Channel 5 This Eve - Maxine. Who Watched It?

[Smowball]

First of a 3 parter about Maxine Carr - the gf of Ian Huntley - the Soham murderer who murdered the two 10 yr olds in 2002. Their photo was seen nationwide of the two together in their red Man Utd shirts.

[naomi24]

Does anyone who's watching it believe she genuinely thought him innocent? I think she did in the very beginning, but I can't help thinking she had her doubts as time went on but protected him anyway. Maybe I'm wrong.

[burlyshirley1]

I honestly don't know Naomi, whatever they talked about in private was pure conjecture on the producers part. I don't think she was very bright to state she was with him when he saw the girls because so many people had seen her in Grimsby ! If I had to guess, I'd say she did know, but not straightaway. She will now carry the secret with her to her grave. I felt sorry for the man who gave him the job, he seemed haunted.

[Barsel]

I watched all 3 episodes last night out of curiosity really as I don't remember this woman being a major person in the case, apart from her being the girlfriend of Huntly.
I've got no criticism of the drama but I'm left feeling unsure as to the part she played in the case because of what she said at the very end of the programme.
I would hope also that whoever made this programme would have got permission from the family to make it but I don't know how that works.

[naomi24]

She gave him an alibi, Barsel.

[barry1010]

She went to prison for perverting the course of justice - giving Huntley a false alibi. She also helped him dispose of any evidence.

[jno]

I could understand a film being made about Huntley, the killer, but a film about a person who didn't do it is irrelevant.

[naomi24]

I’m not finding it irrelevant, Jno. She’s the reason he wasn’t under greater suspicion.

[barry1010]

jno, it's a very clever ploy by the producers. They are still dramatising the murders of two schoolgirls but are trying to deflect criticism by making the story about Carr, rather than the victims or the murderer.

[jno]

my question is still: why aren't they making a film about the man who did it, rather than the woman who didn't? Their priorities are wrong.

[Barsel]

jno, I agree with you to a certain extent as I'm not sure if we were told why he did it.
With the Moors murders, we eventually found out more about the type of person Brady was and it would have been interesting to find out more about the type of person Huntly was and what drove him to do what he did.

[jno]

you're not going to find out much more about a girlfriend other than that she thought he didn't do it but confessed when she realised he did.

For what it's worth my OH attended much of the trial in a professional capacity - was revolted by it and by Huntley but not by Maxine.

[barry1010]

We don't need to know why he did it, we are not experts and can do nothing with that knowledge. I doubt Huntley can explain why he did it.
How anyone can enjoy this series is beyond my comprehension, no matter how 'sensitive' it is.

[naomi24]

Jno, this is about Huntley too. It doesn’t let him off the hook in any way at all.

[jno]

it's called Maxine, not Ian.

[naomi24]

So what?

[jno]

I agree with that, Barry, I don't care what goes on in murderers' minds and I don't watch programmes about them. (That includes the various movies mythologising the Krays.) But I'm aware that there's been a wave of them across different TV/streaming channels in the last couple of years.

Most are, however, about the killers or the victims.

[barry1010]

jno, I love fictional crime dramas, though :) Currently watching Katie Pirie

[jno]

I used to like Maigret with Rupert Davies...

[Barsel]

jno /// I don't care what goes on in murderers' minds///
That's fair enough, but I have always had an interest in how different people are and what makes one person do something another person wouldn't dream of doing.
It's possible a programme might have already been made about Huntly?

[naomi24]

I’m interested in the psychology of it too, Barsel, and just how far people are willing to go to protect a criminal.