Recent crime TV shows have focused on the murkiness of memory, from Lorena to True Detective

Vulture

True-crime documentaries like Lorena and Leaving Neverland are connected to prestige dramas like True Detective and Sharp Objects in the way they focus murky memories. "What both Lorena and Leaving Neverland do, essentially, is turn us into Wayne Hays (from True Detective)," says Jen Chaney. "As we watch, we’re the ones looking back at past criminal cases and trying to figure out what really happened. We’re the ones realizing we overlooked or forgot important details. We’re the ones comprehending that when it comes to abuse, be it spousal or child, the truth is sometimes terribly complicated and depressingly straightforward all in one breath."