Unbelievable

Unbelievable | Official Trailer | Netflix
Netflix

This show is a dramatization of a serial rape case. We start with a rape of a teenager in Washington State. The police can find no evidence of this rape, all they have is the teenager's word. They badger her until she recants. Now we move to Colorado where the police are investigating other rapes with similar circumstances. Eventually the cops in Colorado connect the two crimes, but not until the very end of the series.

Rape, in this show, seems to be more about the psychological trauma inflicted on these women rather than the sex or anything physical. It's the terror of being in someone else's power, someone who might choose to kill or seriously injure them at any time and not being able to do anything about it. The guy is basically a terrorist, your own personal terrorist. Women who are mentally stronger might not be affected as much, but someone who doesn't have a lot of self confidence, someone who has already been dealt a shitty hand by life, you can see how such a mental pummeling could collapse them into a whimpering puddle. For instance, one woman does manage to escape her attacker by jumping off of her balcony at the cost of breaking her leg. She might be mentally tougher than some of the others.

Much of the show involves the machinations of the police and the legal system. The police are not going to do anything until you file a charge, and then once you have filed a charge you are setting the wheels of justice in motion. The wheels of justice are big, heavy, cumbersome, and they have no consideration for the people who are involved. It's all about rules and regulations and procedures, and most of them are obnoxious if not downright odious.

This is because criminal charges are serious business, the government is going to be expending resources on your behalf. There is also the problem of obtaining a conviction - the prosecutor must prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt, and any flaws in the investigation will provide the defense with an opportunity to torpedo your attack. Therefore all your T's must be crossed and your I's dotted. Being a cop has got to be one of the most tedious, mind numbing jobs on the planet. I don't know how they do it. Faith in our criminal justice system, I suppose. Sure, our criminal justice has its faults, but making it better is going to mean spending more money, and we can't spend any more money on our local problems when we are busy fomenting war in half a dozen other countries. All hail Pax Americana.

Enough about the police. Here's a couple of mechanical tidbits for your amusement.

Amazon Basics Steel Home Security Electronic Safe

One of the Colorado detectives (played by Merritt Wever) has a gun safe right inside the door of her home. She comes home from work and the first thing she does is drop her gun and badge in the safe. It's a largish safe, too, not one of those that are only big enough for a single handgun. Seems like an eminently practical solution. This one from Amazon looks nearly identical.

1974 Ford Ranchero

Another one of the Colorado detectives (played by Toni Collette) drives an old Ford Ranchero. Kind of sticks out like a sore thumb, which is why we have it here.