The critical acclaim of the podcast "Serial" and HBO's thriller series "The Jinx" has given Netflix enough reason to climb aboard the murder-documentary ship.
On December 18, the streaming service released a 10-part series entitled "Making A Murderer," which follows the story of Wisconsin man Steven Avery. From 1985 to 2003, Avery was wrongfully incarcerated for a heinous sexual assault he did not commit. The show documents his release and the events that take place after, which include numerous civil lawsuits he pursued against Manitowoc County and the officials who convicted him.
It is during his pursuit of justice that Avery is arrested for the murder of freelance photographer Teresa Halbach. Avery had only been out of prison for two years when he finds himself in handcuffs again, a suspect for an equally violent crime as before.
There is an eerie suspense that fills the series, different from both "Serial" and "The Jinx" seeing as the setting is a small Wisconsin town filled with monotonous middle-class farmers. Thanks to Netflix's unique show setup, viewers don't have to wait an extra week to see what happens next.
Within the episodes, class issues and police incompetence are present, Avery himself stating "poor people lose all the time" following his second arrest. A larger discussion including how law enforcement views the lower class is intertwined and provides a great context in Avery's indictment.
Netflix was kind enough to release the pilot episode on YouTube.
The following question remains: Is Avery a killer? Or just a product of a corrupt justice system?
