By Kaitlin Sides | LTVN Reporter/Anchor
After becoming the trial of the year and even being compared to that of O.J. Simpson, the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh is back on Netflix for another season.
The first season of “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” was released in February and quickly caught national attention as it exposed a well-known family’s deepest secrets.
The three-part series covered the events that led up to the murders of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh — Alex’s son and wife, respectively— and how five people tied to the Murdaugh family died in the span of six years from 2015 to 2021.
Most of the first season focused on the infamous 2019 boat crash, which resulted in the death of Mallory Beach. Her death forever altered the life of Paul, who was allegedly drunk at the time he crashed the boat. The season featured interviews from Beach’s boyfriend as well as Paul’s longtime ex-girlfriend — both of whom are also featured in season two.
The first season came out shortly before Alex’s conviction for the murders of his son and wife. Afterward, the Beach family settled a lawsuit against the Murdaugh family for $15 million.
The second season makes no mention that since Alex’s guilty verdict, two cases have been reopened. Investigators are now looking into what the Murdaugh family may have covered up, including the death of housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. However, these cases aren’t receiving much attention, which leaves the feeling that the series was unfinished and published anyway.
The second season does talk about what people want to hear: the trial. The five-week trial was filled with lots of shocking evidence, much of which was shown throughout the series. From censored body camera footage from the night of the murders to the video that placed Alex at the scene, these pieces of evidence were hard to watch and truly showed how chilling of a case this was.
The part of the trial involving Curtis “Eddie” Smith is what is most confusing about it all. To give some background, Alex and Smith are distant cousins, and Smith often helped Alex with daily tasks, such as cashing checks for him and allegedly serving as his drug dealer. The series sheds light on the money laundering that Alex took part in, allegedly involving Smith, that made him unable to practice law.
My key takeaway is that the interview with Smith is what made the second season. His interview is something I believe everyone has been wanting, especially since the alleged roadside shooting that happened right after the deaths of Paul and Maggie.
Along with a video of O.J. Simpson’s perspective on the trial, the second season features interviews from key people in the Murdaugh family’s lives, including housekeeper Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson. Turrubiate-Simpson’s testimony was truly a make-or-break moment and solidified the idea that not everything was as it seemed.
Season two of this documentary is not what I would deem a “must-watch,” but it does provide more insight into a deep case. The episodes provide the facts about the trial, with the slightest bit of opinion. However, the documentary feels rushed, with each episode only lasting about 30-45 minutes.
If you want to know more about the Murdaugh murders, I would listen to the Murdaugh Murders podcast, rather than watching season two of this documentary.
