One of the better crime docs but with flaws
These are well produced episodes. No reinactments which is also a plus (90% of these shows today are mostly reenactments by bad actors on a low budget)
My big problem is calling this "Survived" a serial killer. Not everyone in this was in danger. Should be called "I Survived, was married to or had an encounter with a serial killer."
There is one lady who was a prostitute whose "survived" was simply having a sexual encounter with the killer, 5 years before he ever killed anyone. This is ridiculous. If your show's hook is "people who survived a serial killer" than have people who survived a serial killer. Not people who encountered them and were literally in zero danger. If you don't have a "survivor" of a certain killer, then don't have an episode on that person. It's dishonest and annoying.
Another was the wife of a serial killer. Was she in danger? Probably not. The guy beat her and yes spousal abuse victims do get killed by their spouses sometimes. Was this particular lady in danger of that? Most likely not. He didn't even start killing until after they broke up. Again, not a "survivor." Did she have good insight on the guy? Sure. But she was not a "survivor" of being killed from a serial killer.
That said, the show is well done. Has the principals being interviewed, good music, lots of news footage from the times of the murders, stuff like that. One thing I hate is they generally have just 2 or 3 photos of the killer (or the survivor) that they repeatedly show 25 times throughout the show.
Also lots of shots of flowers, walls, streets, a lady bug, and other stuff that is literally just filler.
If you have to fill up your episode with stuff like this because you don't have anything else to fill it up with, then don't do an hour show.
But for the most part, the actual survivors are good and the police involved are also interesting. They don't put these people studios with stupid backgrounds - they're in rooms and offices which is the way to do it. No super close ups of the person's face where you see all their pores and are begging for the camera to pull back.
Well produced show. I took off a star for the "encounters" that were not actual "survivors" (in any way) but good show to watch if you want to waste 40 minutes.
My big problem is calling this "Survived" a serial killer. Not everyone in this was in danger. Should be called "I Survived, was married to or had an encounter with a serial killer."
There is one lady who was a prostitute whose "survived" was simply having a sexual encounter with the killer, 5 years before he ever killed anyone. This is ridiculous. If your show's hook is "people who survived a serial killer" than have people who survived a serial killer. Not people who encountered them and were literally in zero danger. If you don't have a "survivor" of a certain killer, then don't have an episode on that person. It's dishonest and annoying.
Another was the wife of a serial killer. Was she in danger? Probably not. The guy beat her and yes spousal abuse victims do get killed by their spouses sometimes. Was this particular lady in danger of that? Most likely not. He didn't even start killing until after they broke up. Again, not a "survivor." Did she have good insight on the guy? Sure. But she was not a "survivor" of being killed from a serial killer.
That said, the show is well done. Has the principals being interviewed, good music, lots of news footage from the times of the murders, stuff like that. One thing I hate is they generally have just 2 or 3 photos of the killer (or the survivor) that they repeatedly show 25 times throughout the show.
Also lots of shots of flowers, walls, streets, a lady bug, and other stuff that is literally just filler.
If you have to fill up your episode with stuff like this because you don't have anything else to fill it up with, then don't do an hour show.
But for the most part, the actual survivors are good and the police involved are also interesting. They don't put these people studios with stupid backgrounds - they're in rooms and offices which is the way to do it. No super close ups of the person's face where you see all their pores and are begging for the camera to pull back.
Well produced show. I took off a star for the "encounters" that were not actual "survivors" (in any way) but good show to watch if you want to waste 40 minutes.
- On_The_Mark
- Feb 9, 2023