Netflix’s Unbelievable gives an unflinching look at what it means to be a sexual assault survivor, along with a behind-the-scenes look at how to catch the rapists who commit the crimes.
In case you haven’t heard, Unbelievable is the latest riveting Netflix limited series everyone is talking about. Part Law & Order: SVU and part True Detective, the series follows two policewomen, played by award-winning actresses Toni Collette and Merritt Wever, who work with a string of rape survivors, played by the likes of Kaitlyn Dever and Danielle Macdonald, to catch a serial rapist.
Notable television journalist Katie Couric is one of the executive producers of the show, which was released last month to rave reviews. Oh yeah, and the whole thing is based on a true story.
A detailed examination of how sexual assault investigations should (and shouldn’t) be handled, the series starts off with a young woman named Marie Adler (Dever) reporting her rape to the police. But she’s later pressured by two male officers to recant her story after she has trouble remembering what exactly happened. This is the first sign that Unbelievable knows what it’s talking about.
During and following the events of rape, some survivors have to emotionally detach themselves from the situation to get through it. Of course, this causes an impasse in some cases, as some women struggle to remember things that their mind is trying to spare them from remembering. Marie is repeatedly re-victimized by the police as she is forced to tell her story over and over again.
Marie, a product of foster care, turns to some of her past foster mothers, played by Elizabeth Marvel and Bridget Everett, for support — but even they have their doubts about whether or not Marie has actually been assaulted because she isn’t “acting like a rape victim.” This highlights the frustrating belief that all survivors react to their situations the same way. Unbelievable goes out of it’s way to disprove that. Each survivor is different, has a different experience, and will handle things in their own way.
We are eventually introduced to Detective Karen Duvall (Wever) from Golden, Colorado and Detective Grace Rasmussen from Westminster, Colorado. Both women are brilliant and brave, but both have very different methods when it comes to catching bad guys. Rasmussen is the more seasoned (i.e. feisty) cop who gets right to the point about everything, while Duvall takes a gentler but still effective, approach to solving crimes.
Following a series of sexual assaults with similar circumstances in their separate counties, the two pool their resources to track down the serial rapist. Wever and Collette deliver Emmy-worthy performances in seemingly every episode, with one scene in particular in which the two ladies are on a stakeout when Wever’s Duvall admits that she fangirled over Collette’s Rasmussen following a big drug bust she spearheaded years ago. The two form a support team to collect as much evidence as possible and then partner with the FBI to capture the rapist once and for all.
Another thing of note, is that the series never loses sight of Marie and everything that she has gone through. Once the male detective learns that Marie’s story was indeed true after the lady detectives found a picture of her on the rapists’ computer, he tracks Marie down to apologize.
When he finds Marie, you can just tell that the circumstances of her life and how she has been treated by others has just worn her down. However, it seems like the apology somewhat helps her feel vindicated for how she has been treated. She goes on to sue the city and win, using the money to relocate and start a new life elsewhere.
Dever gives a heartbreaking and nuanced performance as Marie — which is proven over and over again — but is especially obvious in the final episode of the series, during which she calls Detective Duvall to thank her for capturing her rapist. Knowing that he’s finally behind bars seems to give her a little bit of peace.
Unbelievable is one of those shows that stick with you long after you’ve finished watching it. There are parts that are appropriately uncomfortable to watch, but it’s for the sake of the storytelling and never feels pretentious. From the stellar performances by an amazingly talented cast to the all-too-real writing, this series takes it time weaving the intricate stories of these real-life women and how they come together to help each other deal with trauma.