Synopsis: What happened in the final days of Gabby Petito’s life? In this gripping true-crime series, her loved ones reveal the untold story of her tragic murder.

Format: Mini-series, all episodes released at once.

Network: Netflix

Season Premiere: February 17, 2025

Episodes Watched: 3 of 3

Gabby Patito went on a four-month trip with her boyfriend in a van and never came home. The latest American Murder documentary from Netflix examines her years leading up to this and the search for her after her disappearance.

I didn’t know the story of Gabby Patito before watching this series, but as shown in the documentary, it captured the nation’s attention — at least for a short time. When her fiance, Brian Laundrie, returns to his parent’s homes without any news on his partner, and himself and the rest of his family are unwilling to help police in the search for Gabby, things turn sour on him and his family pretty quickly with reporters and those just looking for answers camping out in front of the home. Meanwhile, Gabby’s parents and the police are sort of at a loss for what’s happened here.

With an interview with Gabby’s parents and their partners, alongside her closest friends, this film captures an idea of what her life was like in her final years and then months. We see a young girl swept up and in love with a young man, but also one who is rather controlling, with signs of and potential for abuse. No one is there to tell her she’s being mentally abused, even if her closest friends tried to warn her of her partner’s behaviour.

Nonetheless, she heads off on this four-month van trip. Brian seemingly uses it as another way to control her, Gabbie, a chance to start a YouTube channel and take a chance at content creation as her job. In the extended and unedited clips, we see, as is behind all vlogging channels, fake smiles and attempts to provide the voice the channel needs for the viewer, but not the one that’s real.

I was pleasantly surprised that this three-episode series includes at least a small moment to acknowledge that Gabbie is part of the public’s love for saving young white girls but ignores those of colour. I doubt Netflix will realise they play into this same narrative with the docos they continue to produce. But it’s something.

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(Screener provided to Explosion Network.
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