What I’m Watching: The Staircase (Series Finale)

The Staircase: Season 1, Episode 8 “America's Sweetheart or: Time Over Time” (B+)

It’s definitely been easy to get lost over the course of this series regarding the specific moment in time being portrayed, and that was absolutely still true in this final episode. But what this hour did exceptionally well was to show how the passage of time really wears on someone, with Candace reading that same letter and a much more wearied, older Michael hearing it as he was finally about to have any penalties related to his alleged role in Kathleen’s death removed. It’s jarring to think of just how long this all went on, and to see the way that his family all reacted when he was released pending a retrial in 2011. But Clayton got that first reminder that it didn’t mean he was cleared, and his favorite restaurant was very ready to stand on ceremony that it wouldn’t seat convicted killers. But Michael also revealed his crueler, colder side when Margaret couldn’t decide what dessert she wanted, a reminder that, even if he is innocent, his demeanor doesn’t do him any favors. That was most on display when he was supposed to leave for Paris and lashed out at Sophie for being ready for something they had planned for so long. Ending on the note of him recalling the fact that he had to hide he was gay only served to emphasize that it’s hard to know who he really was since he always hid so much of it from the rest of the world. There remain many unanswered questions after this show, but it’s been very interesting and enlightening, with some terrific performances in the ensemble.

Series grade: B+
Series MVP: Colin Firth

What I’m Watching: The Staircase (Penultimate Episode)

The Staircase: Season 1, Episode 7 “Seek and Ye Shall” (B+)

It’s definitely disconcerting to see someone else killed in a shockingly similar manner to Kathleen and to learn that the men responsible – both the victim and the apparent perpetrator – had been involved with Michael. That he didn’t remember one of them suggests that he was either so rampant in his hookups that he couldn’t keep track or that he shouldn’t be relied upon since he only tells the convenient parts of the truth. His desire to have a retrial, something which he says he needs rather than wants, is just going to make much more work for everyone, and the amount of time that has passed isn’t likely to be favorable to him. Sophie has been so set on proving his innocence but now she too is seeing problematic indicators that he might be responsible. The investigation into the corruption that exists within the DA’s office may tip things in Michael’s favor, even if it has nothing to do with his guilt or his innocence. Martha learning what Margaret already knew is yet another sign that Michael’s decisions are entirely self-serving, no matter how they affect other people. The brief appearance we saw with Kathleen was full of intensity, with her being told she wouldn’t get a year-end bonus and realizing just how dismal her prospects were. Michael responded in the worst way possible, telling her she used to be a good time, and she had an equally cruel comeback for him that he did deserve. Kathleen’s attic ascension was also formidable, and it all contributes to motive for why Michael would have wanted to kill her.

What I’m Watching: The Staircase

The Staircase: Season 1, Episode 6 “Red in Tooth and Claw” (B+)

It’s hard to imagine what Michael might be thinking after spending so many years in prison, but there was a real weight of the words that he would not be considered responsible for the murder of his wife. That wasn’t enough for him, however, since he did still have to agree to accept a charge of manslaughter and acknowledge that a jury could convict him without a reasonable doubt. Sophie seems most attached to his release because she firmly believes in his innocence, and she’s latching on as much as possible to the theory that the owl was responsible for Kathleen’s death (which now makes me think that this case was the inspiration for the parody series “Trial and Error,” which I highly recommend, even though it doesn’t seem very kind given this context). As usual, we did see a visualized representation of how Kathleen could have died if indeed it was an owl, and that one gradually built dread since she started outside the house and then ran inside while calling Michael for help only to die on her own. Michael’s children were all hit hard by the news that he had lost his appeal, but the strongest reactions came to other revelations, namely from Margaret when she learned about how Michael had wanted to split her and Martha up, something she didn’t end up telling her sister because she was preoccupied with the joy of finally realizing something about herself. Caitlin had the harshest response to Michael potentially being exonerated, angrily assuring Sophie she sleeps very well at night knowing that he would die in prison.

What I’m Watching: The Staircase

The Staircase: Season 1, Episode 5 “The Beating Heart” (B+)

It’s very strange to hear Michael referred to as “Staircase” by fellow inmates, which feels very reductive to the severity of the crime which he was accused and convicted of, whether or not he’s guilty. That’s also the important thing to remember, that Michael’s complicity is assumed by many because of the ferocious nature of the crime, but he still maintains his innocence, and there are others who believe that just as strongly, namely Sophie. It’s becoming quite a divisive thing for the filmmakers since they want to represent what they believe to be the truth, yet she seems very interested in expressly advocating for him and, at the end of the episode, finally meeting him after much correspondence. Prison and the loss of an appeal hasn’t changed Michael all that much in that he still demands plenty from his family and then lashes out angrily when his expectations aren’t met. Choosing to rely on Todd rather than Clayton ended up being a mistake that nearly cost him, and Clayton stepped right in to help when he needed, which seemed to be affirming for the son who had never quite felt his father’s approval, and who earlier had his own prison experience diminished as hardly relevant especially since he was guilty. Seeing the fractured relationship between Michael and Margaret was also informative, as well as how Kathleen responded when she was made aware of Michael’s plan to just leave her in New Orleans rather than fly her home for Thanksgiving as punishment.

What I’m Watching: The Staircase

The Staircase: Season 1, Episode 4 “Common Sense” (B+)

It’s interesting to see how this show is structured, with the film crew very much a part of the story, and Juliette Binoche now introduced as someone with her own perspective who apparently believes strongly that Michael is innocent. His desire for people not to remember twenty-five years ago is hardly the best defense, and his desire to testify made sense given how much he wants to yell at everyone that he didn’t do this, but it surely wouldn’t play well with a jury that would see him how this has portrayed him, which is someone whose arrogance makes sympathy more difficult. We saw yet another depiction of what might have happened, with Kathleen confronting Michael about the gay porn on his computer and telling him that she wished it could have been something they shared together, and ending the way we knew it would with Michael very much at fault. His sentencing of life without parole befits that crime if it indeed did play out like that, and what was most jarring to me is how he was left alone in the hallway, seemingly free to run and not treated like the convicted criminal that he now is. His having been injured but not in the war brings up more questions, and it’s starting to divide his family even more. Clayton’s relationship with Kathleen was obviously very complicated, but he’s the one who seems most interested in defending her now that she’s no longer there, finding the blow poke and bringing its existence to his siblings.

Take Three: The Staircase

The Staircase: Season 1, Episode 3 “Voids Part. I” (B+)

I try to look up as little as I can about a real-life case like this when it’s the subject of a show and I don’t know much or anything about it, and that helps to lead to sensational drama like the shocking moment where David came to Michael to question how it was possible that he found another woman at the bottom of the stairs. That he neglected to mention it is suspicious enough in itself, but that it happened twice seems undeniable as a red flag that should at least make him an inattentive husband who needs to take care better care of his home fixtures to ensure the safety of his family. The many stepchildren and stepchildren continue to be a fascinating part of this story, with Margaret and Martha having to ask “which mom” when David was asking them questions. Having their birth mother’s body exhumed is a big step, but it’s clearly coming from a particular angle given that Michael was in the room when they were writing the official request. The star witness of the prosecution being dropped was understandable cause for celebration on Michael’s part, though it’s lamentable that it was only because he would cause too much collateral damage given the other affairs he had had with powerful men. Michael’s belief that he never had affairs because it wasn’t dinner but sex shows that he doesn’t care about playing by the rules, and the flashbacks to his intimate moment in the kitchen with Kathleen and his domination of her massage were equally captivating and confusing. That final elevator confrontation was intense, and I’m eager to see what comes next as the trial gets underway.

Round Two: The Staircase

The Staircase: Season 1, Episode 2 “Murder, He Wrote” (B+)

For someone who is so insistent on his innocence, Michael isn’t doing himself any favors by seeming more annoyed than anything that he was accused in the first place rather than broken up by the death of his wife. His response to the French film crew when they asked him to do a shot over again was particularly telling, since he wanted to be able to control the narrative in a way that only suits him and isn’t likely to convince others that he isn’t guilty. The news of his bisexuality dominated the episode both as something surprising and indicative of his ability to keep secrets, and the fact that no one was willing to corroborate that Kathleen knew about it didn’t help his case. The flashbacks to Kathleen bending over backwards to cancel her trip to parents’ weekend to be there for his party and to hide her need to do work at home during the event show that she tried to live up to a certain standard for him, and he didn’t appreciate what she did for him or even notice it since he expected it. There are numerous complicated family dynamics at play here, especially with the relationships that exist between stepchildren and stepparents. What I’m having trouble shaking from this episode is the intense and uninterrupted depiction of what Michael claims happened with Kathleen, as she tripped and fell and then tried to get up while covered in blood. The look on Michael’s face as we heard the recreation of that event by his team didn’t betray much emotion, which says enough in itself. We’ll see how Candace goes about advancing her theory, which Michael will definitely not like.

Pilot Review: The Staircase

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.