The Forgotten West Memphis Three (TV Mini Series 2020) Poster

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8/10
Complete Opposite to One Star "B-O-R--I-N-G" Review by Clint Stevens
LovelyLabrys27 September 2020
There is much new information, and many personal updates since the making of Paradise Lost(1996) and Paradise Lost 2(2010). * * * * * * POTENTIAL SPOILER FROM FIRST 10 MINS OF PROGRAMME!!! * * * Most obviously, that the accused were released in 2011. There are also post-release interviews (one off camera), with all three released men. The progress of DNA Validation/dismissal/discovery of witnesses. and so many other things that i can't mention without literally giving spoilers.

As for the 'host' who as a trained fire investigator, with proven skills as a crime investigator, is more than just a host. He speaks coherently and passionately to camera. Nor does he use jargon that would exclude the audience, when he consults with fellow crime/investigation professionals.

Of course, much of the media and court footage has been seen before but it is impossible to avoid showing this if one is to tell the story from beginning up to the current point - 2019. However there is much new footage, and often the older footage was used in a different context - if you watch then you will see what i mean.
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7/10
At this point there's only one valid suspect
phillips-3362315 May 2020
Terry Hobbs. If you look at all the various documentaries about this case that have him walking to and from with his weeping wife at the time take a close look at his face. Not a single tear in his eye at any point that he's been questioned or even in a shot. When I look at that man I see no emotion at all, a trait of a sociopath. In my opinion he's guilty. DNA evidence supports it, it's just the state of Arkansas does not want to admit what a huge fu@k up this was. We can only hope the next DA has a heart and allows re-examination of evidence.
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6/10
Hard-working complete amateur achieves absolutely nothing
trivium10522 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
*SPOILERS THROUGHOUt*

What annoyed me the most about this documentary was right at the start when the amateur investigator said to Pam Hicks that he will not rest until he has found the murderer of her son. Errrrrm ..... yes you will rest before then as you will find out absolutely nothing new, you will not solve a single thing and you will get bored once you have enough material for your pointless documentary. I know this guy really wants to be the one who solves a case when everyone else has failed but he is living in la la land if he thinks he can. Oh no, wait ..... he used to be a fire investigator. That trumps people who are/were police investigators, private detectives etc. Not.

Anyone who haa followed this case already knows its clearly established the vast majority of the boys' injuries were caused by animal predation. Why bother going over that again? The guy who may have been 'the 4th boy' turns out to be completely unreliable and in my opinion an attention-seeking fantasist. So nothing gained there. The fact that DNA testing has massively advanced since the time of the murders is not news. The investigator guy has discovered nothing whatsoever. Why on earth would the DA release the evidence to be tested for DNA because this guy requested it?

It was so painfully skewed towards Terry Hobbs being the guilty party, something the infinitely superior West of Memphis has already done. The ex criminal profiler, good though he was in some parts. Made excruciating leaps and assumptions in trying to point the finger at Hobbs. I can only assume the documentary crew pushed him that way. His evidence would be an embarrassment in court, though that has never stopped American courts before lol. Total tunnel vision/confirmation-bias.

Oh well, I give it a 6 as I am a sucker for this case and I was glad to see something I hadn't seen on it, Contrary to others I quite liked the presenter, seemed a solid guy. He put in a big effort too, so fair play for that aspect.

For die-hard West Memphis 3 obsessives only, anyone else should go straight to the 3 Paradise Losts and West of Memphis.
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2/10
Big disappointment
n-escio6 March 2022
This is worthless. It feels like the guy who calls himself an "investigator" and claims he is going to try to finally find some real answers enjoys it a little bit too much to be in the spotlight himself while talking about how much he cares. 90% Of this documentary is old information, the rest is the guy talking about how he is going to finally do things right (hinting at how bad it was previously done, which is only partially true and mainly counts only for the West Arkansas police force and the prosecutors). I kept watching because I feel like only then I can truly make a claim on how good a show is, and I also couldn't help but stay curious until the end about whether there were going to be any new revelations, but no.
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2/10
2 stars for the effort
gizemmmercan17 February 2021
As someone who has seen all the documentaries about this case, I can confidently say that this is the worst of them all. It gives "0" new information about the case. The "investigator" person keeps going over the obvious facts, treating the audience as morons with an IQ of a pigeon. He hypes you up about this new technique which can give more accurate DNA evidence and could shed light who the murderer can be throughout the whole 2 episodes, and in the end, he can't even get it done! I honestly suggest you to watch any other documentary thats done about the West Memphis Three than this crap. Watching some fishes in an aquarium would have been more entertaining.
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1/10
Absolute trash
perrywynkles23 November 2020
Some idiot calling himself an investigator who goes back to ground zero. Totally boring and uninspired .He talks to camera when the camera should be on the area and is more interested in his claimed investigator status. Rewatch Paradise Lost a real documnetary, which this is not in any real sense
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5/10
Entertaining, but Deceptive
Mg61 July 2023
I did not find this series boring. However, I did sense the whole documentary was a tease. Good ol' Bob is playing it up for the camera, a lot. But Ruff suggests so many assumptions that just have no merit. The stunt where he has a guy recreate the trek from the crime scene to Bojangles is pure theater and irrelevant. The scene where he is tracking down all the WM3 guys because he needs their permission to DNA test evidence is pure nonsense. He is acting like getting oral OKs will allow a Podcaster to obtain forensic evidence from a triple homicide for DNA testing. Say what!? The state is not opening this case unless they have a law enforcement officer that finds an actual suspect. The DA is not going to turn over evidence for television ratings. This documentary is very much like a podcast, a lot of innuendo, loose facts, and not much else.
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1/10
Absolutely dreadful
drtully20009 October 2020
No new facts added, no extra light shed on the incident. Just a charmless, unlikeable guy covering old ground whilst occasionally going "wow" like he has just uncovered some sort of case breaking fact
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1/10
B-O-R-I-N-G
clintstevens14 May 2020
This investigative series sheds no light on the murder of 3 eight year old boys, sheds nothing new on the crime. Bob Ruff is out of his league as the host. Don't waste your time. Better you should watch the HBO program 'Paradise Lost' and 'Paradise Lost 2'.
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