I've learned several things while watching this show.
1. Stalkers are delusional people who truly believe that violence, intimidation, threats, harassment, etc. will get them what they want.
2. Stalkers are masters at initially being charming wolves in sheep's clothing.
3. Stalkers are persistent psychopaths. The more the target says no, the more determined they become.
4. Stalkers are not deterred by restraining orders. In fact, restraining orders only make them angry and more determined to ignore them.
5. Victims wait too long before contacting the police.
6. The police are powerless to protect stalking victims.
As someone who was sexually harassed in the workplace by a supervisor (which I believe is a form of stalking), I'm still baffled by what makes a stalker stalk. I recognize that all-too familiar won't-take-no-for-an-answer mindset and how they see it as a challenge to ramp it up rather than a clear message to let go and move on. If you watch enough episodes, you'll notice that all the stalkers profiled seem to have that similar modus operandi. The "why" may never be known. I guess some people are just wired differently. Personally, I think they're all narcissistic control freaks.
There are three types of stalkers profiled: stalkers who had a previous romantic relationship with their victims (an ex-husband or ex-boyfriend), stalkers who had a platonic relationship with their victims (a neighbor or co-worker), and stalkers unknown to their victims (a secret admirer). The show mostly profiles extreme cases of stalking. Many end with the stalker trying to kill their target. All but two of the stalkers profiled are men.
From a production standpoint, the show's pacing is slow. There's no narration. The story is told through a first-person account by the victim, on-screen title cards, and actor re-enactments. Unlike most true-crime shows that use re-enactment actors, primarily in non-speaking roles seen under narration, this show's actors perform lengthy scripted scenes, which are sluggish and poorly written with hackneyed dialogue. It also doesn't help that the majority of the actors aren't skilled enough to pull off the kind of dramatic weight necessary for the scenes to be believable. There's also an inordinate amount of recapping, primarily coming out of commercials, which is obviously filler to stretch the story to fit the hour-long running time. Perhaps the show would work better in a half-hour format.
Despite the production's shortcomings, however, the stories are compelling.
1. Stalkers are delusional people who truly believe that violence, intimidation, threats, harassment, etc. will get them what they want.
2. Stalkers are masters at initially being charming wolves in sheep's clothing.
3. Stalkers are persistent psychopaths. The more the target says no, the more determined they become.
4. Stalkers are not deterred by restraining orders. In fact, restraining orders only make them angry and more determined to ignore them.
5. Victims wait too long before contacting the police.
6. The police are powerless to protect stalking victims.
As someone who was sexually harassed in the workplace by a supervisor (which I believe is a form of stalking), I'm still baffled by what makes a stalker stalk. I recognize that all-too familiar won't-take-no-for-an-answer mindset and how they see it as a challenge to ramp it up rather than a clear message to let go and move on. If you watch enough episodes, you'll notice that all the stalkers profiled seem to have that similar modus operandi. The "why" may never be known. I guess some people are just wired differently. Personally, I think they're all narcissistic control freaks.
There are three types of stalkers profiled: stalkers who had a previous romantic relationship with their victims (an ex-husband or ex-boyfriend), stalkers who had a platonic relationship with their victims (a neighbor or co-worker), and stalkers unknown to their victims (a secret admirer). The show mostly profiles extreme cases of stalking. Many end with the stalker trying to kill their target. All but two of the stalkers profiled are men.
From a production standpoint, the show's pacing is slow. There's no narration. The story is told through a first-person account by the victim, on-screen title cards, and actor re-enactments. Unlike most true-crime shows that use re-enactment actors, primarily in non-speaking roles seen under narration, this show's actors perform lengthy scripted scenes, which are sluggish and poorly written with hackneyed dialogue. It also doesn't help that the majority of the actors aren't skilled enough to pull off the kind of dramatic weight necessary for the scenes to be believable. There's also an inordinate amount of recapping, primarily coming out of commercials, which is obviously filler to stretch the story to fit the hour-long running time. Perhaps the show would work better in a half-hour format.
Despite the production's shortcomings, however, the stories are compelling.