Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning explained

Director:Jason Hehir
Country:United States
Num Episodes:3
Language:English
Runtime:50-54 minutes
Network:HBO

Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage and Reckoning is a 2023 television documentary series directed and produced by Jason Hehir. It follows the murder of Carol Stuart, and the investigation that followed, igniting racial tensions and targeting.

It premiered on December 4, 2023, on HBO.

Premise

The series explores the murder of Carol Stuart, and the investigation that followed, which ignited racial tensions and targeting, becoming a media firestorm.[1] Ron Bell, Dart Adams, David Ropeik, Adrian Walker, Louis Elisa, Howard Bryant, Michelle Caruso, Ted Landsmark, William Bratton, Brian McGrory, Neil Sullivan, Tito Jackson, Jeffrey Brown, Kevin Patterson, and Nancy Gertner appear in the series.[2]

Production

As a teenager, Jason Hehir had heard about the murder of Carol Stuart daily, eventually wanting to make a documentary about it, exploring Boston's racial history through the lens of the case.[3] [4] Carol's family declined to participate in the series, while the Bennett family was initially skeptical and reluctant to trust Hehir, eventually doing so.[5] Hehir spent time with the family, and let them know he would portray their story accurately and honestly.[6]

The Boston Globe co-produced the series, additionally producing a companion podcast based upon extensive reporting.[7]

Reception

[8] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable".[9]

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Gives voice to the people who were unjustly victimized by law enforcement and examines the legacy of a painful, racist rush to judgment."[10] John Anderson of The Wall Street Journal wrote: "A captivating crime story, a socio-political treatise and even evidence that life can get better."[11]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: HBO Original Three-Part Documentary Series "Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning" Debuts December 4. The Futon Critic. November 6, 2023. November 22, 2023.
  2. Web site: HBO Original Three-Part Documentary Series MURDER IN BOSTON: ROOTS, RAMPAGE & RECKONING Debuts December 4. Warner Bros. Discovery. November 6, 2023. November 23, 2023.
  3. Web site: 'We failed the city of Boston': how a racist manhunt led to chaos in 1989. The Guardian. David. Smith. December 7, 2023. December 9, 2023.
  4. Web site: Murder in Boston Doc Revisits the Ugly History of the Chuck Stuart Case. MovieMaker. Margeaux. Sippell. December 4, 2023. December 9, 2023.
  5. Web site: 'Murder in Boston' Filmmaker: Infamous 1989 Murder Was Fueled by City's 'Fraught Racial History'. TheWrap. Sharon. Knolle. December 4, 2023. December 9, 2023.
  6. Web site: HBO's new docuseries tells the 'cautionary tale' of the Charles Stuart case. WGBH. Haley. Lerner. December 4, 2023. December 9, 2023.
  7. Web site: Notorious Murder of Pregnant Newlywed Carol Stuart and Racism in Boston Explored in New HBO Docuseries. People. KC. Baker. November 21, 2023. November 23, 2023.
  8. Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning. murder_in_boston_roots_rampage_and_reckoning. tv. 1. December 9, 2023.
  9. Web site: Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning. Metacritic. December 9, 2023.
  10. Murder in Boston review: Exploring the legacy of a racist rush to judgment. Entertainment Weekly. Kristen. Baldwin. November 27, 2023. December 3, 2023.
  11. Web site: 'Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning' Review: In Pursuit of an Imaginary Assailant. The Wall Street Journal. John. Anderson. November 30, 2023. December 3, 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.