Parents' Guide to One Night in Idaho: The College Murders

The weighty docuseries reveals what happened before and after Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Maddie Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves were brutally murdered, from the point of view of the people most impacted by their deaths. Only limited details about the crime are discussed thanks to a judge-imposed gag order that was in effect at the time of production. However, loved ones use the opportunity to talk about the kind of individuals Ethan, Xana, Maddie, and Kaylee were and what made them special. Family photographs and social media posts, some shared by the victims just hours before their deaths, make the stories about them more poignant. Those close to the deceased also describe how they were forced to deal with their grief while living in fear during the six weeks it took to apprehend the killer, and offer candid opinions about what they see as law enforcement's lack of transparency during the investigation, the media frenzy that transpired, and the insensitivity of online conspiracy theorists and other social media users. Not surprisingly, those interviewed express a collective desire to know why the college students were targeted, and hope that a trial will provide answers. Viewers may find these moments difficult to watch, knowing that at the time of filming they had no way of predicting that Bryan Kohberger would later plead guilty as part of a deal that required no explanation of his motives. The lack of concrete answers also opens the door to some largely speculative conversations. Nonetheless, One Night in Idaho: The College Murders still succeeds at going beyond sensational headlines to share humanizing portraits of those who were taken by this monstrous crime, and of the loved ones forced to deal with the far-reaching aftermath.