The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, Andrew Jarecki’s 2015 HBO docuseries about real estate heir and accused murderer Robert Durst, is true-crime’s holy grail. A work of endlessly captivating convolutions, it climaxed with one of television’s—and investigative journalism’s—all-time endings: a candid last-second confession from the suspect at the center of its homicidal tale. Rich in detail and character, verifiable realities, and unanswerable questions, it’s the masterpiece to which all likeminded efforts aspire. It’s no exaggeration to say that, along with Errol Morris’ seminal The Thin Blue Line, it stands at the absolute apex of its genre.
Thus, it’s also not hyperbole to state that Jarecki’s decision to revisit his triumph—nine long years after it left viewers’ jaws on the floor—is exciting news, no matter that Durst’s subsequent fate was lustily covered by the media. And while there’s seemingly no way for it to match the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of its predecessor, whose ultimate bombshell is what all sleuthing docs dream about, the six-installment The Jinx—Part Two (April 21) proves a worthy twisty-turny sequel. Picking up with its story (which the series is now a key part of!) in the immediate aftermath of its prior conclusion, and following Durst as he’s prosecuted for the execution-style 2000 slaying of his confidant Susan Berman, it affords myriad insider perspectives on its mysteries and its players’ tangled loyalties, all while presenting new characters, unearthing fresh clues and testimony, and digging deeper into Durst’s cold, cunning psyche.
Moreover, the sequel appears—unbelievably, and tantalizingly—to be hiding a last-second shocker of its own. Given that only four of its six episodes were provided to press ahead of its premiere, however, any such revelations will stay buried until this follow-up’s finale on May 26.
Read more at The Daily Beast.
