Review: Netflix's Murdaugh Murders reveals Alex Murdaugh's victims' humanity, questions

Notorious lawyer-turned-criminal Alex Murdaugh has now spent almost as much air time on Netflix documentaries as he did taking the stand for two grueling days in his own defense during the spring double murder trial that left him a convicted family annihilator.

Season 1 of "The Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal," introduced the world -- streaming in 190 countries -- to the Murdaugh family and the South Carolina Lowcountry and set the stage for a Southern Gothic crime saga of the ages in true-crime, suspenseful fashion.

Season 2, however, while much briefer, took a step back and reminded those watching around the globe what people in Hampton County and the Lowcountry have never lost sight of: the "characters" in this true-crime drama are or were real people, with real weaknesses and real pain —three-dimensional people who, in the simplest terms, have both good and bad inside their hearts.

It also reminds us that there are a lot of doubts and unanswered questions in the Murdaugh crime sphere.

Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty: Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to financial crimes — first time admitting blame to a judge

Murdaugh crime saga : Murdaugh crime saga playing out in two distinct worlds: SC courtrooms and social media

What can viewers expect from latest Murdaugh Murders season?

Season 2 opens with a thrill and a gritty, true-crime feel: police and emergency blue lights rushing to the killing zone at the Murdaugh's Moselle estate, followed by cop body cam footage of Alex Murdaugh weeping as investigators probe the crime scene, the bloodied bodies of his wife and child blurred out for viewers.

Murdaugh's disturbing 911 call then pivots to a call from Alex in prison after waves of financial charges crash on him like the breakers on a Carolina beach: "Don't let it worry you," he tells his surviving son, Buster, before the shot of a detention center van wheeling him into the Colleton County Courthouse for the double murder trial that captivated the English-speaking world.

Much of the three new episodes — each just over a half hour long — we have seen before, multiple clips from the murder trial itself broadcasted on news networks around the world, with the occasional actor reenactment to illustrate and move the story along.

There is also footage taken from the the S.C. Law Enforcement Division's evidence lockers that was used in the trial, such as police interviews with Murdaugh and body cams of investigators searching Moselle.

But the power and backbone of Season 2 lies in the new voices and the new stories we hear.

Who is featured in the Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal?

Season 2 includes interviews with Wall Street Journal reporter Valerie Bauerlein, who covered every day of the murder trial and is currently writing a book on the Murdaugh crime saga; and Will Folks, founding editor of FitsNews, a South Carolina media outlet that has been all over this crime saga and broke many of the most salacious and interesting stories.

We hear from a hero of the six-week murder trial, forensic crime scene expert Dr. Kenneth Kinsey. Kinsey broke down how the shootings likely happened, and with the aid of an animated video, brought the killings home to viewers on a more emotional, visual level.

We also hear from S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson, Murdaugh case lead prosecutor Creighton Waters, murder trial juror Gwen Generette, Murdaugh boat crash survivors Anthony Cook and Morgan Doughty, and even glimpse a video of O.J. Simpson, the now infamous former professional football player who was acquitted in the murder of his wife.

Most of the spine narration is done by Bauerlein, who was also the print journalist chosen to go to Moselle when the jury was taken there to study the crime scene, and by Colleton County Clerk of Court-turned author Becky HIll.

Bauerlein's boots-on-the-ground experience at Moselle helps us visualize the exact details of the crime scene, as she tells us "12 normal steps" separated the bodies and there was no doubt that Paul saw the killer "who blew the brain out of his body," just as there is little doubt Maggie watched her baby boy being brutally murdered.

Hill now finds herself facing as-yet unresolved jury tampering allegations. Although Hill conducted interviews for the Netflix special prior to the allegations, she is now facing heightened criticism on social media this week for expressing her opinions on the trial on camera.

But the most popular and powerful voices we hear are speaking out for the first time on Netflix, including those of Murdaugh family caregivers Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson and Mushelle "Shelley" Smith, along with alleged Murdaugh co-conspirator Curtis Edward "Cousin Eddie" Smith.

Episode 2 of the new season ends with dramatic silence as interviewers ask "Cousin Eddie" if he shot either one of the victims at Moselle.

Cousin Eddie is one of the most fascinating, if not credible, voices

For the first time, Cousin Eddie, as he has been referred to by media, podcasters, and even in court filings, speaks out in a case where he, too, is still facing criminal charges — namely in connection with the roadside shooting, and in allegedly being part of Murdaugh's "multi-county" narcotics distribution ring.

In "The Murdaugh Murders," Cousin Eddie tells us many things. But can we believe him? Court filings suggest he gave untruthful responses to SLED polygraph tests, and he stands under multiple indictments awaiting trial.

Cousin Eddie claims to be "half Murdaugh," but also claims that Alex used thinly veiled threats against his daughter to force him to keep helping Alex.

He denies being a money launderer, despite cashing hundreds of checks for Alex. He denies having anything to do with Alex's Labor Day weekend roadside shooting, despite indictments to the contrary, and further denies being a drug dealer, despite additional state grand jury indictments and admitting that Murdaugh was his drug buyer.

Cousin Eddie also denies shooting anyone at Moselle, but he shares incriminating statements against Alex that suggest the Colleton County jury that convicted Murdaugh got it right.

Murdaugh caregivers Blanca and Shelley Smith bare their souls

Blanca and Shelley — forget journalistic style, we are on a first-name basis with the brave women who touched our hearts during the murder trial — continue to add humanizing elements and personal depth to a story that we sometimes forget is about real people and not just characters on television news or podcasts.

Blanca and Shelley, who both have deep connections with the Murdaugh family through years of loyal employment, impressed us with their bravery in taking the stand and testifying against Murdaugh. Blanca touched us again on Netflix, as she confessed that her body was shaking on the stand, and she tried to avoid looking at her former boss while testifying.

Shelley is brave, and emotional in The Murdaugh Murders, but also helps humanize Alex's parents, Randolph and Libby Murdaugh.

Blanca also helps humanize Maggie, a well-to-do woman who was loved by family and friends in her social circle, but often treated like an outcast by many in the Lowcountry community after the fatal 2019 Murdaugh boat crash that left Mallory Beach dead.

Maggie's friend and employee gives us a glimpse into Alex, and how widespread his drug use was, how anxious he was on the morning of the murders, and how strangely he acted after.

Blanca reveals how Maggie was worried about her family, and confided secrets to her, and confesses that she still keeps a copy of Maggie's obituary in her Bible. Episode 1 of the new season ends with Blanca tearfully remembering the last time she spoke with Maggie.

If Blanca doesn't touch your heart alone, scenes of her with another one of the trial's heroes, Bubba the dog, with a toy duck in his mouth, certainly will.

What is the worst 'cringe' moment of 'The Murdaugh Murders?'

Episode 2 of the new season opens at the Liberty Auction house in Pembroke, Georgia, as both the curious and the Murdaugh-crazed fought to be the highest bidder at an auction of Alex and Maggie's belongings from Moselle.

While the proceeds from the auction reportedly went into a receivership to potentially benefit Murdaugh's victims (as well as pay legal costs), watching people haggle and compete over a tragic family's remaining material possessions doesn't exactly leave a warm and fuzzy feeling toward humankind.

Buyers purchased furniture, home decor and dishes, and even Maggie's bicycle. 'But the worst moment? A woman who was described as a "Murdaugh enthusiast" boasted about how she purchased a camera full of photos of the family's "happier times," as well as a vacuum cleaner with a bag still full of Murdaugh dust and dirt.

The enthusiast treated the unopened vacuum bag like a wrapped present waiting for Christmas morning.

How factual is Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal?

In the spirit of honesty and journalistic integrity, it must be noted that many of those interviewed repeated stories that they had no direct knowledge of - only rumor or hearsay.

Becky Hill insinuates that Cousin Edddie "cleaned up" whatever legal mess the Murdaughs made.

Morgan Doughty shared a story Maggie told of how Alex's father, Randolph Murdaugh III, published an obituary of his wife, Libby, while she was still alive to threaten her into not divorcing him.

During my research for the upcoming book, Fall of the House of Murdaugh, I uncovered family stories that suggest that ominous tale might not be true at all - but we won't share any more rumor or hearsay here.

Did we learn anything shocking or new in Murdaugh docuseries?

While "new" could be a relative term here — I am sure there are journalists and Internet true-crime sleuths that may claim to know more than I about this case — I picked up a couple of interesting tidbits that are new to me, or else got caught up in the overwhelming dump of information from the trial and years of news coverage and stand out to me now.

Dr. Kinsey stated that crime scene clean-up services were offered to the Murdaugh family, but the family declined, which might make some skeptics wonder.

I learned a couple of interesting things about the troubled Paul Murdaugh, the young man who is both a murder victim and an alleged boat crash "killer" in this crime saga.

Paul's former girlfriend, and boat crash survivor, Morgan Doughty revealed that despite his public silence and denial of guilt in the boating death of Mallory Beach (likely advised by his attorney father, grandfather, and other counsel), the young man felt grief and possibly remorse.

According to Doughty, Paul kept a copy of Beach's obituary in his truck for more than two years — right up until his murder in June 2021.

However, this kinder, pained side of Paul was balanced by another, more shocking revelation: Blanca telling us that just a week before his death, Paul and friends were heading out to engage in more boating under the influence activity when they were stopped by S.C. Department of Natural Resource officers, who seized their alcohol but allowed Paul to call his father to once again "bail him out" of trouble.

Cousin Eddie made some interesting revelations, claiming that Alex confessed to him that he was "responsible for Maggie and Paul."

But perhaps his most interesting revelations suggest there is more to the drug ring conspiracy than has been publicly uncovered. After Blanca shared that Alex hid drugs all over Moselle, Cousin Eddie revealed that he once delivered pills to an unnamed associate in Beaufort County and even delivered opioids from Alex to people at small airports around South Carolina and Georgia.

Murdaugh docuseries leaves us with more unanswered questions

Like the murder trial itself, "The Murdaugh Murders" leaves us with lots of little unanswered questions, such as what is the significance of the pots being covered up inside the refrigerator at Moselle, or why Maggie's pajamas were laid out on the floor.

The show included one body-cam scene where one SLED agent told another that they had found no cocaine. The second agent replies, "We ain't here for the dope, it's a homicide."

Was Alex Murdaugh also involved with cocaine as well as pills? And considering Cousin's Eddie's shocking confessions, how much more is yet to be uncovered in Murdaugh's drug ring? Was he involved with major drug "cartels," and did this have something to do with the murders?

But perhaps the biggest question we are left to ponder is this: if Alex did indeed murder his wife and child, did he act alone before, during and after?

Boat crash survivor and longtime family friend Anthony Cook doesn't appear to think so. After hearing all the evidence, he still finds it hard to believe that Alex killed Paul, and that "at least one other person had to be involved."

Morgan Doughty, who as Paul's former girlfriend knew the family well, said she still believed that while Alex was the "decision maker" in the killings, he "had help."

As the show concludes in Episode 3, Blanca is asked point blank if Alex had help murdering his family, to which she cryptically responded, "I don't want to answer that... I don't feel comfortable answering that."

But we may never know, as the latest installment of this Southern scandal ends with a heart-gripping scene of Blanca and Bubba the yellow lab at Maggie and Paul's gravesite in Hampton.

"He's not here, and she's not here, and I got the dog," says Blanca. "I guess it's just us now."

What do the Murdaugh true crime fans think of the Netflix story?

Prior to writing this review, I asked true crime fans and Murdaugh case followers to share their thoughts with me on social media. Here is what they shared on Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Review: Netflix's 'Murdaugh Murders' reveals unanswered questions