User Reviews

Like most other shows on Investigation Discovery, this one draws you in right from the start. It's a real life "who done it?" Some of the cases, I never would've expected that the killer was the person it was, but others were somewhat obvious based on the narrative, however this show is definitely worth watching. It's also a reminder that even decades later, cases can still be solved and often are thanks to new technology and information.

I've literally binge-watched every season of this and I'm looking forward to another one because like most other true crime junkies out there, knowing that these are real stories are precisely what draw me in and get addicted to the show.

"God pointed the killer" - I like very much these series. But I want to highlight this particular episode. On June 1991, 23- years-old Denise vanishes when a flat tire forces her to pull over in a highway at night. Her car was found on the side of the road, but there was no trace of Denise. Detectives assumed that she left her car and walked to the nearest pay phone to ask for help. They found no signs of fight, no blood, Denise's car was clean, no evidence whatsoever. Second detective's assumption was that "someone" pulled over and offered Denise a ride. But who? And where did they go? Hundreds of cars passed by that freeway of Orange County, could be anyone, could go anywhere. Soon detectives had no leads to investigate, they were clueless and the case went cold. I can't tell you anymore, I invite you to watch it. Next thing was an incredible twist of destiny. All began in 1994, when a mature couple wanted to buy cheap wall painting...

I've seen all the true crime shows, and this one is definitely at the top. My only thing is how long the show takes to get to the point of who actually did it. It could be a solid 30 minute show but instead it drags out for another 20 after that. I've gotten to the point where I just fast forward it on Hulu.

Aside from Unsolved Mysteries, Unusual Suspects is one of my favorite true crime TV shows. Production-wise, the show looked cheap in its debut season. But when the show returned for its second season in 2011, it looked much better. One may see Unusual Suspects as something of a throwback to the 1980s. That might sound unfair, but I can see why it can be viewed as such. In fact, there are moments in the show where reenactments remind me of reenactments from the early seasons of Unsolved Mysteries, due to the look and feel. Unusual Suspects has nice production values.

If Unusual Suspects can teach us anything, it is that even your quiet and seemingly harmless neighbor can be a cold-blooded murderer. Sometimes, a person's public persona can be a stark contrast to who they truly are behind closed doors.

Every single episode up til the new narrator's episodes contains a cat screech/scream. What's up with that? Just to keep us on our toes or mess with us? Lol. Do we win a prize for being one to hear it?

This has become the template for modern true crime shows, so in that sense it is ground breaking. Rather than the relentless teases at the start and before each ad break we now get (which is ridiculous by the way), this show doesn't feel the need to constantly dangle carrots in a desperate bid to keep you watching. This ran from 2010 - 2016. Whether it's a reflection of the times or not, I appreciate that there is no "hard sell" or overly salacious cases to shock the viewer into watching or trying to get the audience to endlessly pour over grisly details. True Crime competition increased exponentially in the years this show aired and by 2016 there was an ocean of choice. If you're interested in quality true crime, start here and avoid the "tabloid" shows. This is where it's at. One of the true and best originals.

This show covers so many different murder cases but it also gets extremely repetitive over time. Literally 9 out of 10 times, you get the same story. Cops try for years to solve the case but they can't. They come to a dead end. No one knows who murdered our victim....and then years later cops get an unexpected phone call and they receive a tip.

Then this leads to case being solved and it turns out that the killer is someone completely random or someone they haven't mentioned at all up until the last 5 minutes of the episode. Literally 9 out of 10 times cases aren't solved with evidence or police work but an anonymous tip that comes years later after the case is closed with introduction of a whole new person in the last 5 minutes. Then the killer just confesses everything and goes to jail.

It would have been much better if they actually picked cases where the case is solved by evidence and police work instead of random anonymous tips that come years after case is closed.

I watch everything True Crime, and I can't stand the shows where the narrator talks in an exaggeratedly dramatic, whispy voice. He is also super disrespectful and keeps referring to sex workers as hookers and prostitutes like it's 1999. I was recommended this show because I liked Your Worst Nightmare - which is 1000x better - and was hugely disappointed.

I have always been a big fan of the show. It was a great true crime show that revealed in the cases it documented, that there are more than just one suspect and the most obvious is not always the killer. But after watching the present season in 2014 season I am severely disappointed. The narration is so bad I can only compare it sounding like a "Creepy old pervert talking in a loud whisper". It sounds cheap and is very badly executed that it feels like a different show. It is like the voice-over is for some dated porno NOT a program about murder. Every sentence is executed with a rather overblown sexual overture. How the producers could allow standards to fall so bad is beyond me. I do not see this lasting another season.

The show now feels sorely dated like it's an old 70's or 80's detective soap style show instead of a true crime re-enactment. I was so shocked when I tuned into the new season that I couldn't believe it was the same show or from the year 2014.

Whoever thinks a loud whisper is a great narration technique should learn that it only belongs on the casting couch. Avoid this show unless you love a good old 80's throwback.

I think the show is well executed and documented. However sometimes the facts are blurred. An example is how a 1985 case was solved using DNA which wasn't in use at that time. The only other thing that stands out is that seemingly every case is about the murder of a female. I say this because in every single show the producers will replay the victims screaming at least 15 times. There is always multiple suspects and they replay the screams with each one as they might have committed the crime as well as catch ups after commercials. In almost every case there were no I witnesses so there is no evidence there was any screaming to begin with. It may be a minor point to many people but it drives me to distraction.

I think it is very sick and twisted that HBO uses the actual names of people involved in crimes. I was the actual friend that was with Charmel Ulrich as we walk down the road at age 13/14.... I am still traumatized by it all and I'm 48 now. It's horrible that you associated Michael Perry Jackson with the story. Surprised you couldn't fit Michael Butler in too ....the guy I had such a good description of, someone turned him in...... The details of the Capital Murder trial are sketchy to me as I was only 14 years old. My parents did their best to shield me from all of this and HBO puts these names together like peanut butter and Jelly.....shame on you!