Netflix & Chill Series Making A Murderer Ep. One 18 Years Taken

* Spoiler alert: There are items discussed on this post that may reveal a great deal of content if you haven't seen the series. As a result we advise that you watch the correlating episode first and then read the post. If you choose not to heed the warning, that's fine too. This is based on the Netflix Web Series and may not be entirely reflective of the actual court proceeding(s).

Steven Avery 

Series Synopsis: Filmed over a 10 year period, Making A Murderer is a real-life thriller about Steven Avery, a DNA exonerate who, while in the midst of exposing alleged corruption in local law enforcement, finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly murder...

Key Figures in Episode one: 

Steven Avery: The accused

Reesa Evans: Steven's appointed lawyer 1985

Sandra Morris: Steven's Cousin and neighbor of Steven

William Morris: Sandy's husband and a Reserve Deputy for  Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department

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Penny Beerntsen: Rape Survivor

Judy Dvorak: Reserve Deputy for Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department and Neighbor of Steven

Arland Avery: Patrolman

Eugene Kusche: Chief Deputy & Sketch Artist

Tom Kocourek: Sheriff

Dennis Vogel: District Attorney

Gregory Allen: The DNA proven offender, now serving a 60 year sentence

Episode synopsis: To start off the series, there's a brief history given of Steven's childhood and daily life along with his immediate family and a few of his neighbors. It doesn't take long for you to get a glimpse of the troubles that may lay in wait as you hear some of the things from his past that could have contributed to his overall predicament(s). In 2001 the Wisconsin Innocence Project agrees to take Steven's case and things begin to support Steven's innocence while pointing directly at known rapist, Gregory Allen. In Sept. of 2003 Steven Avery is released. Next, questions abound over the sheriff department's handling of former and current events and complaints in both Steve Avery's case and their history with Gregory Allen. As the episode ends Steven Avery files a lawsuit against the sheriff's department and the beginning of his next hell is unleashed. 

While understanding that this documentary may be one-sided, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that the documentarians chose the side of understanding and mercy. As I listened to bits of his troubled past with the law, I saw most of his issues as troublesome, but nothing led me to believe Mr. Avery's crime would eventually escalate to sexual assault or  rape. In fact it seemed that the family was singled out for their failure to "fit in" with the rest of their neighbors. From the very start I couldn't help but to think that the fix was in.   

My take on the crew: Steven - Sad and limited due to an IQ of 70. Why else would someone threaten a sheriff's wife (Sandra) by forcing them off of the road and pulling a shotgun on them? Sandra Morris - Bitter and petty, from what I saw she seemed to want her pound of flesh for the initial situation, not that I blame her. Forgiveness is difficult. William Morris - Protective (perhaps overly), but what can you expect from him? You have to protect the home-front as the man of the house, but as officer of the law, there should be a code of conduct that keeps you grounded. Judy Dvorak - Part of the gang... A true follower in every sense of the word. As I watched her invoke the ole Ollie North Shuffle I knew she was protecting herself and the good ole boy network for which she worked and associated with. It was cold as hell that she led a trauma survivor to convict the wrong man through convenience and a department vendetta. Arland Avery - A rose growing out of concrete. I get that he is Steven's cousin, but so was Sandy. So for him to present a differing account of the facts of the composite drawing was daring, especially in a small town. Eugene Kusche - I hate being judgmental, but this guy came across as a fucking know it all. The type of person that uses posturing to deflect and set you back on your heels while they do that slow head bobbing thing as if they are in deed, the smartest person in every room. Basically the type of mofo that gets all of their current events info from wikipedia and drops that misguided shit at each party they attend. He infuriated me throughout this episode. Dennis Vogel - Not much to go on except the biggest bombshell of Ep 1. Are you kidding me? Knowing that you were the district attorney in a case where Gregory Allen exposed himself to a woman, lunged and began masturbating along that same section of the beach two years earlier than the rape that sent Steven Avery to jail for 18 years. WTF...

Catch and release - I found it sad and inexcusable that a man could be convicted and spend 18 years of a 32 year sentence because a group of folks wanted him to pay dearly for a crime that he didn't commit, simply because he was on their radar for a crime against the wife of a colleague. All this while those that pressed on, seemed to know that a witness had been coerced, a criminal was still on the loose to commit at least two more sexual crimes and a family was torn apart. Eugene Kusche's, the sketch(y) artist clearly took a previous mugshot photo and drew it rather than drawing one from the victim's description. If you look closely you can even see the shadow on Avery's nose from the mugshot below. Am I to think that the victim saw that too? FOHWTBS.

This dude even had the audacity to frame that shit along with the mugshot and mount it like a set of antlers on a wall from a hunting expo. Shame, shame shame... 

Next up: Ep 2. Tables Turned TF Over.