Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries has finished its second volume. Each episode feels like a mini-documentary, and yet each episode also feels like it has the urgency of the current day. For some viewers, Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries is a new and interesting series. For others, it is a return and a revision of an old favorite.
What are the things that viewers should know before they watch the Netflix series, and what do they need to know after? Here are some ideas to consider.
Before: Original Series Started in the 1980s
The original Unsolved Mysteries started in the 1980s, and it ran until 2002. Then it was picked up briefly and ran from 2008 to 2010. Unlike the new series, episodes often consisted of multiple mysteries, so the format was slightly different. The show had a strong fan following, and many young actors actually got their start on the show. Unlike Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries, the original show featured reenactments of the mysteries.
Examples of actors who got their start or had roles on Unsolved Mysteries include actors, such as Matthew McConaughey and Taran Killam. It's quite a shock to see a now well-known actor or comedians in this previous role.
After: New Cases Chosen To Show Variety
Show producer, Terry Dunn Meurer, was interviewed by Variety to discuss the process of the new series. After explaining the 6-show lay-out of the new series, Meurer added, "So, out of that six, we wanted to make sure there was a variety of categories. There’s unexplained deaths and a missing person and a murder and paranormal. It’s always important to have a variety of categories — there’s something for everyone."
Additionally, this reboot shows international stories. This overall variety makes the show interesting and also calls back to the original series.
Before: UFO popularity
Many episodes of the original featured stories that called upon the public to help figure out the mystery. The audience members were made active in that they were being called upon to contribute to the case. This could be one of the many reasons why Unsolved Mysteries was so popular. However, viewers loved the UFO episodes, too.
According to IMDb, one of two Unsolved Mysteries episodes that ranked the highest featured an UFO mystery (Season 3, Episode 1). Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries pays homage to the fandom by also featuring a UFO mystery as well.
After: Social Media Tips
Whereas the original Unsolved Mysteries asked viewers to call in and give tips, the new series is counting on social media as a way to find out more information on the cases. It wouldn't be the first time that social media was used by amateur sleuths who actively worked together to help solve a crime or find out useful information.
So far, there have been theories, tips, and ideas about Volume 1's, "House of Terrors," and, "Mystery on the Roof-top." Hopefully, these fresh eyes and minds can provide additional insight into these cases.
Before: Most Famous Host
While the original Unsolved Mysteries had a couple of hosts, the show didn't really reach its stride until it had Robert Stack. His voice was calm and deep, and he knew how to pause in the right place to add more tension. Prior to his work as host, Stack acted from a young age. He was in a few movies, but his most notable role was in the television show--The Untouchables.
After Stack, Unsolved Mysteries attempted to move forward on a different network with a different host, but the attempt lacked the magic of Stack. Maybe then, it's no coincidence that the creators have chosen not to have a host in this reboot. It'd be hard for a host to live up to Stack's performance.
After: FBI Re-Opened One of the New Cases
While there aren't as many cases shown in this reboot, there are some cases that could be a step closer to being solved. One such case was in Volume 1, the case of Alonzo Brooks. Brooks was murdered after attending a party in rural Kansas. His mother believed that his death was racially motivated since Brooks was biracial.
Due to his case being presented on the Netflix series, there is a renewed investigation, and the FBI is now involved. Hopefully, this results in the case being solved.
Before: The Creepy Song
There is something deliciously creepy about the theme song. It's a song that stays with listeners long after, at times even creepier than the cases. The new series does keep a version of this song in its opening, playing to fans. But why is the opening particularly creepy, and how has it remained creepy throughout the years?
Gary Malkin, the co-creator of the original song, discusses this in an interview with L.A. Times. In the interview, he talks about how he and Michael Boyd created the song with such structure as what is known as a devil's interval, a mix of sounds/tones that provide that feeling of uneasiness. Add the genius of a master synthesist, and creepiness fully achieved.
After: Tsunami Spirits Complexities
In Volume 2, viewers learn about a unique ghost story in, "Tsunami Spirits." This episode is a unique ghost story in that the hauntings take place over the whole city of Ishinomaki, rather than being isolated to a single home. Additionally, this ghost story comes from a more recent tragedy--the earthquake and tsunami of 2011.
While the story presented in the episode is intriguing, there are even more complexities. It's rumored that there have been pictures of ghosts trying to take taxis to go home. There are reports of more horrific hauntings as well. Author and journalist, Richard Lloyd Parry, wrote a book about the event, "Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan's Disaster Zone." In it, he writes that this event was, "the greatest single loss of life since the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945." That additional context truly shows why this ghost story is especially tragic.
Before: Cases Were Solved
Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries has a lot to live up to as the original series actually solved cases. Some say that over 200 cases were solved. The L.A. Times profiled one such case: A social worker named Georgia Tann stole babies and young children from low-income families for nearly two decades in order to facilitate adoptions by wealthier families.
One viewer (Alma Sipple) recognized the picture of Tann and realized that her own daughter had been taken. Many years before, Tann had convinced Sipple to allow her to take the daughter to the hospital. Shortly after, Tann told Sipple that the daughter died. Although Sipple suspected that Tan had lied, now she had evidence. Thus begin the process of finding out more information, reaching out to her daughter, and then developing a relationship with her daughter.
After: Volume Three?
While the new series hasn't been officially renewed as of yet, there is little doubt that there will be a volume 3. The series is popular, and Terry Dunn Meurer (the producer and creator) explained to Newsweek that they had more stories to tell. She also stated that she intended to tell more international stories.
Fans of the show may have to wait a while for the next volume, but it will be well worth the wait.