where to watch: Netflix
when to watch: When you’re ready to watch something serious and moving.
you should note: So many women! All women protagonists; two women creators; 5/8 episodes directed by women
tl;dr: Unbelievable is not a show to watch because you love crime, because it’s really a show about humanity and trauma. It deals with violence against women in a caring way that I have not seen before on television.
a story that needs to be told
Some TV shows are pure entertainment. Some TV shows push the boundaries of the medium by taking structural and visual risks. Some TV shows just tell a story—a story that needs to be told.
Unbelievable is one of those shows.
Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning ProPublica article, Unbelievable follows two simultaneous plotlines. In 2008, a young girl is raped in Washington state, but after being pressured by the police, she recants her story. Meanwhile, in Colorado in 2011, two female detectives realize they have a serial rapist on their hands and race to catch him before he hurts someone else.
At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of this show. Most crime shows are meant to entertain. You’re meant to be on the edge of your seat, following every new lead or clue. You’re supposed to gasp when it comes together, and it all builds towards a climax.
But Unbelievable is a different kind of crime drama. It is not about entertainment, it is about accurately telling a story that deserves to be heard. Often, violence against women on television becomes sensationalized. Graphic scenes are included for no good reason. It’s rare to find a show that genuinely focuses on the victims’ experiences with care and humanity; with real empathy.
don’t watch it because it’s “good”
Saying this show is “good” feels wrong. I don’t want you to watch this show because it’s “good.” I want you to watch this show because it shows us what humans can do when trauma is given the attention it deserves. In the miniseries, we see two very different ways of dealing with a rape victim in the immediate aftermath of the attack. In one scenario, the victim is repeatedly asked to relive the horror of the assault, and when inconsistencies arise in the numerous retellings, she is accused of false reporting. In another scenario, the victim is listened to calmly and quietly, with humanity. She is taken to a quiet location and not pestered. The show itself treats each of the victims in the show with similar care. Their experiences, their narratives are always given the utmost importance.
Additionally, it’s rare to see a show about not one, but two female detectives. It’s a welcome change. Often shows dealing with violence against women still star men. For once, we get to learn about two real-life women doing cold, hard, detective work. The writers are not interested in making the story climactic with big reveals and twists and turns. They don’t strive to entertain their viewers, they know the true story is important enough that it deserves to be told. Both the detectives and the victims deserve our attention, our empathy, and our sadness for a few short hours. Don’t watch this show because you like crime shows, watch it because you care about people and believe that more stories like this one deserve to be heard.
After all, storytelling is fundamentally the art of inspiring empathy in others. And Unbelievable excels at telling a story.