Making A Murderer

By: Kelly Kearney

NETFLIX SCORED BIG WITH THEIR ACCLAIMED DOCU-SERIES “MAKING A MURDER.”

True crime is more popular than ever and this past December, Netflix scored big with their, “binge-worthy,” docu-series, “Making a Murder.” Social media inboxes across the country were buzzing with debates over the story of Wisconsin’s accused murderer, Steven Avery.

Avery, a blue collar salvage worker from Manitowoc, Wisconsin spent eighteen years behind bars for a rape he didn’t commit only to be exonerated and released after DNA evidence proved his innocence. Once released, he went back to Manitowoc and the family salvage business, looking to rebuild his life, while staying off the radar of an all too embarrassed police force. What happened next even the savviest true crime fans, couldn’t have predicted.

On November 11, 2005, three years after Steven Avery’s overturned rape conviction, he was arrested and charged with the murder of 25 year old photographer and acquaintance, Teresa Halbach. The timing of these new charges, combined with a thirty six million dollar law suit, Avery previously filed for wrongful imprisonment, has many viewers and legal experts scratching their heads wondering…is this all too convenient? If Avery is innocent, how deep do these cover up/ frame jobs go? Are the police and sheriff’s department, district attorneys’ office, lab techs, sketch artists even the judge presiding over the case railroading Avery or did Steven Avery throw away his new found freedom and murder Teresa Halbach?

When burgeoning filmmakers Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi heard of the Avery case, they knew it would make for a compelling documentary and they were right. Fans across the nation have been gobbling up every news story and Googling every fact about the case, for weeks now, and the momentum only seems to be growing. The feelings towards Avery and his second fight for justice have   prompted some fans of the series to start a White House petition for Avery’s release. The questions surrounding this case have intrigued and bewildered true crime junkies across the internet. With America’s thirst for reality TV and our fascination with the dark, underbelly of mankind, the conspiracy theorists in us can’t help but want more.

NETFLIX GIVES HBO A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY

When Netflix aired “Making A Murderer,” shows like HBO’s “The Jinx” and the hit podcast “Serial” were already making waves across the internet, but no one could’ve predict the effect this show would have. While ratings have a big impact on network and cable shows, Netflix numbers are harder to determine, but now that the series has entered into the realm of pop culture phenomena, as of this week, twitter has seen more than 50 million tweets with #MakingAMurderer trending across the board. The country has spoken and documentaries are here to stay.

GOODBYE REALITY TV HELLO DOCU-SERIES

Now that docu-series and documentaries are gaining viewers, will this be the end of reality TV as we know it? Will shows like, “Making A Murderer,” fill the void that, “American Idol,” is going to leave behind? Are rose ceremonies going to be replaced by gruesome tales of murder and injustice? Probably not. There will always be a need for our guilty pleasures, but with the ratings for reality shows dropping and streaming sites like Netflix, HULU adding new viewers by the minute, can the networks keep up with our changing tastes?

Once the ratings kings of primetime, reality shows have been slowly falling off TV fan’s radar and becoming more internet fodder than, “must see TV.” Just like most things, taste in television is an ebb and flow that’s mostly fueled by younger viewers and pop culture. Now that most every American has access to the internet through smart phones and other various devices, we can stay plugged into what’s happening around the world 24/7. With human awareness comes curiosity and more and more people are searching out shows that not only entertain but make us think. Documentary style programs are able to capture our attention by making us feel like we can’t miss a second of the story all the while avoiding our Facebook friends in fear of the dreaded spoiler.

THERE’S NO KILLING A GREAT STORY

With this new surge of doc fans, the networks are scrambling to keep up. In today’s climate, people want shows that give insight into the world they live in and, like most things, the more shocking the better. People seem happier with being outraged for ten hours, over a falsely imprisoned man in Wisconsin than they do about casting a vote for their favorite singing idol. Keeping TV fans interactive has always proven to be ratings gold and docu-series are no different. Unlike other interactive shows, whose outcome is solely based on fans voting or using online polls, docu-series’ tends to turn regular TV viewing into amateur sleuth hour appealing to our inner Sherlock Holmes. People love to dissect a story and fans of, “Making A Murderer,” have picked apart and unraveled every aspect of the Avery story to exhaustion. Some of these viewers probably have a better understanding of the stories details than the filmmakers and subjects themselves.

When all is said and done, TV viewers love a good story and documentaries deliver. They inform us, shock us and often anger us, but most importantly, the entertain us. So next time you’re scrolling through your Netflix queue and you need to avoid life for the next ten hours or so, come join the masses and check out the documentary section, “Making A Murderer.” If afterwards you don’t feel like you’re ready for a career change in law and FBI criminal profiling, you’re binge watching skills might need some work.