While contemplating on what this weeks post should encompass, I stumbled along an article from The Guardian, discussing the possible negative effects crime shows could create by forming a community that often ‘normalizes police misconduct.’  Although I would love to view the genre of crime within TV shows to be 100% amazing all the time, this post really got me thinking.  Crime shows are series that should be enjoyed, maybe even viewed mindlessly, but let’s not forget that whatever we watch is being put into our bodies.

Harry Lenix playing Harold Cooper in Blacklist

One of the main points within the original post by The Guardian, is that crime shows have a tendency to ‘erase racism,’ or forget to include that not all peoples are treated equally within the police force or justice system.  This got me thinking…again.  In one of my favorite shows,  The Blacklist, the leading agent in the FBI group is an African American man.  I feel as though in today’s society this is a strong position of power that anyone can hold based off their capabilities, despite race, gender, or ethnicity.  The Guardian argues that minorities receive less respect within the Criminal Justice System and by placing them in positions of power within shows, the directors are therefore distorting the viewer’s sense of reality.  So now the question is, how do we combat this issue?  Similar to resolving any other issue, we must face it at the root.  According to The Crime Report, the issues of  misrepresentation starts from ‘behind the scenes,’ as there is a lack of African American, specifically female, writers in the crime show world.   This means that the viewers within this genre are only seeing the criminal justice world from primarily white men…do you see the possible issue here?  The Crime Report agrees with the claim that these unfortunate habits are contribution to the distortion of reality in terms of our current criminal justice system.

In a similar light, many articles touch on the presence of police misconduct exhibited in these types of crime shows.  The writers over at IndieWire worry that these portrayals within films are leading to the increase of police brutality and miseducation within our criminal justice systems.

Steve McQueen: British Movie Director

With further insight on common issues within TV’s crime dramas, it’s the responsibility of the viewers to ‘watch with caution’ or maybe just not as mindlessly as we have before.  It is easy to be caught up in the on-screen action without understanding the ties it has to our everyday thinking and lifestyles.

To increase some variety in your crime-show-binging, think about checking out the movie ‘Widows’ by Steve McQueen, an African American director who uses his skill to portray emotional states and issues within society.  In an interview with The Reuters, he explains how he incorporated this motive within the movie, ‘Widows.’

Widows Movie: Directed by Steve McQueen

Dahmer: A Netflix Limited Series

I’m not going to lie, I was struggling on coming up with a topic for this week’s post.  I just kept thinking that I don’t want to overdo the shows I’ve already spoke so much on or run out of references.  So, I picked a new show.  Unfortunately, as a newly-adjusted college student, I don’t have the time to watch an entire season in one day.  This lent me to the idea of a possible new mini-series: First Episode, First Impression, where I watch the first episode of a crime drama series and fill you guys in on my initial opinions.  But that’s enough rambling, let’s get into the juicy stuff… (no pun intended, although this show did prove to be awfully gory).

Dahmer’s Neighbor; Glenda Cleveland played by Niecy Nash

Dahmer.  One of Netflix’s newest releases, inspiration for Tik Tok’s latest trends, and ten episodes of pure crazy.  This series tells the story of Jeffrey Dahmer, an infamous serial killer, and how he ended up mentally-ill enough to gain that title.  If you need a better background on Dahmer, the main character of this biographical/ horror/ thriller/crime movie, feel free to refer to the Crime Museum.

Since the whole point of this post is to deliver my first reaction, let me get to reacting.  The first episode starts off rather quickly as we are thrown into the already gruesome life of Dahmer and his quite run-down apartment.  The first encounter we have of him with another character is a conversation between him and his neighbor.  His neighbor, Ms. Cleveland, inquires about the rather unbearable smell steaming from Dahmer’s room, which he assures her is just some old meat and dead fish.  Now lady, if this isn’t a red flag already I don’t know what is.

Not to give too much away for anyone who hasn’t watched yet, BUT, the first episode quickly spirals and didn’t lose my attention once.  With such intimate moments and a grand level of uncomfortable silence, I felt like even I was holding my breathe sometimes.  The episode introduces what seems to be his last victim as he barely escapes.  The runaway victim is almost arrested due to racial profiling instead of recieving the help he deserves.  I found it incredibly intriguing that the show was able to include elements of systemic racism and allusion to corrupt police so soon in the series and with such a strong influence on the plot.  I’ve also never watched a crime show where the offender is actually arrested in the first episode, so it was nice to see some originality.

Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer compared to the real Jeffrey Dahmer

MovieWeb does an immaculate job elaborating on this aspect of the series and also offers a better look into the future of the plot.

One thing that was so jarring to me as I watched “Episode One” was the skills of the actors.  Evan Peters portrayed the role of a serial killer and sex offender a little too well.  This may be due to the countless hours he spent observing the interviews with Jeffrey Dahmer as expanded on in the article written by Seventeen.  The actor portraying Dahmer’s father, Richard Jenkins, also does an amazing job reflecting the stunned father of a now-known serial killer.  He shows the true pressure to suppress his emotions and hold true to the “man of the family,” even after such a traumatic event.

So aside from all of my rambling, I’m rather impressed with this series based strictly off of the first episode.  I do have to say though, this show is not for the weak-stomached.  There is a lot of gruesome imagery and unfathomable attributes portrayed throughout the film.  If you are able to fight through this aspect to absorb the show, based on true events, I highly recommend the watch.  I hope to continue watching to give everyone an update in the soon future.  Be sure to check out the trailer, and as always…happy binging.

(watch with caution, very gruesome, may be unsettling for viewers)

https://youtu.be/NVHHs-xllqo

Steve Carell playing Alan Strauss in The Patient

Don’t worry guys, our man Steve is doing just fine.  But I can’t wait to fill everyone in on his new show, The Patient, I have recently started on Hulu.  I’m allowing this series to fit into my “crime drama shows” because it’s definitely dramatic and (spoiler alert) the main character is a serial killer.  Differing greatly from Carell’s last series, Space Force, this series is much more eerie in nature.  The show tells the story of a serial killer who kidnaps his therapist in hopes that he could obtain help in stopping his “bad habit.”

Domhnall Gleeson playing Serial Killer Sam Fortner

The Vulture does an amazing job elaborating on the techniques utilized within the scenes to create a feeling of isolation and a narrow-scoped setting.  Unlike other crime dramas, I would describe this show as more of a psychological thriller.  But being the wanna-be forensic psychologist that I am, I couldn’t help but write about it.

The two characters in the show allow for a strong juxtaposition but leaves the audience wanting more outside of the unfinished basement where the majority of the scenes take place.  In an interview with the set director for the show, Lisa Son tells IndieWire about the mission behind the closed setting.  The job of the film is to put the audience in the same space as Alan, the kidnapped therapist, to put the flashbacks he experiences while in isolation into perspective.

The Basement

My favorite part of this interview is whenever Lisa Son explains the role of the basement as a “supporting character.”  With limited outside influence on the duo in the basement, the setting plays an enormous part in setting the tone and moving along the plot.

If you don’t believe this sort of intimate mood is right for you, don’t steer away from all crime dramas.  Most shows in these dramas develop all sorts of characters, with The Blacklist being a strong example of a criminal who knows just about everyone.  The folks over at Seek-a-Critique conduct a solid breakdown on the main character in The Blacklist, Reddington, and how his charisma leads him to having connections across the continents.

But I digress.

Now that we know everyone else’s views on the newly released series, I’m sure you guys are just absolutely dying to know my opinion.  In all honestly, for the first few episodes I couldn’t quit the binge.  Now, with five episodes down, I’m not sure I’ll be able to finish the ten-episode series.  I think I prefer shows where there are more characters and slightly more lively, contrasting the isolated and intimate feel this series offers.  With that being said, this series definitely has a place in many people’s lives, just maybe not mine.

I would recommend this show to anyone who is deeply intrigued in psychological and behavioral roots as the limited characters and intense shots offer a whole deal of opportunities for in-depth analysis on the two personas.  It can also provide a short break for the chaotic nature of most crime shows and a little change-of-pace some may be looking for.

If you’re still not sure if this sounds like the series for you, check out the trailer below!  Happy binging.

https://youtu.be/LpmMxXfBn-Y

Okay guys I know this is a little bit of a stretch and not totally classified as TV show drama BUT still insanely worth the watch.  In 2019 the movie “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” a movie depicting the life of Ted Bundy, was released.  The film features an unexpected lead (or at least unexpected to me), being Zac Efron.  Quite an interesting switch following a Disney musical if you ask me, but hey, he’s got bills to pay.

Extremely Wicked

Although I can’t say I was ever a High School Musical fan, or really a Zac Efron fan at all, he truly did fit into the role. But how come?  According to Looper, the switch wasn’t as easy as Mr. Efron made it seem.  Unlike past acting methods he had adopted, Efron had to totally dissociate himself as an individual to the character he was playing on screen.  Some may find it scary how easily an actor can portray the mannerisms of cold-blooded killer, but as a wannabe forensic psychologist, I find it merely impressive.

This movie biographing the life of Ted Bundy ended up with mostly positive reviews as it caught the eye of many crime (show) lovers.

Our sources over at Common Sense Media reflect on the usage of providing the point of view of Bundy’s girlfriend, Elizabeth.  This shifts the perspective of just seeing a raw-minded criminal to the charismatic façade he had maintained around his girlfriend.   I found this to be one of the most interesting parts of the film as it’s easy to forget just how good some criminals are at protecting their true colors.  This perception also lends the viewer to become frustrated with Elizabeth as I was practically yelling through my TV for her to (in lack of better words) leave his ‘fill-in-the-blank.’                                                                                                         photo source

A slightly less enthused review coming from Western Howl argues that the movie didn’t shed any new light on the already infamous Ted Bundy chronicles.  Although I can agree that all the facts utilized in the film are probably known t0 many, the fictional movie was able to offer a more relatable and thrilling retell of events.

Contrasting the fictional depiction of events from the movie is its antecedent Netflix release “Conversations with a Killer.”  This nerve-wrenching four-part series captured real-life moments with Bundy himself.  This is a spectacular watch before moving on to the newer movie in hopes to get some background of the man himself.  It also makes the charisma of the true Bundy that much more absurd when you have already surrounded yourself with the crimes to his name.

                                                      Spot the Killer

So, to reiterate, I would highly recommend this movie to all crime lovers, specifically true crime.  The film itself isn’t technically ‘true crime’ but your background in the expertise will lend you to an even better cinematic experience.  And if you still aren’t fully sold on the idea, be sure to check out the movie trailer to see if it’s worth your own time.