This was published 6 years ago
Pay TV: The Staircase feels like a best-ever episode of Law and Order
By Melinda Houston
THE STAIRCASE ★★★★
netflix.com.au
In 2001, sniffing an interesting yarn, documentary filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade started following the investigation into the death of Kathleen Peterson, wife of novelist Michael Peterson.
The Staircase explores the fascinating case of novelist Michael Peterson.
The result – an eight-part series – screened in 2004 and it was a cracker. Here De Lestrade returns to expand the story into 13 parts, tracking developments as they evolved.
Thanks to De Lestrade's foresight and persistence there's no need for re-enactments or exposition here. He captured everything as it happened, from Peterson's original arrest through to the trial and verdict, with extraordinary access to family members and both defence and prosecution teams. Like the best true crime this is often stranger than fiction.
De Lestrade has the sense not to mess too much with his source material, laying it out for us piece by piece as the investigation proceeded, making this feel like a best-ever episode of Law and Order.
Best of all (again, thanks to de Lestrade's intelligence and judgment as much as the facts of the case) it constantly has you swinging between "He can't be guilty!" and "He must be guilty!", creating a wonderful narrative ride. Regardless of whether you're familiar with original tale, this is captivating.