurse and fireman and the niece and great niece and talking about this like it's so unbelievable that no one has been arrested and this absolutely juvenile young girl is somehow an investigator and has the answers? Stop it and stop making yourself the story.

I sincerely hope someone else can pick this up as a story and put something coherent and compelling on the screen.

Ostensibly, this is a hol'atta nuttin boiga EXCEPT a lovely video that could shown to prospective jurors (and future criminals) on the sciences they need to (or should) understand when hearing a case - - I'm only gonna address the first episode here but post it to the show rating cause I have seen it, however my issues are inherent throughout - and though I don't fault a Feebee for being poor at public speaking but the special agent in charge of task force two, well... I hole his investigative prowess exceeds his command of the spoken word - nonetheless it for me it boils down to the lack of anything but methodology (unrelated to the specific case, oddly enough) and denials of interviews from authorities - frankly it's a wonder this was completed.