Lorena

Over the course of four hours, we get to know Lorena as a human being, from her naive Catholic upbringing to her wise middle age. Twenty-five years after her trial, we owe Lorena Gallo an apology. This documentary is a good first step.

The four-part documentary Lorena, however, goes beyond the headlines about the woman who cut off her husband's penis, yielding a thoughtful, comprehensive look at domestic abuse and how the media covers high-profile stories.

Lorena is compelling not because it’s a well-done look at a wild and notorious true-crime case. It’s compelling because, in a way, watching it involves an examination of our past as well as our present.

It’s fascinating. Going in, it might be hard to imagine how four long hours were needed to explore the nuances and implications of the single act that made Lorena Bobbitt famous. But four hours later, it all make sense.

Lorena may not be a perfect work of art, but it’s a solid step forward for empathy in media.

One of “Lorena” strongest attributes is that it features interviews with not just Lorena and John, but their neighbors and co-workers, first responders and medical specialists, domestic violence experts and comedians, judge and jury. ... The series’ attention to detail is painstakingly thorough, which is sometimes to its detriment.

The frustration of Lorena is that there are many reasons the story is relevant today and worthy of closer examination and reexamination. Many of them are covered here. It just takes too long to get there.