Burden of Proof (2023) User Reviews

Loud, unspoken questions

[chiltonsjillfreeport · 6/10 · 7 June 2023]

I would give this a 6.5 if I could. Burden of Proof avoids most of the pitfalls of the genre, with the exception of padding. It could've been a tight three episodes just by cutting repetitive and meandering content. Which might have helped nudge Jennifer Pandos, the missing 15-year-old whose brother relentlessly pursues justice here, more squarely into the center of things.

From the start, the Pandos parents hurt themselves in the investigation. Until Stephen has to suspect their involvement, becoming estranged from them after hiring investigators and experts in an attempt to tell Jennifer's story.

Increasingly, though, the focus is on Stephen's agonizing over his sister's fate, setbacks in the case and his mother's honesty. I question whether the documentary team had free rein...or if they were beholden to Stephen Pandos for funding.

To wit, one question I waited for: In an abusive home, with a violent, controlling father who isn't getting along with his increasingly troubled teenage daughter, was there also sexual abuse?

It would explain Jennifer's emotional issues and her parents' unfathomable choices and behavior during the investigation. For an outspoken kid, I noticed none of her friends knew exactly what was going on in the house where she felt unsafe.

Without spoilers, I think the issue of the note is far from settled and the final testimony we hear raises as many questions as answers. Possibly more.

There's a reason for the 'reasonable doubt' part of our justice system

[billsoccer · 6/10 · 9 June 2023]

Not sure why I stuck with this all the way through. The first episode shows the guy has no proof, no real case - AT ALL! You have to wonder if he's just convinced the film crew to tilt toward his personal windmill? Is he throwing away his income? Are the investigators stringing him along? Obviously he had a troubled relationship with his parents but to sue them just because they weren't "normal" (somewhat of an understatement)? I'm surprised he got as much cooperation as he did - he comes across as somewhat of a crank. Turns out his long-held (30+ years?) beliefs about his parents reactions were wrong (they did contact the police consistently, according to the newly-found police report); They didn't have the police report after all. Probably more exculpatory evidence I've forgotten. But - shouldn't rate an entire series unless you're seen it all, right? So I write this after just finishing the 4th episode.

This could have been done in a 2-hour movie, so much is rehashed in each segment: His fathers volatility, His mothers passivity; The parents collective behavior, etc. Each segment adds a bit more detail to each character and the various theories. You'll notice they paid scant attention to the obvious 'other' main suspects - the guy with a record Jennifer babysat for or the boyfriend. Seems like your stereotypical small-town incompetent police investigation - Was it true the police never visited this guy nor investigated more than a phone call?? Did they ever even interview the brother? He says he was in college, but was that proven? No mention of contacting the original officers was mentioned - were none yet alive or willing to reminisce?

It was only into the last segment where actual new info was followed up on. But - consulting a (supposed) handwriting expert? I don't believe this is even close to a science.

In the end it appears he unjustly held his parents responsible for 30-some years. It's yet another reason I wouldn't be so eager to convict if I was ever put on a jury. There's a reason for the 'reasonable doubt' part of our justice system. Some people just don't act reasonably under stress. Doesn't make them guilty.

Absorbing

[kyra_hemsworth · 8/10 · 11 June 2023]

Fascinating immersion into a troubled family and the disappearance of their youngest member. Small details are pitch perfect, extremely well done.

It's difficult to write a fulsome review without spoilers. I highly recommend it - it has a Mare of Easttown feel, but it really happened.

Stephen Pandos, no matter the failings of his parents, is such a decent, strong man. His dad gave me the full-on heebs. He seems to be always banking down a dark, unsettling menace while trying to appear as a righteous straight shooter.

But Stephen's mother has, obviously, done something right because her son is quietly remarkable.

Gotta say too, the private investigator seemed a waste of money. The filmmakers appear to be the real sleuths who moved this case along.

Also, Wendi Reed, an investigating officer, is straight out of the Fargo series.

The mother though, she will drive you nuts...her actions, comments never help her, why? You'll be mentally Rubik's-cubing this for a long time afterward. Highly recommend.

Top tier true crime

[stevosteve · 8 June 2023]

Burden of Proof is an outstanding true crime series. I genuinely loved every minute of it and finished all four episodes in one sitting. I would consider on par with some of the best true crime documentaries.

I love how the investigation of this case actually takes place in real time, so we get to watch it unfold as the show was filmed over 7 years. This is an aspect of this series that makes it so compelling, and it is emblamatic of many of the best true crime documentaries. One example that comes to mind would be the Netflix series Making of a Murderer, and also some of the true crime classics like Capturing the Friedmans and The Thin Blue Line.

The production is excellent as it is clear the director and producer are deeply invested in this case, and it is clear that their primary goal is to get to the truth.

The producers go out of their way numerous times to try and track down everyone involved in the case so that they can give them a chance to tell their side of the story in relation to the case. At one point they even manage to track down a person of interest whom the police could not even locate for several years. And the filmmaker's also focus heavily on the family that has literally been torn apart by this tragic case for decades, but they do so in a way that is both objective and compassionate.

On top of that, this case turns out to be a huge mystery, with twists and turns that you will not see coming, and a motley crew of potential suspects.

Burden of Proof will tug at your hearstrings, but it is very entertaining because it covers such a fascinating mystery of a case. I was hooked after watching the first 15-20 minutes and did not stop watching until I had binged all four episodes.

Highly recommended.

Fantastic true crime documentary that bridges the gap between real and tv. But a lot of holes you can poke

[praj-jain · 7/10 · 19 June 2023]

There are aplenty of detective shows with savant, heavily invested in truth and have always the right intuition. This true crime documentary puts you in the shoes of an a brother who is obsessed with finding out what happened to his missing sister, as parents suspected of crime against their own kid and detectives as they process the case.

This documentary is not just a mystery, but also a family drama and a psychological exploration. It shows how we can be biased, mistaken and misled by our own emotions and assumptions when we judge others. It also raises the question of what could happen when we are not patient and compassionate, but heavily biased, thinking the worst. It follows the folly with police process when not done correctly but also highlights some incredible techniques that are used.

The brother, Stephen, believes that his parents are somehow involved in his sister's disappearance. He thinks his father did something terrible and his mother helped him cover it up. He spends years trying get an answer in the way he likes, even at the cost of his relationship with his mother. He takes keen interest in the case police reopened and he conducts his own investigation, uncovering new evidence and secrets.

The documentary follows his journey as both a victim and an accuser, as well as the work of the police, who face challenges, errors and breakthroughs in their quest for justice. The direction is impressive, but not flawless. The series could be shorter and avoid some repetition. It could also give more insight into the bond between the siblings and what Stephen was doing when his sister vanished. The ending is powerful but unsatisfying, as it leaves many questions unanswered and many details unexplored. It seems like the makers have made up their minds about the case and do not want to share more information. Stephen gets some closure, but not the kind he expected.

Despite these flaws, the show is captivating and the ending is shocking. It will leave you wanting to know more about the case and its aftermath.

Thought provoking true crime story

[lmkixx · 6/10 · 11 June 2023]

Even though editing could of and should have made this true crime story more condensed it was still worthwhile. I felt empathy for the family members as the whole thing was perplexing for them all. The poor mother was a sad figure, a tragic doormat, who took continual browbeating tirades from her son and the police and never stood up for herself or demanded answers.

The police department made major errors, no surprise there. As soon as it was revealed that the original case file was missing I immediately knew the police department had misplaced it. Not much was said about the original investigation but it sure seems that they didn't seriously investigate back in 1987 when they did have leads but that seems pretty typical scenario for a missing teenager unfortunately.

Sad, absorbing, multi-layered drama

[velliott-39856 · 9/10 · 8 June 2023]

This beautifully presented documentary is at once a profound family drama and a haunting mystery. Its themes range from coming of age feminine angst over first love lost to a dogged pursuit of elusive justice for a younger sister whose fierce light never dims for the older brother investigating her disappearance in the course of decades. Away at college when she simply vanishes from her bedroom one night, aged 15, he turns over every stone he can, sacrifices a relationship with his mother, and turns middle aged while believing that both his parents conspired to cover up their part in her loss. His own "side investigation" and the case authorities re-open at his urging unfold and show various facets, growing ever more complex, while his personal perspective slowly but surely begins to shift. So we, the audience, also grow in knowlege--and ultimately--in some measure, in wisdom. Pacing is wonderful, allowing for reflection, which continues after the credits have rolled.

Just skip the Ron (father) parts

[cindyrellaexists · 6/10 · 17 June 2023]

It is definitely an interesting and sad story but the interviews with the father, Ron, and his watered down Walmart-level 3rd wife are so unnecessary. Who need to hear from that couple? He's a felon and still acts arrogant although a christian? He's as trash as they come. That 3rd wife has absolutely no reason to talk about this issue at all. She should have been wiped from any footage. The other interviewees contributed more to this series and were much more interesting to watch. All the father contributed was his little man syndrome machismo.

The brother spending his life looking for his sister is just heartbreaking and his parents are the epitome of deplorable human beings.

More artful, more compelling than the "true crime" label might suggest

[lance-12935 · 10/10 · 19 June 2023]

Put simply, and without a doubt: it's remarkable.

I don't watch much true crime, and yet I'm not sure that label really fits here. "Burden" is deeply humane, entirely un-sensational, and far more artful than anything I know of in that genre.

It's a special and gripping work, with a haunting though subtly conveyed reminder of the pervasiveness and elusive justice around partner violence.

And in terms of filmmaking craft, it's an impressive display of both endurance (the project stretches over nearly 8 years) and skill (cinematography is deft and compelling throughout).

It's worth your time. And you'll be thinking about it.

Here's why you should skip to episode 4

[squibblesix · 3/10 · 25 June 2023]

There's really only about 30 minutes of useful information in this documentary series stretched out over 4 hours. If you watch the last episode, you can figure out through context what this series is about. Now I'll spoil it for you in the next section, if you want to save yourself 4 hours, because I wish someone did that for me. You won't like the ending.

Spoiler: This documentary follows the investigation into a missing teenage girl, and the brother of the girl suspects his parents involvement. 3 episodes are used to convince the viewer that the father murdered the girl and the mother helped or at least was aware of it. Turns out in the last episode the viewer finds out they did not have anything to do with it and speculates it was actually the boyfriend of the girl that murdered her. Due to insufficient evidence, they can't charge the boyfriend with the murder. The end.

It's sad because the brother of missing girl put his mother through hell for well over a decade or two, turned the mother's sisters and maybe even the community against her and the mother endured because she loves her son. And they never found out who the real killer is. They lead you to think it was the boyfriend by the end, but how can we trust that when they spent 3 episodes trying to convince you it was the parents? The entire series is just frustrating, slow paced and a complete waste of time. I hope I saved you some time.

If You Only Like 20/20 & Dateline This is Not For You

[a-cuneio03 · 8/10 · 26 June 2023]

If you're expecting to watch 42 minutes and get the answers you're seeking, you're probably going to be this a '3'. This is more about a glance inside the agony of a brother trying to find answers to his sister's murder, than it is about satisfying the viewer's need for instant gratification.

If you appreciate exceptional film-making that captures raw emotion, ranging from hope to complete hopelessness, give it a shot. If you're looking for another true crime 'hit and run' then skip this one because it might be a waste of 4 hours for you.

I can't wait for a follow up to this documentary as the story is compelling.

20 Minutes of Suspense Crammed Into 4 Hours!

[billyberetta · 2/10 · 22 June 2023]

This series reminds me of several Discovery Network (History Channel, NatGeo, etc.) shows. You know, the ones where the hosts go on expeditions to find lost treasure, ancient civilizations, evidence of paranormal activity, etc. And along the way, they sometimes discover the random coin, ancient tool or artifact, and maybe even a skeleton or two. But at the end of the show, you end up right back where you started - nothing solved, no huge treasure found. Case in point - "The Curse of Oak Island." They've milked this treasure hunt for 10 years and almost 170 episodes, and found the square root of diddley. This is what you have here, only it's FOUR hours long. This could have easily been condensed into an hour, maybe less. I could have given this production a pass for taking an hour of my time, but I really feel cheated about losing the other three hours. Its only redeeming quality is that it highlights how easily "investigators" from our law enforcement agencies can screw up a wet dream.

Heartbreaking

[My5terygi5l · 10/10 · 4 July 2023]

The loss of a child, in any way is devastating, but to not know what happened to your child, sister, relative, friend has no words. As Stephen searches for his sister who went mysteriously missing when she was 15, we walk the same walk of hoping to discover what happened to her with him. Solving a crime takes a lot of time and energy and when it is this type of crime, it takes literally years, if it gets solved at all. The reviewers who complain about there being 4 episodes are not in it for the live filming that was done over a period of 7 years. Each part was necessary. The story and the family become real with this type of documentary. The filming is excellent, the editing perfect and the heartbreak is so hard that it leaves you totally engrossed. It is definitely one of the best documentaries I have seen in a while.

Obsessed brother who is set on destroying his parents.

[Nell-E-M · 8 November 2023]

Whilst the events surrounding Jennifer's disappearance and strange and intriguing the main thing I took away from watching this is the awful way Margie was treated both by the police and Stephen, her own son.

The officers in the 2006-2009 investigation were disrespectful, obnoxious, accusatory and borderline abusive. The way the spoke to Margie was appalling and downright out of line, they should be ashamed.

As for Stephen he was nothing but mentally abusive towards Margie. He was so obsessed with the notion that his father murdered Jennifer and that Margie was complicit in covering it up that he veered of the path of justice to that of pure vengence, he just wanted his mother to pay whatever the cost. In my view he was cruel and abusive to his mother. He dangled promises of reconciliation and the prospect of allowing Margie a relationship with his daughters like a carrot. She could have these things but only if she (Margie) told him (Stephen) what he wanted to hear regardless (in my opinion) of what was true.

Margie was nothing but consistent in her denial of involvement or that of Ron's involvement and yet Stephen, so blinded by his obsession, was determined to break her down and get her to confess. He comes out of this badly, very badly. He ruined his relationship with Margie and denied her and his daughters any kind of relationship. He doesn't deserve forgiveness for his treatment and abuse of Margie. Shame on him and respect to Margie for somehow remaining decent and dignified through out.

An Inside Look on the Families Behind a Victim in a "True Crime"

[jewetth-98745 · 9/10 · 3 November 2023]

If you're looking for an open and shut case or your typical take on true crime, this isn't for you. This docuseries is part true crime but also (and maybe more importantly) it is an expose on the devastating but real impact that crime, especially a disappearance turned cold case after years can have on a family. It examines how different people who were close to the victim have different viewpoints on the traumatic event, and how those different view points and emotions can lead to seemingly unsurmountable schisms. Rarely is this type of raw emotional depth and focus on what happens after the headlines and behind closed doors, regardless of what others may be thinking.

This documentary is a journey you can take along with the brother of the victim, and join him on his search to bring the person (or people) behind his sisters disappearance to justice. There are twists and turns and sometimes more questions than answers, but it is a very honest take on what it's like to be someone searching for answers, justice, and peace, after decades of wondering what horrible thing happened to rip someone so close to you away.

Waste of time

[pg-ytterdal · 3/10 · 19 August 2023]

Spoiler Alert..... 3 episodes where he blame his father, and the last where all comes down to, his father and mother are not quilty. And the film crew spending seven year with this means panoroia, and the wievers that see 4 hours hoping for something. Then when he at last goes to his mother, he do it in private. Exuse me, ok its personal, but 3 episodes you blame your mother Yelling to her to make her tell the truth. This is ok for you to let us see, but not the meeting with your mother after, and do you ever say you are sorry to your father. The biggest victims here, is the mother and father.

Moving and powerful

[mommyplum · 9/10 · 17 January 2024]

In 1987, 15-year-old Jennifer Pandos disappeared from her locked first floor bedroom in a gated community of Williamsburg. No one has seen her since. Did she leave on her own? If so, why leave behind all her possessions except clothes on her back, even her contact lenses? If she was taken out by force, why did nothing seem disturbed and her mother even called her room "pristine" the morning it was discovered she was gone. And what to make of the note her parents said they found in her room, written in a sloppy hand and stating that Jennifer was leaving to be with an unnamed older man for a few days...seemingly written by the unknown older man himself. This incredibly moving, haunting and intriguing documentary focuses on the work and heartache of Stephen Pandos, Jennifer's older brother. Away at college at the time she disappeared, Stephen has had the unsolved mystery of his sister looming large his whole adult life. For the last decade, give or take, he's come to believe his parents, Ron (described as a troubled Vietnam vet with ptsd) and Margie (coming off as quiet and passive), were responsible. Now on his absolute mission to prove this at any cost is where the documentary begins. I have to say, I, like Stephen, completely believed his parents the most likely suspects for the first half or more of the docuseries. Stephen described his father as physically abusive, and the mom doesn't deny it, which leaves open whether he was capable of a supreme violence against his own child. Also, for parents who discovered their minor child missing, they seemed hardly alarmed, claiming they believed the letter left in Jennifer's room was genuine and they decided to let her have a few days. I'm a parent, and if one of my kids was gone in the night leaving behind a note saying they were off with an unnamed adult and would return, I'd call every law agency in the book, including the coast guard, within about 2.5 seconds. Yet, Ron and Margie did not, they waited 3 days, even giving phony excuses about Jennifer being ill and unable to come to school to her friends. And what to make of them not contacting family far and wide to see if they'd seen or heard from Jennifer...a few of these people who lived in another state say they weren't even told Jennifer was missing for years, always being given excuses of why she wasn't around. Baffling, inexplicable behavior. And who could this older man be, none of her friends interviewed have a single clue. In fact, by all accounts, Jennifer was still madly in love with her ex-boyfriend, a fellow student at her high school. Stephen Pandos is such a strong person, visibly containing his sorrow, anger and frustration so he can work for an answer. When the evidence starts to definitively point away from a conspiracy by his parents as the series progresses, his transforming pain is palpable. He's been so sure it had to be them for so long that justice for Jennifer seemed only 2 steps away, and now he finds his crusade against them might have been meaningless, his refusal to continue a relationship with his mom all these years while she "lied" a cruel miscalculation. I feel terrible for him. He couldn't even take relief in knowing his parents probably didn't kill their child, because it means everyone is just as far from a solution as ever. No closer to knowing Jennifer's fate than that cold morning in 1987 when she was gone. Could her ex-boyfriend, who may have still been seeing her in secret despite having a new girlfriend, hold the key? Could another teen have really so expertly crafted a fake runaway scenario in the middle of the night, leaving behind no evidence whatsoever...ever? Is Jennifer still alive, a runaway after all, too moved on from her old life to come forward? Stephen and his mother are left almost where they started by the end, with no Jennifer and no closure. At least it was good to see them at the beginning of rebuilding their relationship. My heart goes out to the family and Jennifer's friends, I hope one day they really do get an answer and can find a better peace. Definitely worth a viewing, the cinematography is also excellent and the editing is perfect.

Long boring waste of time .

[itstheheart · 2/10 · 24 June 2023]

This documentary is 4 hours of interviews with the same people speculating on crime from years ago. This could have been a one hour 20/20 and it would have been better. I feel for the brother . But this is one of the most boring documentaries I've ever watched . I slept through half of it and missed nothing. I ended up fast forwarding it to the end . Which was just more of the same bad re enactments they show through out the film. There was nothing exciting or redeeming about this project . It made me wish the brother had spent his time and money on therapy and trying to heal his relationships with his parents. Rather than drag us along for the same accusations and interviews , only to find out that the parents weren't suspects after all. I am stunned HBO actually made this. Someone has too much time and money on their hands . Just a thought ,with so many young indigenous women missing , how about HBO spending money time and resources trying to solve those murders! How about this brother setting up a no profit in his sisters name to find other missing teens. Instead of beating to death a million year old case that has lead to nothing . Do yourself a favor and skip this.

Tragic, yet extremely biased.

[lvlent · 8/10 · 9 June 2023]

Only on episode two and so far this documentary is extremely biased. The father is obviously not in line for sainthood, but unless things change the in a later episode the evidence against the dad is real circumstantial and flimsy.

I get that Stephen wants answers to his sisters disappearance but there seems to be a lot of grasping going on.

Now for the elephant in the room. The police department blew this case big time.

The two female investigators screaming at the mother that she knows what happened and shouldn't have to look at the notes was laughable. "You should remember". It was twenty years ago. Then Stephen says to his father that the cops never lied to me. What????? File was lost then found!!!!!! Hope it gets better and tells both sides accurately.

Long Long Long. With no reason to be.

[levybob · 3/10 · 19 June 2023]

The Documentary 'Burden of Proof' is four hours long. With absolutely no reason to be more than - at a maximum - two. And that is its major failing. As I watched I found myself feeling that what I was seeing was something I'd seen before. And I had. In this very episode, or in one earlier. The same points are made again and again. And it's not as though it's a confusing story. It's not as though there are dozens of characters to keep track of. And this made me angry and impatient and I know that you'll feel that, as well. Who wouldn't?

The story is simple. When he was a teenager a man's younger sister 'disappeared'. Or was murdered. Or took her own life. And the man, now an adult and clearly very well off, has spent much of his life trying to uncover the answer. He believes he knows that answer, and early in the film tries to prove it. But as the story progresses he finds that the answer may not be quite so easily determined.

I gave the film as many as three stars because, at its heart, it's an attempt to make an important statement about forgiveness and family dynamics. The lead character's relationship with his parents is what the film's really about. But even here, the scenes with his parents are muddled and I had no idea, at the film's end, where those relationships were headed.

So please, don't waste your time. I mean, in the end, time's really all we've got.

Don't waste your time watching

[tryecrim3watch-r · 1/10 · 11 November 2023]

After being insulted, blamed, and cut off by the son, I felt sorry for Mrs Pandos and Mr Pandos, they lost a daughter. Stephen was not living at home I believe and had no idea until what really went on in that house, so he threw money into an investigation that was filmed for seven years (yawn). As if losing their daughter was not enough, Stephen has been clearly bitter and obsessed with no proof or very good reason to be vile to his parents, blame both of them for killing her. There was no empathy that he lost his sister, just blame. After a four part thoroughly boring and dull documentary, he still has no proof of anything. He (hopefully) asked his mother for forgiveness, but did that not behind closed doors. A pathetic wealthy man on a mission who was strangely entertained by some official people. His dull boring inaudible voice made me skip through most of the episodes, thankfully I did. Don't waste your time watching.

What a total waste of time, one of the worst documentaries I've ever watched

[SleepyMaya · 1/10 · 28 December 2023]

I'm gonna give you a summary of the whole thing so you can save yourself 4 hours of face palming and boredom.

It's pretty much a story about a girl who went missing and a weird letter was left behind, and her brother decided the father killed her and mother protects him, so he cut all contact with them for over a decade, prevented them from seeing the grandchildren too, even though there is literally zero proof that they actually did anything and it's all just based on a hunch. The series keeps repeating the same things over and over trying to convince you really hard that it's the parents even though there are no new details to support that so they just keep replaying the fake narrative again and again just to drag this to fill the first 3 episodes.

The police is doing an awful job too, losing the file and making it seem like the father stole it (a decade later they are like "oh nvm we found it"), supporting the brother's theory and encouraging him to hate his parents even though there is no proof, and what they did with the letter is just beyond stupid. You really don't need to be an expert in order to look at the letter and say right away that it was written with someone's non domminant hand, possibly the girl herself. You also don't need to be an expert in order to look at the handwriting of both parents and tell that there is no way they are the ones who wrote this letter. But what the police does is checking with an expert if the father wrote it, finding out he didn't, and then just assuming "well then if it's not him, it must have been the mother who wrote it to help him cover for his murder". They assume that, yet it takes them over a decade (!!!) of assuming that (a decade of brother not talking to his parents too) before they bother checking with an expert if the mother's handwriting matches. And of course it doesn't, so none of the parents could have written that letter. IF ONLY they checked it back then and saved this family a decade of not talking to each other...

The other thing is they assume she is dead because she lived in a neighborhood with a gate, it would have been too far for her to walk from her house to the gate by foot so in order to get out she would need someone to drive her, but someone who comes from the outside couldn't get through the gate in order to pick her up, they can't think of any other way she could get out so the only logical thing they can think of is that she couldn't have gotten out at all and must have been murdered. At no point anyone brings up the obvious possibility of someone from inside her neighborhood, just a friend of hers, who has full access to the gate, simply giving her a lift to get out and then coming back without her. It just doesn't even cross their minds???

Then on the last episode when they finally drop out the fake scenario of "it was the parents", they decide it was the ex boyfriend, even though again, there isn't any actual proof. An expert checks his handwriting but it's impossible to say if it is or isn't him, so everyone comes to the conclusion of "that means it must be him then!!!". The whole time they also talk about the possibility of maybe that girl just wrote the letter herself before she ran away from home out of her own choice, but at no point anyone bothers doing the very obvious thing you should do which is check HER OWN handwriting with an expert to see if it's possible that she wrote it, because why would they do the most logical thing when they can just go based on hunches?

Then at the end it's pretty much "well there is no proof it was the ex boyfriend either so yeah, case is still open and we don't know what actually happend and we have no other leads, bye", not worded like that of course but that's the conclusion of this so called documentary series.

Why?

[holarsch · 4/10 · 11 June 2023]

This overly long and tedious series was a total waste of my precious time. At first it presented as a novel way of solving a decades long crime that had gone unsolved. With family dynamics involved, the filmmaker leads us to a frustrating waste of time. I'm now upset that I convinced other suckers to watch this drudgery with me. There were interesting interviews that were projected over the decades. As I continued to watch I expected quite an interesting turn and received none. The investment of my time was wasted by watching this protracted and pointless piece of filmmaking drudgery. If you have a chance to see this.... SKIP IT,

Three hours of my life I won't get back.

[nlw820-405-532545 · 2/10 · 11 June 2023]

While I believe this is partly about a brother who wants to know what happened to his sister who disappeared more than three decades ago, I feel like it is more about an aspiring filmmaker desperately trying to make something out of next-to-nothing. The evidence is never strong, the case is flimsy, and he spends 14 years trying to find answers, revisiting the same stories and scenarios. The re-enactments are weak, and it meanders all over the place. I stuck with it out of curiosity and when it was over, was mad at myself that I'd wasted my time. In my opinion, this is a vanity project and little more.

Cutting Bait

[asc85 · 5/10 · 26 June 2023]

There are definitely spoilers in my review, so don't read further if that will ruin things for you.

Many of the reviews for "Burden of Proof" were very positive, which is why I ended up watching this in the first place. And indeed, for the first three episodes, I thought this documentary was very good. Unfortunately, everything collapses in the final episode, when you realize that not only didn't the parents do it, they're really not sure who did do it. And to be honest, unless someone makes a deathbed confession, I don't think we are ever going to know what happened. They suggest that it could be the ex-boyfriend, but my guess is that they were afraid to go too deep with that for fear of being sued by the ex-boyfriend.

So the show kind of pivots from a "whodunit" to "trying to make peace with your parents." What else was left for them to do with this? I feel bad for the documentarians, who hung in there for I think it was seven years thinking they had a great story. When this turned out to be another "dry well," I think they decided that they had to put something out, or else all the time and money they had spent on this would have gone to waste. On the very remote chance this ends up getting solved, they can always add another episode or two about it.

And on a side note to this documentary, Donnie Norrell, the private detective that Stephen hired to help him figure out this case was an absolute waste of money. Without getting too deep into this, I had read an article once that people like this end up latching onto the theory that their client wants to believe, whether or not that is really accurate or not. I'm not saying he was intentionally devious, he was just clueless. Isn't his job to figure things out, rather than to go along with his client? At least Lena Sisco (my wife and I called her "Poker Face" from the Peacock series. If you saw the series, you should understand the reference) expressed some early doubt about the mother being involved. Norrell just goes full-force on the parents until...the ex-boyfriend becomes the main suspect, and then he goes all out on the ex-boyfriend. How does anyone hire this guy?