Now thatThe Jinx: Part Twois airingonHBO, fans are remembering what made the series so shocking when the first installment originally aired in 2015. It wasn’t just the fact that Robert Durst was seemingly able to get away with three murders for decades. The moment that made the true crime docuseries instantly memorable was somewhat of a filmmaker’s dream. In the last scene of the last episode (at the time), Durst inadvertently doesn’t remove his mic when taking a bathroom break during his interview. When he thinks he is alone, Durst confesses to the murders, eerily whispering, “What did I do? Killed them all, of course.“The shocking admission captivated audiences(and law enforcement’s attention), andThe Jinxbecame a runaway hit. Now, the series is back with a second installation of six episodes that follows up on what happened to Durst after his confession aired to an audience of millions.
But before Durst’s story was ever told on television, there was anothertrue crime docuseriesthat focused on a wealthy man accused of killing his wife.The Staircasewas a French-produced English-language series directed byJean-Xavier de Lestradethat first made its debut in 2004. It followedthe story of Michael Peterson, a rich novelist in North Carolina who reported in 2001 that his wife, Kathleen, had died after falling down a staircase in their home. However, authorities believed Peterson had bludgeoned her to death, and he was subsequently charged with her murder. The documentary followed the case, including his defense team’s preparations for trial. Just likeThe Jinx,the series was skilled at creating suspense and dropping in twists and turnswhen the viewer least expected it. ButThe Staircasewas the one that helped set the precedent for how to explore a suspect’s innocence or guilt in a truly intriguing way.
The Staircase
An investigative series that follows the high-profile murder trial of a writer accused of killing his wife. Capturing extensive footage from inside the courtroom, along with detailed discussions with family members, lawyers, and experts, it explores the intricacies of legal proceedings and the quest for truth in a contentious case.
‘The Staircase’ Debuted At the Beginning of the True Crime Craze
These days, it seems as though there’s an inundation oftrue crime content. But at the timeThe Staircasewas released, these types of docuseries weren’t nearly as popular as they are today. Since the show’s premiere in 2004,the fascination withtrue crimehas exploded. Hugely popular series such asMaking a Murderer,The Keepers,andTiger KingonNetflixhave allowed audiences to get their fix of playing armchair detectives, and the genre is now a mainstay for many viewers. Because of the continued success of these types of shows,The Staircaseseemed to find more fans as the years went on, especially as more developments occurred in Peterson’s case.
The series likely wouldn’t have found a following if it weren’t for the interesting style that was utilized by its filmmaker.De Lestrade developed a way of telling the story that has since been imitated by many other series. He was able to conduct intimateinterviews with all the peopleinvolved in the case. Kathleen’s death had torn a huge hole in the family, which became even deeper once Peterson was charged. Interviews were done on camera with their devastated children (not all of whom were convinced of Peterson’s innocence) and Kathleen’s family (who weredefinitelynot convinced of his innocence). By getting these individuals to speak candidly, the audience was invited even more into the unfolding events behind the scenes.
While most watchingThe Jinxwere already operating under the assumption that Durst had committed murder, Peterson’s story left room for ambiguity. Although there was some evidence that seemed straightforward and indicated guilt, Peterson was also often a more sympathetic character, andthis doubt only added to the mystery aroundwhat really happenedthe night of Kathleen’s death. The series also interspersed real news footage of the events and interviews with experts to offer a more unbiased look at the case, a format that most true-crime series use now.
The 29 Best True Crime Shows on Netflix Right Now
These stranger-than-fiction docuseries are well worth your time.
‘The Staircase’ Later Returned for Its Own Sequel, Just Like ‘The Jinx’
BeforeThe Jinxhad even been filmed (or had thoughtto add secondary episodes),The Staircaseused the hype about the show to introduce new episodes. In 2013, Netflix released two episodes to follow up with Peterson’s journey from the initial trial. But viewers who were following the case were even more thrilled whenan additional three episodeswere released in 2018. These episodes finally seemed to provide some closure — or, at least, as much closure as possible to this particular tragedy. By this time, more people had become aware of Peterson’s case, in large part due to one element of Peterson’s defense strategy that is referred to in true crime lore as"the owl theory.“Instead of audiences wondering what happened to Peterson, these episodes sated curiosity about the case (and even introduced new viewers to the series as a whole).
The most intriguing aspect ofThe Staircasewas that itallowed audiences to make up their own minds about what they thought happened. It wasn’t completely biased, the way sometrue-crime seriestend to be. The series was made with compassion, both for what Peterson was going through and also for the great depths of pain and betrayal that Kathleen’s family was experiencing. It demonstrated that a docuseries can present all the evidence, even if that means that the story won’t be tied up in a neat bow in the end.The Staircasetrusted that its viewers were intelligent and insightful enough to draw their own conclusions.
Because ofThe Staircase’s popularity, it was adapted in 2022 into a dramatizedMaxminiseries of the same name, starringColin Firthas Peterson andToni Colletteas Kathleen. The series did not receive as positive a reception as the documentary had. Many thought the showwas a far more salacious look at the crime, and Peterson himself lambasted the series asbeing full of falsehoods. But fans of true-crime stories should check outThe Staircasedocuseries if they wanta fascinating look at areal-life casethat in many ways, just likeThe Jinx,seems even stranger than fiction.
