IR TV Review: THE STAIRCASE - EPISODES 1,2 & 3 [HBO]
The texture of "The Staircase" as revealed in the first 3 episodes premiering on HBO is about perspective and perception in the revelation of motivation and/or blame. At the inset of the series we find Colin Firth as Michael Petersen finding his wife Kathleen Petersen (Toni Collette) bloody and dead on their house staircase. The crux is building everything back from then as the investigators come in, lawyers get involved, certain backgrounds open up and loyalties become strained depending on what details are revealed. The series in its first 3 episodes works like documentary but in reverse which is sort of the irony because of the true crime documentary it is, per se, based on. Somewhere midway through Episode 2, a very effective and technically tricky transition method really gives the series a texture of reflexivity of what transpired in real time. The series then struggles in a way then to maintain this pace in episode 3 when more tertiary details and prejudices become involved.
Firth of course is always committed to every role even when his characters are at times uncomfortable or unlikable. The empathy and/or practicality of his character is tricky too because it paints many colors of motivation but also ego. Collette too knows the character she is getting into though her inclusion becomes more of a plot mover which she understands it seems. What makes alot of this work, though it depends if more are given time on screen, is the interesting mixture of young talent playing the kids. Patrick Schwarzenegger as Todd Petersen, the youngest son is interesting because there is a sense of control but it is a very different energy than his dad. Dane Dehaan, who was big in "Spiderman" and "Chronicle", has a much more hands-off role though he does have range. It will be interesting to see how it plays out and his use within it.
The same aspect works with the daughters. Sophie Turner and Odessa Young, both powerful young actress in their own right play the adopted daughters of Michael and they have the dynamic of being able to turn it around on a dime but beyond certain reactionary scenes, their inclusion reflects pedigree. Young recently was in Sony Pictures Classics' "Mothering Sunday" and Turner of course was in the most recent reboot of "X-Men". Again these relationships play as an ensemble which might come to a simmering boil in the end. The story, though, seems to angle more to Michael Stuhlbarg (always effective) as Michael' lawyer and Tim Guinee as Michael's brother who trying to keep the ship together. The other end of the spectrum follows the county prosecutors (including an always explosive and divisive Parker Posey) who have their own assumptions.
The rebuilding of the staircase from both sides shows the difference in styles but interestingly enough how different sides paint the organic versus forensic nature of such a crime. The wild card leading towards Episode 4 is possible Olivia DeJonge as Caitlin, the only biological daughter of Toni Collette's Kathleen from a previous marriage. The series starts to lose a little bit of cohesion in Episode 3 but this can likely be tightened up as the trial itself starts though the flash forwards seem to dictate a certain variable. This would be the documentary being filmed about the case inside the series which again (in ironic form) is the basis per se on which part of the actual series here is based. Reflexivity is specific to details depending on which ones come to bear of course. B
By Tim Wassberg
