Ep 1. Origin Story (1990-1992)

The Death Row Chronicles is a gripping true-crime series that takes viewers on a journey through the heartbreaking and often horrifying lives of individuals on death row. In the first episode, titled "Origin Story (1990-1992)", viewers are transported back in time to witness the early days of the modern death row system in America.

Through a series of haunting interviews with former death row inmates, their families, and lawyers, viewers gain a chilling insight into the origins of the system that so many individuals are forced to endure today. We are introduced to several key players in the story, including the first Attorney General under President Clinton, who played a pivotal role in the formation of modern death row in the US.

With a blend of archival footage and powerful storytelling, the episode takes us back to a time when the justice system was grappling with how to deal with the most heinous of crimes. The first executions in over two decades had just taken place, and the pressure was on to figure out how to deal with the growing number of inmates on death row.

As we see firsthand, the system developed almost haphazardly, with many key players operating in a vacuum. The episode explores the legal challenges that arose during this time, as well as the deep-seated racial biases that were present at every step.

Perhaps the most haunting aspect of the episode is the sheer number of innocent individuals who ended up on death row during this period. We hear from former inmates who were ultimately exonerated after serving years (and in some cases, decades) in prison for crimes they did not commit.

The episode does an exceptional job of humanizing the individuals involved in these cases, giving viewers a chance to understand the human toll of the justice system's mistakes. Overall, the storytelling in "Origin Story (1990-1992)" is powerful and evocative. The episode serves as a sobering reminder of just how much work still needs to be done to fix a broken system.