The Staircase

Michael Peterson is a respected novelist and family man whose life unravels after his wife, Kathleen, is found dead at the bottom of a staircase. The series follows the investigation, the police and prosecutorial scrutiny, and the way suspicion fractures a large, affluent North Carolina family. As Michael maintains his innocence, evidence, testimony, and motive are sifted in public and in court, and the story keeps shifting depending on who you trust. The show focuses less on delivering a single answer and more on how memory, bias, and the legal system shape what outsiders accept as the truth.

Released in 2022, the limited series was created by Antonio Campos, Sebastián Silva, and Aisha Bhoori. Colin Firth leads as Michael Peterson, supported by Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, Dane DeHaan, and Olivia DeJonge, and it draws on reporting and documentary material about the real case for its source material and tone.

Critics and viewers have been divided, the show holding an average rating around 6.8 out of 10 from audiences. Many reviewers praised the performances and the careful reconstruction of events, while others wanted a clearer narrative verdict. Key themes include the slipperiness of memory, the pressures of reputation, family loyalty, and the procedural mechanics that determine guilt or innocence.

The series reignited public curiosity about the original, real-life case and prompted renewed discussion about true crime as entertainment. It generated conversation about how dramatizations can change perceptions of evidence, and several scenes and courtroom moments have been widely shared and debated on social media, especially among true crime communities.

While performances, especially by Firth and Collette, drew attention during awards season chatter, the series did not dominate major trophy lists. It earned respect for its acting and production values from many observers, but it mostly inspired conversation rather than sweeping critical accolades.