Criticism Of Police Brutality

One criticism that can be applied to both is the way that the stories and point of views are framed, thus forcing the viewer to follow the director’s vision and progressions. Making a Murderer’s pilot episode starts with Steven Avery coming home after his eighteen year sentence. Already, the “antagonist” of the issue is identified as the police force for the wrongful accusation and the episode continues by delving into Avery’s personal life that had led to this. Furthermore, a viewer becomes empathetic when they imagine what damage and pain Avery had sustained in his time that was taken away from him. The audience becomes more engaged with him as a result, hoping that his future will not contain as many issues. Just as the director forms an argument with the increasing information while also highlighting the issues of the sheriff or deputy, the viewer becomes engulfed in the program, constantly wondering what else could have happened.

In light of more recent events as well as news reports, the viewer is able to relate to the idea of police brutality because it is not an esoteric occurrence but something that garners national attention.
As O’Donnell had mentioned in the first chapter, “ television production is a business that depends on public support measured by the ratings systems” (15). Making a Murderer, just like any other fictional crime program, is created because the directors believe that people will enjoy watching them because of their reliability or the fact that they show mysterious and detached realities. For fictional crime shows like Sopranos, when the episodes regard current events like school shootings, the viewer is shown the lives of those affected by the event and directors frame the stories of each individual so that their point of view incorporates suspense and reliability. Viewers watch television for the entertainment, not necessarily for the message that occurs when one critically analyzes the plot. However, even with the inherent variability of a person’s life, the shows are able to connect a viewer to whatever event or conflict arises for “everyday people.”