The Killing Season: why we love reliving the slaying of prime ministers - Women's Agenda

The Killing Season: why we love reliving the slaying of prime ministers

What is it about The Killing Season that’s so compelling?

We know most of this story, especially its gruesome conclusion. We’ve poured salt in the wounds of these former prime ministers, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, over and over again. We’ve asked them to explain themselves, to share what they knew and when. We’ve watched for tears and signs of weakness from the key characters involved.

And yet we want to know more. Last week’s first instalment of Sarah Ferguson’s three-part documentary about the Rudd/Gillard years was watched by almost one million Australians. Last night’s second part – focusing on Kevin Rudd’s final six months in power, as well as the night of the 23rd June 2010 – might just break that audience figure.

Indeed, any viewers left reeling after the final episode of Game of Thrones on Monday evening will surely have had their fix of violence and betrayal on the ABC last night.

The story of the Rudd/Gillard years is done, over. And yet for some reason we still just want to know more.

Is it that we enjoy the make-or-break sport of politics more than we like to let on?

Do we find satisfaction in seeing former politicians respond to painful, uncomfortable and awkward memories?

Is it reassuring to see our most significant leaders in recent history struggle with loyalty, paranoia and the desire for power – much like the rest of us?

Are we searching for a side note to better explain how our first female prime minister came to power?

Is it satisfying to see our lack of trust in politicians actually reflects their lack of trust in each other? The latest Essential poll finds that just 11% of Australian have some or a lot of trust in politicians, while 49% have no trust at all. It’s not hard to see why.

The Killing Season is great viewing for one very good reason: journalist Sarah Ferguson and her excellent team.

Somehow, they’ve managed to make the story we believe we’ve all heard so many times before compelling once again. They’ve put cameras in front of people we know are going to offer drastically different versions of events, and they ask us to judge for ourselves just who we believe.

Meanwhile, the entire tone of the series – from its aptly named ‘The Killing Season’, to its chilling and dramatic opening credits and Ferguson’s don’t-mess-with-me interviewing style, is a reminder that real-life political thrillers can be just as entertaining as watching Frank and Claire Underwood in House of Cards.

Ferguson and her team has brought the brutal reality of politics into our living rooms.

Last night, we watched the complete breakdown of the Gillard and Rudd relationship unfold. There was even an admission from Gillard regarding whether not she had agreed with Rudd that he would stay on as prime minister for few more months before he was removed. Had she given him false hope? “I did not agree. I can understand why Kevin felt that there was a potential wedge of sun on the horizon,” she said.

Then there was the seemingly even more brutal relationship breakdown between Rudd and his treasurer Wayne Swan – both former friends, Rudd is even a godfather to one of Swan’s children. “The feeling in my guts was ‘mate, you could have spoken to me, you could have told me that there was something really wrong, you could have said to me ‘here’s what needs to be fixed and here’s what you need to do if you wish to remain as leader’.”

This line from Mark Bishop, a Gillard backer, is truly telling regarding the gruesome nature of just what went on. “In terms of professional execution, you’d have to say it was the best,” he told Ferguson.

Professional executions, it seems, are just par for the course of politics.

And as long as people like Ferguson can bring us the story, we’re all sick and twisted enough to happily tune in and watch.

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