No One Saw a Thing (2019–2021) User Reviews

Interesting Documentary

[doggie-24384 · 6/10 · 15 February 2020]

I wish they had listed or told alot more of all what this Ken had done to cause the town's folk to take action. i read the book some years ago and it was a good read

the book's name is "in broad daylight"

Great but....

[subfarmia · 5/10 · 25 August 2019]

I watched he episode Cycle of Violence of the show. And I do plan on watching other episodes. But what mystifies me about the show is blaming all the crime that happens in town on one justifiable murder 20 years before. It is obvious at the beginning of the episode that I was watching that there was a serious drug problem and an economy devastated by the decline in farming in this town that is probably responsible for all of the bizarre violence that they are having.

If you review the case of Ken McElroy you will see a Monster who the residents of a small town were forced to take action against to protect their own people because the court system had not been able to protect them from McElroy. He had already been accused of assault, child molestation, vicious harassment of the child that was molested's Foster family statutory rape, arson, attempted murder 2 *, hog and cattle rustling, harassment and burglary. This description makes light of what he did it was much more horrible in reality . In 1981 he was convicted of shooting and seriously injuring a 70 year old man. He appealed his case and was set free. Once he was set free he went on a campaign of harassing the citizens who supported the elderly man he had tried to murder. He made a habit of terrorizing anybody that came up against him or reported his crimes to the police. What caused his murder was he walked into a bar with a gun And a bayonet and threatened to kill the elderly man. He was serious about it and he was killed the next day in front of a crowd of people. All of whom have stayed quiet as about what they saw as everyone who witnessed it with the exception of his family who were complicit in many of his crimes , felt the shooting was justified. Personally I thought it was too. As most people that I know understood why people were driven to the point of murdering him. This was a sad time in this town's history.

But to somehow blame these people involved, especially the witnesses who were not protected by the law from McElroy are the cause of every crime that happened afterwards it's absolutely ridiculous. Especially for a town that has a drug problem and the farming industry that declined leaving the economy devastated. But over and over again the show tries to link the execution of McElroy to everything bad that has happened to the town it is really ridiculous. It seems to imply the people involved in McElroy's death are somehow evil and have a legacy of evil that have destroyed the morality of the town and turned it murderous. The reality of it is a lot of us would believe those people are Heroes. I actually feel they do this to the point of slander.

But other than that, LOL, the show was actually fascinating. It is very sad to see this little tiny farming town succumb to crime and poverty. also the crimes that are being committed or actually interesting in a horrific way. You really feel for the people of this town that has experienced so much tragedy. The crime stories are well told with exception of the continuing to insert McElroy where he doesn't belong. In some ways better than any other show on TV. But they kind of ruin it but constantly drawing a conclusion that has nothing to do with these crimes. The interviews with the town's people regarding the current crimes are very engaging as the people are salt of the earth and people you can't help but like and empathize with. I think the townspeople are why I liked the show and will watch it again.

Well made but maddening...

[chas77 · 7/10 · 15 February 2022]

I haven't written reviews on IMDb in awhile but was prompted to after watching this fascinating series. I watched all episodes in one sitting. Extremely well made. However, I take some issues with the obvious point the creators are trying to make.

The producers are bending over backwards to humanize Ken Rex McElroy by repeatedly showing archival footage of his wife stating that she "had no idea" why the townspeople were so "hateful" towards her family. They also follow up by recent interviews with McElroy's children and a grandson, all of whom seem stunned and hurt by the man's execution.

At no time do any of the interviewers point out the hellish insanity that McElroy put these people through. He shot two men who were not threatening him. This does not seem to bother his kids one bit. They go on and on in interviews about how badly they were treated and they seem to relish the filmmakers' not-so-subtle implication that the misfortunes the town suffered subsequently was a result of the bad "karma" they earned.

Ok. Right...

While I can appreciate the attempt to show both sides of the story I am completely floored by the refusal of McElroy's progeny to face up to the fact that HE was the problem. Had he not harassed, bullied and ATTEMPTED MURDER - then laughed about it repeatedly - the vigilante slaying would not have happened.

Google "Ken Rex McElroy" for more info on this story. It's more heinous than what this mini series offers.

Ken Rex Rules No More

[Astaroth22 · 1 December 2020]

At first a worthy watch. Totally. We often hear people say "conspiracy theory" as a dismissive measure concerning any unsolved crime. And yet, these early episodes not only prove one, it shows it occurred in monumental proportions by demonstrating that damn near the entire town was involved in one way or another. On top of that I found myself rooting for them and completely happy with how it all shook out. Someone once said "truth is stranger than fiction" and here is your proof. That's where it should have ended. However, I agree with most everyone else that by continuing on and force feeding other unrelated events as if they relate tainted the entire effort. A real shame actually.

My advice is not to be put off by this but instead simply watch the first three episodes.

Some flaws

[Mikael-wester · 7/10 · 6 April 2020]

They obviously never heard of 'the law of small numbers''. Maybe the story should have taken the lynching in the 1930s as the starting point.?

Great show!!

[natwag · 10/10 · 13 September 2019]

Sundance Network should keep this series up.. There are lots of true crime happenings that are stranger than fiction!! Bring it back!!

Repetitive and boring

[cairo-cairo · 3/10 · 17 September 2019]

This one is bad. The story is stretched so thin. Everything's so repetitive, with just a few people interviewed and they just repeat the same thing over and over again episode after episode.

NO ONE SAW A THING - ****1/2 out of *****

[unclejeff · 9/10 · 17 March 2024]

Do you believe in karma? I never have, but this amazing 6-part limited series sure gives me cause to re-evaluate my stance. Stuff like this is what makes me love documentaries, and there is no doubt in my mind that truth is stranger than fiction. Any screenwriter would have been laughed out of Hollywood proposing what happens here as a fictional motion picture. This is one of those rare "potato chip experiences" - you can't stop after just one. I stayed up WAY too late, but I couldn't wait to see what the next episode had to offer. And I'm actually going to leave it at that, because the less you know about what happens the better. Let me just say that I will truly never forget the city of Skidmore MO and its array of colorful and unconventional inhabitants. I was shocked, I was heartbroken, and I was bemused - often simultaneously. I was so close to giving this a perfect rating, but I felt it could have been edited just a bit tighter, especially the final segment. But this is one of the best programs I've seen in a while, and I'm quite tempted to start it over again right away.

Waaaaay too long

[embmw · 4/10 · 17 September 2019]

To be fair, this series starts off okay, with the first three episodes focusing on the crime from which it draws its name. But even so, there's really no new ground broken and the content could have easily been edited down to 1.5 hours with absolutely no loss to the viewer.

Where it really falls apart is from episode 4 onward, where the producers stretch credulity by trying to tie other local crimes into what was supposedly the subject of this mini-series. It's clear the area is not affluent, with meth labs apparently very common according to many witness accounts, and yet the producers spend the last half of the series stretching the story well past the breaking point in an attempt to show that an entire town rising up to eradicate a local terrorist is somehow responsible for a host of other crimes in later years. Particularly unfortunate are a spate of overly emotional comments from an old lady "crime writer" who adds absolutely nothing to the original story.

I wish I'd stopped watching after episode 3 and, frankly, by the time episode 5 was over I wish I'd skipped the entire thing. The first three episodes might be of interest to serious fans of true crime or to those in the immediate area who are unfamiliar with the details, but honestly I'd skip this one. At ~4.5 hours total length there's very little substance for the time invested, even for this fan of true crime documentaries.

Very deep into the town's history of violence and sad future of violence.

[taylorskye-06242 · 9/10 · 23 December 2020]

I found it to be thought provoking. It's not only about the murder of a town bully, this town already had blood on its hands from a town lynching in the 1930s. Their grandchildren in the 80s ended up in a situation that they band together to kill someone, the town bully. How did he end up that way? Why couldn't the police or law do anything. Then a teenage boy is murdered. Then a pregnant woman is killed and her baby abducted in 2004. With people dying off, businesses going out of business, meth houses coming in. Also a woman was beaten to death in broad daylight in her yard by her boyfriend and no one did a thing. For a town with such a tiny population, there is some hardcore violence. It's very interesting.

Way to long

[eddieo1969 · 2/10 · 19 September 2019]

This is another documentary that goes on and on without getting anywhere. It like a streaming disease where the company streaming the films ask for more and more footage, doesn't matter if it makes it better or worse, just add more. Then connect unconnected events as that add more. So sad I love documentaries

Fascinating documentary

[ianB33 · 8/10 · 11 February 2021]

I agree with others that it is too long, and the attempt to connect the young mans disappearance and the young pregnant lady's murder to the town and the Ken Rex murder is a big stretch. Should be half the length and stick to the vigilante story but well worth the time.

Interesting stories but nothing is actually linked

[Pimpintology · 4/10 · 6 January 2020]

This mini series is about several interesting crimes in Skidmore MO but none of them are actually linked to the original murder. I believe the writer is trying to make ends meet for himself because there is nothing here that is connected to the original murder in Skidmore. Skidmore like many towns was destroyed by Methamphetamine addiction and having grown up in a town destroyed by it I am a first hand witness. It has nothing to do with whats going on there today or in the past. The original murder having taken place in the 1980's being following by Americas Meth Crisis now a Meth Opiate Crisis and a random murder by a female lunatic have nothing in common. The Sheriff states that in the videos and it is 100% accurate. Meth has nothing to do with what happened in 1980 in that town and came later which led to two deaths, one lunatic murdered someone they saw on the Internet and then that just leaves the original murder. Nothing is linked and the original shooters in the original murder are likely all dead. Any witnesses to the original crime will soon be dead. The only episode that should have ever aired is number 1. The rest are simply a waste of time due to this directors desperate attempts at connection some kind of conspiracy like curse on the town. Meth is meth there is no magic just a dead end town.

Compelling story with absolutely no redeeming value

[helenahandbasket-93734 · 2/10 · 19 July 2020]

This could have been so much better but the producers trying to force a square peg into the round hole is absolutely ridiculous.

Bringing in some 'true crime writer' to reinforce the production insistence of 'NOMG Ken Rex murder haunted small town to the point that it's cursed!!!', is laughable, at best.

The entire series is riddled with nothing but speculation and theory, and little to no factual evidence to remotely substantiate anything claimed.

Visit any small farming town and you'll see almost the exact same thing-in the 80s, you had a recession, farms foreclosed, businesses shuttered, and crime rose exponentially. Now bring in methamphetamine, then opiates, other drugs, alcohol, etc., and you'll see the same outcomes every single time.

As an example, the young woman who dies at the hands of her husband- he had been assaulting her for years, and the true crime writer has the audacity to draw parallels between Ken Rex's death and hers. No seriously.

Abusers take great pains to ensure their victims are essentially cut off from the outside world-and in spite of her being in a tiny town, no one intervened. Does this 'expert' go to other towns to humiliate them for not defending the unseen victims of abuse? What exactly are people supposed to do if the victim isn't asking for help, or the community isn't made aware? Also mysteriously glossed over in that instance is, the use of narcotics that both the victim and perpetrator were involved in, heavy amounts of meth were in the house and both of the two people in this horrific crime. That alone is enough for people to try and distance from, and avoid like the plague.

I am in no way excusing this horrific crime, only showing that this has absolutely nothing to do with KR's death. There's disturbingly ill people in this world, and being in proximity of Skidmore has absolutely nothing to do with the crimes being committed.

Small town or no, people don't like to get involved, and will turn a blind eye to crimes committed right in front of them for fear of becoming a victim, or just trying to mind their own business, and won't help. Skidmore is no more a silent accomplice than Chicago is responsible for inner city violence committed in certain areas.

SMALL TOWNS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INCREDIBLY CLOSED OFF TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD. PERIOD. The murder of a completely unhinged bully has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Being in proximity to a crime does not mean you'll become a criminal any more than being born to a policeman means you'll become a firearms expert. Trying to connect these dots are a futile exercise and a complete waste of what could have been a fascinating story.

Unfocused

[BigCinnamon · 4/10 · 19 September 2019]

It's not a badly made documentary. Good use of old footage, particularly news coverage that helped place how noteworthy this murder was at the time. Interesting story....initially. However, it needed to stick to the one, as advertised, Ken Rex murder and keep their foot on the gas with it. Should have been a movie in truth because added unnecessary episodes turned it into a story much less interesting

Great topic...Poor coverage...

[dshell102 · 2/10 · 22 September 2019]

The actual show is very poorly assembled. It doesn't tell the story, it doesn't move through the information. Instead it stumbles, repeats itself and becomes painful to watch. The subject matter is interesting, but they didn't handle it well at all.

It doesn't feel linear, it doesn't feel like they're telling a story.

Warped fantasy masquarading as a documentary

[eakogan · 2/10 · 4 April 2021]

Yes, technically, it is a documentary. Interviews of real people, actual footage of the place. But the way it is structured comes from some really far out imagination.

First, they gloss over the crimes of Ken Rex McElroy. He inflicted so much suffering on people of Skidmore, he was nothing short of a domestic terrorist, and his violence was escalating (in no small part because the law enforcement and the justice system were powerless to stop him). What's a people to do? Yes, take the problem into their own hands and solve it. Which they did, kudos to the brave men who got the world rid of this menace, and to all the people that protected them.

Second, third, forth..... all the subsequent events. None of them have anything to do with KRM or with his killing. None whatsoever. There is a river running through town? Someone is going to drown. There are teenagers? Some of them are going to commit suicide. There are drugs? Someone is going to end up silenced (i.e. Dead). Domestic violence is everywhere, including Skidmore. The depraved sociopath that killed a pregnant woman to harvest her fetus? She is from a different state! How is any of this connected to KRM?

Interviews with his progeny should have been left out. I do feel sorry for them, primarily because they had a violent piece of crap for a "father" who sired 19 kids with 5 different wives by his mid-40s, but to blame the vigilantes for "taking a loving dad away from their children"? Sorry, not sorry. The vigilantes had a right to protect their own children.

Finally, please take away the "crime author". She should never be on TV.

Pushing a Point-of-View

[chron · 4/10 · 24 March 2020]

There is a place for opinion documentaries, but this seems to try and take the approach of an unbiased documentary. Given that premise, it was a poor documentary.

The premise is that the vigilante murder of the town bully set the stage for the deterioration of the town and other violence. The premise doesn't hold up, and about half of the interviews with the townspeople have very little credibility.

The documentary should be about half the length and more focused on the central story of the vigilante murder.

Talk about inaccuracies

[bobbimmcmahon · 2/10 · 19 August 2019]

This damn thing is so far off base the fact checker needs to be fired. They have so much wrong. They are using people's images without permission and people's homes. They don't even have the names of some of the people correct. The people that are giving actual interviews were not even there when this went down. There using old footage from actual reporters and cutting it to fit a warped narrative. This is not a documentary best it could be described is a mockumentary. How the hell does a tv station put out a mini series and doesn't get actual permission to use people's interviews and images. And the reason that there using people who were not even there is because no one would talk to these people and for good reason. Let this damn story rest. The only good example of sets is how weak and useless the justice system is in the state of missouri.

Way Tooooo Loonngggg

[kharrington512 · 3/10 · 22 January 2021]

The first 3 episodes were okay. But this just dragged on way too long. By episode 4 I was just done. It would have been really good if it was 3 episodes.

Milking a 40 year old murder

[getbacks · 2/10 · 22 June 2022]

Waaaaaay to long.

After episode 4 they introduce other suspicious deaths as a filler.

Finished watching episode 6 and will not continue as what's the point? Nothing will be solved regarding McAllroy.

Recipe for this series...a killing, interview people decades later who talk in circles, play eerie suspenseful music, extreme close-ups on people's faces and random scenery shots with grey filters.

ZzzzzZzzzzZzzzzzzzzz.....

Basically a two hour special jammed into an 8 part series.

Nothing to do with Kenneth Rex McElroy

[martinvonmartian-39437 · 4/10 · 5 July 2022]

The first episode is about McElroy, after that it's just bs preaching about not being a vigilante. You can enjoy it, but if you watched this for Ken Rex McElroy you will be sorely disappointed. The worst part is that you don't get much actual information or anything of value to learn about the crimes etc. You just get vague interviews of residents and then get Cops giving you some moral judgement.

It's really not a good series, you can watch it on a rainy day to kill the boredom but man what a disappointment.

I watched all episodes and really should have just watched anything else, too many low quality "documentaries" these days get overhyped. This is just one big filler with some snippets of documentary.

Preposterous

[anne-ecobichon · 4/10 · 6 October 2021]

Too preposterous... extremely diluted and way too irrelevant... wanna be profound but grasping at straws! Also not interesting...