Brittany Luce

The movie's final version covers the early beginnings of the Jackson 5 and ends with Jackson's first solo tour, promoting the Bad album at the end of the 80s.

There are no real surprises here.

Of course, it hangs a thin narrative arc on Michael's antagonistic relationship with Joe.

Curiously, there are several scenes of the star interacting with kids, signing autographs in a toy store, or visiting them in children's hospitals, almost as if the filmmakers were looking for a way to refute the allegations without actually addressing them head on.

As usual, Michael, the movie, gets to suppress the friction of his life.

More room to love him instead of understand him,

And based on the enthusiastic reactions I heard from the packed audience I saw the movie with, this is something a lot of people want.

Still, I think the culture deserves better.

I think perhaps the way that you might be able to sort of

This is more or less how I've approached my own relationship to Michael Jackson since seeing Leaving Neverland.

It's really hard to let go of what his art meant to me.

The music remains a part of my life, both voluntarily and not.

I probably hear one of his songs pouring out of speakers at the grocery store from a passing car at least once a week.

And I still hold deep admiration for his talent, accomplishments, and

the cultural influence he continues to have to this day.

Still, I've also made room for all the complications his life presented to us, the audience.

The stuff that's glossed over or completely absent from the retellings put forth by the estate, the family, and MJ himself over the years.

Because with someone like Michael Jackson, it's never just about the music or the iconography.

It could never be.

This episode was written by me, Aisha Harris, with production support from Cher Vincent.