S01.E03: The Great Dissembler

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

TBA

Airs May 5th.

[pasdetrois]

We binged last night so I'm not sure if the third episode showed Kathleen's staircase death scene or it was in another episode. But it was very well done. It was realistic and reminded us that she suffered. (I understand the portrayal may not have been accurate.)

[Valny]

3 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

We binged last night so I'm not sure if the third episode showed Kathleen's staircase death scene or it was in another episode. But it was very well done. It was realistic and reminded us that she suffered. (I understand the portrayal may not have been accurate.)

I wasn't expecting to see that scene paly out, it definitely was jarring and a little hard to watch.

[poeticlicensed]

30 minutes ago, Valny said:

I wasn't expecting to see that scene paly out, it definitely was jarring and a little hard to watch.

Remember that this is what the defense said happened. If it did that was tragic. I have fallen and been injured and thank God there were others around. To be screaming and bleeding out is a horrific way to go. But she had so many lacerations. Im finding it hard to believe that a fall caused all that, even if it was twice. And when the investigator mentioned it to Rudolf, he said we just don't mention it. Oh ok. That always works great in a murder trial. 

[Milburn Stone]

On 5/6/2022 at 12:47 PM, poeticlicensed said:

But she had so many lacerations. Im finding it hard to believe that a fall caused all that, even if it was twice.

I don't know whether he was found guilty--don't spoil me!--and I also don't know whether he was guilty. But we're shown how the DA's forensic investigator had to basically perform trials on like 5000 heads before he got the result he wanted! There was more than a hint there of "give me what I need or you're fired"-- as opposed to a scientific process. Leads me to think the prosecution's theory is at least as implausible as the defense's.

Edited May 8, 2022 by Milburn Stone

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

I don't know whether he was found guilty--don't spoil me!--and I also don't know whether he was guilty. But we're shown how the DA's forensic investigator had to basically perform trials on like 5000 heads before he got the result he wanted! There was more than a hint there of "give me what I need or you're fired"-- as opposed to a scientific process. Leads me to think the prosecution's theory is at least as implausible as the defense's.

I also noted that the woman that did the autopsy didn't have 'blunt force trauma' as the cause of death because she said she didn't think the evidence was there for that and the detective guy talking to her pretty much told her to change it to 'blunt force trauma.' I don't know if that actually happened in real life though.

[SeanC]

How did Margaret and Martha end up in care of Peterson if they have an aunt?

[AZChristian]

2 hours ago, SeanC said:

How did Margaret and Martha end up in care of Peterson if they have an aunt?

Peterson and his first wife were close friends of Elizabeth Ratliff when they were neighbors in Germany.  It may be that she had a document giving custody of the girls to the Petersons in case she died (since she was a widow and there was no husband in the picture).  They (possibly) adopted the girls, although I'm not 100% sure of that.  Peterson and his wife then divorced and he took custody.  

Good question about why they didn't go with their real family, although as young as they were and having been born in Germany, it was probably less traumatic for them to stay with people they knew.

[BusyOctober]

On 5/10/2022 at 1:43 PM, AZChristian said:

On 5/10/2022 at 11:15 AM, SeanC said:

How did Margaret and Martha end up in care of Peterson if they have an aunt?

Peterson and his first wife were close friends of Elizabeth Ratliff when they were neighbors in Germany.  It may be that she had a document giving custody of the girls to the Petersons in case she died (since she was a widow and there was no husband in the picture).  They (possibly) adopted the girls, although I'm not 100% sure of that.  Peterson and his wife then divorced and he took custody.  

IMO - The way Margaret and Martha’s biological mother died is a very interesting factor in Peterson’s case

[bilgistic]

I don't think I've ever been as grossed out as I was to watch Michael, who had just had sex with a stranger at a sex shop, come home to "perform" oral sex on Kathleen's ass. Having seen the original documentary, imagining the real Michael in any sexual situation turns my stomach.

I'm not puritanical; he's just repugnant and put her health at risk over the years. But then...welp.

I don't believe that she knew about his extramarital dalliances.

[Whimsy]

On 5/11/2022 at 10:49 PM, bilgistic said:

I don't think I've ever been as grossed out as I was to watch Michael, who had just had sex with a stranger at a sex shop, come home to "perform" oral sex on Kathleen's ass. Having seen the original documentary, imagining the real Michael in any sexual situation turns my stomach.

Agreed. Firth may have the voice and cadence of speech down pat, but his body is not the same so it's taking me out of the story as I remember it from the documentary.  No, CF is not in his prime anymore, but he's still taller, broader and generally more traditionally handsome.  The real Peterson is small, scrawny, has weird eyebrows, gross teeth and is not attractive at all.  

[Johnny Dollar]

I read that Harrison Ford was originally set to play Peterson when the show was first developed in 2019. Harrison Ford was 77 in 2019 and is eighteen years older than Colin Firth. While the real Michael Peterson is only a year younger than HF, I don’t know how anyone ever thought that Harrison Ford would have been able to pull off playing a late 50’s MP in 2001. 

[bilgistic]

I've just decided that John Slattery should've played Michael Peterson. They have similar facial structure and are only an inch apart in height. John is 59, so he could play Michael from 20 years ago. He'd need a wiry thin gray wig, greasy/ruddy makeup to make him look perpetually sweaty, and vocal training.

[Zima]

I feel so sorry for the kids.