We enjoyed the mini-series, however it could be hard to follow in places. Why? We've noticed a trend in productions, they just can't be linear, they just have to jump back and forth in time. A little is okay and sometimes you need to do that to flush out the details of the movie, but most movies have so much of it, it feels like the show is just jumping around constantly. And this was no exception. Before her death, just before her death, after her death, the original trial, the 2017 statement, back to the 2011 retrial, then 2017, then just before her death. We were getting sea-sick. I just wish they wouldn't do this in movies all the time, it is so hard on the viewer.
217 Reviews
So so
juancruz197415 June 2022
Good performance by Firth. The "constantly back and forth narrative" was pointless and even irritating. A lot of scenes had no meaning whatsoever. It should have been 4 episodes, there's way too many pointless minutes.
Where? Right there on the stair.
bosporan5 May 2022
After three episodes, this is shaping up to be a fabulous story, it is true, yet ambiguous enough to carry tension and suspense. The cast is magnificent with strong headliners and a depth unusually strong for TV.
The pacing is good, though the heavy use of short and long scene non-linearity is haphazardly delineated, with occasional timestamps, but no stylistic changes making frequent rewinding necessary. Cinematography is generally well done, but there are some sporadic gimmicky techniques which detract by being more showy than necessary.
Colin Firth has brilliant range as novelist Michael Peterson, the husband in the frame for his wife, Kathleen's, probable murder. Not surprisingly there are fine performances too numerous to mention from a cast of this stature.
A persuasive story very well told, episode four cannot drop quickly enough!
The pacing is good, though the heavy use of short and long scene non-linearity is haphazardly delineated, with occasional timestamps, but no stylistic changes making frequent rewinding necessary. Cinematography is generally well done, but there are some sporadic gimmicky techniques which detract by being more showy than necessary.
Colin Firth has brilliant range as novelist Michael Peterson, the husband in the frame for his wife, Kathleen's, probable murder. Not surprisingly there are fine performances too numerous to mention from a cast of this stature.
A persuasive story very well told, episode four cannot drop quickly enough!
Timeline confusing
cathyannemoore-6619614 May 2022
Intrigued by this story as it is based on real characters and thus far after watching 4 episodes have resisted the temptation of googling the real Michael Peterson. Since it is the mystery that is keeping me watching as well as the eye candy that is the former Mr Darcy. In all seriousness - I rate all of the actors that are in this mini series, 4 stars are deducted for the telling of the story through a timeline that is not in chronological order. Which would be fine - if it was made clear which year we were watching, it is sometimes but not always and that's why it is confusing. Put it this way one can't take one's eye away from the screen for too long in case in that second we jump to another year. And I'm not clear if the end of episode 4 is what really happened or what the jury believed happened. It's also taken about 3 episodes to reveal who are the parents of the various children in this blended family. My 6 is perhaps a little generous - its based on the optimism a cracking story will unfold. Yet to find out who Sophie is.
the owls are not what they seem
phenomynouss14 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Colin firth looks absolutely nothing like michael peterson,
but then wow, he perfectly captures peterson's speaking style, accent, behavior, everything. It's almost more entertaining watching him perfectly nail every beat in imitating the man than it is watching the man himself.
As for watching the man himself, this is definitely the sort of series that only benefits from watching alongside the original documentary series it's based on. Given that this series is 8 episodes and the documentary series is 13, it would probably help to watch 2 episodes of the documentary for every 1 episode of the series after a certain point.
The casting for most of the characters is incredible, and rather than being a basically side by side comparison with the documentary, it delves rather extensively into flashbacks, giving toni collette's plenty of screen time as kathleen peterson, including a quick but brutal re-enactment of one of the possible scenarios that unfolded on the staircase.
Mercifully, few liberties are taken with the story, and it isn't really streamlined for a broader audience. This is very clearly a situation where if the case itself and the people involved do not interest you, then this series will not interest you.
It's fun once in a while to get stuff like this; complex and niche stories told for a niche audience rather than trying to flatten itself out to appeal to as many people as possible and thus appealing to no one.
but then wow, he perfectly captures peterson's speaking style, accent, behavior, everything. It's almost more entertaining watching him perfectly nail every beat in imitating the man than it is watching the man himself.
As for watching the man himself, this is definitely the sort of series that only benefits from watching alongside the original documentary series it's based on. Given that this series is 8 episodes and the documentary series is 13, it would probably help to watch 2 episodes of the documentary for every 1 episode of the series after a certain point.
The casting for most of the characters is incredible, and rather than being a basically side by side comparison with the documentary, it delves rather extensively into flashbacks, giving toni collette's plenty of screen time as kathleen peterson, including a quick but brutal re-enactment of one of the possible scenarios that unfolded on the staircase.
Mercifully, few liberties are taken with the story, and it isn't really streamlined for a broader audience. This is very clearly a situation where if the case itself and the people involved do not interest you, then this series will not interest you.
It's fun once in a while to get stuff like this; complex and niche stories told for a niche audience rather than trying to flatten itself out to appeal to as many people as possible and thus appealing to no one.
Wanted to Like It More
atmegh16 May 2022
Watched four episodes and am done. Too slow and just boring. I really love Toni Collette and Colin Firth, but it's all over the place. I'm just sick of the entire family. I watched the docu-drama on Netflix years ago. Bad situation. He probably did it.
Really Bad Ending
lizzybee11 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I can't believe we committed to watching 8 hours watching a show about a throughly disgusting human being. What makes Peterson so special? I deliberately didn't look in Wikipedia to see what happened to the man and realize now this was a huge mistake.
Remembering the "Single Man" from "Apartment Zero"
marcelbenoitdeux12 June 2022
Let me say I didn't know anything about the real case but now I do. Chilling! Colin Firth';s close ups as Michael Peterson are downright chilling. His discomfort mixed with his arrogance are everpresent and a dislocating humanity that makes this terrific series utterly compelling. Toni Collette, Juliette Binoche, Michael Stuhlbarg and the rest of the cast makes it one of the best TV I've seen in a long time - And I've seen some terrific stuff - Colin Firth that I discovered in "Apartment Zero" continues to surprise and amaze.
Strong to flawed
skeleton-mage10 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The acting was great and personally I enjoyed the pace. I like drama so I wasn't disappointed that it focussed on the people involved, in a way for me that made it worthwhile converting it from a documentary. I got the impression the show intentionally obfuscated things to make the case seem more complex than it was. I probably would have rated it higher but it was frustrating to me that they introduced several things, the owl, the previous victim (Ratliff), the coroner being pressured into saying Kathleen died from bludgeoning, the implied specific but ultimately ambiguous issues of the younger son - but then never told us what happened with those things. Seemed to me the previous Ratliff death made the guy guilty for sure, did they think we'd forget about it if they downplayed it or did I miss something? Also, the timeline was confusing, and in the second half seemed to get even more confusing. I dunno. It started out strong and became increasingly flawed. It was still above average quality to me; engaging, suspenseful, the way the mood was manipulated between scenes allowed for impressive transitions between comedy and tragedy and made me empathize with the characters a lot, the irreversible life and time lost by the documentarians. But I came away from it feeling it was a bit messy.
Colin Firth is better at playing Michael Peterson, than Michael Peterson.
Shaun_of_the_Dude7 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Through acting school, I hated Colin Firth. In fact, even before acting school, I was nonchalant towards Colin Firth's performance abilities.
But by jove, he has scored a 90th minute overhead kick here and pretty much outshines the supporting cast. Pipe in mouth (cough), Firth has actually convinced me that he has embodied Peterson.
The source material is there for all to see and if you get a chance, watch the serial and you will see how good Firth's portrayal is.
This is a really good serial and has a stellar cast- hey, even Jr. Terminator nails it.
Hell... What are you even doing here reading this review? Gimme a thumbs UP, and GO AND WATCH IT FOR YOURSELF!
And whatever you do, don't get any big ideas - pushing your better half down the stairs after kicking their head in, is not the way to go about conflict resolution.
High five to Toni Collette. She actually throws herself - literally - into the... Role? 😏
But by jove, he has scored a 90th minute overhead kick here and pretty much outshines the supporting cast. Pipe in mouth (cough), Firth has actually convinced me that he has embodied Peterson.
The source material is there for all to see and if you get a chance, watch the serial and you will see how good Firth's portrayal is.
This is a really good serial and has a stellar cast- hey, even Jr. Terminator nails it.
Hell... What are you even doing here reading this review? Gimme a thumbs UP, and GO AND WATCH IT FOR YOURSELF!
And whatever you do, don't get any big ideas - pushing your better half down the stairs after kicking their head in, is not the way to go about conflict resolution.
High five to Toni Collette. She actually throws herself - literally - into the... Role? 😏
What next?
rosscairns-1570623 May 2022
It's okay, Colin Firth is very good. I'm not sure I'm that bothered about the storyline of the drama surrounding the making of the documentary about the drama of the case. What next? A drama about the drama of the making of the drama starring (insert random name) as Colin Firth?
DO NOT look up the actual events before finishing the show
TaylorYee9422 August 2022
Just let it flow. Follow its lead, and go with the flow. One of the most captivating cinematic experiences I've had. (I was in the deep water, and the tide takes me so lightly that I feel as I do not exist.) Whirlwind of incidents, but 'The Staircase' never gets messy. It's just so strange because the story moves around a lot chronologically, (1. December of 2001, the day of Kathleen's death and before 2. 2002-2011, the court trial and imprisonment 3. 2017, after Alford plea) but it still remains to be perfectly organized. 'The Staircase' does not exactly pinpoint what happened that night; it rather includes all the possible theories claimed by two opposite sides. Because the series does not tell you that Michael Peterson is actually guilty or not, I researched about the case to have my own opinion. I like that it portrays the whole murder case as it is, so it can focus more on changes of Peterson and whole family throughout the time. Music is absolutely wonderful. It is graceful and sorrowful at the same time and is perfect for building mysterious ambiance.
The plot is interesting, the reality not so much...
eduardo-luiz-s064 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Perhaps the greatest merit of this series was to have brought in Colin Firth to play Michel Peterson. Among several hypotheses, he is the one who holds the theory that the protagonist is not really to blame for the murder of his wife. Sometimes, however, the series also supports Michael's theory of innocence in the justice system's fairness.
There are four theories here:
1# Kathleen has fallen down the stairs two or more times: the way this is filmed, as much as it may seem real, looks pretty artificial.
2# Michael killed his wife: although shocking, it is the most realistic and plausible. Perhaps the reason for the onset of violence is never revealed, but this act is the most acceptable.
3# An owl attacked Kathleen: basically explores the impossible. There may be a lot of material on the internet, but just out of curiosity for the hypothesis.
4# The prosecution would have hidden/forged evidence (not filmed): there is evidence that the prosecution was indeed corrupt. But there has to be a lot of conspiracy behind this case before this theory is said to be true.
Personally, I believe that there is no doubt that Michael Peterson murdered his wife, but the series explores the contradiction of (maybe you) not being so sure of it.
There are four theories here:
1# Kathleen has fallen down the stairs two or more times: the way this is filmed, as much as it may seem real, looks pretty artificial.
2# Michael killed his wife: although shocking, it is the most realistic and plausible. Perhaps the reason for the onset of violence is never revealed, but this act is the most acceptable.
3# An owl attacked Kathleen: basically explores the impossible. There may be a lot of material on the internet, but just out of curiosity for the hypothesis.
4# The prosecution would have hidden/forged evidence (not filmed): there is evidence that the prosecution was indeed corrupt. But there has to be a lot of conspiracy behind this case before this theory is said to be true.
Personally, I believe that there is no doubt that Michael Peterson murdered his wife, but the series explores the contradiction of (maybe you) not being so sure of it.
A promising start falls flat very quickly
drew-bard10 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It must be hard with real life stories, I get that. But then choose a story that is worth telling.
If you like a good twist, if you enjoy seeing great people grow in to a story, then don't watch this past the 2nd episode.
You'll find out quickly that Michael is an awful man, regardless of whether he committed murder or not, don't hang on thinking you'll change your mind.
In the end it's irrelevant whether you think he killed her. He's so grotesque anyway, that you won't really care.
If you like a good twist, if you enjoy seeing great people grow in to a story, then don't watch this past the 2nd episode.
You'll find out quickly that Michael is an awful man, regardless of whether he committed murder or not, don't hang on thinking you'll change your mind.
In the end it's irrelevant whether you think he killed her. He's so grotesque anyway, that you won't really care.
Push them all
DavidsGuy3 June 2022
Maybe I should have watched the documentary first because if the real Michael Peterson and his family are as annoying, foul-mouthed, unlikeable and train wreckish as they're portrayed in this series, then they all should have been pushed down a staircase. Where's an owl when you need one? I do have a quick question: is it true that after he was released from prison Michael Peterson join a big military unit?
Series just began but, so far so good
Susansgoldens5 May 2022
Have been following this story since the original trial. My impression so far is the set decorations, especially the house, is spot on. The cast, the always phenomenal Toni Collette and exceptional Colin Firth are excellent. Supporting cast portrays their roles true to their characters. In my mind's eye I'm watching the show unfold as if I'm seeing the actual victims. The writer's had a lot to work with starting with the trial transcripts and the French documentary The Staircase, so the show feels very real.
Colin Firth is Amazing
kkinard210 June 2022
I didn't care for Michael Peterson at all during the actual documentary and didn't care for him in the HBO version but I think Colin Firth's portrayal of him is uncanny! I don't see how any woman could have been attracted to him. I do feel sorry for the people in his life, being so exposed the way they are, particularly given that they weren't given much of a choice to be in the original documentary. It's fairly evident to me that all MP really cared about was/is himself and perhaps he wasn't aware of how the media attention/social media would impact those he allegedly cares about. To me, there was way too much blood for a fall and I tend to think of him as a guilty man.
If You've Seen the Netflix Doc... Definitely Watch This!
mrjeffmoore5 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I was a huge fan of the Netflix documentary, although I felt it was slightly biased toward Michael Peterson. There were too many details that were conveniently left out. I am two episodes into this show so far, and it does some things that are fascinating. Here is a breakdown of some of the additions-- most of good but a couple that are questionable so far:
1) They include scenes with Michael Peterson's new girlfriend, one of the producers of the documentary. This was conveniently left out of the documentary.
2) They include an actual reenactment of what it could have looked like had Kathleen actually fallen twice in the stairwell. It is very graphic, but it actually looked like it could possibly have happened that way.
3) They are already hinting at the possible "owl theory" that was left out of the doc -- Kathleen keeps hearing strange noises above their house or in the attic.
4) They actually reference the fact that one of his sons had legal trouble, although they only refer to it as what happened on "spring break."
5) The movie already seems to be implying that we will never truly know what happened, and that the whole documentary and true crime fascination could merely just lead to frustration and more questions.
6) They include scenes of Michael seeking out male attention either through the phone or the gym.
7) It goes into more detail about why Kathleen's daughter changed her mind about Michael's guilt.
The ONLY thing that I'm somewhat questioning so far is that we have seen scenes that happened in the documentary (such as the lawyer putting on a recording of someone yelling HELP and then going to the pool to discover that you can't hear anything), but the documentary filmmakers haven't appeared in person yet in this movie. They have contacted the legal team with interest, but nothing is being filmed yet. So I'm wondering why they didn't have them there filming already if we are watching things that we saw in the doc.
All in all, though, it's very well done so far. As a huge fan of the doc, this is only making the whole thing more intriguing and frustrating, which might be the whole intent. There is one person who knows what happened, and she will never be able to let us know.
1) They include scenes with Michael Peterson's new girlfriend, one of the producers of the documentary. This was conveniently left out of the documentary.
2) They include an actual reenactment of what it could have looked like had Kathleen actually fallen twice in the stairwell. It is very graphic, but it actually looked like it could possibly have happened that way.
3) They are already hinting at the possible "owl theory" that was left out of the doc -- Kathleen keeps hearing strange noises above their house or in the attic.
4) They actually reference the fact that one of his sons had legal trouble, although they only refer to it as what happened on "spring break."
5) The movie already seems to be implying that we will never truly know what happened, and that the whole documentary and true crime fascination could merely just lead to frustration and more questions.
6) They include scenes of Michael seeking out male attention either through the phone or the gym.
7) It goes into more detail about why Kathleen's daughter changed her mind about Michael's guilt.
The ONLY thing that I'm somewhat questioning so far is that we have seen scenes that happened in the documentary (such as the lawyer putting on a recording of someone yelling HELP and then going to the pool to discover that you can't hear anything), but the documentary filmmakers haven't appeared in person yet in this movie. They have contacted the legal team with interest, but nothing is being filmed yet. So I'm wondering why they didn't have them there filming already if we are watching things that we saw in the doc.
All in all, though, it's very well done so far. As a huge fan of the doc, this is only making the whole thing more intriguing and frustrating, which might be the whole intent. There is one person who knows what happened, and she will never be able to let us know.
What's Worse Than A Narcissist? Adult Children of That Narcissist
willwatch12 June 2022
Oy, The Kids. Great performances from Colin Firth/Toni Collette. Compelling story pretty much all the way through. But. Those. Insufferable. Spoiled. Whiny. Adult. Children! To top it off, The Kids really add nothing to the mystery/story -- other than a parade of cheap wigs with terrible early '00s highlights.
Brilliant
killercola7 May 2022
This is why I love HBOMAX. They know how to make a good damn series. Two episodes in and I'm sold. Will watch episode three tomorrow (it's really late, bedtime) but so far the acting, production value, directing, storytelling are all top notch. There's so many great actors in this show and I'm excited to see how this plays out. The documentary was great but this could end up being better.
Update: Finished the whole series tonight. It's an Emmy sweep. Take it to the bank. This series was better than the documentary. Wow, jut wow.
Update: Finished the whole series tonight. It's an Emmy sweep. Take it to the bank. This series was better than the documentary. Wow, jut wow.
Good Start but Drifts and Wanders
zeetgyst11 February 2023
There is lots good quality elements here, but even as someone who knew the story from the documentary, towards the end the constantly flipping timeline starts to simply get in the way. This version of Micheal is actually more likeable than the real one and the two leads do a great job with the ambiguous nature of the characters they are portraying. Rather then focus on the ups and downs of the unfolding of the evidence, the story focuses more on the children and the background of the documentary itself. At times the trial seems to be an afterthought and it makes the show feel aimless and unfocused.
Worth watching for the performances especially the Owl
tm-sheehan11 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
My Review. - The Staircase
HBO 8 part series streaming on Foxtel
My Rating 7 /10
This trend of stretching a story that could be effectively told in a feature movie rather than an eight episode series really annoys me . You can have the greatest cast in the world but if the series is over produced with confusing flash backs and fast forwards to my mind it becomes becomes overdone and turns out to be like a cake with to much frosting and not enough cake. Another analogy might be of a friend who takes over 10 minutes to explain something simple like what they had for breakfast.
The Staircase has a great cast Colin Firth is terrific cast as Michael Peterson a man who is accused of murdering his wife Kathleen (Toni Collette) . Kathleen is found dead at the bottom of the stairs but her injuries point to a more violent cause of death.
What follows is an account of events that occur over the next 16 years as Michael Peterson fights to overturn the jury's decision in his original trial.
It was great to see the delightful French actress Juliet Binoche as Sophie Broussard who befriends Peterson after his first trial sentencing .
It's a series well worth a look for the performances alone I just would have preferred it to be a 3 hour movie instead of an eight hour marathon series.
The story of Michael Peterson was detailed in a popular documentary by the same name on Netflix in 2018. I haven't seen the documentary yet which is 13 episodes and 9 hours long . After spending over 8 hours watching the series I'll leave if a while before I watch the documentary.
My Rating 7 /10
This trend of stretching a story that could be effectively told in a feature movie rather than an eight episode series really annoys me . You can have the greatest cast in the world but if the series is over produced with confusing flash backs and fast forwards to my mind it becomes becomes overdone and turns out to be like a cake with to much frosting and not enough cake. Another analogy might be of a friend who takes over 10 minutes to explain something simple like what they had for breakfast.
The Staircase has a great cast Colin Firth is terrific cast as Michael Peterson a man who is accused of murdering his wife Kathleen (Toni Collette) . Kathleen is found dead at the bottom of the stairs but her injuries point to a more violent cause of death.
What follows is an account of events that occur over the next 16 years as Michael Peterson fights to overturn the jury's decision in his original trial.
It was great to see the delightful French actress Juliet Binoche as Sophie Broussard who befriends Peterson after his first trial sentencing .
It's a series well worth a look for the performances alone I just would have preferred it to be a 3 hour movie instead of an eight hour marathon series.
The story of Michael Peterson was detailed in a popular documentary by the same name on Netflix in 2018. I haven't seen the documentary yet which is 13 episodes and 9 hours long . After spending over 8 hours watching the series I'll leave if a while before I watch the documentary.
Not worth the time investment
pbertram-1809110 June 2022
Had this been a fictional drama I would have given up long before the last episode. I had never heard of this case and it was a fascination that kept me going. While the acting from the leads is good I couldn't care for anybody in the show. The worst part is certainly the time devoted to the kids. Not sure why (probably the writing) but they added absolutely nothing to the story. It was also hard to understand why the French editor would have been remotely interested in Firth's character. It was also frustrating that the show gave us seemingly plausible alternative methods of death/murder but never followed them up. I wish I had watched the documentary instead but not sure I can invest too much more time on this story so will probably just wiki it.
Getting bored
etojorik28 May 2022
The first three episodes are great. But the further the more boring and filler. We jump back and forth in time to see another family scenes, which contribute nothing to the constant plot. And they are seriously considering this cringe theory about an owl? Seriously???
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