Unbelievable-y good!

Image Courtesy: IMDb

The last time I spent a night bingeing on television was in 2013 when I got my hands on the seventh and eighth season of the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother. I had all the essentials - a fully charged laptop, bags of chips and of course, the air conditioner set at a sweet 20 degrees. Most importantly, the younger me possessed the superpower of looking (and feeling) fresh even after only 3-4 hours of sleep. I was raring to watch the show.

But a binge-watching party of one is only as good as the show being watched. Needless to say, the last two seasons of HIMYM deserved no such party and by 4 am, I was left with an excruciating headache and a sinking feeling of having wasted eight hours of life (and sleep). After an equally excruciating day at work, I decided that no show was worth losing sleep over, and put an end to binge parties forever. Until last night, that is.

I spotted the show 'Unbelievable' while scrolling idly through a list of newly added shows on Netflix. On paper, it looked mediocre - two female detectives work to nab a serial rapist- but there was something about the innocence of the girl I saw in the snapshot of the first episode that made me give the show a try. Post-dinner, I settled to watch the first episode - I had planned to watch only one episode. Post the first episode, I was hooked. It was only after I finished all the eight episodes that I looked at the clock. It was 4 am, and after this impromptu binge party, I was feeling exhilarated, not regretful.

I really don’t want to harp on about my experience of the show (it’s been 16 hours now and I’m still processing it, tbh), but I really want to write about how spectacular this show is, so here are the best things about Unbelievable (not sponsored by Netflix,but really wouldn’t mind being sponsored :-p):

The show on a whole
Unbelievable is based on a Pulitzer-winning report detailing the investigation behind a series of rapes that took place in Colorado and Washington between 2008 and 2011. The show very artfully covers all aspects of regular crime series, from the incompetence of the police force to details in criminal pathology to cop backstories to criminal psychology. The intrigue in the series is further deepened with an unreliable victim, a non-linear narrative and a host of possible suspects. Decently paced, the show does away with unnecessary backstories and family drama. 

Image Courtesy: IMDb

The main theme

There are many series and films that follow the life of rapists, but very few follow the life of the victims, who bear that cross lifelong. Unbelievable not only handles the issue of rape sensitively but also follows the harrowing ordeal a rape victim has to go through after she reports the crime to the police. The first episode is particularly gutwrenching, with scenes of the victim repeatedly recounting her nightmare to unsympathetic male police officers and graphic scenes of her medical examination with a pragmatic, unfeeling medical team. A small monologue in one of the courtroom scenes, where an old victim plaintively asks the rapist what she was doing that made him want to come for her is just poignant. Redemption comes only when even the culprit is probed as humiliatingly as the victim.
P.S: Kaitlyn Dever as the real-life victim Marie Adler does a fabulous job, blending innocence, fear and false bravado in her restrained performance. Watch out for this one!

Image Courtesy: IMDb

The human angle

One of the best parts of this series is none of the characters -including that of the awful serial rapist - are demonized. It's a tough act, but the makers manage to pull it off splendidly. None of the police officers are ‘bad’; their ways of handling situations is different, as is obvious by the stark differences in the interrogation scenes between the male cop and the victim vs the female cop and the victim. Both follow the official process, but only one does it humanely.

Unlike in other series where rapists are portrayed as manic, ungroomed, alcoholic men, in Unbelievable, the rapist is a well-groomed, calculated, ordinary man, stating the truth that any man can be a rapist. His victims aren’t conventionally young as well - they range from the ages of 16 to 73- reinforcing the point that any woman can be a victim. The makers want to show us the real world, and man do they succeed! (Pun intended!)

The real women

Being helmed by a female director and writer does wonders for a show based on women, as we see in Unbelievable. The bonding between the two detectives - Grace Rasmussen (Toni Collette) and Karen Duvall (Merritt Wever) - is relatable. Despite having opposite personalities, both the detectives share a very real professional bond which involves fights, reconciliations and moments of sacrifice. The makers show us that two smart, contemporary working women can understand each other and work together in perfect harmony. 

It is also refreshing to see female cops who aren’t running around with glossy hair, flawless skin and lithe bodies in unpractical, thigh-length leather boots. These detectives have messy hair (which comes when you have a long hard day at work), wrinkled skin and age spots (which happens when you’re over 30!) and sturdy bodies (like, well, normal women). Hats off to the actresses who were so secure in their skin that they didn't mind going makeup-free, even in close-up shots.

Image Courtesy: IMDb

The diversity
US telly has been taking the theme of diversity quite seriously, after facing a lot of flak over the past couple of years. That is probably why Unbelievable has possibly the most diverse cast ever. Seriously, pick any race - White, African-American, Asian, Latino, Polynesian- and they’re there. It is so refreshing to see a colorful palette.

P.S: The perp is a white man. Take that!

If these points to watch haven’t convinced you enough, then go and check out other reviews on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, and beg-borrow-steal a Netflix password. It’s worth it!