Review of Part One

When They See Us: Part One (2019)
Season 1, Episode 1
7/10
Part One
17 June 2019
Ava DuVernay's dramatisation of The Central Park Five is harrowing viewing. To see young teenagers who are still minors arrested and abused by the policed who fit them up for a crime they know that they were not responsible for.

In the first episode you see these minors being interrogated, lied to, coerced to confessions without any lawyers present. The parents who attended did not know what to do or in one case frightened by the police themselves.

The police and the District Attorney's office rejig the timeline of a woman who was raped in Central Park so they can have a strong case against the five suspects.

In an earlier scene Linda Fairstein (Felicity Huffman) from the DA's office who attends the crime scene only make reference to one attacker. However she then goes on a crusade wanting predominantly black and hispanic youths rounded up and getting the police force all fired up.

It looks like a cunning and cynical ploy by the makers of the series and Netflix. Make Fairstein out to be an outright villain. The question then is will see sue Netflix for defamation? That means she will have to go to court, something that might end up costing more than her reputation!

It was a tough watch knowing the events were true. I am sure NYPD would like to say that was then, today it is different. However I have my doubts.
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