Family Tradition

I saw the docuseries from a couple of years ago. It was a jaw-dropper. One thing after another, and you're thinking, how is this even possible? But it is.

Since I'd seen the docuseries though, and was already familiar with all the twists of the tale, I was skeptical about watching a dramatized version. Two things sold me.

One, that The Staircase was a helluva show even though I'd seen the docuseries of that one as well.

Two, Patricia Arquette. From "Escape at Dannemora" to "Severance," she is one bad a$$, amazing actor who disappears into her roles.

So far, the show is top notch. I'm reviewing the first episode, but we've seen the second too, and each are fine pieces of work. Watching the third tomorrow night and can't wait for the rest. Perfectly paced, great direction and acting. The whole thing feels fresh and mysterious.

The only hang up I have is in being entertained by the tragedy of others. But that feels inescapable, especially today.

8.5/10 rounded up.

With Jason Clarke impressively immersing himself in the central role of a horrible murderer, and Patricia Arquette quite convincing as the heart of the family, we're introduced to a Southern dynasty. The flashback structure immediately shows us the dire circumstances to come, while the scripters/creators Erin Lee Carr and Michael Fuller display a family tradition of sibling rivalry.

Alex and brother John battle over supposed favoritism from their dad, solidly portrayed by Gerald McRaney. Then we see Alex's kids: the ne'er do well Paul and favorite son Buster similarly at odds. While Alex is up to no good, wife Maggie (Patricia Arquette) is aware of his downward spiral and the opener ends in tragedy caused by Paul. The issue of fictionalization of a true story doesn't bother me at all - it's called artistic license.

I must applaud the first episode and the fact that the characters/actors on the screen very closely resemble the real life family. 10/10 casting.

There is one issue that seems a little insensitive but I'm guessing is being done for "dramatic purposes" or whatnot....

In the show, on February 22, 2019, the family's house keeper Gloria is alive and talking to Maggie Murdaugh. This is fictional and could not have happened the night of the boat crash, because Gloria sadly passed away in 2018. It is only episode 1, but still unknown if they will depict her death later in the series. Her death is very well documented so it would be surprising if the creators wrote it out of the series entirely, However, I think it is just an odd choice to have her character alive when she had been deceased for months.

The first episode in Murdaugh: Death in the Family does a good job of establishing the family dynamic of the Murdaughs and setting up the mystery. The show opens with an accident and then jumps back in time three years to before the tragedy. Here, we meet Alex and Maggie Murdaugh, the central couple in our story. Alex is a lawyer working under his dad, but also has some sketchy stuff on the side. Their son Paul also seems to have a lot going on. Episodes like these are always challenging to rate and review because they primarily set up the characters and lay the foundation for the rest of the story. Overall, it does a good job of setting the stage. However, there were times it dragged a little, and figuring out all the characters and their relationship took a little time. It was also confusing that Brittany Snow wasn't in this episode, as she was advertised as the main character of this show. However, once I figured out who the characters were and things started to unfold, it improved significantly. All in all, it was a good start, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.