‘The Staircase’: keys to see the series of the season

Few things we like more than a series based on real events. If you add to that mysteries and a luxury cast, the result is ‘The Staircase’, the new HBO Max miniseries. A flag true crime that hooks from the first moment and that tells us the story of Michael Peterson, his family from North Carolina and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson.

‘The Staircase’ is an eight-episode project created and written by Antonio Campos (‘Afterschool’) and Maggie Cohn (‘American Crime Story’), and whose cast is led by Colin Firth and Toni Collette. Weighty names to star in one of the most enigmatic and media stories of recent decades.

With all these ingredients, it’s easy to think that ‘The Staircase’ has everything to become one of the season’s greatest hits. But then we are going to give you more reasons not to miss it, with all the real details of one of the most bizarre and mysterious stories you can see on television.

What is ‘The Staircase’ about?

‘The Staircase’ is based on a true story that tells us about the life of Michael Peterson, his extended North Carolina family and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson, who died in an unfortunate fall down a staircase. The series traces the investigations into her death, which led to the arrest of Michael, accused of murder. But the plot goes much further, as it is an alternative look at the mystery of Michael Peterson through the eyes of those closest to him.

Who stars in ‘The Staircase’?

Michel Peterson is played by Colin Firth, while the role of Kathleen is played by Toni Collette. The cast is completed with other big names such as Juliette Binoche, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sophie Turner, Parker Posey or Michael Stuhlbarg.

Sure, they’re all brilliant, but the leading couple of Firth and Colette are sublime, especially bringing Michael Peterson to life in one of the most nuanced and complicated roles of his career.

beyond the facts

The HBO Max miniseries goes beyond whether or not Michael committed the murder. Here we will see how the plot delves into the history of the Peterson family, which as we will see is not a family to use. Through the use of flashbacks we will witness the before, during and after the tragic event, diving into the least known part of this media story.

Another point in favor of ‘The Staircase’ is that at no time does it opt ​​for anyone. Neither blame nor innocence is granted, mainly because it is perhaps the least important when it comes to deferring history. The suspense and the raw way of telling the story are two very important points in this miniseries, which hooks you from the first second to not let go until the credits of the last chapter come out.

A trial with many family secrets

Another important point of the miniseries is the one dedicated to the trial and defense of Michael Peterson. Throughout this process, many secrets of the Peterson family are revealed to us, as well as many of the mysteries that surrounded the case. The truth, as often happens in many cases, depends on who tells it, and in the judgment of the Peterson patriarch it is more than obvious.

The objective, in short, is not to tell the truth itself, a truth that even in 2022 is still not entirely clear. The series takes us on a journey whose destiny is to offer us all the information, with all its nuances and edges, so that we can understand how it was possible to create two completely opposite positions in the same family and in the environment, among those who thought that it was an accident and those who firmly believed in Michael’s guilt.