Cheezwiz

That's super-cool! Alison does seem to be a terrific human being, someone I'd love to be friends with. I think I've mentioned it upthread umpteen times, but I highly recommend her book "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch" - a highly entertaining account of working on "Little House" and of the TV industry in the 70's. She's incredibly smart, funny, and strong.

Agreed - he figured out something (he may have hired someone to abduct Patrice) and made sure to create an alibi for himself. That had to be one of the skin-crawliest interviews I've ever seen on TV - he started out somewhat measured at the beginning, and then went right off the deep end into crazy-town. I was so aghast by the end, that I'm surprised he didn't pull a skin-suit out of his closet for all to see. He may have studied criminology, but he definitely flunks self-awareness.

I have no doubt that half the population of that shitty little town probably knows exactly what happened. The problem is compelling them to talk, especially when the police are completely indifferent and uninterested in pursuing the case - which is closed as far as they're concerned. i felt terrible for Alonzo's family - how frustrating, feeling absolutely no one was on their side.

I've had "I'll Be Gone In The Dark" on my to read list for ages, but hadn't gotten to it yet. I've heard that it's excellent but also a bit disjointed due to Michelle McNamara's sad and untimely passing. I must say this has been a great intro to the case - I'm so impressed with what they have pulled together for the first episode, (my provider is releasing episodes on a weekly basis, so I'm unable to binge). Not knowing anything about the Golden State Killer going in, I was utterly shocked that so many of his early crimes were concentrated in such a tiny area - basically homes backing on to one another, or kitty corner to one another. Just shocking, and the fact that the police dragged their heels on warning the community was terrible. So much misery could have been spared had people been on high alert. Back in the 70's I'm sure there was a lot of trauma and stigma surrounding the crimes, and victims were probably reluctant to confide in anyone. This show makes me shiver, because I was a kid living in a suburban neighbourhood during that same era. Unbeknownst to me, some really bad stuff was going on in my part of the 'burbs, but I was blissfully ignorant, and didn't find out about it until adulthood. The rapist's MO during his attacks was utterly bizarre - it sounded like he stalked people and watched their movements, but didn't seem to care if a spouse or children were home when he moved in on his victims. And the fact people saw him running around the neighbourhood wearing a ski-mask with no pants on, and he STILL wasn't caught? Mind-blowing. Felt so sad for the victim's accounts - especially the woman who can no longer play the piano. Just awful - and right at Christmastime too. The details of Michelle's and Patton's relationship were poignant and heartwarming. She sounded like not just a talented empathetic writer, but a wonderful human being - someone I would have loved to have been friends with. I too really liked the juxtaposition of the Black Lagoon footage and the narration at the end. Impatient for more episodes!

I finished watching the final two episodes. I know people like to mock the UFO & paranormal episodes, but The Berkshires episode was more interesting than I expected - more so for the portrait of the town, rather than the UFO incidents themselves. Clearly a bunch of people independent of each other experienced something extremely weird on the the same night, and it's had a profound effect on them ever since. How sad they were ridiculed and ostracized by their fellow citizens - and in one case driven completely out of town. It reminds me of some of what Shirley Jackson said about her time in New England: beneath the veneer of idyllic small town Norman Rockwell life, people were extremely insular and unwelcoming, quick to expel anyone who didn't fit in. I wasn't very engaged with the final episode, as there was no mystery whatsoever, just a heinous psychopath who manipulated her daughters. I felt bad for the trauma the daughters endured, but there was nothing mysterious about the case. The only thing unsolved was where the missing daughter's remains wound up, and my guess is most likely she was disposed of in exactly the same manner as Sandy's previous husband. Infuriating that she would up with custody of her grandson when she's a cold-blooded murderer. Those young women just looked so beaten down by life - the eldest daughter Brandi is probably a good fifteen years younger than me, and looks my age or older.

Yes, exactly - quite a clever way to keep people from making too much of a fuss. If everyone feels guilty and complicit, they're less likely speak up and cause problems. Sadly there are a lot of people who still consider these girls as prostitutes who voluntarily offered up their services for pay, rather than vulnerable underage people who were lured in with the hope of a better life. Yeah, that was a whoa! holy cow! moment for me as well - there are SO many ways that could have gone horribly wrong, but apparently her instincts were right and it was a gamble that paid off, because it seems she's still married to the guy, and he's been supportive of her.

I just watched Episode 3 - the Alonzo Brooks case. So heartbreaking for his family - 15 years with no answers. Clearly a hate crime, someone hid his body somewhere and then dumped it once the official police searches looked like they had been concluded. My big fear was that his friends from Gardner might have deliberately set him up and then abandoned him, but I don't think that's the case. I could be wrong, but I sure hope not anyway. If I were the one friend who had gone out for cigarettes and gotten lost, I'm not sure I could have coped with the guilt of not getting back and picking him up. This episode was a reminder that there are some truly nasty little towns all over the place. I bet there are a TON of people in LaCygne who know exactly what happened that night, who was responsible, and have clammed up all this time.

I just recently stumbled on some YouTube videos of Patrick & Matthew Labyorteaux being interviewed about their time on Little House. Not sure exactly when the interviews were filmed, but it looked fairly recent (like within the past five years or so). They both said this was their favourite episode on the show. I had a bit of a crush on the Albert character when I was young, so it was interesting to see them grown up, as I'm close in age to them. Matthew is still pretty cute in my opinion.

Something they didn't mention on the show - wouldn't the smell have been overpowering at some point? Maybe that's what finally led them outside.

Just watched the Dupont de Ligonnes episode last night. That was truly tragic and horrific. I feel like The Count was alive for at least awhile anyways, not sure if he still is, but his exit seemed almost like it was intentionally staged, and just a bit too tidy. He was so methodical and precise in his planning, that I don't think it was implausible that he could have escaped and started life elsewhere. Yes, there are cameras everywhere, but as the detective in the show mentioned, he was an extremely bland looking man, who could have modified his appearance slightly and moved around unnoticed. He came from wealthy circles, so it's conceivable that he could have figured out how to obtain forged documents. Nantes looks like a beautiful city, and the region he vanished in was also beautiful looking - almost prehistoric in a way. I could certainly imagine sabre tooth tigers roaming around there. There were so many parallels with the John List story that aired on the original series. List was a controlling man who cared about outward appearances, but was in dire financial straits. He too murdered his family members one by one and neatly laid them out in the spooky mansion they lived in. He was careful to let everyone know that the family was leaving on extended vacation, so it was a long time before anyone caught on that things were amiss. He went on the run and lived for decades under another identity. The kicker to that story? The grand house they lived in had an original Tiffany glass dome over top a ballroom. It's sale would have solved all of his financial woes. Next to the unexplained disappearances, these stories freak me out the most. I can't imagine the terror the family members must have felt at the end. Imagine that not only are you aware you're about to be murdered, but the murderer is someone you've loved and trusted your whole life.

Rob may be smart, but as displayed on the show for all the world to see, he has many, many screws loose. I like the theory someone posted above, that he hired someone to abduct her, and then did the job himself. He kind of gave it away with the "hypothetical" scenarios he was floating - my impression was that those were delicious fantasies he'd been harbouring for a long time. I think he got wind that she was planning to leave him, and if he couldn't have her, no one else would either. He could then snuggle up to her remains for the rest of his time on earth. Gah! What a creep! I do think some of those other suspects were worth pursuing as well (good lord, there seemed to be a lot of serial killer types crawling around that part of Georgia) - that one guy's testimony was particularly chilling, even if it was deemed false at the time.

Holy Hell! I just watched Episode 2 (Thirteen Minutes) about the abducted hairdresser. Yeah, her husband wasn't creepy AT ALL. I bet the show's producers & camera crew probably had expressions on their faces like this after filming that guy. I know I certainly did! Her poor son.

That occurred to me as well - I wonder if there was a way to tell forensically if the hole was already there before he went through. If he went through a metal roof, he would have had to have been dropped from a great height to penetrate it. That scenario makes me wonder if he could have been dropped from a helicopter, but that's kind of a nonsensical theory, and he probably would have sustained much more physical damage. I bet the hole was already there.

I haven't watched this one yet, but the John List story was one that creeped me the hell out when I watched it during the show's original Robert Stack run. When I initially saw it, List had not yet been apprehended. Subsequent tips from the show led to his arrest - he was living a quiet life under a new identity some twenty odd years after methodically murdering his entire family. It really stuck with me, as it was such a gothic tragic story. I was glad he was caught.

I'm not big on conspiracies either, but she will be dead soon - either by ahem, "suicide", or perhaps a Corona virus cover story. She's got too much info on too many high-powered people. Glad she was at least arrested - wonder where the hell she's been hiding.

Just watched the first episode of the new Netflix reboot. Very bizarre and intriguing case. I get the feeling that Reyes may have stumbled on something inadvertently at his job, and someone lured him out of his house and killed him. Still doesn't explain how he wound up going through the hotel roof though - that was extremely weird - none of the angles they investigated seemed to work for him jumping or being thrown off. The fact that his friend immediately lawyered up seemed especially suspicious - it sounded like he was already into shady dealings anyhow. Also suspicious that the one detective who believed it wasn't suicide conveniently got "transferred" off of the case. I think very big very dirty money was involved, and it will never be solved. I felt very sad for his widow and his family - they seemed like such a loving close-knit group, and even his brother admitted that they've never recovered despite moving on in life. Unlike others, I'm actually enjoying the brand new Netflix version. I know people are bummed that it doesn't follow the old format with multiple stories per hour, and re-enactments, but I don't think anything can measure up to fond nostalgia. The 1-hour 1 story format allows them to go a bit more in depth with the background detais. I just wish there were more than 6 episodes though, my appetite for this kind of thing is insatiable once it gets going. I also think they've done an excellent job updating the eerie theme music. Of course, nothing can replicate the hosting/narration from Robert Stack. There was something truly special, spooky and shivery about his hosting of the original! I hope this thread stays active, I look forward to discussing the new eps, and it's fun to reminisce about the ones that creeped me out when I was young.

Wasn't Grace basically a toddler in a high-chair for the show's ENTIRE RUN? I always forget there were younger siblings, because they never featured in the stories except as background!

I don't have the stomach to dig into this stuff myself (so thank you for wading into that cesspool to take a peek), but it is sadly unsurprising. Whenever I think the bar can't go any lower, it inevitably does. I can't believe she had fans to begin with, never mind now.

Goodness this tutorial was way more complex than I was expecting. I didn't realize that Tan had a lot of natural curl in his hair, which is what allows him to achieve those gravity defying heights. I have to say I thought he looked really great "before" with his hair a bit mussed up! Dogs should always be mandatory!

I'm not quite finished Season 5 just yet, but I've enjoyed all of the episodes and "heroes" so far. Even Abby the activist (usually a type that annoys me) didn't bother me all that much. Are there other people who would be more deserving? No doubt, but she's still just a kid. I loved the clothing Tan found for her, and as usual, Bobby worked his magic in the house. Everyone else featured so far has been great - I loved the Dad getting spiffed up for his daughter's wedding (I have to wonder if his ex was just a tad jealous of both his personal and home makeover). Tyreek's story was very moving, and I'm glad he was able to reconnect with the woman who helped raise him. I hope he goes far - such a good soul who had a rough start. These Philly episodes seem to have a really nice vibe, and it's not a city I've ever thought much about or been intrigued by before, so it's nice to get glimpses of it on the show. I think I adore each of the 5 more than ever, and wish they would all show up together at my apartment to hang out! They can bring Walter too!

What ever happened to Jax's line of chunky knit sweaters? Add me to the line-up of people who now have Raquel as their favourite. I did NOT see that coming, but so far she seems decent (although it's a low bar on this show), and I'm currently rooting for her.

If you watched it avidly as a youngster, it's not until you reach adulthood and look back that you realize what an incredibly fucked up family show this really was. Oh, and for quoting WKRP? Especially THAT hilarious quote? YOU ARE ONE OF MY PEOPLE!!!

It seemed pretty overt to me. Unlikely they would have taken things to this kind of malicious degree if Faith had been a white person. False accusation of crime is a misdemeanor in California, subject to a $1000 fine and up to six months in jail. At minimum, they should have been charged with wasting police resources, since they knew she hadn't committed any crime.

Oh, FUCK ME. Unbelievable. This is probably the first and only time in her life she's had to be accountable for anything, and now her "fans" are propping her up and wiping her tears. For those whining that her life's being ruined, she knowingly did something that could have easily made another's life miserable - or perhaps even cost them their life. And she thought it was hilarious at the time! If you think I'm exaggerating, you have not been paying attention these past few years. It's unfortunate this was never addressed by Bravo or anyone at the time - especially since it was bragged about publicly. It's also unfortunate that Kristin is not getting the same heat - she is just as responsible. And somehow Jax, the asshole at the centre of everything, gets to skate by freely. None of them deserve sympathy even if the Network response has been delayed and disingenuous.

She's clearly still being protected by very powerful people. Where is she? Why hasn't she been indicted? Why aren't there warrants out for her arrest? I was very moved by the portraits Maria Farmer did of her fellow survivors that were shown in the final episode. They were a testament to their courage & strength, and she is a very talented artist.