Catching Killers Season 1 review: Focus is on the who and not the why in this true-crime series

3/5

Story: The detectives who brought three infamous serial killers to justice detail the years of work and the help of forensic science that went into apprehending these dangerous criminals.

Review: True-crime dramas are, apparently, among the top shows watched on OTT platforms across the world. Whether we are just plain curious about the events that actually happened and what came of the perpetrators, victims, survivors or even kith and kin of both parties, or if we are just drawn to the macabre and seek vicarious pleasure in seeing the misfortunes of others remains a debated subject. Either which way, crime, especially true events, are money-spinners and Netflix has taken to the genre like a fish to water, which is why there are shows like Making of a Murderer, American Murder: The Family Next Door, Crime Stories: India Detectives, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil hotel, Interview with a Serial Killer, The World’s Most Wanted and so on and so forth; you get the drift, right.

Catching Killers: Season 1, is the latest in this long line-up of true-crime investigations. Serial killers are the focus and the makers have hand-picked three particular cases, one of which, interestingly, had sparked interest in Hollywood years ago and got Charlize Theron an Academy Award for Best Actress. But more on that later.

The first episode decodes the Green River Killer, an American serial killer from the 80s and 90s, who murdered more women than even Ted Bundy. His victims were mostly commercial sex workers and young runaways, and even though the detectives pursuing the case had a few potential suspects, one of who seemed very likely to have been the actual perpetrator, based on the account of an attack survivor, it took them many more years to find conclusive evidence to tie him to his crimes – the technology to match DNA.

The second episode is about Aileen Wuornos, the serial killer who shot and killed seven men at point-blank range. Aileen was the subject of the 2003 film Monster, in which Charlize Theron played her, a role for which she got an Oscar for Best Actress.

The third story, about the Happy Face Killer, gets the benefit of two episodes, given that investigators charged and prosecuted a couple in the murder of a 23-year-old woman, only to have the actual killer then send them letters that not only incriminated him in this particular case, but several others also. So, besides investigating if there was any truth to his claims, they also had to figure out if two innocent people were in jail for a crime they did not commit.

Catching Killers should have, ideally, dedicated a season each to the stories they wanted to tell. The Green River Killer, for instance, is someone who, over the course of many years, killed 49 women. It took investigators two decades to tie him to some of these with irrefutable DNA evidence. Curtailing his story to all of 40-odd minutes feels rushed. Despite the horror he’d unleashed, you don’t feel for the victims, who remain mugshots on the murder board. Similarly, investigators in the Happy Face Killer case, have said that were it not for a confession and the incarceration of a couple, their investigation into the murder of a young woman would not have been side-tracked and could have prevented several subsequent deaths at the hands of the actual killer.

While the focus of the series, as the title suggests, is on catching the killers, it being only about the detectives in charge and the what, where, how and who of the crime is a downer, as the why is never addressed. In fact, after watching the series, I read up on The Green River Killer, which provided a better understanding of why he chose prostitutes as his victims. Having seen Monster and read enough about the true story that inspired the film, episode two was the least interesting of the lot.

Verdict: If you are a true-crime fan, this series may not be a very satisfying watch, as it leaves you with several nagging questions. You will, possibly, spend just as much time finding answers to those questions. Thankfully, the internet comes to the rescue and you can find all the details about these cases that are in the public domain. If you had not heard about these serial killers earlier, what the series does is give you a brief introduction to them. It is then up to you to find out more!