The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness

This one will take you on a four hour tour of New Yorks finest misguided pride and a reporter who just can't let go. Although the tale is not something you want to acknowledge by any positive words, it is, however, fascinating. Old interviews, old images of NY, footage of days long gone. Detectives with oversized moustaches and glasses. The Son of Sam has it all. Topped with some twists and turns, the episodes have enough to keep your attention. And finally a series where there is a beginning and an end. You may not like the outcome, but you will be entertained.

If you think this documentary is about Berkowitz, then you will be disappointed. I suspect not all the negative reviews made it to the last episode where it really reframed the story. The descent into darkness mentioned in the title is not about Berkowitz's descent into darkness, it's about the journalist who got too obsessed with the case. There are some aspects of the storytelling that could be better, but we thought it was interesting enough.

This "docuseries" reminds me of the dozens of JFK assassination pieces. Take out the "ifs" and "maybes" and you have a 2-part review of the Son of Sam murders taken directly from press and police files. It is the result of the work of an obsessed man who convinced himself that the killer didn't work alone. If you buy the various theories presented by the various players in this film, you can convince yourself that Terry was onto something. If you're at all pragmatic, you'll see through the speculation and innuendo and follow the evidence to a logical end. Don't be fooled by the narration; these are the words of an obsessed "investigative" reporter who went down the rabbit hole and never emerged.

It's a very interesting new look at a case we all thought we knew. Cut and dried, right? Well.... Maury Terry, a former technical writer for IBM had a brilliant analytical mind. He was convinced there was more to this case than fits the narrative we all knew so well. His deep, relentless dive into this case is fascinating. Because of it, he left IBM and became a newspaper writer. This case, though, it never let him go. We get a lot of information. We're introduced to other people whom may have been involved, there are undeniable links. Or coincidences. You'll have to decide. I'll add this. David Berkowitz, now, is a very well known born-again Christian. He's never getting out of prison and knows that, so it's not a ploy to garner favor from the parole board. He is aware of the horrendous crimes he committed and agrees he should never walk free. However, he has ALWAYS stated he was part of a Satanic Cult. Which makes the case, the series sound crazy-I get it. But, what if that's true? That there were other people involved? It's an interesting watch. Some people are going to dismiss the whole thing as nuts. I didn't. I'd never heard of Maury, but believe he was correct. Watch and decide for yourself.