The Epilogues You Need For Making a Murderer, The Jinx, and Serial

Season one of the popular 2014 podcast narrated by former Baltimore Sun reporter Sarah Koenig did more than just tell the story of murdered Baltimore teenager Hae Min Lee and the consequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed in 2000. It led many listeners to wonder whether Syed had actually committed the crime and placed a fair amount of scrutiny on the topic of wrongfully accused criminals. With cases about prisoners finally being freed after latent DNA evidence was revealed years later popping up more and more in the news, Serial easily commanded interest and attention. 

It was announced soon after the conclusion of the podcast that Syed was granted a motion by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to reopen postconviction proceedings, which will allow his lawyers to introduce evidence related to his alibi that they were previously unable to. The case's hearing date has yet to be released.

HBO's binge-worthy miniseries looks into the life of American real estate heir Robert Durst, who had long been suspected of killing his wife, Kathleen McCormack; family friend Susan Berman; and neighbor Morris Black. It's a disturbing example of how easy it can be to literally get away with murder if you have enough funds and the right social status to back you up. Durst is a rich, white man from a well-respected family, and because of that he was able to casually disregard the law in a way that someone in a different situation would never have been able to. 

Thankfully Durst's status as a free man changed when filmmaker Andrew Jarecki began work on the six-part documentary. At the end of the series's shocking final episode, Jarecki ends up getting an accidental, but damning, confession to the murders from Durst on tape, which resulted in his arrest. Durst's statement, "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course," was such a perfect way of showing how truly delusional he'd become. He really thought he could get away with anything at that point. Now, he's waiting to face famed cold case prosecutor John Lewin when he goes to trial. Furthermore, The Jinx spurred the family of the still-missing McCormack into taking action against Durst, which will hopefully lead to them being able to get some kind of closure.

In what might be the antithesis to The Jinx, Netflix's frustrating 10-episode documentary series Making a Murderer goes to show just how hard the government can screw you if you're poor or disadvantaged in any way. The show follows the life and alleged crimes of Steven Avery, who spent almost two decades behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. He filed a multimillion-dollar suit against Manitowoc County in Wisconsin when evidence was revealed that proved another man committed the crime. Years later, he landed back in prison, along with his 16-year-old nephew Brendan Dassey, after being found guilty of the murder of 25-year-old Teresa Halbach.

During a phone call with his parents from jail in an earlier episode, Avery says, "Poor people lose. Poor people lose all the time," which, if we're being honest here, bleakly sums up the entire series. Putting aside the question of whether Avery committed the crime, it's obvious that the police department of Manitowoc County gravely mishandled Avery's case, taking advantage of Avery's poverty, his nephew Brandon Dassey's mental state, and the fact that they knew they could get away with putting a man in prison, innocent or not, just because they wanted to. Regardless, the success of the show ignited a nationwide debate about the justice system and has led to possible progress in the case. Fans started petitions at Change.org and the White House's official page to get Avery a presidential pardon, and although it was unsuccessful, Avery was able to file a motion for a new trial on Jan. 12.