'The Curious Life and Death of...' Episode 1 Review: Smithsonian Channel takes a new approach to true-crime
In the very first episode of the Smithsonian Channel's true-crime docuseries, host and medical historian Dr Lindsey Fitzharris and former Scotland Yard detective Brian Hook take turns at mock-ups of the bodies of Andrew Borden and Abby Borden -- father and stepmother to Lizzie Borden who were killed in August 1892 -- to hack into them. These mock-ups look clear enough with the skeletons inside them, but they are made of a material that supposedly resembles the texture of a human body. When Fitzharris and Hook hack into the bodies -- after wearing protective gear, of course -- blue liquid splashes at them.
This exercise was just a simple exercise to study the blood splatter pattern that could have been expected in the premiere episode where Fitzharris and her team, including Hook and Raychelle Burks, examine available information and use modern technology to try and answer questions of the horrifying murders that took place in the Borden household. Lizzie Borden was acquitted of all charges and went on to live until the age of 66 years of age as a free woman. But to date, her guilt has remained obvious to many who contend that she must have killed her parents for money.
For the most part, 'The Curious Life and Death of...' seems quite tacky -- Fitzharris is perky and speaks very fast, her sidekicks, Hook and Burks seem almost as if the trio were lifted from a parody true-crime series, and the methods used certainly seem questionable (the faces of Andrew and Abby Borden were superimposed upon the body mock-ups multiple times as the show veered into and away from shots of Fitzharris and Hook's experiment).
However, in spite of initial apprehensions, 'The Curious Life and Death of...' grows on the viewer -- perhaps it is because of the nature of the mysteries that are presented or because of the compelling way Fitzharris is able to weave different scenarios and theories together. In doing so, one thing that certainly cannot be denied is that the Smithsonian Channel series is taking a newer and different approach to true-crime and while it may be quite macabre, to use Fitzharris' own words, it is certainly appealing.
The first episode, as mentioned, deals with the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden and whether Lizzie Borden was truly guilty of the crimes. While Hook believes there may have been an unknown intruder who committed the crimes, Burks is sure that it was an inside job. The show also presents some facts that are not commonly known to the public. For instance, when the bodies were found, while Andrew's blood was still wet and dripping, Abby's had congealed, or that the Bordens' live-in maid, Bridget "Maggie" Sullivan was seen leaving the Borden household on the night of the murders carrying a sack. Fitzharris wonders whether Sullivan may have been carrying Lizzie's bloodied clothes out -- when Lizzie was found after the murders, there was no blood on her, which further led to help her get acquitted.
'The Curious Life and Death of...' airs on the Smithsonian Channel on Sunday nights at 9/8c.
