The Staircase — Season 1TV-MA
The Staircase·Season 1·2004·13 episodes

Season 1

The Staircase
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Premiere
7
Oct2004
Season 1

Synopsis

The Staircase (2004), Season 1 is a true-crime documentary you can watch online on iFILM — thirteen episodes following the trial of novelist Michael Peterson, charged in 2001 with murdering his wife Kathleen after her body was found at the foot of their home staircase.

Filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade was given the kind of access most documentaries never get. His camera sits in on defense strategy sessions, inside Peterson's house, around the family table. The season moves from arraignment to verdict and keeps going. Secrets from Peterson's private life surface. A chilling coincidence emerges — another woman close to him died on a staircase seventeen years earlier. Blood-spatter experts argue, prosecutor Jim Hardin pushes, and David Rudolf's defense hunts for any reasonable doubt. The closing episodes leave the courtroom for the long aftermath of appeals.

De Lestrade had already won an Oscar for Murder on a Sunday Morning, and here he is less interested in whodunit than in how American justice actually grinds. If Making a Murderer pulled you in, this is the trial seen from the inside. Stream The Staircase Season 1 online on iFILM.

Season 1

13 episodes

  • Crime or Accident?
    S1·E1

    Crime or Accident?

    October 7, 2004 · 47 min

    Following his wife's suspicious death, Michael Peterson speaks about his version of the events while lawyers and expert witnesses prepare for trial.

  • Secrets and Lies
    S1·E2

    Secrets and Lies

    October 7, 2004 · 45 min

    As Michael's hidden life comes out into the open, defense experts debate if it will have a significant impact on the coming trial.

  • A Striking Coincidence
    S1·E3

    A Striking Coincidence

    October 14, 2004 · 46 min

    The death of another woman close to Peterson from 17 years earlier sparks a new investigation. She also died on a staircase, casting major doubts over the defense case.

  • A Prosecution Trickery
    S1·E4

    A Prosecution Trickery

    October 14, 2004 · 44 min

    As the trial looms and media attention heats up, an autopsy report's wording ruffles the feathers of the defense team.

  • A Weak Case
    S1·E5

    A Weak Case

    October 21, 2004 · 47 min

    The prosecution presents its case while the defense strives to cast a reasonable doubt within the minds of the jury.

  • The Prosecution's Revenge
    S1·E6

    The Prosecution's Revenge

    October 21, 2004 · 47 min

    A witness brings surprising levity to the stand. The judge rules on an important matter, and Michael's alleged temper comes under scrutiny.

  • The Blow Poke Returns
    S1·E7

    The Blow Poke Returns

    October 28, 2004 · 50 min

    Kathleen's sisters pore over Michael's writings. Jurors visit the staircase at Michael's home. A vital piece of evidence reappears.

  • The Verdict
    S1·E8

    The Verdict

    October 28, 2004 · 49 min

    Is Michael Peterson guilty or not guilty? The jury delivers its verdict regarding the mysterious death of his wife, Kathleen.

  • Reopening the Case
    S1·E9

    Reopening the Case

    January 30, 2013 · 55 min

    Eight years later, the possibility that a key witness for the prosecution may have misled the jury could prompt the need for a new trial.

  • The Last Chance
    S1·E10

    The Last Chance

    January 30, 2013 · 52 min

    After more experts testify about the questionable conclusions and claims of Duane Deaver, the judge rules on whether a new trial is necessary.

  • Looking for Closure
    S1·E11

    Looking for Closure

    June 8, 2018 · 52 min

    Following two and a half years of house arrest, Michael must decide whether to push for a plea or risk his freedom with a new trial.

  • Between Anger and Despair
    S1·E12

    Between Anger and Despair

    June 8, 2018 · 46 min

    Their faith in the justice system forever shaken, Michael and his family discuss what they can hope to achieve by continuing the fight.

  • Flawed Justice
    S1·E13

    Flawed Justice

    June 8, 2018 · 46 min

    Michael speaks to a reporter about the reasons behind his plea. Later, Kathleen's sister delivers a statement of defiance in court.

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