Serial Episode 9 Post
Wow, what an episode! Koenig certainly throws a lot of new information at us. I personally found it to be far more engaging than most of the content from previous weeks. For once, she makes a declarative statement regarding her opinions on the case when she confesses to having "reasonable doubt" about Adnan's guilt at the end of the episode. There were several things from the episode that stood out to me.
Koenig mentions the idea of guilt on several occasions, concluding that it is impossible for one to truly jump to conclusions by analyzing how someone behaves after a traumatic event. For example, we can choose to see Adnan's reaction to Hae's death as either being compassionate or sympathetic, depending on how we feel about him as an individual. The fact Adnan contacts the authorities and cries with a group of friends is an obvious indicator of his innocence for those that fall in his camp. For the opposition, however, Syed's actions are merely further examples of a psychotic killer who has proven himself to be a master at manipulating other human beings. Overall, however, it is nearly impossible to judge one's character in this situation. Everyone responds to death in a different way and nobody can be held accountable for what may be deemed odd behavior due to the subjective nature of the human grieving process.
Another thing that caught my attention was the fact that Koenig finally mentions Hae's family. She relates the heartbreaking story of Hae's mother reciting a Korean proverb (through a translator) during the trial. After painting this emotional picture of the Lee family, Koenig next mentions that she tried tirelessly to interview them for the program. Understandably, they choose to remain quiet rather than talking about a horrific case from 16 years ago. This seems to again pose an ethical question about the nature of Koenig's investigation. Is she demonstrating the necessary respect for the Lee family in creating this podcast? Is it possible that Koenig's professed attachment to Adnan could have influenced the family's decision to not speak in public about the case?
The final thing that caught my attention involves Adnan's belief about confession. He states that it would actually be an easier situation for his family if he admitted to his parents that he was guilty and allowed them to move on with their lives. Despite that fact, he still maintains his innocence to this day. Do you agree with Adnan's statement? Might he also be motivated by the fact that his parents are said to visit him often in prison and he doesn't want to lose their support? His behavior while in prison seems to support those who have strongly believed in Adnan's innocence. He is said to have found a deeper connection with religion and to have received countless accolades for his good behavior. What did you guys make of his sterling track record since his incarceration?
Finally, I want to draw attention to the acclaimed HBO docu-series The Jinx. I have attached an article that explains its similarity to Serial. What do you guys make of these real-life based crime investigations? Is this the sign of an emerging popular genre or might this just be a passing craze?
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/the-jinx-hbos-twisted-compelling-answer-to-serial/387712/
I agree that I found this episode particularly engaging, for similar reasons to you. I noticed that Koenig seemed to have lost her cool a little bit, or at least shed some of the more neutral reporter vibe she seemed to have been going for. I find it interesting that she chooses this episode to finally give us that declarative statement. I may be running a soap opera in my head, but I think it's kind of funny that it's this episode that Koenig gives us her official feelings on Adnan's innocence--the episode where we get to really learn about Adnan as a person.
ReplyDeleteBut, at the risk of rambling about how fascinating I found learning about Adnan's life in prison, I'm going to try to address your question about Adnan and him saying that he thinks his parents would've slept better at night knowing that he had done it and just told them. Honestly, I agree with Adnan (or at least see where his logic comes from). I feel like uncertainty is one of the most difficult emotions for humans to experience - we're such curious creatures, and we seek answers to everything. So, Adnan's parents currently live in a reality where they really don't *know* that he's innocent or guilty. So, knowing the truth, or at least feeling certain about Adnan, would help them, even if that truth was that their son was a murderer. To me, that would give them a solid ground to re-think and adjust their lives and mindsets as they will. Of course it'd be devastating to have a murderer for a child, but at least they would know that. To me, there are less questions to be asked for parents who are grappling with knowing their son is a monster versus a set of parents wondering day after day if their son is wrongfully imprisoned or not.
Either way, though, I feel for Adnan's parents.
I think what you bring up about confession and innocence is really interesting. That was something that struck me to. If maintaining one’s innocence is as emotionally burdensome as Adnan describes it to be, why would he do it for fifteen years if he wasn’t actually innocent? What would be the point of the excess pain for his family and friends?
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though the legal system is set up to punish those who maintain their innocence the most. If a defendant follows through with a trial, opting out of a plea bargain and often maintaining his or her innocence, he or she is subject to an excruciating amount of waiting. Adnan describes his experience with this waiting process to Koenig, saying that it was so tedious that many would strike a plea deal just to avoid hours of sitting in bullpens. The mere name of the waiting rooms is dehumanizing, and from Adnan’s description of the pens, it does not seem surprising that many would opt for a plea deal after spending sometime playing the waiting game. This did not sit well with me. It seems as though the system itself is bent on avoiding as many trials as possible, and that means putting a lot more people behind bars.
So I looked up some statistics about plea-bargaining in the American justice system. As of January 2014, “ninety-seven percent of federal criminal prosecutions [were] resolved by plea bargain.” That number is shocking. It means that the majority of the individuals making up the prison population were never actually found guilty of any crime. If Adnan was willing to endure the waiting process and maintain his desire for a trial by jury, I can’t help but wonder if there is truth behind his side of January 13, 1999: that it was a typical day. Otherwise, why try to navigate the apparently harsh justice system?
Here is the link to the article where I found some information on plea-bargaining: http://www.thecrimereport.org/viewpoints/2014-01-how-plea-bargains-are-making-jury-trials-obsolete