You’ve probably seen the headlines. Maybe you’ve even binged the whole thing in one sitting and came away feeling like your brain was melting. It's a lot. Between the boat crashes, the suspicious "accidents," and a law firm that basically ran a small town, the Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal episodes on Netflix don't just tell a story; they map out the total implosion of a dynasty.
Honestly, it’s hard to keep the timeline straight. You’ve got six episodes total—three in Season 1 and three in Season 2—that act like a trail of breadcrumbs leading straight to a double murder conviction. It’s messy. It’s Southern Gothic at its peak. And if you’re looking for a clear breakdown of what actually went down in each chapter, you’re in the right place.
Why Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal episodes still matter in 2026
Wait, why are we still talking about this? Because even now, years after the cameras stopped rolling, the fallout hasn't stopped. Just recently, in late 2025, we saw more updates regarding Alex Murdaugh’s appeals and the ongoing civil suits from the survivors. This isn't just a "true crime trend." It’s a case study in how power rots.
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The series is split into two distinct halves. The first season is the setup. It builds the world of Hampton County, where the Murdaugh name was law. The second season? That’s the demolition. It follows the trial that felt like a Super Bowl for true crime junkies.
Season 1: The Curse of the Lowcountry
The first three episodes dropped in February 2023, just as the real-life trial was hitting its fever pitch. It was perfect timing, honestly.
Episode 1: Where Is Mallory?
This is the hook. It starts with a group of teenagers on a boat in 2019. It’s dark, they’re drinking, and Paul Murdaugh is at the helm. When the boat hits the bridge and Mallory Beach disappears, everything changes. You see the immediate "damage control" by Alex Murdaugh at the hospital. He’s basically trying to pin the blame on anyone else while his son wanders the halls in his underwear. It’s chilling to watch the survivors describe how the "Murdaugh machine" started turning before Mallory’s body was even found.
Episode 2: Murders at Moselle
Fast forward two years. Paul and his mother, Maggie, are found shot to death at their hunting estate, Moselle. This episode shifts the lens. We start seeing that the boat crash wasn't an isolated incident of bad luck. It was the moment the Murdaugh family lost their "untouchable" status. The community starts whispering. The episode dives into the absolute chaos of the crime scene and the weirdly specific details of Alex’s alibi.
Episode 3: No Secrets Are Safe
This is where the skeletons really start falling out of the closet. We’re talking about Stephen Smith, the teen found dead on a road in 2015, and Gloria Satterfield, the family housekeeper who died after a "trip and fall." This episode basically asks: How many people have to die around this family before someone notices? It ends on the "roadside shooting" where Alex tried to have someone kill him so his other son, Buster, could get insurance money. It’s a "truth is stranger than fiction" moment.
The Shift to Season 2: A Tangled Web
Netflix didn't wait long for the follow-up. Season 2 arrived in September 2023, and it’s much more focused on the courtroom drama and the "financial house of cards."
Episode 4: A Normal Day
This episode functions as a reset. It goes back to the day of the murders but through the eyes of the people who worked for the family. You hear from Mushelle "Shelly" Smith, the caregiver for Alex’s mother. Her testimony about Alex showing up at his mom's house and trying to influence her memory of the timeline was a turning point in the real trial.
Episode 5: Alex's Alibi
Basically, this is the "Kennel Video" episode. If you followed the trial, you know the Snapchat video Paul took minutes before he died is what buried Alex. It proved he was at the kennels when he swore to everyone—police, family, God—that he wasn't. The docuseries does a great job of showing how that one 50-second clip dismantled a lifetime of lies.
Episode 6: A Tangled Web We Weave
The finale. It covers the verdict and the aftermath. We see the survivors of the boat crash and the family members of the victims trying to find peace. It also addresses the 2023 conviction: Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. But as the show reminds us, "finality" is a tricky word in the Lowcountry.
What the series gets right (and what it misses)
If you're looking for a pure legal breakdown, the show might feel a bit fast. It prioritizes the emotional weight of the survivors. People like Morgan Doughty (Paul’s ex-girlfriend) and Anthony Cook (Mallory’s boyfriend) are the heart of the series. They aren't just "talking heads"; they lived through the bullying and the fear that comes with crossing a family like the Murdaughs.
However, some critics argue the show is a bit "slapdash." It jumps around. It leans heavily on reenactments. Is it the most "prestige" documentary ever made? Probably not. But does it capture the vibe of a small town being held hostage by a family of lawyers? Absolutely.
The Stephen Smith Mystery
One thing the series really pushed back into the spotlight was the 2015 death of Stephen Smith. Since the show aired, SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) officially reclassified his death as a homicide. As of early 2026, the investigation is still active. Buster Murdaugh has consistently denied any involvement and even filed defamation suits against several media outlets recently. The show suggests a connection, but the legal reality is still "unsolved."
The Gloria Satterfield Theft
The show briefly touches on the money, but let’s be real: Alex stole millions. He didn’t just kill; he embezzled. He stole from a quadriplegic, from the sons of his dead housekeeper, and from his own partners. The docuseries frames this as the "motive"—he was about to be caught, and he needed a distraction. It's a dark theory: kill your family to buy yourself a few more months of sympathy.
Real Talk: Is it worth the watch?
If you like true crime, you've probably already seen it. If you haven't, it’s a solid weekend binge. Just be prepared to get angry. It’s frustrating to watch how much Alex got away with for so long because of a badge on his dashboard and a name on a building.
The "scandal" part of the title isn't an exaggeration. It’s not just about one man. It’s about a system that let him happen.
Actionable insights for true crime followers
- Follow the Money: If you want the full picture, look into the 2024 and 2025 sentencing for his financial crimes. He got 40 years in federal court for those, which is basically a life sentence on its own.
- Watch the Trial Footage: Netflix gives you the highlights, but the actual cross-examination of Alex Murdaugh is a masterclass in watching a liar run out of room. It’s all on YouTube.
- Keep an eye on 2026: Alex's legal team is still pushing for a new trial based on allegations of jury tampering by a court clerk. The South Carolina Supreme Court has hearings scheduled for early this year.
The story isn't actually "over" just because the episodes stopped. The legal battles are still churning through the South Carolina court system. Whether you think he’s a "family annihilator" or a victim of a rush to judgment, the Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal episodes provide the best roadmap to how we got here.
To get the most out of the series, I recommend watching Season 1 first to understand the "myth" of the family, then looking up the actual trial transcripts for the Moselle murders to see how the evidence stacked up against the Netflix narrative.