Dateline: Season 21
Season 21 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Picks up essential narrative continuity directly following the events of Dateline Season 20.
- Character alliances, factions, and personal loyalties undergo significant shifts under escalating stakes.
- Addresses unresolved cliffhangers and thematic mysteries introduced during previous seasons.
- Establishes the primary seasonal conflict that drives serialized character arcs toward the finale.
Episode Guide
Season 21 Progress Shield
The Plot Thickens
Sep 28, 2012 · 45 min
Correspondents take a look into the case of a gunned down Hollywood stuntman and the investigation that leads to a femme fatale, once married to a movie mobster.
Secrets in the Snow
Oct 5, 2012 · 43 min
A woman with a mysterious secret is murdered, and a look at how a possible love triangle could have been the reason. Keith Morrison reports.
Family Affair (2012)
Oct 12, 2012 · 43 min
A family feud erupts between a man's wife and step-daughter after the wealthy heir to Miami's Fontainebleau Hotel is murdered.
Crossing the Line (2012)
Oct 19, 2012 · 43 min
Ex-NFL cheerleader Sarah Jones and her former student Cody York have their first interview together after the sex scandal this summer.
Wild Wild Web
Oct 26, 2012 · 45 min
A look into the online world of classified ads and meets a person who suggests he's a hitman, a student selling a kidney to pay for college, and a drug dealer who says he's selling
Sandy: Rescue & Recovery
Nov 2, 2012 · 45 min
Dateline offers a special report on the devastation in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. It visits areas of New York and New Jersey that are struggling to restore power and repair damag
Obsession (2012)
Sep 9, 2012 · 45 min
Ten years ago this week, a brilliant young woman was stabbed to death in her waterfront condominium. Police zeroed-in on a suspect right away, but this case wouldn't be solved quit
Christina Aguilera, Lauren Scruggs, and Kelly Rutherford
Nov 16, 2012 · 45 min
Hoda Kotb talks to Christina Aguilera about her childhood and career. Also, interviews with model Lauren Scruggs and actress Kelly Rutherford.
The Ballad of Mike and Dalia
Nov 23, 2012 · 45 min
Dennis Murphy tells the Ballad of Mike & Dalia, and what was supposed to be a story-book marriage and new lease on life. Instead, lust, greed, and deceit led to an elaborate murder
Under a Killing Moon
Nov 30, 2012 · 43 min
The story of a young man and his family who fight to prove his innocence after he is accused of murder on Halloween night.
A Shot in the Dark
Dec 7, 2012 · 43 min
Just six days after his wedding, 41-year old Scott Pierce is killed in his own home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dateline NBC’s Josh Mankiewicz reports.
Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary
Dec 14, 2012 · 43 min
Lester Holt and Brian Williams anchor a special hour of Dateline devoted to the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, where Brian Williams reports live on the scene.
Holiday How-To Guide
Dec 21, 2012 · 43 min
Everything you need to know to survive the holidays, including finding perfect gifts, office party etiquette, when to re-gift, how to gracefully take away the car keys, children's
Under the Desert Sky
Jan 4, 2013 · 90 min
The murder of a popular and attractive Nevada teen shakes the community, especially when two unlikely people make a confession. Keith Morrison reports.
Inconceivable (Update); New Year, New You
Jan 6, 2013 · 43 min
Carolyn and Sean Savage hoped to have another child using embryos left over from the in vitro fertilization procedure that brought them their daughter. Ten days after the embryos w
Vanished (2013)
Jan 11, 2013 · 90 min
Twenty-six year-old nursing student, Michelle Le, disappears from a San Francisco Bay Area parking garage in broad daylight. A day later her friends start getting strange texts fro
Trouble in Paradise
Jan 18, 2013 · 43 min
After his neighbor was murdered, American software mogul John McAfee fleed tropical paradise Belize, and Keith Morrison travels there to try to uncover what really happened, and fi
The Comic Book Murder, Volume II
Jan 25, 2013 · 90 min
After a woman was found murdered in the back of her comic book store, the crime goes unsolved for years, but new evidence points the case in a new direction. Dennis Murphy reports.
Missing Mickey
Jan 29, 2013 · 43 min
After college student Mickey Shunick went missing last summer, her sister was the tip of the spear in the multinational search, and now opens up about the case.
The Night Hannah Hill Disappeared
Feb 1, 2013 · 43 min
What happened to Hannah Hill? Authorities probe the murder of an 18-year-old woman from Akron, Ohio.
Fallen
Feb 8, 2013 · 90 min
A pastor who lost two wives in suspicious accidents, as authorities wonder whether it was simply terrible luck, or if they were murders. Dennis Murphy reports.
While They Were Sleeping - Repeat of
Feb 10, 2013 · 43 min
Amidst the Sierra Nevada Mountains, someone breaks into the home of Ben and Melissa Oxley, shooting 36-year-old Ben in the head, but why?
A Gathering Storm (2013)
Feb 15, 2013 · 90 min
A love triangle involving a beauty queen, a devoted wife and a guitar hero leads to murder. Josh Mankiewicz reports.
The Haunting
May 27, 2011 · 43 min
Keith Morrison reports the story of an Oklahoma pastor's son and daughter who endure a remarkable road to recovery after witnessing a terrible family tragedy.
Secrets in the Mist
Feb 17, 2013 · 43 min
Authorities open a cold case of the disappearance of Carol Lubahn.
What Happened to the Beauty Queen?
Feb 22, 2013 · 50 min
A beauty queen's murder shocks a small Arkansas town.
Circle of Friends
Jun 5, 2011 · 43 min
The citizens of a Wisconsin town come together to renovate a family's home.
It Could Happen to You
Mar 3, 2013 · 43 min
After having their dreams of winning the lottery come to fruition, five people discuss the unique ways in which they've decided to use the newly found fortune, while Donald Trump d
Intersection; Taken (2013)
Mar 17, 2013 · 43 min
An in depth and uncensored look in to a controversial new intervention program lasts over the course of a year as eight drug dealers are given a rare opportunity to reform their cr
Rossen Reports; The Fugitive
Mar 24, 2013 · 43 min
Correspondents investigate fire alarms not working properly, ingredients in household products like shampoos and toothpaste, and personal information available online; Chris Hanson
Toxic
Apr 3, 2013 · 43 min
When a husband and father disappears, detectives uncover a love triangle and a twisted plot.
Broken Bonds
Apr 10, 2013 · 43 min
Detectives investigate when a scientist is murdered in his home.
Phony Rockefeller
Apr 17, 2013 · 43 min
Mike Taibbi takes a detailed look in to the life and history of con man Clark Rockefeller with interviews of lead detectives during his murder trial and those who personally knew h
Rescue on the High Seas
Jul 3, 2011 · 43 min
A year after being taken captive by Somali pirates, Captain Richard Phillips talks with Matt Lauer about his harrowing experience and brave rescue.
Deadly Desire
May 3, 2013 · 43 min
The story of a sordid love triangle involving a young attorney and his paralegal, which quickly escalates in to a disastrous confrontation. Keith Morrison reports.
Along Came Jodi
Mar 1, 2013 · 43 min
The trial and murder conviction of Jodi Arias and the salacious relationship that ended in tragedy.
Behind Closed Doors: Pyne
May 15, 2013 · 43 min
Suburban mother Ruth Pyne is found murdered in her garage, the seemingly perfect life of a close-knit Michigan family is shattered.
Wild, Wild Web; Shattered
May 17, 2013 · 43 min
The hidden world of online classified ads; A newlywed father-to-be dies in a fall from his 25th floor apartment
Behind Closed Doors: Harris
May 22, 2013 · 43 min
After being sexually assaulted by her own husband, Crystal Harris takes matters into her own hands. Ultimately, her bravery impacts the lives of many other women. Andrea Canning re
Reversal of Fortune
May 31, 2013 · 43 min
The story and latest case developments of Michael and Kathleen Peterson, who seemed to have the perfect relationship until Kathleen was suddenly found dead at the bottom of the sta
Against All Odds - Bingham
Jun 5, 2013 · 43 min
Jason and Stacy Bingham, who faced the greatest challenge of their lives as one of their children undergoes a heart transplant while the another one shows signs of rejecting a dono
Betrayal; A Sister‘s Search
Jun 7, 2013 · 43 min
The story of a young aspiring Hollywood actress named Aasha Davis who starts making a name for herself, when suddenly her sister and brother-in-law go missing; a millionaire mother
Betrayal of Trust
Jun 21, 2013 · 43 min
When a woman is found dead in the trunk of her car, authorities become suspicious of her ex-husband.
Deception
Jun 14, 2013 · 90 min
Siblings are torn apart when their mother disappears, and an elaborate sting operation traps a most unlikely villain.
Suspicion (2013)
Jun 28, 2013 · 43 min
Kay Mortensen took pride in preparing for every possible threat, so when he was found dead at home, those who knew him were stunned. The brutal killing put two of Kay's loved ones
Trapped
Jun 29, 2013 · 43 min
An unimaginable accident that leaves a mother, along with her two young daughters, trapped inside a mangled vehicle that is too dangerous for any rescue efforts to safely proceed.
Mystery at Payson Canyon
Jun 28, 2013 · 45 min
Investigating the murder of a brilliant professor.
Fatal Attraction (2013); Wild Wild Web 3
Jul 19, 2013 · 43 min
In Fatal Attraction, Beth Lochtefeld had everything -- except the one thing she longed for --true love. And then she met her soul mate.
A Cold December Morning
Jul 12, 2013 · 90 min
A family’s loyalty is tested when a mother of five is found dead in her bedroom. Keith Morrison reports.
Murder on Nantucket Island
Jul 19, 2013 · 43 min
A successful businesswoman falls for a banker who may not be who he seems.
Secrets In The Desert
Jul 26, 2013 · 43 min
Tim McKillop and Joyce Sterrenberg, just 20-years-old, took a ride out to the desert in the warm spring of 1962. What happened next would be a mystery that spanned over 50 years.
Return to Poplar River
Aug 2, 2013 · 43 min
the small town of Poplar, Montana is shaken when police find the battered body of 17-year-old Kim Nees on the outskirts of town.
Mystery at Ascot Estates
Jul 26, 2013 · 43 min
The story of a husband and father from South Carolina who frantically called 911 claiming that his wife was murdered by a friend. Also the case of a murdered couple that has gone c
In the Middle of the Night (2013)
Aug 23, 2013 · 43 min
Just six days after his wedding, 41-year old Scott Pierce is killed in his own home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Josh Mankiewicz reports.
On the Edge
Aug 30, 2013 · 43 min
The intimate journey of a California family fighting to save their house from foreclosure. Triumphs and tribulations along the way reveal the true cost of fighting to save their ho
Mystery in Mustang
Aug 2, 2013 · 43 min
Authorities investigate the killing of a small-town fire chief.
Sandy's Fury
Oct 30, 2012 · 43 min
From the New Jersey shore to the New York Coastlines to Connecticut and onward, this special will explore the damage caused up and down the eastern seaboard.
Kidnapped; Into the Death Zone
Sep 6, 2013 · 43 min
Kate Snow interviews former freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout, recounting the various emotional physical abuse she endured from Islamic rebels during the 15 months she was held
Unbreakable
Sep 13, 2013 · 43 min
Rebecca Musser reveals what life was like being born into The Fundamentalist Church Of Jesus Chirst Of Latter Day Saints and what led to her escape from the sect and the trial afte
The Officer's Wife
Sep 20, 2013 · 90 min
The case of a young police officer's 26-year-old wife that was found shot to death in their bed, and the mystery of whether or not this was a case of suicide or if someone else was
The Mystery at Heath Bar Farm
Nov 18, 2011 · 43 min
Tom Foley is shocked to find himself the lead suspect in the case of his wife Darlene's murder. Thinking the case was over, the defense team is soon approached by a stranger with
Missing in Paradise
Dec 2, 2011 · 43 min
A vacation in Aruba that morphed into a mystery, Robyn Gardner went missing and many presume she's dead.
After Midnight
Dec 9, 2011 · 43 min
2 years ago the young mother from Utah vanished. A husband under suspicion, a father-in-law under scrutiny, and investigators under pressure to solve this mystery at last.
The Case of the Missing D.A.
Dec 16, 2011 · 43 min
10 Years ago, the accusation that Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused a child, came to the attention of Ray Gricar, the local district attorney. 3 years later Gricar we
The Town That Jobs Forgot
Dec 23, 2011 · 43 min
Millen, Georgia, a small industrial town so devastated by the Great Recession, its unemployment numbers peaked at 21% - more than twice the national average.
Deadly Triangle
Dec 30, 2011 · 43 min
The story of an unsolved case involving a woman's love triangle that ended in her husband's fatal stabbing in front of their home, but more than two decades later, detectives have
Suspicion
Feb 3, 2012
In the lead up to a murder trial, it begins to look like police arrested the wrong man.
Mystery at Payson Canyon
Jun 28, 2013 · 45 min
Investigating the murder of a brilliant professor.
The Haunting
May 27, 2011 · 43 min
Keith Morrison reports the story of an Oklahoma pastor's son and daughter who endure a remarkable road to recovery after witnessing a terrible family tragedy.
Circle of Friends
Jun 5, 2011 · 43 min
The citizens of a Wisconsin town come together to renovate a family's home.
Rescue on the High Seas
Jul 3, 2011 · 43 min
A year after being taken captive by Somali pirates, Captain Richard Phillips talks with Matt Lauer about his harrowing experience and brave rescue.