When it comes to the medium of entertainment giving a magnified look into true crime, the aspect of the genre that is usually put front and center for the entire world to see is the more violent and controversial instances. Nothing seems more fascinating for the audience than seeing how far a wealthy family’s legal troubles are covered up, like in the numerous documentaries exposing thehigh-profile Murdaugh familyor diving into a bizarre murder case in the recently releasedWho Killed Robert Wone?presentation on Peacock.
Even with these mesmerizing real-life stories, let’s not forget about the fifteen hundred people who go missing in the United States every day, according to the US Department of Justice.
When summarizing what it’s like to be in her specific field of work while also giving an insightful look into what goes into solving the continuous missing person mysteries that arrive in her office every day, investigator Vicky Rains explains that detectives in her expertise end up spending every waking moment trying to get to know a person who could very well already be dead. As hard-hitting as that statement may be, This has to be the definitive mantra of Netflix’s newest true-crime documentary series,Missing: Dead or Alive?.
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Getting to the Bottom of the Case
The miniseries spotlights numerous deputies from Richland County, South Carolina, such as the aforementioned detective Rains, fellow investigator J.P Smith who focuses on cases involving those on the younger side, and Heidi Jackson, who oversees numerous departments in the district (with one of them being the missing persons unit), these names also end up having to collaborate with squads all across the United States if the situation arises in order to bring closure to the families and friends involved in these types of mysterious circumstances.
What makesMissing: Dead or Alive?so unique is that the highlighted department and all the deputies are unfamiliar with cameras and spotlights, which massively helps with their onscreen presence. Streaming not only on NBC’s iconic Peacock streaming service (which is supposed to seea huge market push very soon) but also through a cable network called Reelz on Friday and Saturday nights, a recurring three-hour show calledOn Patrol: Live(which follows police officers and sheriff’s deputies) has shown the same primary unit thatMissing: Dead or Alivelooks to highlights in all of its episodes.
Finding Those Who Have Lost Their Way
Even though this one-of-a-kind series which decides to focus on missing person reports, is only four episodes long, each entry not only seamlessly shifts focus into a different case, but the showrunners make sure to showcase uniquely different dilemmas for the audience.
From an older woman named Lorraine Garcia, who has had a troubling relationship with her troubled war vet son, to a loving and caring husband who haphazardly steps into a downward spiral which is all caused by a winning lottery ticket to 10-year-old Amirah Watson, who was abducted from her father by her revenge-fueled mother, there is a different story each time around thatnot only captivates true-crime fansbut leaves you on the edge of your seat every single time.
Just as the title states and as viewers can see when they watch the show, stakes can rapidly ramp up at just a moment’s notice.
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Speaking of the film studio behindMissing: Dead or Alive?, Blast! Films are behind many other documentarian works, which are either made here in the United Statesor abroad in the UK. Some films made abroad includeHigh: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule,which can be seen on Netflix, and a look inside the cops of Delhi, India, which can be watched along with manyother exclusives on Apple TV+.
While not as many, Blast has also created numerous American programs, such asForbidden: Dying For Love,which is in its third season on Investigation Discovery, andUnplugged Nationon the FYI cable channel, which ran for two seasons in 2017. These are just a few included in a long list of features made by this production company that shows you are in for an emotional rollercoaster with these on-scene adventures.
Having just premiered on Netflix starting on May 10,Missing: Dead or Alive?is not afraid to emphasize one of the less prominently featured areas of law enforcement. Capturing four different cases that are all native to South Carolina, this entire series is a quick venture into a world that is unseen by many networks and entertainment outlets.
