30 for 30: Fantastic Lies (2016)
**** (out of 4)
The Duke Lacross scandal is something that I'm sure most people watching this episode of 30 for 30 will remember. The basic story is that a black stripper went to a party on the Duke campus, which was held by members of the lacrosse team. From there she went to the police stating that she had been raped. What followed was an insane media circus that had typical story lines: White vs black. Rich vs poor. Privledged vs a nobody. The entire media turned on the players without every asking what the truth was.
I must admit that I remember every bit of this case. I remember the first time it was reported by ESPN and I followed throughout the next year. At the same time I must admit that I thought the boys were guilty and this documentary shows why people such as myself were stupid for believing the story that the media was selling but the film also discusses why so many people of power were guilty for falling for lies. This is a pretty remarkable case because there was absolutely no evidence against the three Duke players yet no one really cared about that and the media was more interested in telling the story of rich Duke kids raping a poor black woman.
Considering the current political nature in this country, FANTASTIC LIES is even more power. There's no question that the 30 for 30 series has been an excellent form of entertainment over the years and it has delivered many great episodes but this one here is without question one of the best. Many of the key players aren't interviewed but there are some members from the media who stand up and admit that they were wrong. There's some great discussion about the various crimes committed by the D.A. and the police. As one of the Duke victims said, if they would do this to rich people what were they doing to those who couldn't defend themselves? This is certainly one of the best episodes in the series and hopefully the final word that clears the people who were innocent of the charges.