Happy Face

I watched without knowing anything about the real crime. It seems people are just low balling this because it's not an accurate documentary. I watched for what it is intended to be, thriller entertainment and I felt each episode made me want to watch the next. They go through so many people that could be the killer but you don't know until the end and that made it extra enticing for me. I felt the acting was good and the end of each episode made me want to start the next which is what you want from a good show. If you simply watch for a thrilling entertainment based on a serial killer I don't think you'll be disappointed. If you're a crime hound wanting a true to life documentary this is not for you.

It was an interesting perspective from the vantage point of a serial killer's family member. There is a plethora of true crime serial killer shows out there but very little about being related to one of them and the impact that has. I don't feel that the storyline's intention was to depict the serial killer's story, it was about his actions and the impact that had on those closest to him. In that instance, the series delivered. Quaid does a wonderful job of bringing the narcissistic, manipulative mind of a killer to the viewer and keeps it suspenseful. The show did have a lot of peaks and valleys with regard to maintaining the viewer's interest. Annaleigh Ashford also does excellent work in her portrayal of Melissa. I feel that the story line doesn't dig deep enough into her character to allow it to fully develop. The remaining characters were rather pedestrian and underdeveloped as well. Maybe there will deeper insights into them in further seasons should there be any. One major observation I had that was not addressed in the show was Jesperson's stature. Keith Jesperson was a MASSIVE individual standing 6'8". I discovered this just prior to watching the series and couldn't help but feel how much more intense his character would have been portrayed had this been addressed. The show is good, it's worth watching. It left me wanting a bit more than I was given. Maybe that was the point.

This series starts with a promising concept and an engaging atmosphere. However, the overall experience is significantly undermined by the illogical and inconsistent behavior of the main characters - they often make decisions that feel forced or completely unreasonable. On top of that, the constant use of shaky hand-held camera work becomes genuinely irritating. It's not used to enhance realism or tension, but rather seems to be a stylistic choice that adds nothing and only distracts. These two major issues prevent the show from reaching its full potential, despite the good premise and decent acting.

The title pulled me in. The premise - a serial killer's daughter hiding her identity - had weight, tension, something dark and promising. And with Analeigh Ashford in the lead, I figured it had the bones to go somewhere. Episode 1 delivered. It leaned into the paranoia, the fear, the secrets.

Then the show took a wrong turn. The original premise faded, replaced by a routine detective drama padded with forgettable side characters and even more forgettable subplots. Melissa, once a compelling center, spirals into something shrill and exhausting. Her husband - a blank. Her daughter - unbearable.

But Dennis Quaid. He does something almost supernatural. As the serial killer - the actual murderer - he becomes the only one you want to watch. Charming, calm, and razor-sharp, he commands every scene with a twisted campy elegance. Somehow, he turns the monster into the magnet. You don't just understand him. You root for him.

It's a masterclass in subversion. The killer becomes the hero. Everyone else fades. And by the end, you realize the most dangerous man in the story is the only one worth following.

It's not bad, but I think it tries to do a lot of things at once, and as result does not get particular good at any of them. There are multiple plotlines (which is fine, of course), and they do make sense considering the circumstances, but most of them feel quite shallow. And investigation bits are not that compelling.

On one hand, that's all understandable, since it's based on real life, and real life is not that "dramatic" most of the time, but this is a TV show, so some extra dramatization could be beneficial. As is it feels more like they had specific points in a plan, that needed to be checked off, and they did just that.

On the other hand, the show has moments when it tries to be almost like a "thriller", especially with some choices in music, and with some camera shots. As if there is some mystery, but there actually is no mystery at all. If the same tension was applied to the whole series, especially to parts related to relationships inside the family - it probably would have had more impact.

This is still a decent watch, though. Annaleigh was great, other actors were not far behind most of the times as well. "The Cranberries" in the soundtrack? And it is way more cohesive compared to "Good American Family", that started around the same time and is also based on true events.