The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11

This is another Netflix documentary: 

Why do modern documentaries deem it “cool” to show themselves set up a shot (including a clapper board) before then running the shot? I know it’s been a trope for years but the example here was way too elaborate and was just a sign that this BBC/Netflix effort was overproduced.

I realize at least some reading this weren’t alive in late 2001 (which makes me feel ancient); in the weeks after 9/11, letters filled with anthrax were sent to various entities. What was implied in the documentary but not explicitly stated was that the FBI bungled the investigation from the beginning… it took way too long to realize this was a coordinated attack. What a scary time it was for all Americans at the time; I remember that fear & confusion distinctly despite it happening a quarter-century ago.

The FBI focused on one suspect-only for another suspect right under their noses appear and that guy was a better candidate. Because reasons, this person was never convicted in a court of law for these attacks… and part of this documentary featured reenactments of this person as if this was a show on Investigation Discovery. A curious decision was that these moments featured known actors… Clark Gregg of War of the Worlds fame (well, that’s how I’ll know him for the rest of time!) and Peri Gilpin.

My criticisms aside, it was still nice to see people involved in this case interviewed. I remember some of those events when they happened + I’ve read some articles after the fact. For those not as familiar, this was a nice cursory glance at the event and the subsequent investigation. Of most interest to me: the moments devoted to following those affected by the anthrax exposure at the Brentwood post office in Washington, D.C. Then and now, the government also botched how that was handled, especially considering that two of the five victims (Thomas Morris, Jr. and Joseph Curseen) were employees of that office.

I haven’t read any books solely devoted to the case; as flawed as Wikipedia can be, their article “2001 anthrax attacks” is worthy of reading for those on a quest for more knowledge, re: what occurred starting in late 2001.