Catching Killers does feature some reenactments and the occasional video or audio of the murderer, but this is hardly the focal point of the show. It's a far cry from Netflix's Ted Bundy Tapes. Rather than listen to a convicted murderer talk about himself and his horrifying psychology for an hour, the stories are more about the detectives. They go through intense highs and lows, eliciting at first a false confession from an innocent woman and her abusive husband.
In the final two episodes, the detectives work hard to separate fact from fiction. Lieutenant Mike Joyner is the stand-out hero from episode two when through his convincing work while undercover, the seasoned cop is able to capture Aileen Wuornos at a bar. Viewers feel a sense of triumph when Detective Tom Jensen is able to take over as Sherriff and finally put the 19-year case to bed. In the first episode, Detective Dave Reichert gives the most emotional recount of the hopelessness detectives felt as the hunt grew longer and longer, and the body count kept rising and rising.
While most true crime shows are railroaded for glorifying serial killers and murder, Catching Killers instead puts the focus on how the crimes affect the investigators and detectives involved with the cases. Related: Is My Name's Dongcheon Gang Real? True Story Crime Parallel Explained So how is this docuseries any different than the rest? Jesperson is responsible for murdering eight women scattered across the U.S. The final two episodes, "True Lies Part 1 & 2", explore the initial fake confessions and eventual arrest of Keith Hunter Jesperson: the Happy Face Killer. She's convicted of killing seven men in the state of Florida. Episode number 2 "Manhunter" chronicles the story of Aileen Wuornos. Ridgway is convicted of 48 separate murders in the state of Washington. The first episode, aptly titled "Body Count", covers the case of Gary Ridgway aka The Green River Killer.
Rather, the show has four episodes chronicling three different killers. Thus far Catching Killers hasn't covered the infamous Ted Bundy. There's no question that true crime has the public entranced at the moment. Fans flock to YouTube channels like Bailey Sarian's delectably binge-able " Murder Mystery & Makeup" and streaming services offer shows like The Keepers and Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. Movies like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile or My Friend Dahmer give actors the opportunity to flex their creative muscles as they inhabit the dark spirits of some of America's most notorious serial killers. Right now it seems like everyone is obsessed with true crime and serial killers in particular.
Netflix's latest true crime docuseries Catching Killers sits among a myriad of other true crime content, but this series is different than the others.