Exclusive Early Look at "Forensic Files II" New Episodes!
This week, I was given the opportunity to enjoy a sneak peek of HLN’s newest season of Forensic Files II by viewing the first episode: “Blanket Denial.” Forensic Files has always held a special place in my heart as it was the first piece of true crime content that I ever engaged with as a little kid, so when we were given a chance to get a sneak peek at the new season I jumped at the opportunity.
The first episode starts by showing real coverage and news stories that played about the crime they’re focusing on to immediately set the scene and get the viewer in the mind of someone experiencing this case. These stories were covering the case and the murder of this young woman span from small town reporters to the likes of Anderson Cooper. The narrator, who according to CNN Press Room is Emmy nominee Billy Camp, brings life and suspense to the telling of the events from finding the body to solving the case, connecting the dots and threads for the audience in a way to help them understand while also keeping them frightfully engaged.
The first case begins like this: on February 25, 2006, a body is found 20 miles from Downtown Manhattan. A young female, around 20, naked and wrapped in a blanket. She was found with her hands bound with a zip tie, her face wrapped with packing tape, and a sock forced down her throat. Upon further investigation of the body, it was found that that cloth was the mode of her death, suffocating her, while other damage to her led detectives to believe she was sexually assaulted. The most shocking aspect of this case, however, is the amount of time and detail that went into trying to cover it up, from scrubbing the body clean with bleach to cutting her fingernails, all little things are done to hide any DNA traces of her killer.
There are multiple pieces of this case and the way producer Nancy Duffer framed the investigation that is really interesting and gets you invested in that classic Forensic Files way. The sheer number of expert witnesses who actually worked on the case, from Former NYPD Forensic Consultants to the Brooklyn North Homicide Squad Detective, ensure that the information you receive is credible, along with providing the law enforcement and scientific perspectives that make the show.
Additionally, the inclusion of perfectly timed tidbits of information, such as a connection to the “Preppy Murder” case in 1986 and “Locard’s Exchange Principle,” something that I had never heard of before throughout my investigations into true crime. The addition of these extra details was fascinating not only to learn about but also to see how the minds of these experts in their fields worked, recalling these past pieces of information and studying to solve their current cases. Their explanations of the work they had done were also well done, throwing the viewer in alongside the detectives to work together to figure out the case, and forcing you to marvel at all they were able to discover without any surveillance footage and obvious DNA evidence.
The one complaint I could come up with for the episode is the decidedly analytical element, ignoring the emotion or humanity of the situation at times. While this is somewhat within Forensic Files II style, there were moments where the inclusion of a family member or friend discussing the victim, who she was, and what her last night was like would have added a lot more to the storytelling. Of course, there is every possibility that any of those people in her life could have refused involvement, but in a world where true crime is frequently criticized or argued for exploiting the pain of a victim and turning them into a prop in their own story, a personal anecdote or interview would have done much.
Overall, I very much enjoyed the first episode of the new season of Forensic Files II. It told a compelling story that had me involved until the very end, and I look forward to seeing what else they have on the docket for this new season. Catch “Blanket Denial” this Sunday, July 31st, at 10 p.m. ET to watch it yourself!
