The real in reality.
My roommate Scott introduced me to the show almost six months ago. So I’ll forgive him for making me sit through Joe Dirt. The First 48 is a hauntingly real portrait of murder. It explores how difficult, tedious, and at times hopeless, the detective work can be. Hollywood’s portrayal of homicide investigation has been so stretched thin, and so worn out, that I could see why america wouldn’t be receptive to a documentary CSI.
But it deserves to be seen. It’s almost always chilling, but that’s not its purpose. You won’t hear a brooding Hans Zimmer soundtrack. You won’t see Kevin Spacey playing a schizo, living in his mom’s basement. You won’t see a tired Al Pacino, chain smoking in wet weather, gathering evidence. You’ll see average suspects. You’ll see average detectives. And you’ll see average victims, killed in familiar places. It’s slow moving pace is banal, and frighteningly lifelike. And the hardest part to swallow, there are no happy endings. Just senseless killings, with pedestrian motives.
Though grim, this program delivers me life affirming thoughts, simple reminders to enjoy the life that has been given to us, and a rejuvenated appreciation for detectives, who risk themselves in mental minefields, as they uncover horrific details of the end of someones existence, and attempt to discover the guilty.
Reality TV has a glimmer of hope.
Or tune in on A&E on Thursdays 9/8C
Anyone else find this show fascinating?
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