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Parents' Guide to

Trial 4

By Marty Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Messy crime docu explores police corruption and racism.

TV Netflix Educational 2020
Trial 4 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

TRIAL 4 is about a history of corruption, incompetence, and systematic racism within the Boston Police Department. The series tells the story of Sean K. Ellis, who in 1993 at age 19 was wrongly imprisoned for the murder of a police officer. It covers his arrest, trials, and eventual release while placing his case within the greater context of the city and country at the time, using other cases to illustrate a complex web of misconduct and the elaborate fight to uncover it.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

True crime shows often use the central case as way to investigate larger issues. Trial 4 uses Sean Ellis's false imprisonment as a way to examine systematic racism within the Boston police department and, by extension, the United States. This is a worthy and timely subject, and one complicated enough to more than warrant an eight-hour documentary. Yet, like many true crime shows, Trial 4 consistently feels padded. There are extended montages of low-income housing, and segments where Ellis watches his own trial -- things that have some interest but don't really serve the overarching story. When dealing with something as complex as the relationship between law enforcement and systematic racism, the show's substance needs to be sharp and clear enough to appeal to those who wouldn't typically delve too deep. Ultimately, Trial 4 is mostly an unorganized mess, and the sweeping significance of the story gets lost in the system.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the crime. Who was Detective John Mulligan? What happened to him? Why did his murder receive an exceptional amount of widespread coverage and attention?

  • How did the investigation lead detectives to Sean Ellis? What mistakes were made along the way? What did the police do that was unethical?

  • How does the story of John Mulligan and Sean Ellis help us understand the corruption of the Boston police department? How does this relate to racism in the United States today?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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