The Staircase: Get to know about this true life story on HBO Max.

Many novels and TV series have had a murder on the staircase. It’s almost always followed by a husband coming home, finding his wife in the foyer, and discovering her body in the stairwell. This article will examine two cases that were true: One was the death of Michael Peterson’s wife Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the top of a staircase on Christmas Eve; and another was found years earlier when Diane Downs went missing from her Florida home with her husband Gary overseeing where she could run to. Gary found out too late she made it somewhere else–and he couldn’t catch up with her because she took his gun away first.

What is the plot of the story ?

The story involves many areas of controversy and law. It has to be handled carefully for the sake of fact-finding, because the story goes in and out of courtrooms with some twists in it. Michael Peterson’s wife Kathleen Peterson was found dead on Dec. 9, 2001, after a party at their home by friends when she was 32 years old, five months pregnant and recovering from surgery.

Who is in the cast ? What role did each character portray ?

The cast include Colin Firth , Toni Collette ,  Jude Law ,  Jean Marsh , and  Elinor Tomlinson.
Michael Peterson: Michael Peterson is the character that is in the center of the storm. He portrays himself as a victim of circumstance, but he is an interesting character because though he did not kill his wife, there may have been some other crime that he did not commit.
Michael’s children: There are five children, and they all play a role in being an ally to their father or possibly to their mother Kathleen Peterson during this trial. The 5 children would have had a better chance at being an ally to Kathleen if she had not died at the top of the staircase on Christmas Eve .

What are the difficulties they face ?

Michael has been found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The children are now adult’s and have to deal with the aftermath of the trial. Kathleen’s sister Candace is doing a very good job helping her brother with his appeals, which have been turned down by the courts. The main obstacles that Michael and his five children face is their inability to be in the same room as each other without fighting or making it difficult for each other to talk about personal issues or family issues because they are not all on Michael’s side during this trial, nor were they all on their mother Kathleen Peterson’s side during this trial.

What is the climax like ?

The climax of the story has to do with the trial. Kathleen’s family would like Michael to be tried and convicted of first-degree murder. Whatever their thought was, when they heard that Michael was found guilty, they were shocked and saddened. The law is so complex, and it can fall apart if the facts are not handled properly. If you are in a position where you are facing trial for your wife’s death or other serious charges, the law is much more complicated than what is depicted in television shows and newspapers because people who may not have been involved with any crime can now bring up cases that are up to three years old that may not agree with those cases at all.

Who is the antagonist ? What are its motives ?

The antagonist is the prosecution. They have a strong motive. Not only do they want to seek justice for Kathleen’s death, but most likely their way of getting that justice would be to “get” Michael Peterson, who has a motive of his own: He did not kill his wife instead he claims that she died because of something else–a fall. The prosecution is proven to be wrong on the tragic part of this story, but they are proven right on the basic facts of this story. The epic scenes are when Michael Peterson is found guilty of murdering Kathleen Peterson. The “lowlights” are when Michael says something important and the court does not want to hear it or has a hard time hearing it.

Would you recommend watching this ?

I would recommend watching this film because of the strong writing, the strong acting, and the world of law. It is one of those films that has a lot of thought behind it; it is not just a story but also a message to be careful when you are getting all your facts straight. Thanks for reading !