DN:SERIES The Case Against Adnan Syed
HBO’s new doc series offers a reexamination and expansion of the investigation into the murder case that Sarah Koenig rode to the podcast stratosphere with the first season of Serial. THE CASE AGAINST ADNAN SYED introduces new characters, new investigators, new evidence and, natch, visuals.
The series works differently for veterans of “Serial” than it does for those who weren’t among of the millions of downloaders who made up that phenomenon. For the newbies, it’s a deep dive into a story that remains a complicated, heartbreaking and confounding mashup of—among other elements—true-crime mystery rhythms; high school, youth, and sexual cultures; immigrant and assimilation dynamics; and the Rashomon-level power of compelling storytelling. For those who were glued to their public-radio-fueled audio devices for Koenig’s spin-off from “This American Life,” the series provides new perspectives and, arguably, correctives. It's a remastered version of a classic, with a bunch of enlightening bonus tracks.
So once again, revelations are promised, evidence is pored over, and Adnan's legal fate hangs in the balance. And, again as well, you’re hard-pressed to avoid being drawn into a host of troubling, intriguing reflections.