The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current, April 29, 2021, Page 62, Image 62

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Thursday, april 29, 2021 • ThE BullETiN
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Documentary series
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (2020) — The
limited series follows the findings that true-
crime writer Michelle McNamara uncov-
ered in her research on California’s Original
Night Stalker/East Area Rapist, who she
dubbed the Golden State Killer. Not only
does the documentary follow the timeline
and details of the 50 sexual assaults and
13 murders committed by the GSK in the
1970s and ’80s, but it follows McNamara’s
discoveries and process, leading her, ama-
teur detectives and actual law enforcement
to finally find the perpetrator nearly fifty
years after his spree began. The documen-
tary is beautifully told, giving the victims
their moments to fully tell their stories with
each case discussed with deep respect. The
series is as much about crimes as it is about
the writer who helped crack the case and
gives a powerful insight into the toll it took
on her over the course of her investigation,
eventually leading to her death from an acci-
dental overdose in 2016. Stream it on HBO
Max.
Making a Murderer (2015, 2018) — Un-
like most of the true-crime docu-series out
there, this one is so full of details they split
it into two seasons. It follows the 1985 con-
viction of Steven Avery for the sexual assault
and attempted murder of Penny Beerntsen,
his subsequent exoneration in 2003 then his
arrest and conviction for the murder of Te-
resa Halbach in 2005, of which he claims he
is also innocent. The slow-burning series is
an in-depth look at the legal processes and
the possible mishandling of the cases by the
Manitowoc County, Wisconsin police de-
partment. The documentary does tend to
lean a little heavily on Avery’s side in regards
to his latest conviction, the overarching
story that is told is compelling nonetheless.
Stream it on Netflix
Wild Wild Country (2018) — It’s almost
necessary for all Oregonians to watch the
fascinating story of Rajneeshees and the
community of Antelope. While there are
not as many grisly details as you may find
in other true crime documentaries, this one
follows the conflict between the followers
of the Bagwan, the locals and eventually the
state as a whole. It does a pretty good job of
not taking specific sides and instead pres-
ents both for what they were, giving key
players their own time to tell their version of
the story. Stream it on Netflix.
Fictional series
The Brokenwood Mysteries (2014-pres-
ent) — The quirky New Zealand proce-
dural takes place in the small fictional town
of Brokenwood where murder is never far.
Even though the seasons only last four to six
episodes, each of those episodes clocks in
at an hour and a half giving ample time to
set up the suspects of each case and for the
detectives to solve them. The show does a
really great job of keeping the viewer guess-
BBC
Idris Elba in a scene from “Luther” (2010-19).
It’s almost necessary for all Oregonians
to watch the fascinating story of
Rajneeshees and the community of
Antelope. While there are not as many
grisly details as you may find in other
true crime documentaries, this one
follows the conflict between the followers
of the Bagwan, the locals and eventually
the state as a whole.
Netflix
The mugshot of Steven Avery as featured in the documentary “Making a Murderer” (2015, 2018).
ing, switching up the typical way in which
the killers are introduced in similar dramas.
Stream all episodes on Acorn.
Lucifer (2016-present) — OK, this one is
more of a supernatural show than your typ-
ical procedural. It finds the Devil himself,
Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), teaming
up with the Los Angeles Police Department
to solve murders alongside Detective Chloe
Decker (Lauren German) who is immune
to his charms and powers of discovering
what people truly desire. It’s fun, a little
campy and gets immensely better when it
was canceled by Fox then picked up by Net-
flix in Season 4. The second half of Season 5
drops next month and here’s hoping it gets
better than the first half was. Stream it on
Netflix.
Luther (2010-19) — The Brits really
know how to make a compelling crime
drama. The psychological thriller series fol-
lows Detective Chief Inspector John Luther
(Idris Elba) who becomes consumed with
his cases, possessed by them even. The se-
ries is darkly compelling and follows Lu-
ther’s relationship with Alice Morgan (Ruth
Wilson), a brilliant psychopath and mur-
derer who Luther can’t get the evidence
needed to arrest. It is one of the best police
dramas from Britain mostly due to Elba’s
incredible acting and the compelling char-
acters that surround him. Stream it on HBO
Max or Starz.
e e
Reporter: 541-383-0304, mwhittle@bendbulletin.com