Death on the Staircase
The documentary, “The Staircase,” aired on Netflix a while back. The Peterson legal case had caught the nation’s fancy when its gory details first emerged. But with time, the intrigue fizzled out. With the airing, though, things changed. The interest came back and HBO decided to make a dramatic adaptation of not the case, but its subjects: Michael Peterson and his daughter Kristen. ..
The show “The Crown” is not about the courtroom proceedings, per se. Its description – and the first episode by extension – reveal that it is about the life of the Queen and her family. The peak behind the curtains and almost all of what wasn’t covered in the documentary finds a place in this television series. ..
The first episode of the show Death on the Staircase is about the central conflict in the family. It is a great place to start the journey into this family’s life, although it might not be enough time to catch up with all of the shocking real-life details of this death/murder. The name of the game is to be on your toes and soak in all of the shocking real-life details of this death/murder.
In 2017, Michael Peterson woke up with the call playing in his head. On the fateful night (2002) in a flashback, we see Todd, Michael’s son drive into the house amid blue and red sirens with his girlfriend. He quickly discovers the cause of the chaos: her stepmother’s lifeless body. Todd proceeds to comfort his inconsolable father, whose bloodied clothes depict the horror story. Kathleen Peterson’s body and the space around it are examined by the forensic team.
Michael is worried about the police taking control of the crime scene. He tries to hide it, but then comes the difficult task of breaking the news to his extended family. He calls his brother Bill, who promises to arrange a trial lawyer for Michael. Bill flies to Durham and meets with Michael’s family. The creators use several flashbacks leading up to the murder to explain the chain of events. They do not necessarily have to form the foundation for solving the death but act as cues into Michael and his wife’s relationship and mental states. ..
Kathleen is the successful IT giant Nortel’s head. Michael is a successful column writer who has just sold rights to his book to a movie production. Kathleen has to deal with stress at work. Her job becomes harder as along with letting people go, she also has to worry about her position after the impending merger happens. Michael’s peculiar behavior is probed into by the police. Bits of bizarre incidents – like saying “get ready to get your arse pounded” on the phone to someone – are interspersed with the main storyline.
In the flashback, Kathleen’s erratic changes in personality are shown. She jumps into the pool without notice at a party and injures her neck and almost drowns. Although their relationship is not perfect, there seems to be mutual love.
The family of Michael Brown, the black teenager killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, is coping with the attention they are receiving from the media and law enforcement. Michael has been a vocal critic of local law enforcement and his unpopularity works against him in this situation as the post-mortem and DA’s proactivity land him in trouble. ..
The police recover some strange evidence from his house. Stuff like gay pornography from his computer; a used condom that he denies ever using; and the bewildering mystery of Kathleen’s supposed fall down the stairs. Kathleen’s family, Candice, and Lori (her sisters), are convinced by the DA’s evidence that Michael had something to do with her death. They are decidedly against him. But Kathleen and Michael’s children stand behind their father.
“Death on the Staircase” Ending Explained
David Rudolf begins his defense by arguing that Michael was not guilty of the crime and that he should be released on bail. He also argues that the evidence against Michael is circumstantial and that he should not be held accountable. The defense team also challenges the credibility of the prosecution’s witnesses. In the end, Michael is released on bail and is allowed to go home.
The story of Kathleen begins with the revelation that she did not die instantly; she struggled. And the fact that she was dead a long time before Michael called 911 and said “She’s not breathing”.
The final scene in the movie was a mystery to me as well. At first. But then, some more probes revealed that it was a sequence from the future, where Michael has remarried and is living a new life. It remains to be seen how and when that happened but that is all we know. For now.
The French documentarians, who filmed and made the original documentary about the case, stepped up their interest in the case.
The Episode Review
I was skeptical that the show could properly engage viewers who have seen the documentary before. But after watching the first episode, I’m convinced otherwise. Some parts of what you see in this episode are directly recreated from the documentary. And they’re unavoidable because they form the core of the story. ..
The new “Game of Thrones” season has everyone talking. The cast, led by Emmy-winner Peter Firth and newcomer Sophie Turner, brings new life to the characters with added drama and substance that makes what they have to say and what they do, interesting to watch. ..
The Staircase is an upcoming documentary series that will focus on the personal lives of the people involved in the trial depicted in the Netflix documentary. The series will be released after the trial is finished, and it will not focus on recreating the trial. ..
The courtroom drama was so interesting that it didn’t hurt the narrative either. The makers of this HBO series seem determined not to get embroiled in the murder mystery. Their intention seems to be to get involved with and explore the mystery behind the persons they were before the murder.
The first few episodes of season one were very solid. I was excited for the upcoming episodes.
