Missing-Dead or Alive Review: Netflix has dropped a new true crime documentary series. It is directed by Alex Irvine-Cox and produced by Meghan Just-Truelove. Graeme McAulay and Stuart Froude are the executive producers of the docuseries. The docuseries features South Carolina’s officers Heidi Jackson, Vicki Rains, and JP Smith, who work on missing person cases.
There are a total of 4 episodes. The first episode is over 60 minutes, and the rest have a runtime of 30-35 minutes.
-No Spoilers-
Missing-Dead or Alive Review
Plot Summary
In Netflix’s Missing: Dead or Alive? series, South Carolina officers Heidi Jackson and Vicki Rains work together to discover what happened to certain individuals who went missing. The people they look for are reported as missing by family/friends. Both the officers, along with JP Smith, give everything they can to ensure that the person is found and is unharmed/alive. But are all missing people always found alive? In these 4 episodes, we realise that’s not often the case.
Missing: Dead or Alive? Review: Discussion
Director Alex Irvine-Cox has worked closely with officers Heidi Jackson and Vicki Rains to create a series that stands out among the many crime docuseries already available on Netflix. The officers always make a point to explain the difference between the Missing Persons Department and the Major Crime Department. It’s quite informative, even though their working methods are similar. However, here, sentiments also get involved.
In every episode, they have to look for an individual who has gone missing for days or even weeks. We see how they try to connect dots with every clue, meticulously look at every piece of information and curate a list of possible suspects. Missing Dead or Alive on Netflix takes the maximum time on the first case of a missing older woman. She’s the mother of an Iraq war veteran who is unbothered about his mother, Lorraine Garcia. The case is exhausting to watch.
The documentary also gives us an insight into the officers’ lives. The duo shares why they decided to join the Missing Persons department. The reason shows how driven they are to help others. While working on these cases, the officers are emotionally affected, especially when their instincts are wrong. They even reach their breaking point, but cannot give up. Officers like Jackson, Rains and Smith are the only hope for the families. Officers who work day and night to find people who have suddenly disappeared or were made to disappear are truly unsung heroes.
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Every episode has various twists and turns because there are endless possibilities about what must have happened to someone. The officers in Missing Dead or Alive Netflix explore these chances, but always hope that the person is alive. We find out how, sometimes, some people willingly run away, while some get abducted.
The Netflix docuseries is a good watch because it is not overly dramatised. We often see how the makers exaggerate facts/representations or use tense music to heighten the stress of watching. The foundation of this docuseries is humanity and to help save lives.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Missing: Dead or Alive? is a true crime documentary series that’s not like the usual gruesome or sensational shows. We see the officers showing their rawest emotions as they work dedicatedly to find the missing people. The Netflix docuseries highlights how it is not an easy job, and there are multiple outcomes of what must have happened to a disappeared individual.
The documentary is now streaming on Netflix.
Have you watched the series? Do let us know your thoughts on it in the comments section below.
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