ALEXANDRA G.

GARCIA
JD 1-1

When They See Us Review

This real-life story is a Netflix series about the experience and struggle of the Central Park

Five namely Anton McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, and Kevin

Richardson who were wrongly convicted of rape and serious physical injury of Trisha Meili, and

how the United States Criminal Justice treated them.

First, Director Ava DuVernay, her cinematographer, and other part of the crew did a

tremendous job on the technical part of the series specifically the camera shots and musical score.

I applaud the well chosen shot angles which are highly helpful to tell the narrative. For example,

when the close-up scenes at the end of their trial when they were convicted and at the last episode

where they featured the real-life Central Park Five with a light rainbow behind them. All of helped

with sharing the heavy weight that is their struggle. The music also added to the emotions the

series were trying to get across.

Second, diving on the content, the series clearly explained how racism manifested to the

kids as they were immediately branded as suspects because they were people of color who were

in the same place as the crime scene. The white detectives immediately concluded that they were

criminals, contrary to the facts gathered, including their age—they were just a bunch of kids who

was out at the park to hang out with their friends. Because of the ignorance of their age, and lack

of legal knowledge due to their social status, the detectives were able to coerce them into

confessing to a crime they did not commit. This is awful to see as well as the violence and

manipulation the kids experienced from the very institution who was meant to provide for their

protection. These layers of oppression were enabled and perpetrated by the bigger system which

they are in.

Their struggles did not stop after they got out of the prison, after being branded as

criminals, their life outside of jail resulted to multiple problems like lack of job, mental illness,

compromised relationship with their self, their loved ones, and the society at large, which the show

carefully put details into. As the show magnificently put, “Once they got you, they never let you

out.” I am amazed on how the whole crew combined the aspects of visual arts and come out with

such masterpiece.
ALEXANDRA G. GARCIA
JD 1-1

Third, as a first-year law student, it angered and saddened me that the same legal system

we are studying did that to a young group of people. I know the show only showed the tip of the

iceberg, but I was still crying most of the time and was skipping some of the scenes because I

could not bear to watch it. Various aspect of the system like the policemen, defense attorneys,

investigation, lack of legal knowledge, unaffordable services, etc, contributed to their situation.

The series were able to hit all that and successfully retold the hardest points about the narrative

of the Central Park Five.

Lastly, I would like to address the systematic problem that is the root of all this. Real justice

and proper conviction may still happen but cases like this of the Central Park Five will still occur

if the system still perpetrates such action. Even when authority applies band aid solutions, if they

fail to address the systematic problem, the same thing will prevail, targeted to the marginalized

sector of the society.

Hence, as future lawyers, we must, to borrow the word of late Senator Diokno, examine

the country’s social and legal system and the legal profession itself “and search for the changes

that must be made so that 95 percent of our people who cannot afford a lawyer may be able to

attain justice.” We must try our best to always, always, serve the people.

Lastly, this series made me realize that my task as a lawyer is not of little value. It can

save, or ruin lives so there is no option to be lazy while in law school because if I want to serve

the people, I should not be incompetent because the legal system is has a huge impact to their

lives.