Netflix’s latest documentary on MH370, MH370: The Plane That Disappeared, was a difficult watch—it wasn’t just pointless, it was plain irresponsible. If honest, they should have admitted at the outset that it is a fictional drama inspired by real life events, featuring real people playing themselves. Viewers should be advised to not treat it as a serious documentary seeking to inform or educate the viewer. It is a slick production—and we know Netflix doesn’t stinge—about which we can say no more than that it is a lavish exercise in gaslighting.

The choice of narrator, Jeff Wise, is intriguing to start with, but it soon becomes apparent that the series is about drama and entertainment, disguised as a documentary. Wise is a good storyteller, dramatic in part, and skillful in spinning his yarn. Conspiracy sells, feeding on the widespread suspicion of an incomplete official narrative. It is easier to raise doubt than to establish the truth, and while it feels heroic to be the challenger, credibility suffers when alternate explanations don’t have a solid leg to stand on.

The pilot suicide–mass murder theory has been on the table for the longest time. The final investigation report has nothing adverse to report on the pilot. Journalists claiming to have spoken to his family, friends and colleagues have reported diametrically opposite assessments of the man’s state of mind, his context, and his possible motivations. (Read William Langewiesche’s article in The Atlantic.)

Wise put forward his bizarre scenario of the plane being spirited away to Kazakhstan some years ago only to be ridiculed and discredited. Yet, he has a free run for nearly a whole episode to outline his plot, only to be demolished by the representative from Inmarsat, the satellite communications company.

Florence de Changy, a journalist and author, has a fan following that adores her ‘investigation’ and research. She lays out an equally fantastic (as in fantasy) version of what she believed happened to MH370, without feeling burdened with having to name sources, reflect on the science, or to suggest how debris was disposed of after allegedly being shot down by the USA or its allies / client states. It is a sad commentary when assumptions and suppositions are elevated and treated as fact. The small print and disclaimers, if any, are mentioned in passing or are rendered inconsequential by the enormity of what is alleged.

There are any number of worthies (scientists, technologists, oceanographers, etc.) who could have enriched the production but may not have served the purposes of gripping entertainment with their boring assertion of facts, data and hypotheses.

In the end, you are no wiser. It is very possible that there are those in the know of what really happened. The finger is often pointed at the USA, as either the eye or the finger on the trigger. But a story that I came across as a WhatsApp forward about dubious and sensitive cargo many years ago becoming a full-blown book and an episode involving AWACs leads me to re-evaluate my disdain for such forwards.

For those who believe that the human drama of affected families shown brought home the scale of the tragedy, let me say that the conspiracies peddled in this series are an insult to the continuing trauma of the families. I understand Ghyslain’s pain (he lost his wife and two children) and his unflagging effort to pursue the truth, but to dismiss all that we know as a total fabrication is a disservice to his quest. It is a hard place to be in where you believe nothing, and trust no one.

I have suffered too. My wife was on MH370. I have met/spoken to or known almost all those featured in the series. It is easy to believe that the series speaks for all there is. That is not true. They all start with the promise that they are seeking to tell the story of the families who have coped with ‘not knowing’ but treat them as fillers to tease the tears.

This article first appeared on Facebook.

Image: Wikimedia Commons