Hulu and ABC News Studios continue to thrive in the world of true crime entertainment and one of their recent successes was Death in the Dorms. The macabre docuseries is back for another look at the horrors endured by six families who lost students from schools across the country.
Death in the Dorms season 2 follows six stories of college students from different schools whose lives were tragically cut short by violent crime: Jackson State University accounting major Latasha Norman, Louisiana State University first-year student Max Gruver, University of Miami linebacker Marlin Barnes and his friend Timwanika Lumpkins, Temple University film studies student Jenna Burleigh, Binghamton University nursing student Haley Anderson, and College of Charleston student Patrick Moffly.
One of the few weaknesses of the first season of this series was that it felt a bit rushed at times, not taking the time to allow the audience to connect with its subject before they became a victim. The second season corrects that and is as thorough as any true crime doc can be. The audience is given ample time with the family and friends of the victim before hearing of their tragic death, which allows for a much more emotional and personal experience watching the documentary.
With that being said, this second season is just as disturbing as the first. While it didn’t go into as much gruesome detail and certainly does a good job of sparing the audience of any gruesome imagery, that emotional connection creates an uneasy feeling as each story unfurls. It can be a bit difficult to watch at times, though season fans of true crime will likely not have any issue.
The only real knock on this new season, or at least its first installment, is that it is a bit repetitive. The same news clips and soundbites from interviews are used multiple times throughout the episode and these repetitions really stand out as they hit the ear. They are used as teasers for what’s to come, but get a bit overplayed. Given the sheer amount of content and information sources featured, it’s surprising to hear any repeats.
The calling card of this series though is the level of emotion that is poured into each and every episode. It becomes impossible for the audience to not become invested in the story and, even though they know what’s coming, it is still incredibly impactful. Teary-eyed interviews with the friends and family of the victims take the story over the top and add a shocking weight to this series.
Overall, Death in the Dorms manages to improve upon its predecessor. While that was a high bar to clear, it cleans up most of the issues with the first season without losing any of its strengths. As true crime documentaries go, these will become the most emotionally charged you will see and that’s not an accident. True crime fans who aren’t afraid to shed a tear will definitely enjoy this new season.
Death in the Dorms season 2 premieres February 22 on Hulu.