Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Part 1
Part 2
Split across two feature length episodes, Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter is an intense, engrossing and absolutely heart wrenching docu-series. And it’s easily one of Netflix’s best this year.
The documentary investigates the disappearance of a 14 year old girl, Aundria Bowman, who ran away in 1989 and hasn’t been seen since. The journey depicts the trials and tribulations of her birth mother, Cathy Terkanian, who sets out to discover the truth about what really happened to her birth daughter.
Cathy is tenacious, fiery and perhaps a little unhinged, but she’s admirable in her pursuit for the truth. We see her full journey, all the way through to the spinechilling conclusion, but along the way, the series uses a lot of clever framing and editing to get you invested in the case.
Much like fellow docu-series Don’t F*** With Cats, Cathy enlists the help of an armchair sleuth called Carl, who’s a whizz with numbers and actually solved a couple of cold cases himself. He knows his stuff and understanding how all the separate components come together to form a larger case really gets you invested in trying to solve this one.
The first partsoon turns its attention to the adoptive family, the Bowmans, and whether they have any skeletons in the closet that they’re hiding.
The second part then looks more closely at what really happened, with various theories explored before a bombshell interview changes the entire complexion of the series. I won’t spoil that here, but suffice to say the truth is absolutely shocking and will sicken you to your stomach.
While it would be easy to get intimidated by the run-time, the two episodes are perfectly paced. The show never feels like its dragging its heels, nor does it rush through any of its plot points. The talking head interviews add a lot of context to what’s happening, while understanding Aundria’s upbringing, her personality and how that ties in with Cathy, is really well done.
Alongside these interviews are a number of archival photos including aerial shots of the Bowman house, stock footage in the woods overlaid with re-enactment sequences and phone calls, along with actual footage from police interviews.
The show is brilliantly edited and the title, Into The Fire, is actually given a new complexion and identity toward the end of the series. It’s a small touch, but it’s a nice inclusion that adds a bit of extra gravitas to Cathy’s ordeal. The story is so well told and absolutely captivating from start to finish, so it’s nice that we actually get answers when the final credits roll.
This is a heart-breaking and sickening case, so do be prepared for that going into this. There’s no cold case or unanswered questions either; we do get a definitive story, despite the initial feel in episode 1 that this would be another unsolved mystery. Ultimately, this is an excellent documentary series and an absolute must-watch for true crime fans.
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Verdict - 9/10
9/10