Based on 1 season, 8 episodes · through June 9, 2022
The Staircase is a crime drama show about a writer named Michael Peterson. After his wife Kathleen dies at the bottom of their stairs, Michael goes on trial for her murder. The show spends a lot of time focusing on Michael's bisexual identity and his romantic encounters with men. It also heavily emphasizes themes of prejudice, biphobia, and how the American legal system is unfair to gay and bisexual people.
Why 61%? See the score breakdownBreakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Staircase.
Woke representation / casting
The casting is historically accurate to the real-life family. However, the prominent depiction of the main character's bisexual identity and explicit physical encounters with men adds weight under the LGBTQ+ scoring rules.
35%
Woke political dialogue
The dialogue is mostly faithful to the historical trial, but the script actively highlights and critiques the homophobic rhetoric of the prosecution. It contains discussions about societal prejudice, biphobia, and how the conservative Southern culture of the time was hostile to queer individuals.
35%
Production
Identity-driven story themes
The narrative places a strong emphasis on identity politics, specifically exploring closeted sexuality, biphobia, and societal intolerance. Multiple episodes dive into how Michael’s bisexual identity alienated him and how his defense had to manage public prejudice, significantly raising the score due to the prominent LGBTQ+ themes.
60%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The series delivers a strong critique of the American legal system, portraying it as corrupt, biased, and easily swayed by puritanical Southern prejudices. It highlights how the prosecution used religious moralizing and homophobic panic to secure a conviction, framing traditional conservative social norms as systemically flawed.
55%
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. The series is a dramatization of real-life events and keeps the core identities, backgrounds, and actions of the real people involved without introducing identity-driven or DEI-focused character swaps.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
The show did not receive any notable anti-woke backlash or complaints accusing it of pushing a progressive or DEI agenda. Most of the controversy and public criticism came from the real-life individuals and documentary filmmakers who objected to historical inaccuracies and unethical dramatizations.
0%
Creator track record context
The key creative team is a mix of low-scoring neutral profiles and high-scoring progressive activists. Main creators Antonio Campos (9) and Maggie Cohn (4) have no pattern of activist work. However, the crew includes highly woke creatives like writer Emily Kaczmarek (85), writer Sebastián Silva (65), and director Leigh Janiak (71), who frequently center queer themes and progressive representation in their work.
38%
