User reviews

Roughly midway thru the first episode. I wasn't sure if what I was watching was a true crime documentary, or a drama meant to look like a documentary. To find out, a little checking on google confirms that these are actual cops, and actual missing persons, and suspects. All that just made it worse tbh, because now I *know* they're staging most of it.

The format of the show is modeled after 'The First 48.' They borrowed a lot from it, right down to the timer. I know that show scripts certain things also, it'd have to in order to exist, but they're obviously so much better at it, I hardly notice. I still like that show, knowing as much. It's that they use some discretion with it, they don't insult the viewer.

A documentary series following a team of officers from South Carolina's Sheriff's department, they explore the cases of Lorraine Garcia, Amirah Watson, David Taylor and Sierra Stevens, all of whom go missing without trace.

So, it's definitely a mixed bag, some of its good, some of it is really bad. I'll start with the negatives, too much effort goes into making it feel as though it was happening in real time. Multiple times the cameraman tries capturing the real life reactions from the officers to all manner of situations, personally I didn't like that side of it.

On the plus side, the cases are all very interesting, the good and bad that people do to one another, for good and bad reasons, there's nothing more interesting than human psychology, we get to see the effects of crime on The Officers as well as the family members, it reinforces the fact that they're Human too.

Each story has a degree of interest, poor David Taylor's story in particular was so interesting, a real tragedy. One gripe I had was the way in which Tony Garcia was treated in the first episode.

Netflix are capable of so much better, but it's ok.

6/10.

I really don't understand all the dislike for this docu-series? Is it the best true crime series you will ever watch? No it will not be the best, but not the worse either. It definitely kept me engaged enough to binge it in a day. I thought it was a decent look at what a missing case unit Does. They are definitely a unit I feel does not get a lot of credit for all the hard work they do.

Yes most of what they do is boring & time consuming, not as exciting as maybe regular police work. I felt they showed a good mix of cases, they would be involved with.

A couple definitely had me guessing. Others I could predict.

I don't know if this show is 100% documentary or somewhat or entirely scripted. I wasn't there. The question is, did I like it? Yes.

I am a huge fan of Dateline and 20/20. I've been watching those shows for years, primarily for the one reason I keep tuning in: I don't know "whodunnit" until the end. I get to figure out the crime along with the experts. This show works the same way - will they be found alive or dead? I can take the journey with the officials in order to find out.

Whether these cases are scripted or not, the theme remains the same: people can go missing at the drop of a hat, and it takes some very skilled and experienced people to try to find them. If that interests you, then this show will probably appeal to you.

For this???? I'm not gonna go so far as to say it's staged, but it seems very reenactment heavy. Multiple camera angles for mundane conversations and nobody questions the presence of a camera crew. I watched one episode and about 15 minutes of it is detectives walking down a hall in slow motion filmed from behind. And why do the female detectives seem scared of their own shadows? This is kind of a waste of time and somewhat insulting to the viewer. Apparently there's a minimum required amount of characters for these reviews, so I'm just going to add that Mindhunters was a great show and I miss it.

I'm compelled to write a review because I'm seeing a lot of misplaced negativity. I was born and raised in SC and I do feel this show nails the dangerous underbelly of the deep south. I truly love that the show is focused on a department that is run by women. These women are quiet, determined, and doing some of the toughest work that could ever be done. It's a wonder how a film company was allowed such access both to the department as well as the suspects. It's a study of criminal minds, mental illness, PTSD, and America's struggle to search and find justice. I'd highly recommend the series if you're a true crime junkie like me. I am in awe of these women.

I quite liked this series. I thought the filming was done really well. Being from and overseas location, I was interested to see the countryside, towns etc.

The cases were quit interesting. It is all done quite slowly and could have been sped up a bit, but that's only a minor point.

Yes, some of the dialogue is a bit wooden - but these are cops, not actors. And so you can't expect them to have a conversation about a case and have it come off totally spontaneous.

I was surprised by the amount of effort the cops went to to find these people. I'm guessing they focused on a few cases where they did in fact, put a lot of resources into the search.

I imagine there must be many other cases where they can't devote so much time and energy towards finding a missing person.

Netflix has cancelled some really good shows and not completed others, stating finances and time as the reasons. Mindhunter season 3 not made. Other shows cancelled mid story. Save the money instead of making shows like this. I can't fault the people in it. But staged true crime is so bad to watch. There is no crime. Everything is just so fake. Non actors faking emotions over something that didn't actually happen is cringey. Netflix needs to stop churning out 3 or 4 new shows a week that are awful, and focus on quality not quantity. Subscription prices went up, and seeing this drivel makes you feel robbed.

The bad ratings and reviews confused me. I binged watched this. Found it heartfelt, gripping and really interesting. Hats off to those that work in the missing persons department. It must be extremely taxing and difficult, but hopefully equally rewarding when the outcomes are, god willing, good ones.

Nicely filmed and the film crew have taken the time to compose and capture the surroundings and agents in creative and interesting ways, perhaps that's way some think this feels a bit too staged. But the stories themselves seem to unfold naturally.

I'd like to see more of these behind the scenes true crime type series.

Ok so I mixed on this definitely not 1 star but it's definitely not 10 stars

It's a good documentary as far as the investigation goes but where this show really struggles is the horrible acting by the cops I mean they really HAM it up for the camera to the point that it's actually gag worthy

I mean if they cut out the fake scripted acting it would actually be a great show to give you the example in one of the cases one of the victims are found deceased then a few episodes later they refer to it and the cop is basically sitting there talking about how she blames herself and she can't go on working is considering transferring because of the guilt and her boss says haven't you heard from the corona he was already dead days before we got there you're not to blame there's nothing you could have done and then the cops starts having this giant bout of relief.. and decides to stay on I mean like for the love of god it was so corny then there's clips of her in church hoping for strength from the lord above there's another cop who's at home watching the report about the missing girl with her daughter and she has a heart to heart with her daughter who's the same age as the victim who's missing it's so corny again none of these are spoil alerts but it's just so you can understand the show and what it's like.. I mean the show is good it's not bad it's good but the drama the corny overacting they add to it really affects the show take it out it's a great show it's still worth a watch but you'll probably be sick.. nauseous even when it comes to the overacting and hamming it up for the camera

But overall it is a good show as far as the investigations go but the horribly scripted over dramatic drama they add to it to make it binge worthy really ruins it as someone who likes a full-on investigative crime show this is more like a horrible law and order SVU episode.. rather than a traditional investigative show

But still it's worth a watch.

Don't waste your time with this if you're a true crime documentary fan. This is 100% staged nonsense, it's attempting to be true like making a murdered / staircase etc etc. But it's so obvious it is all staged for dramatic effect. No one in law enforcement works like these people, reading important documents in the street, going inside a home then to stumble on a door closed with a lump of wood then declaring a search warrant is required. The interview scenes show "real" police doing interrogation and the actresses nowhere to be seen. I watched the first episode and if so false and fake , I had to Google the facts and not one of these actresses/police women were mentioned. Give this a swerve.

I mean they definitely Pushed it as far as they can go without being considered a fictional sitcom bc the case they work are real. But what is confusing is They have been working in this missing person's department for a long time. Now? So has she been asking everyday about how she feels when she finds the person dead? Four something bad happened to them? I mean it's good to check on mental health with a job like that but you would have thought they would have then used to. I think they are old old cases that happened a long time ago and hired lawyers and actors to play all those parts. The case facts.

I liked this series, but changing up its formatting would've done a lot for the quality. The insight different investigators share about their careers is really interesting, and I appreciated also seeing cases where the person was found alive and unharmed. That outcome is pretty uncommon on shows like these, but it helped lend the show a feeling of realism.

All that said, I think either the episodes could've been shorter, or there could've been less content featuring the investigator's backgrounds. It made things feel a bit clunky, and going back and forth between topics wasn't ideal either. Overall, this is a decent watch but nothing stellar.

The is super staged... Around every turn they get perfect footage captured, the timing of "running into" possible key people at just the right time, or right when possible evidence goes "missing".... Ridiculous! The Son... Just trying to get past the way he speaks is a full time job in itself. Sometimes you can hear the scripted part of these detectives talking to one another, bad acting.

This is not worth watching. Even worse than Making a Murderer, just garbage, don't bother...

Just stick to real crime documentaries or shows that are truly dedicated to solving crimes, this is not that show.

This is the first review I've ever wrote just because I enjoyed this show so much and as a true crime fanatic I honestly can't believe the bad reviews this is getting from people!! Do these people realise its about missing persons cases not murder cases so it can have multiple different outcomes and it really does show you the time and multiple avenues you have to go down to get to the bottom of the case!

Please give it a chance and do the listen to the other negative reviews because if I did I would of missed out on one of my favourite true crime documentaries now!

It is very interesting seeing how the investigators get information and where it goes from there!

This is very likely the worst murder/missing person series I have ever seen. I honestly cannot believe it is supposed to be a documentary series. The entire department should be fired for their complete lack of competence, and the suspects... once again I can't believe they are real, they are that damn stupid. Just overall awful. Netflix continues to lower the bar on what they are willing to produce, and somehow the rare gem they do find they discontinue after a season or two.

The narration was awful, the cases, the policing, the whole damn thing. Definitely avoid this like the plague. You've been warned.

First, let me explain my biases.

1) my girlfriend is addicted to crime docs right now (I'm not sure if I should be afraid for my life, or not... but regardless, I have a strong incentive to watch true crime documentaries.) 2) I am a native of South Carolina, so I am pleased to see a glimpse of my home-state's public-safety system.

3) personally, I am a huge fan of smaller-budget, more focused, documentary series.

Now, let's get on to the review.

This series is nothing like other true-crime docuseries, in the sense that, you won't be force-fed a timeline of events that starts at the crime being "reported" and ends at the crime being "solved". But rather, you will see a glimpse into the real world, where investigations aren't easy.

This is not a Mile Higher podcast, there is no witty/comical discussion, these are real victims and real investigators. The crimes are real, the pitfalls and detours of the investigation are real.

If you want to see how crime actually works, watch this.

If you read the other reviews, make sure you read them through a lens of "I'm an idiot, who thinks this is a poorly done reboot of "Mind Hunter".

These "out in the field" type shows work when it's authentic. This is so heavily edited and poorly "acted" that viewers are left questioning whether it's real or scripted.

There are many inconsistencies as far as police procedure goes, dialogue is delivered as if officers are reading from a script. The multiple angles show either it's a dramatisation or the priority really is getting the shot over the wellbeing of the missing person.

The dramatic music, multiple angles and perfect lighting all reek of Hollywood which is a shame, because the premise of this show is decent. Shows like "Cops" make you feel like you're going along for the ride with those involved, you're part of the action. That's not what this is.

This has got to be the worst true crime documentary I've ever watch on all streaming platforms. It's 100% scripted. I can't believe something like this ever got green lit to Netflix.

Does Netflix really think their users are that dumb to believe something like this?

Ever since Netflix went quantity over quality on their programming we so often get shows like this who are just horrible from the first 5 minutes. Within the first few scenes you could already tell this show is 100% scripted. How can a "true" crime be fake?

Please do not waste your time watching this.

1/10 and the 1 is pushing it:

What on earth is this supposed to be? Drama, movie, documentary.... It's almost like a artistic take on crime, using people who can't act or process crime scenes professionally. It's a mishmash of everything, with an overriding fake and unprofessional feel to it.

It's a shame, as it could have been good. It's just a shame Netflix thinks it's audience is a bunch of gullible and brainless idiots that will accept this as reality.

I think it's probably based on reality, and may use some of the people 'involved' as underpaid actors - but regardless, it's completely ruined and unenjoyable to watch, in my humble opinion.

This is now on the list on my fav crime shows. It's refreshing to be seen from the female perspective and hear some of the inner thoughts of people (female and male) who do this work.

I'm not sure why such low ratings but possibly people enjoy the crime shows that are super heavy with actors and re-enactment, maybe that makes it more imaginative for some? Personally i want my true crime realistic and avoid the shows that use such formula. Personal taste really...does not make this worthy of rating as low as 1 or 2 under any circumstances.

Well produced for it's purpose and enough grit to keep me intrigued and invested in the episodes to come.

I stumbled onto this show and decided to give it a go as I'm a fan of true crime shows and podcasts. After a while I was wondering what the eff I was watching as there were tons of errors by the investigators and film makers. I'm no seasoned detective or anything, but if I can spot multiple evidence collection errors it's got to be bad.

Most investigators have years of experience and hundreds of hours in the field and are constantly working with the preservation of evidence and the paper trail. Any mistakes they have made have made are quickly corrected by coworkers.

But this is similar to going to a hospital and having your blood drawn by a nurse who can't find a vein, gets her supervisor who also struggles and gives up and says they don't need the blood anyway we'll use the saliva.

Nobody is this incompetent, except Elizabeth Holmes. But by all means keeps watching if you find this interesting and don't believe the negative reviews by people who actually think. 1/50 for producing a show so bad we don't know if it's a parody or scripted.