Telly Review: The Jinx remains superb storytelling in its second act

The Jinx's Bob Durst

Bob Durst’s wife disappeared in 1982. His best friend was brutally murdered in 2000. His neighbour was killed and butchered a year later. Is he a jinx, or did he kill them? 

That was the subject of a 2015 Emmy award-winning documentary, The Jinx (Sky Documentaries and NOW). 

It was a gripping documentary that exploded at the end, with super-wealthy Durst whispering “killed them all, of course” to himself, with the microphone still on. 

Having evaded conviction for the three deaths, the FBI decided to try and nail him for the murder of his friend, Susan Berman, who was shot in the head in Los Angeles. 

And here we are back for a second season, The Jinx Part Two, to see how that goes. I’m glad it’s back.

The first season had it all — extreme wealth, betrayal, intrigue, and incredible access to a chillingly affable Bob Durst. 

The first episode of the new season starts with a recording of Durst’s call to his attorney, telling him that he has been arrested by the FBI. 

The attorney says “oh boy” a few times and not in a way that’s good for his client.

The Jinx was a sensation in 2015, turning Durst into a national celebrity. After the explosive final incident, he went on the run and disappeared. 

We spend time with the cops in the new episode, detailing how they set about tracking him down. It’s ok, but there’s one problem. This new season doesn’t have enough Bob.

He was freely available in the first season, shadowboxing and bantering with the documentary maker Andrew Jarecki. You’d miss him here. 

But the story of Bob’s flight from justice is still bonkers. In any other country, a juror in a murder trial would not befriend the accused afterwards and help him escape from the cops. But this is America.

The FBI gets a break when Bob tries to log into his voicemail and they track him to a hotel in New Orleans. 

This gets him back on our screen in the first person, but it’s a grainy recording of his interrogation and lacks the chill effect of the first season.

There is still the shock effect of a private screening of the final episode of season one, where the relations of the three victims gasp as he incriminates himself with “killed them all”. 

Video footage of a prison visit from his second wife is oddly domestic, even when he tells her her hair is very bushy.

The storytelling remains superb. His defence lawyers make for great telly. If you adored season one, you’ll still be very fond of this. Give it a watch.