This week, on Dateline Unforgettable, Josh Mankiewicz revisits a double homicide shrouded in a particularly nasty family feud. A newlywed couple, barely past the honeymoon phase, is found murdered, and suspicion immediately falls on the tangled web of familial resentments.
Mankiewicz isn’t just rehashing the facts. He’s reflecting on the case’s impact, particularly a lingering family feud that seems to have stuck with him. What aspect of the feud made such an impression? Was it the sheer bitterness of it all? Or perhaps some unexpected twist that upended the initial assumptions? “Dateline” viewers are all too familiar with Mankiewicz’s penchant for the dramatic pause and the pointed question, so expect plenty of both as he pieces together the puzzle.
The two-hour episode will offer a detailed examination of the investigation, the evidence, and, of course, the family dynamics that may have led to murder. While true crime can often feel like a voyeuristic glimpse into other people’s tragedies, “Dateline” usually manages to find some semblance of narrative coherence in the chaos. Let’s hope this episode continues that trend.
“Dateline Unforgettable: The Favorite Son” airs Thursday at 8/7c on Oxygen True Crime.