Season 1 – American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden

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Fiorella G American Manhunt is a three-part docuseries that breaks down the events of 9/11 and the massive intelligence, military, and political efforts that led to the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. It’s dynamic, informative, well paced, and surprisingly emotional: especially the last episode, which genuinely feels like a thriller. The first episode walks us through 9/11 and how the U.S. quickly figured out al-Qaeda was behind the attacks. The second episode covers the hunt: how intelligence agents tracked members of bin Laden’s network, came close to catching him once, and slowly connected the dots that led to the house in Abbottabad. The third episode is the standout: it covers the planning of the raid, the pressure on Obama to make the call, the SEAL team’s training, and the night of the operation itself. Even though you know how it ends, it’s tense from start to finish. And the things that unravelled that night are out of a movie. From the helicopter crash to the house raid and the SEAL's rushing to get before getting shot down. What I appreciated most is how the series doesn’t feel overly political or one-sided. It shows the pride people had in doing their jobs well, but it also acknowledges mistakes: especially around the use of torture. The interviews feel honest. There’s no preaching, just people reflecting on incredibly tough decisions. With so many docuseries out there that feel repetitive or shallow, American Manhunt stands out. It’s packed with real insight, strong interviews, and real emotional weight. Definitely worth watching: especially the final episode, which is some of the best documentary storytelling I’ve seen in a while. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/05/25 Full Review Jon S A CIA puff piece. Abu Zubaydah has still never been a proven member of Al Qaeda. When the CIA began torturing him, he stopped communicating entirely. He remains locked up in Guantanamo Bay as a result of the government's insistence that they not acknowledge their mistreatment of their captor. Watch "The Forever Prisoner", an HBO documentary, for more detailed coverage of that whole story. They had Robert O'Neill for the last segment, he was one of the Seal Team members. Over the years, since leaving the military, he's been everywhere and anywhere talking about the mission. Most of the others go out of their way to steer clear of media, this guy runs towards it. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/03/25 Full Review John T Interesting the negative reviews to this incredibly well done series … poking holes into parts of the story NOT told when how could you possibly do that in three hours? Primary sources were excellent, from the initial group of intelligence analysts under GWB to the group that inherited the task under BO. Understanding the vast reality of the search a needle in a sea of needles in a field of thousands of haystacks … makes you realize why it took as long as it did. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/01/25 Full Review Michael M Not sure why people are hating, i thought it was solid and had lot great interviews with people who were involved. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/31/25 Full Review Audience Member Really good doc. Some interesting insight that I hadn't heard before from various people involved. One of the warfighter generals clearly understood the mission, while many were more worried about feelings and optics. I thought hearing about the raid from Robert O'Neill was fascinating. He is an American hero, an absolute unit! God bless the USA. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/30/25 Full Review Amanda K I found it riveting! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/27/25 Full Review Read all reviews

American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden — Season 1

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