This is going to sound tired, I’m sure (especially since it’s been out for almost a year), but Unbelievable was unbelievable! Unbelievably good that it! Yes, you can take that corny admission for what it’s worth, but I’m not joking. Following the true story of two cops who try to take down a Washington State and Colorado serial rapist, this story was gripping! At this point I feel that the show has been on Netflix long enough that if you haven’t watched it yet you might not ever (excluding me, of course), so prepare yourself for spoilers!
This eight episode arc starts off with ex-foster care teen, Marie, who has just told the police about her rape. Throughout the episode, we see Marie retell the scenario many times over at the request of the police due to lack of any real physical evidence, along with the very dehumanizing medical tests that are done afterwards. Her previous two foster moms meet up a short time after a discuss how they think Marie is acting out of character for someone who has just gotten raped. I mean, I realize this story takes place a little bit in the past, but not everyone reacts different to the same thing! Either way, by the end of the first episode, the main cops investigating her case have serious doubts because certain details from each retelling are different. Couple that with her former foster mother’s declaration that Marie is attention-seeking, and we get cops who are fed up. They meet with Marie one last time to get her to recant her police report. You can see the desperation and confusion in her eyes, but she is used to a life of distrust, so it’s not surprising when she does.
While the next few episodes include Marie in their story, the focus now switches to a detective Karen Duvall of Golden, Colorado three years later, who is investigating a new rape case. Just like Marie’s, there is almost no useful physical evidence present at the scene, but luckily the victim has a vivid memory. She tells Duvall that he has a birthmark on his left calf, made her shower for twenty minutes, took all her bedding, used a personal item to tie her up, and the list of details go on. Still, even with all of this it’s nothing entirely useful in helping find the man who committed the rape. By episode’s end though, she is introduced to detective Grace Rasmussen who is investigating an almost identical case over in Westminster, Colorado.
After talking with two victims with similar stories, the two of them decide to team up and investigate the case together. An early, but very helpful detail they discovered was that the rapes all happened in different towns. This probably meant that the rapist had some sort of military or police background because they would have to choose this course of action knowing that stations don’t communicate with each other. Unfortunately, every new discovery they made only ended up in dead ends for the longest time until they were able to track down a truck that had been near many of the crime scenes before and after the rapes happened (way to prove yourself, intern!). Not long after that they are able to make the arrest because all of the evidence it there.
Woven throughout the investigation scenes, we are brought back three years to see what’s become of Marie’s “lies.” Unsurprisingly it’s tarnished almost every part of her life like her employment, living arrangements, and even friendships. I know you’re wondering how this all connects, well it turns out that there were photos of Marie found on a flash drive in the rapist’s house. This was a very satisfying full circle moment, because we got to see the cop who pressured Marie have to apologize and admit he was wrong. A very good point was brought up by a lawyer who said that people always doubt sexual assault victims, but never victims of robbery. Isn’t that a shame. Luckily now, though, people are believing more and more.
Anyways, what else can I say? I liked this show so much! Toni Collette is always a treasure to watch on screen, and Merritt Weaver has the most soothing voice I may have ever heard. Their chemistry was crazy awesome, and they made the show that much more watchable. Kaitlyn Dever, who I’d only ever really noticed in last year’s comedy, Booksmart, was so devastating to watch. She totally nailed it. Combine all of that together with an incredible supporting cast and it’s no wonder this show was a hit! I’m glad the Golden Globes gave them some love this year, because the recent Emmy nominations did not! Sure the show got the best drama nomination, but only one acting nod for Toni! Shameful. The show was so strong that I almost forgot that the first episode didn’t do a whole lot for me, but only a few minutes into the second episode and I was sold. If you haven’t watched Unbelievable yet – you must!