If you haven’t read my season one review you can find it here.

So we’re back. Steven and Brandon have been locked up for many years and they still believe they are innocent of the murder of Teresa. While Brendan’s case has been looked at and denied many times Steven has been sitting without a lawyer for some time, trying to build up a case by himself which to be honest I’m kind of impressed by.

That is until a woman called Kathleen agrees to take on his case and tries to put together new evidence to show that what the jury and judge was shown in the original hearing was in fact false. It’s a very interesting tale where we examine a lot of the evidence that the police put together to ‘frame’, in some people’s eyes, Steven for the murder. And it’s also fascinating to see the leads they didn’t, but should’ve, followed and the people they should’ve been more interested in too.

The big difference I see between this season and the first is we spend less time in the courtroom. There’s less talking and more doing. We see more of Kathleen’s thought process and how she is eliminating evidence with just a few tests herself.

Alongside all this Brendan’s lawyers are trying to get his trial looked at again and hoping he can finally be released from prison. Which he is almost, until another judge decides he wants to block it. This seemed strange to me. Any human being could easily see that Brendan was coerced into saying what he did and thus doesn’t hold any truth to it. I believe the state doesn’t want Brendan or Steven freed because, being such a high profile case, it will look very badly on them and they will be taken into question. Whereas if they can keep them in jail, even though it’s a complete injustice, their necks and jobs aren’t on the line.

While Brendan in my eyes is definitely not guilty there are more questions around Steven. Some things do add up but others don’t and seeing him fight tooth and nail to try and be released is really heartwarming. If he is innocent then he is definitely a fighter and it is wonderful to see. I just wish the judges would look into the case more as well.

But what hurt me, and I get it, you want justice. But the way in which Teresa’s family was so adamant on keeping the two men behind bars was kind of hard to watch. I get they want to lay Teresa to rest and move on but surely it’d be better to get the actual killer rather than just two men whose whole evidence record doesn’t even add up! There are so many inconsistencies it’s shocking more isn’t being done by higher uppers and people who can make a change.

I think, in some ways this is a great documentary. It has a fantastic story that draws you in and is good entertainment but I do believe possibly thanks to the documentary it has hindered the men’s releases. With such a high profile case no one wants to be seen in the wrong and go back on their word. Releasing these men I believe is the right thing to do but to be shown in a bad light and to have made the wrong decision, and ultimatey have to pay these men for all the life they have wasted is too much. So in some ways, in their eyes, it’s easier to keep quiet and block the appeals because then nothing changes, no one’s to blame, and two months down the line all the Netflix hype will be gone and the case will go cold.

I believe Steven and Brendan should be released. Will they ever be though? I highly doubt it.

Until next time.

Published by shonaharding

Media graduate with a passion for reviewing film and TV. View all posts by shonaharding