Becoming Evil: Serial Killers

What happens when a bunch of 70 year olds try to not sound misogynistic? It doesn't work and you end up with a horrible mis information filled dumpster fire.

There are three main experts in this series, one seems okay, a bit outdated and a bit of a bias of those times, one is okay overall but the last one, Rhode Island College, is completely talking out of his.....you can actually watch this man make up the words as he goes based on quite literally zero facts other than his hot air. It's embarrassing for the study and profession of criminology. Not sure how it got included.

One example of the laziness, an "expert" casually says that someone named Scott Jacobs called psychopaths the "people of the lie". He was most likely referring to Dr. Scott Peck's book, People Of The Lie, which was not strictly about psychopaths. And that's just one of many small inaccuracies as an "expert" enjoys the sound of their own voice.

Despite the original idea of updating our understanding of who can be a serial killer, they go on to reinforce some outdated and disgusting stereotypes when discussing gay serial killers. They claim they aren't more prone to deviant or violent behavior but follow that by outlining horrific details of crimes by specific gay killers. Yet I can think of many details by killers such as Ed Kemper that are just as disturbing. They refer to one killer "living his gay life" as though it's a lifestyle choice.

I haven't finished the series yet and will amend this review if there's any improvement, but I'm not holding my breath...

Yikes. Ok, I truly thought this was from 2002 or earlier, and would still maintain that belief were it not for the fact that discussion about the GSK puts it at least in 2018. It's those same 3-5 white dudes you've seen in every low-budget documentary from the last 20 years, but there's this weird #notallmen vibe to it which is absolutely bananas to witness. Victim blaming, overly empathizing with the murderer, every one is a "prostitute" It's not 100% trash. It's tons and tons of original footage, they do a good job of name-checking the victims, but "50% of serial killers are black/POC" whatever they claimed with no citation whatsoever is beyond the pale. At least pretend to do the leg work, boys!

The subject matter should be interesting however the narrator and the "experts" are insanely boring which makes it difficult to focus on what they're actually talking about. Aside from the numerous factual errors, it's difficult to listen to these people blather on about things that they seem to have picked up directly from various made-for-tv movies. Try giving "City of Angels: City of Death" a watch for a far more interesting show on serial killers. "Becoming Evil: Serial Killers" was just a snooze-fest.