Through her Facebook friends in the London Sikh community, Kirat Assi met a charming man named Bobby Jandu. Though a series of health problems and other entanglements kept him away from Great Britain, the two began a long term, online romance. But their virtual relationship took a turn as Bobby became more cruel and controlling. When Kirat learned he was back in the UK and living with his ex, her confrontation with him ended in confusion.

In the Netflix documentary “Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare” Kirat, Jandu, and those close to them discuss the story in their own words. Based on the 2021 hit podcast of the same name, the film brings us inside the victim’s tale of credulity, coercion, and heartbreak.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "SWEET BOBBY" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

American ambassador Kate Wyler believes the Prime Minister orchestrated a false flag operation to rally the nation and thwart a Scottish secession movement. As British forces hunt the Russian fixer behind the attacks, Kate takes a risk hiding a politician with inside knowledge of the plot. Kate sets aside her attraction to the Foreign Secretary to help expose the PM. Meanwhile, her politically-savvy husband, Hal, tries to convince his reluctant wife to embrace the offer to replace the sitting Vice President on the presidential ticket.

Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell return for season two of Netflix’s Emmy-nominated political thriller “The Diplomat.” Kate and her staff navigate personal and professional relationships, all while trying to expose a conspiracy and ease geopolitical tensions.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE DIPLOMAT" SEASON TWO BEGIN IN THE FINAL 8 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: bearly legal.

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Set in a Chicago housing project, the 1992 horror movie “Candyman” features a deadly ghost who can be summoned by chanting in a bathroom mirror. But some plot points were inspired by a real life robbery homicide in which the killer broke into an apartment through a hole in the medicine cabinet. A reporter found the flawed design of the bathroom walls were a contributing factor into Ruthie Mae McCoy’s 1987 death. The exposé raised questions about City Hall’s indifference to violence in the projects and the dangers faced by its Black residents. By the time the supernatural retelling made it into theaters, the creature in the mirror did not reflect those systemic issues.

From CBS News and 48 Hours Production comes the podcast “Candyman: The True Story Behind the Bathroom Mirror Murder.” Host Dometi Pongo explores not only McCoy’s homicide. He dives into the larger issues around race, safety in the projects, and the ways they shaped the Hollywood narrative. The series asks how a mainstream audience can find big screen horror in the hallmarks of poverty.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "CANDYMAN" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Just before the producers of “Grey’s Anatomy” could dismiss writer Elizabeth Finch for mediocre work, she revealed she had a rare form of cancer. Finch drew on her experience to write some powerful episodes for the medical drama. Finch crafted acclaimed storylines based on her own struggles with health, assault, sexual harassment and stalking. Hollywood was shocked when it was revealed Finch was faking. She’d taken other people’s real life trauma and claimed it for her own, stringing along those close to her for sympathy and attention for years.

Peacock’s “Anatomy of Lies” recounts the writer’s elaborate ruse and how she parlayed other’s pain into personal and professional gain. It leans heavily into the perspective of Finch’s wife who worked to expose the woman who fooled so many.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ANATOMY OF LIES" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: R-O-T-T-O-G-O!

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

A white hat hacker provides journalist Carl Miller with backdoor access to a page on the dark web offering the services of a hit man. The site is just a scam, but the transactions identify more than 100 people who are in real life danger from someone motivated to harm them. Though the buyers are anonymous, Miller feels an obligation to find the targets and warn them someone is willing to pay to have them killed. Miller’s team is met with skepticism from the authorities, but many would-be victims realize who might be behind their threat. While Miller works to trip up the hitman-shoppers before they turn to real world violence, the team turns its attention to taking apart the website offering murder for hire.

The podcast “Kill List” from Wondery and Novel follows Miller’s race against time to warn unsuspecting people around the world that their lives are in danger before the scammed buyers take matters into their own hands. It also covers Miller’s own ethical struggle of inserting himself into the story and the emotional toll his newsgathering takes.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "KILL LIST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Looking to get a break in show business, struggling actress Sheryl Bradshaw appears on “The Dating Game.” The first two bachelors are either shallow or lascivious, but bachelor number three has an easy charm that makes him the clear favorite. But Rodney Alcala is more than a smooth-talking photographer looking for love. He’s spent the past decade murdering unsuspecting women and eluding detection. How could Sheryl - or the TV audience - know she was about to go on a date with a serial killer?

The Netflix thriller “Woman of the Hour” dramatizes Sheryl’s real life encounter with a predator. Lead actress and director Anna Kendrick ratchets up the tension with a character resigned to 1970s misogyny and its lurking menace, all while showing us in parallel what Rodney is capable of.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "WOMAN OF THE HOUR" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 11 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: ice to see you.

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

A Hollywood studio courts Charles, Oliver, and Mabel to make a star-studded movie based on their hit podcast. But Charles is shaken by another murder in the building: his longtime stunt double, Sazz, was killed in his apartment by a sniper, and her body burned in the incinerator.

Before she died, Sazz had been poking into something about the first season of the podcast. The fatal shot came from the west side of the Arconia, occupied by an odd collection of residents with a secret to hide. Writers, directors, executives and stuntmen also make up the suspect list. Now the podcasters are on a new case: what bombshell did Sazz uncover and who was willing to kill to keep it quiet?

Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez return for season four of “Only Murders in the Building.” This time, the Emmy Award-winning series deconstructs the murder mystery through the lens of film. The movie forces Mabel to ponder how the world views her, and leads Oliver to re-examine his relationship with Loretta. Meanwhile, Charles is racked with guilt that his old friend may have died because of him. As usual, “Only Murders” delivers sly humor, a touch of pathos, and crackling performances by the leads and many guest stars.

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING" SEASON FOUR BEGIN IN THE FINAL [ XX ] MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

Comedian Gary Vider had a great childhood story about him and his father sneaking into scores of games at Madison Square Garden posing as a reporter for Sports Illustrated Kids. But the charming tale belied a deeper truth. Manny Vider was a prolific con artist, with a never ending stream of business scams, insurance fraud, and other schemes that eventually tore his family apart. Twenty-four years later, now a father himself, Gary set out on a quest to locate Manny. His goal was to process the effects of his estranged dad’s actions on his life and family. He also wanted to learn whether the unrepentant conman has changed his ways.

From iHeartMedia and Big Money Players Network comes “#1 Dad.” Vider talks to relatives, partners, his own therapist, and fellow comedians about Manny’s many swindles - both personal and professional. Can he convince his father to meet and confront their past? And will the son get the truth from a man who’s spent his life spinning lies?

OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "#1 DAD" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 13 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE.

In Crime of the Week: techno pop.

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.