This could've been an interesting piece on the dynamic between Berkowitz and Terry alongside their conspiracy theory.
A more nuanced series could've been great. Because it seemed to me that Berkowitz and Terry were similary thirsty for attention, it's just that the former took the wrong turn in life and took to murder. Berkowitz seemed to want the attention so he went on a killing spree. Add to that his "a dog gave me the orders" and later the cult conspiracy. Terry on the other hand seemed to desperately want to be the hero to uncover the ultimate evil. So in a way, these two have found each other. Berkowitz found a gullible man to manipulate and keep being in the spotlight, Terry believed he would get closer to the ultimate hidden truth and become a respected investigative journalist.
Instead, it sadly focuses for 3 and 3/4 of the series on just presenting Terry's ludicrous conspiracy without much questioning, making it seem more credible than it is. It is more of a docuseries on Maury Terry than on Berkowitz. Apart from maybe two or three policemen involved with the case back then, most people talking seem to fully believe the theory. Only in the last 13 minutes of the last episode are some of these same people shown doubting Terry and suggesting that maybe he was way too obsessed and lost it. Thus, it is rather one-sided. If you read up how many people luckily survived, only one of them (Denaro) actually spoke, same with the parents of one of the girls, making it seem even the survivors as well as the families of the killed are believing the conspiracy.
It is kind of sad how Terry let himself be so manipulated by Berkowitz and spent a lot of his life chasing ghosts (pun intended). It is impressive how Berkowitz managed to even convince Denaro, a victim of his and the parents of a girl he killed to actually believe it wasn't him who did, if it weren't so utterly sick and twisted. This is sadly also an aspect that could've been critically highlighted. I feel Terry seemed unaware that by believing the whole "satanic cult" shtick from Berkowitz he unintentionally helped Berkowitz portray himself as a victim as well and trivialised the deeds of a cold-blooded killer. But it played right into Berkowitzes goal to go along with him being a "born-again Christian" that managed to get out of a satanic cult.
Needless to say I expected more and not just a Maury Terry bio series.
A more nuanced series could've been great. Because it seemed to me that Berkowitz and Terry were similary thirsty for attention, it's just that the former took the wrong turn in life and took to murder. Berkowitz seemed to want the attention so he went on a killing spree. Add to that his "a dog gave me the orders" and later the cult conspiracy. Terry on the other hand seemed to desperately want to be the hero to uncover the ultimate evil. So in a way, these two have found each other. Berkowitz found a gullible man to manipulate and keep being in the spotlight, Terry believed he would get closer to the ultimate hidden truth and become a respected investigative journalist.
Instead, it sadly focuses for 3 and 3/4 of the series on just presenting Terry's ludicrous conspiracy without much questioning, making it seem more credible than it is. It is more of a docuseries on Maury Terry than on Berkowitz. Apart from maybe two or three policemen involved with the case back then, most people talking seem to fully believe the theory. Only in the last 13 minutes of the last episode are some of these same people shown doubting Terry and suggesting that maybe he was way too obsessed and lost it. Thus, it is rather one-sided. If you read up how many people luckily survived, only one of them (Denaro) actually spoke, same with the parents of one of the girls, making it seem even the survivors as well as the families of the killed are believing the conspiracy.
It is kind of sad how Terry let himself be so manipulated by Berkowitz and spent a lot of his life chasing ghosts (pun intended). It is impressive how Berkowitz managed to even convince Denaro, a victim of his and the parents of a girl he killed to actually believe it wasn't him who did, if it weren't so utterly sick and twisted. This is sadly also an aspect that could've been critically highlighted. I feel Terry seemed unaware that by believing the whole "satanic cult" shtick from Berkowitz he unintentionally helped Berkowitz portray himself as a victim as well and trivialised the deeds of a cold-blooded killer. But it played right into Berkowitzes goal to go along with him being a "born-again Christian" that managed to get out of a satanic cult.
Needless to say I expected more and not just a Maury Terry bio series.