Review: Murdaugh or Murder? Analyzing Netflix’s new true crime docuseries: ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal’

Molly Goheen
Fri, 03 Mar 2023 02:43:10 +0000
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Alex Murdaugh listens to prosecutor Creighton Waters make closing arguments in his trial for murder at the Colleton County Courthouse on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Credit: Joshua Boucher/The State via TNS

Netflix’s new true crime docuseries: “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” unravels a powerful family’s dark past.

At the height of the trial against now-disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh, who was convicted Thursday of the murder of his wife Maggie Murdaugh and son Paul Murdaugh, Netflix released a three-episode true crime documentary series Feb. 22 on the notable Islandton, South Carolina family.

With each of the three episodes having a run-time of 40–50 minutes, “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” covers a lot of ground. The show recounts not only the June 2021 murders of Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and Paul Murdaugh, 22, but also the deaths of Mallory Beach, 19, Gloria Satterfield, 57 and Stephen Smith, 19 — three individuals whose deaths have been connected to the Murdaughs.

Directors Julia Willoughby Nason and Jenner Furst, also accredited for “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and “Fyre Fraud” took their documentary expertise to another level with “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.” The show has rightfully remained in the top three on Netflix since its premiere. Different from docuseries on closed cases, Nason and Furst gave viewers the option to make their own conclusions.

The first episode, “Where’s Mallory?,” focuses on the traumatic boat crash that led to the disappearance and death of Beach in February 2019. The victims’ and witnesses’ testimonies in present-day interviews were done in a way that allows viewers to easily put themselves in their shoes. Interviews with individuals close to the family, including Paul Murdaugh’s former girlfriend, Morgan Doughty, and the parents of Beach, brought this ongoing saga to viewers’ living rooms.

The episode uses actors to realistically recount the night showing the teens drinking alcohol before making the journey down the river when the boat collided with the Archers Creek Bridge near Beaufort.

The episode included recordings following the crash from victims filled with worry and fear for Mallory. This true-crime documentary tactic using police body cameras or security cameras paired with current interviews reaffirms the story well and set the tone for what was to come.

Personal anecdotes from victims in “Where’s Mallory?” recounted Paul Murdaugh and the rest of the Murdaugh family’s bizarre approach to disguise the accident. Paul Murdaugh was eventually charged with the death of Beach; however, he did not face trial or any jail time before his death in 2021.

“Murders at Moselle” discusses the crimes that took place on the Murdaugh property, commonly referred to as “Moselle.” Reenactments from actors portrayed the night of Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh’s deaths near the dog kennels on the family’s property. The chilling 911 call from Alex Murdaugh set the scene as he exclaimed between sobs that his wife and son had been shot — all while he was supposedly out visiting his elderly parents.

Although the second episode briefly covered the deaths of Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh, episode three “No Secrets Are Safe” uncovered two Snapchat videos of Alex Murdaugh taken by Paul before his death, proving Alex lied about his whereabouts that night.

The episode also recounted the two unsolved deaths related to the family, Murdaugh’s housekeeper Satterfield, who was said to have died after tripping over the family’s dogs, and Smith, who was found bludgeoned in the middle of a Beaufort, South Carolina, country road. Smith was thought to have had connections with Alex Murdaugh’s first son Buster Murdaugh.

The documentary did not discuss the state of the current trial against Alex Murdaugh but rather gave context to who the Murdaughs are and what their past holds. The time of Netflix’s release seemed strategic because of the trial’s popularity.

With “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” providing interviews with those close to the family, reenactments by actors and clips of real news segments and 911 calls, viewers finish the show with a more holistic, yet haunting, picture of who the Murdaugh family was and the drama that unfolded around them. As Alex Murdaugh awaits his sentencing, viewers are expected to be hopeful that Netflix continues the series.

Rating: 4/5