
TV-MASynopsis
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.
13 episodes
S1·E1Crime or Accident?
Following his wife's suspicious death, Michael Peterson speaks about his version of the events while lawyers and expert witnesses prepare for trial.
S1·E2Secrets and Lies
As Michael's hidden life comes out into the open, defense experts debate if it will have a significant impact on the coming trial.
S1·E3A Striking Coincidence
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.
S1·E4A Prosecution Trickery
As the trial looms and media attention heats up, an autopsy report's wording ruffles the feathers of the defense team.
S1·E5A Weak Case
The prosecution presents its case while the defense strives to cast a reasonable doubt within the minds of the jury.
S1·E6The Prosecution's Revenge
A witness brings surprising levity to the stand. The judge rules on an important matter, and Michael's alleged temper comes under scrutiny.
S1·E7The Blow Poke Returns
Kathleen's sisters pore over Michael's writings. Jurors visit the staircase at Michael's home. A vital piece of evidence reappears.
S1·E8The Verdict
Is Michael Peterson guilty or not guilty? The jury delivers its verdict regarding the mysterious death of his wife, Kathleen.
S1·E9Reopening the Case
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.
S1·E10The Last Chance
After more experts testify about the questionable conclusions and claims of Duane Deaver, the judge rules on whether a new trial is necessary.
S1·E11Looking for Closure
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.
S1·E12Between Anger and Despair
Their faith in the justice system forever shaken, Michael and his family discuss what they can hope to achieve by continuing the fight.
S1·E13Flawed Justice
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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