As Episode 1 of "Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning" (2023 release; 3 episodes ranging 50 50 55 min each) opens, it is "October 23, 1989, and a guy calls 911: "My wife's been shot. I've been shot." He eventually informs the cops that a "Black male" did this, prompting a massive police hunt in the Black communities of Boston. We then go back in time to understand how Boston was such a segregated city to begin with. At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.
Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary series from director Jason Hehir ("The Last Dance"). Here he reassesses events for 3+ decades ago. Episode 1 looks at the roots of the racial problems in Boston (why is it that Boston, a progressive city on so many levels, had such large issues with racism?). Episode 2 looks at the events from 1989. Episode 3 looks at the impact and implications of these events to this very day. I vaguely remembered when the 1989 events unfolded. Indeed it was not just the top story in Boston for weeks and weeks, but it also had a tremendous impact on the national scene. This mini-series doesn't avoid any difficult topics, and instead provides a lot of context and explanations. It all makes for compelling viewing on many levels, and these 3 episodes jet flew by.
"Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage and Reckoning" recently started airing on HBO and streaming on Mx, where I caught it the other night. This mini-series has received near universal critical acclaim, and it is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes for good reason. If you have any interest in social justice and the history of racism in this country, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
