This article will contain spoilers for the popular drama series spanning two-season long.
With that disclaimer out of the way, we can cover the things you need to know about Manhunt: Deadly Games. Manhunt: Deadly Games is based on a true story. It involves a security officer, Richard Jewell, and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics when a bomb detonated and endangered the lives of hundreds of people.
At the beginning of the show, Jewel is a security officer that actually saved lives when the Atlanta bomb went off. He was seen as a hero and beloved by all. However, that all changed when Kathy Scruggs reported that he might be the bomber. This threw Jewell’s life into chaos as he found himself in the middle of an FBI investigation.
This is the general plot of the show. However, fans are left upset. As the true story goes, it took the FBI five years to catch the real bomber. In all that time, the hero guard’s life was turned into misery. He was scrutinized, couldn’t find a job, and sent life threats. It is a sad story of how one man’s heroics made him the victim of a crime he didn’t commit.
As such, here is everything you need to know about Manhunt: Deadly Games.
We Know Nothing About the Main Culprit
As far as the audience is concerned, the main suscept of the Atlanta Olympics bombing is a bloodthirsty killed that only wants more. The reality is that we know nothing about the man they call Eric Rudolph. After the bombing, Rudolph went into hiding for five years. He hid in the woods with the FBI having no knowledge of his whereabouts or what he was doing.
As such, we can safely assume that all those scenes involving Rudolph are made up. This isn’t to say that Rudolph is a victim of his upbringing. What the Atlanta bomber did and tried to do is sick and vile. But fans of the show should know that for the five years he spent in hiding, there is no record or evidence to back up the scenes from the show.
The Show Is Fairly Inaccurate
It’s always hard to tell a story where you don’t know all the facts. Documentaries make a good habit of flexing their creative hand whenever facing unknown facts. The case is no different with this show. Most of the inaccuracy surrounds Rudolph and the militia that supposedly helps him in the Murphy area.
These accuracies were rightfully pointed out on popular forum platforms such as Reddit. Fans of the show, although praised the show for its stunning storytelling, criticize the validity of the facts. There is no record of a militia in the Murphy area, nor is there any evidence for some of the supposed “killings.”
The inaccuracies of the show put it in a bad spot. Fans summarize the show in simple words: ‘The first part of the show is accurate, while the second is completely made up.” Even though the show is great and makes for an excellent watch, fans should go into it with a fresh perspective and don’t buy into the accuracies around Rudolph and the militia (The Regulators).
Kathy Never Recovery From the Atlanta Article Debacle
The famous report who broke the story of Richard Jewel enjoyed a brilliant career up until that point. Kathy Scruggs enjoyed a good relationship with the local authorities and was responsible for breaking some of the most popular news around the Atlanta area.
However, her hot article, “FBI Suspects ‘Hero’ Guard May Have Planted Bomb”, is something she never truly recovered from. The article put Jewel’s life in the spotlight. It put a target on his back and effectively ended all chances of Jewel enjoying a normal life. Even more so, she ruined her life through bad reporting. If you want to know what happened to her, see this post on Kathy’s sad end.
Since we know how the story ends, Kathy Scruggs fell into depression for what she did. She got it wrong – big time wrong. What’s even more damning is that Kathy Scruggs’s reputation was further damaged by Clint Eastwood’s 2019 movie “Richard Jewell.” In his movie, Eastwood portrays Kathy as a person who obtains sources by performing certain favors.
After the authorities caught Rudolph, everyone close to Kathy knew she would never recover.