Yes, if the headline didn't give it away, there may be spoilers. But hopefully just pithy realisms.
I've just watched the first two eps of the second series of MaM. And my brain, outlook, whatever, has changed considerably since I watched the first series.
I ate it up with a spoon. Spent a lot of time in front of the telly with my long-suffering husband screaming about the way the American "judicial" system is completely corrupt, biased, etc. Please make note, law people - these are only my opinions. I pull the First Amendment.
Oh yeah. I'm American by birth. WHOOPS. Considering what is being demonstrated by the FPOTUS (you can work out what the F stands for and it's not a swear), I can say whatever I like without fear of litigation. Within reason.
I'm feeling very uncomfortable watching this new series. Maybe it's because FPOTUS has been in power(ish) for two years now. Maybe it's because I've had to watch some jerk like Kavanaugh be elected to the highest court of the US land after behaving like a child, up against a woman who told the truth, and for no personal gain. Dr BF still can't go home because idiots are sending her death threats. Totally, completely not covered by the First Amendment. Cowards.
But it seems like we are making a hero out of a couple of dudes, who yes, look like they were right stitched up. It's fairly clear, and that's why this series was so popular in the first place. But a woman DIED. And instead of the program focusing on who actually made that happen, we are focusing on the dudes.
And my heart breaks for Dassey, when I see that video evidence. He's totally being led, we all know that. My instincts would say Avery has probably pissed off the wrong people. But that's not my point.
No one is a winner here, and I think there is a real lack of attention brought to Halbach's family. Maybe it comes in the later episodes, but what I've seen out of the first few is they've completely refused to talk to the documentary makers.
Which brings me to my final point. I don't know if it's relevant. Maybe it is, everyone has their own opinion (First Amendment, right?). And they (the two doc makers) were speakers at a conference I went to a couple of years back, just as the doc was going nuts all around the world. I was jumping up and down to see them, and ran to the best seat I could get after the break to see my journalistic heroines.
And? They were the two most closed, boring interviewees I've ever seen. They were meant to be talking about inspiring us, and basically took no questions, and by the end of the fairly short segment, they were ushered off, and I was asleep. They were so closed about the next process of this work I thought - you've been told to not say anything. Because you're in a contract and doing another one.
So what happens if that is the case? Journalism begins to merge into entertainment, bowing to production companies and the usual story. I'm not saying that necessarily happened. As I pointed out, it may be my opinion based through my own, biased, view. But I'm not saying it didn't. I'm posing a question. Which is what doc journalism is meant to do. This show has no questions except how the prosecution got away with it.
Balanced, clear views is what we need in this era of big fat cats deciding how we live on the roll of a McHappy Meal toy.
PS. The keynote speaker at that conference to inspire was Harvey Weinstein.
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