The Return of “The Jinx”
When “The Jinx” premiered in 2015, it was one of the pillars of the new true-crime wave — high-end but sufficiently lurid, with soap-opera twists but also documentary legitimacy. In the absence of criminal justice, maybe entertainment justice could suffice.
Diving Deeper into the Saga
Now the director Andrew Jarecki is back with “The Jinx — Part Two,” six more episodes detailing the stranger-than-fiction saga of the real estate scion and convicted murderer Robert Durst. This installment isn’t solely focused on Durst; it delves into the meta-narrative of “The Jinx,” adding layers of narratives and truths, creating a rich true-crime narrative.
The first episode, which airs Sunday at 10 p.m. on HBO, includes footage of dozens of people connected to the case all gathering to watch the original finale together. That was indeed a shocking episode of television, with Durst’s hot-mic bathroom confession as its astounding yet fitting conclusion.
Over and over, this “Jinx” includes people discussing the original “Jinx.” Some describe it directly to Jarecki in interviews, others mention it in recorded phone calls Durst made from prison, or they say on the witness stand that they watched the show and learned details of the case from TV.
Actual courthouse footage blends together with hazy re-creation images, and we hear real audio but over fake visuals. As the show turns its attention to Durst’s long-delayed trial, “The Jinx” takes on a behind-the-scenes quality as much as a true-crime one.
