If Errol Morris’ “The Thin Blue Line” (1988) is the greatest true-crime documentary film for getting a wrongfully-convicted man off death row, Andrew Jarecki’s “The Jinx” (2015) is the greatest true-crime docuseries I’ve ever seen, capturing Robert Durst’s confession on a hot mic: “There it is, you’re caught. … Killed them all, of course.”
Now, “The Jinx: Part 2” premieres this Sunday night on HBO Max for another six episodes that are must-watch television for fans of the true-crime genre. Granted, I’ve only seen the first four episodes (that’s all the advanced screeners that HBO gave us critics), but I can’t wait for the final two chapters to air in May.
In case you forgot, Part 1 explored the wild-eyed real-estate heir’s involvement in the 1982 disappearance of his wife Kathie in New York, the 2000 murder of his writer friend Susan Berman in Los Angeles, and the 2001 death and dismemberment of his neighbor, Morris Black, in Galveston, Texas. Durst agreed to be interviewed after admiring Jarecki’s Hollywood flick “All Good Things” (2010) starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst.
Now, Part 2 picks up right where Part 1 left off, showing the legal aftermath of bringing Durst to justice.
Episode 1 (“Why Are You Still Here?”) shows Durst regretting his hubris, admitting that it may have been a mistake to participate in “The Jinx.” It’s a joy to see the victims’ families watching the finale of Part 1 as we live vicariously through their stunned reactions to his hot-mic confession. We also see Durst’s failed fugitive attempt, including a mask he planned to wear on a speedboat to Cuba, as well as security cameras enabling his arrest at a Florida hotel.
Episode 2 (“Friendships Die Hard”) shows investigators calling Durst’s various friends. The rudest is Doug Oliver, who says he won’t fly on a commercial flight if subpoenaed; the sneakiest is Susie Giordano, who you can tell is lying; and there’s longtime friend Nick Chavin, who is torn: “What do you do when your best friend kills your other best friend? I mean, loyalty is due to Susan, but it’s also due to Bob.” The cliffhanger finds one of them redialing the FBI.
Episode 3 (“Saving My Tears Until It’s Official”) reveals that one of the victims may not have been so innocent, making a remorseless phone call to a gossipy shock jock to run different cover-up scenarios to see what’s most plausible to help Durst. The manipulative lack of grief is chilling: “I’m saving my tears until it’s official.”
Episode 4 (“The Unluckiest Man in the World”) is named after a tongue-in-cheek line about the mounting evidence against Durst. It focuses on his connection with a lawyer and his wife, who breaks down at the trial and makes a major mistake on the witness stand. This causes Durst’s defense team to shift gears by admitting that Durst wrote the “cadaver” note (famously misspelling “BEVERLEY”), but trying to argue that he did not pull the trigger.
In the end, there’s no way that Part 2 can match Part 1. I mean, how do you top a filmmaker capturing a killer’s confession in real time?
Still, even though we know the outcome of Durst’s 2021 conviction and 2022 death at age 78, it’s still a fascinating coda to my favorite true-crime docuseries, just ahead of Netflix’s “The Keepers.”
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