Excitedly speaking, it’s truly fascinating how real-life crime narratives from podcasts like “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” and “Dirty John” have been brought to life in scripted adaptations. However, what captivates me even more is the scarcity of these stories being translated into docuseries. Yet, the phenomenal success of the audio series “Scamanda” has paved the way for ABC News Studios and Pilgrim Media Group to bring this gripping tale to our television screens.
Presented by the podcaster Charlie Webster, “Scamanda” revolves around Amanda Riley, a woman who pretended to have cancer for financial purposes. The podcast debuted in May 2023 and quickly gained popularity, prompting ABC News to collaborate with Webster and investigative producer Nancy Mosciatello for this four-part series to add fresh perspective to the chilling storyline. While much of the information may be repetitive for those who have listened to the podcast, novice listeners are likely to find this condensed recap captivating, especially with its added visual components.
The series “Scamanda” starts with “Stage 1: Who’s Afraid of Amanda Riley?”, a recap of the initial podcast episodes that paints a picture of San Jose, California’s wealthy neighborhood where Amanda Riley resided, worked, and deceived those around her. Friends such as Lisa Berry and Webster provide insights about the charismatic woman and her husband, Cory Riley. Given Amanda’s popularity in the community, it quickly becomes clear why people supported her when she disclosed her terminal Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis.
The docuseries titled “Scamanda” is structured conventionally, featuring reenactments and interviews. Cory Riley’s first spouse, Aletta Bernal, along with friends from Family Community Church where Riley belonged, share their initial encounters, early impressions, and the subsequent events as Riley’s deceptions eventually unraveled. These personal narratives, supplemented by images and screenshots directly sourced from Riley’s widely-read blog “My Story … Our Journey,” provide a detailed look into her nearly decade-long scheme.
The captivating aspect of Riley’s fraud lies in the psychological dynamics that drove her deceit and the advantage she enjoyed. Posing as a young, seemingly virtuous Christian woman, she amassed over $100,000 in funding and endless empathy. In the third episode, titled “The Wheels of Justice (Stage 3),” Dr. Judy Ho, a neuropsychologist specializing in clinical and forensic psychology, proposes that conditions such as factitious disorder and Munchausen syndrome might have fueled Riley’s actions. However, the docuseries focuses more on the narrative of Webster’s podcast rather than delving deeply into these psychological conditions.
Furthermore, since there’s a lot left unexplored about Riley’s past in the documentary, and it lacks personal testimonies from her or her family, various questions are left unresolved at the end of “Scamanda”. Audience members will find themselves pondering what specific details Cory was aware of, what triggered Riley’s habit of lying, and why she focused on cancer in particular.
Listeners of the podcast will undoubtedly be intrigued to discover the whistleblower’s identity who initially shared their concerns with producer Mosciatello. Moreover, numerous close-ups of Riley’s face, notably from a 2015 interview discussing her diagnosis and faith, along with emails and texts between Riley and her victims, intensify the chilling nature of the story. These disclosures serve as a sobering reminder that in our culture, individuals are often instantly deemed compassionate victims based on factors like race, socioeconomic status, or perceived attractiveness. Riley garnered sympathy and financial support due to deep-rooted societal prejudices. The series briefly touches upon her current situation but largely avoids delving into these themes. Exploring the psychological reasons behind Riley’s actions, her upbringing, and the emotional consequences of her lengthy deception would have made a more profound and lasting impact.
“Scamanda” premieres Jan. 30 on ABC, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays.
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2025-01-30 18:20