The Staircase Episode 1-3 review: A riveting case of innocence and guilt

The Staircase, a true-crime drama limited series starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, is hitting the right chords with its gripping storytelling and outstanding performance by its lead cast. The miniseries made its arrival with the first three episodes this May 5, 2022, exclusively on HBO Max.

The limited series is inspired by the true-crime docuseries by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade in 2004, of the same name. Written and created by Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn, the miniseries chronicles the arresting case of Kathleen Peterson's heartwrenching death and its aftermath.

Apart from Colin Firth and Toni Collette, the limited series also features other noteworthy actors such as Rosemarie DeWitt, Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, Sophie Turner, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Odessa Young and several others.

Since its premiere, it has created a lot of positive buzz among viewers. It is safe to say that viewers are bound to eagerly wait for the other episodes to arrive on HBO Max. Without further ado, let's take a closer look at the first three episodes of the high-profile miniseries to find out how they unfolded.

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Review of episode 1-3 of The Staircase

An arresting portrayal of an intriguing case

The HBO Max true-crime drama miniseries, The Staircase, from the very beginning is extremely mindful and gripping. The creators of the series, Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn, have done an outstanding job in keeping the narrative highly stimulating.

The way they have portrayed the characters and every event in these three episodes, it is bound to make the audience want more. For those who are familiar with the case or the docuseries from which the miniseries has been gleaned from, the limited series will provide much more than just the facts about the case. It runs deep into the thrilling insights of each character's mind.

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Jaw-dropping facts piling up, making the miniseries even more absorbing

With each episode in The Staircase, the case, which is an unfortunate accident in the vision, becomes more riveting and suspicious after new jaw-dropping facts about Michael Peterson come to light. One by one, the truth about Michael being bis*xual and having physical relationships with other men makes him the prime suspect of the case.

Another astounding truth came out later on in Episode 3. As shown, Margaret and Martha's mother Elizabeth Ratliff also died at the bottom of a staircase just like Kathleen Peterson. It took place in Germany 20 years before Kathleen's death and at the time, Michael Peterson was the only person around.

Another significant fact that is bound to make the miniseries even more intriguing is the final result from the forensic team for the prosecution. They finally discovered the murder weapon, which is a fireplace tool. According to them, Michael was standing over Kathleen's body when he bit him mercilessly to death.

Episode 3 ended with the very beginning of the trial of Michael Peterson for allegedly murdering his wife, leaving the audience wondering what will happen next.

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Exceptional performance from the lead cast

Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth as Michael Peterson is quite remarkable in The Staircase. His portrayal of the lead character is without a shred of doubt outstandingly gripping. The way he portrays layered emotions and emotional nuances on-screen with such subtlety is absolutely praiseworthy.

Besides Colin Firth, other lead cast members, including Toni Collette as Kathleen Peterson, Rosemarie DeWitt as Candace Hunt Zamperini, Parker Posey as Freda Black, Sophie Turner as Margaret Ratliff and several others have done a phenomenal job so far, making the HBO Max miniseries absolutely binge-worthy.

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Don't forget to catch The Staircase, streaming exclusively on HBO Max, from May 5 (Thursday), 2022.

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