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Season 1 – Trial 4

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – Trial 4 Nov 2020 Documentary Crime Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Charged as a teenager in the 1993 killing of a Boston police officer, Sean K. Ellis fights to prove his innocence while exposing police corruption and systematic racism.
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Trial 4 — Season 1

Critics Reviews

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Brian Lowry CNN.com 11/12/2020
With policing under the microscope, Trial 4 possesses a greater sense of timeliness and considerable weight. Eight hours, however, is a lot of time to keep rehashing the specifics of Ellis' story. Go to Full Review John Anderson Wall Street Journal 11/11/2020
Mr. Burkel manages to make sense of it all. Of great help is a literal "time line" that appears occasionally on screen, replete with dates and a description of the events about to be portrayed. Go to Full Review Brian Tallerico RogerEbert.com 11/11/2020
3/4
There's a lot to admire about Trial 4, but it suffers from a common problem in recent docuseries ... in that there's a five or six-episode version of this story that feels more urgent. Go to Full Review Sayan Ghosh The Hindu 09/27/2023
The documentary on Netflix portrays the story of Sean Ellis as a cautionary tale for all those affected by the inherent flaws of the criminal justice system globally. Go to Full Review Graeme Tuckett The Post NZ 08/20/2021
This is a forensic examination of a city at its worst - and also at its very best. At eight episodes, Trial Four is over-long, but still well-worth your time. Go to Full Review Joanne Laurier World Socialist Web Site 02/10/2021
Trial 4 is a conscientious, valuable series. It is a further exposure of police corruption and brutality. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Blair F @RodentsOfFrent 01/31/2025 A great story in dire need of an editor. On no planet did this need to be 8 episodes -- 4 tops. That alone takes what should have been 5 stars and makes it 3. See more Gareth v @geewah 06/23/2023 An excellent series, that examines the multiple trials of Sean Ellis, and the subsequent efforts to clear his name for the murder of a policeman in 1993. See more 11/29/2020 Very good, true reflection of the BPD in the 90's. Sean Ellis's attorney is fantastic, should be in Hollywood. See more 11/25/2020 Because he was treated unfairly, unjustified, and no proper investigation. they just pin point him, as the perpetrator, and it is not fair. Sitting in prison, for 2 decades, and it is really make me sad. See more 11/23/2020 This is like the more common version of Making a Murderer, where a black man is accused of murder by a mainly white and problematic police force, protected by a justice system that is resistant to admitting its wrongs. The first two episodes are a little slow, but the rest are dynamite. See more 11/17/2020 Powerfully directed and impeccably assembled documentary piece that reveals how drugs, money and greed can move people to lead lives of deceit while they utterly disregard how their actions have a direct affect other people's lives. The story gave me chills a few times to know how unbelievably callous an entire institution like the Boston Police Department and the DA's office of Suffolk County, MA could be. See more Read all reviews
Trial 4 — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Sean K. Ellis

Self

Rosemary Scapicchio

Self

Edward McNelley

Self

Mary Jackie Ellis

Self

Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

Executive Producer

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Nov 11, 2020 Chapter 1: Execution-Style Murder In 1993, the execution-style killing of a Boston police officer triggers a frenzied city-wide search for suspects. Details Episode 2 Aired Nov 11, 2020 Chapter 2: Usual Suspects Police zero in on 19-year-old suspect Sean K. Ellis; Boston journalists and police recall another murder that fanned racial tensions. Details Episode 3 Aired Nov 12, 2020 Chapter 3: Three Trials Sean K. Ellis and his lawyers recount his first jury trial; former jurors share their processes; a witness' statements are tested. Details Episode 4 Aired Nov 11, 2020 Chapter 4: Badge of Shame Journalists expose corruption in the Boston Police Department, inspiring Sean Ellis to seek a new trial. Details Episode 5 Aired Nov 11, 2020 Chapter 5: Hidden Link Sean Ellis' attorney, Rosemary Scapicchio, is dogged in her pursuit of the missing documents that may hold the key to her client getting a new trial. Details Episode 6 Aired Nov 11, 2020 Chapter 6: A Taste of Freedom Knowing it's his last chance, Sean Ellis prepares for a fourth murder trial; an investigator searches for an old witness. Details Episode 7 Aired Nov 11, 2020 Chapter 7: Black Irish As voters prepare to elect their next district attorney, attorney Rose Scapicchio digs into who funded the reward for Sean Ellis' conviction. Details Episode 8 Aired Nov 11, 2020 Chapter 8: Worst Case Scenario The election of a new district attorney gives Sean Ellis reason to hope; a press conference puts everyone on edge. Details

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Trial 4 — Season 1

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Season Info

Executive Producer
Jean-Xavier de Lestrade
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Documentary, Crime
Original Language
English
Release Date
Nov 11, 2020
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