Watchlist Wednesday: The Jinx – The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
Some cases feel like twisted fiction. Robert Durst was twisted fiction—and then he picked up the phone and called the filmmaker.
The Jinx (2015) is one of the landmark docuseries that changed the game—both for true crime television and for Durst himself. What begins as a deep dive into the vanishing of Kathie Durst spirals into the kind of real-life noir that even Raymond Chandler might’ve called “a bit much.” A bathroom confession, a block-letter clue, and the kind of cold-blooded gaze that sticks in your memory longer than you'd like.
With Part Two (2024) released last year, we finally see the fallout: new jailhouse calls, courtroom betrayals, and the slow unraveling of the web Durst spent decades spinning. Wealth, privilege, manipulation—this is a case that haunts, and a docuseries that watches the watcher.
🗣 Have you seen The Jinx?
Did it change your view of true crime documentaries?
What moments from the series stuck with you the most—then or now?
Do you think justice was finally served? Or did it come too late?
Let’s dig into it. No disguises. No cadaver notes. Just the facts, theories, and your take.
Case file open. Floor’s yours, Order Members.
—The Emerald Sleuth
Whether you're new to the saga or picking it back up after nearly a decade—this ride is worth it. Season One lays out the puzzle: a missing wife, a silenced friend, a dismembered neighbor. And somehow, Durst is sipping a drink with the filmmaker like he’s at a dinner party, not a crime scene.
If you're watching for the first time:
🗂 Keep a mental note of the handwriting.
🎤 Listen closely to what isn’t said.
💬 And whatever you do, don’t skip the bathroom scene.
If you're diving into Part Two:
👁 What struck you most about the trial footage?
📞 How did the jailhouse calls shape your opinion of Durst and those around him?
⚖️ Do you feel like justice caught up with him—or did the system let him coast too long?
💬 Share your thoughts as you go—no spoilers required.
If you’re mid-binge, react in real time. If you finished both parts, let us know what still lingers in your head.
You don’t need a fancy mic or a $12 million legal team. Just your thoughts and that Emerald Order instinct.
We’re all watching.
—The Emerald Sleuth