HBO's New True Crime Series The Mortician Was Almost Too Gross To Watch, But I'm Soldiering On For Two Reasons

Warning! The following contains mild spoilers for the first episode of The Mortician. Stream it with a Max subscription and read at your own risk!

As someone who is always on the lookout for the best true crime shows, I was intrigued when The Mortician popped up on the 2025 TV schedule. That enthusiasm quickly faded as the latest HBO series dove into the horrific crimes of one David Sconce, a cremator ultimately imprisoned for the desecration of human remains in ways that grossed me out to no end.

Full disclosure, The Mortician was so gruesome in its telling of events in the first episode, I nearly turned it off. It's only made worse by Sconce, who was released after serving ten years of his sentence, speaking so matter-of-factly about some of the most upsetting things I've ever heard in a true crime series. That said, by the end of the episode I was convinced to see this one all the way through, but before I get into the why of that, let's talk about what makes this series so disturbing.

Viewers Will Need A Strong Will To Get Through Some Of The Gruesome Details In The Mortician

I'm used to hearing some rough stuff when investigators start going into the grizzly details of murder, so I figured watching The Mortician would be no big deal. I guess in my mind, I figured whatever could possibly be revealed about what David Sconce did to already dead bodies wouldn't be as bad as killing someone, but boy, was I wrong.

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I won't dive into every grizzly detail that is revealed as the docuseries runs down the various crimes Sconce and his employees committed in his crematorium, but one that still sends chills down my spine is his ex-wife talking about finding Sconce in their garage with a hammer and some teeth. Apparently, there's a bunch of money to be made in selling back gold fillings, provided you have the stomach to repeatedly smash teeth with a hammer.

That's just one of the examples of some of the stomach-churning details revealed in The Mortician, which I expected to be more sad, like Netflix's Con Mum, than sickening. In reality, this may be one of the more extreme true crime docs I've watched in recent memory when it comes to description of crimes, and I walked away with that opinion only after just the first episode.

I can only imagine what is on the way, with such a strong start to some of the horrific things that are detailed in the series premiere. The ending gave a hint that more extreme stuff is coming, and while I shudder to think about how much worse it could get, there's one undeniable hook that has me dialed in, hoping that the potential trauma I get from watching is worth it.

The Tease Of A Suspicious Murder Has Me Hooked On Finishing This Series

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, considering HBO gave us the wild true crime series The Jinx, but The Mortician has something similar right at the end. A suspicious murder with the implication that Sconce was responsible? Typically, I don't like these types of baity cliffhangers at the end of a true crime series' first episode, but, damn, this one has me hooked.

I think what has me hooked this time is that we got a clear portrait of who Sconce was as a person, and the value he puts on human remains. I mean, the guy was making money off dead bodies, but it's very clear he was completely apathetic to the fact that these people were once human beings with lives and loved ones who cared about them.

As gruesome as all the details are, it's almost necessary for the audience to hear it to make it plausible that actual murder is not that big of a stretch for him. Obviously, we'll have to wait and see if the evidence is compelling enough to really pin Sconce with murdering someone who looked to expose his very illegal dealings that happened on the sly. It almost feels like Sconce might confess to some actual crime that was previously unknown based on the trailer.

The Mortician May Not Feel Like The Standard True Crime Series, But I Have High Hopes

I've talked to a few friends who love true crime about watching The Mortician, but I've heard many balk because it doesn't seem like the traditional type of story we see from the genre. These types are more apt to watch stories surrounding Gabby Petito or other high-profile murders, and less likely to watch ones that involve crimes that don't include a killer.

As mentioned, I think there's a chance we could learn something new about David Sconce by the end of this docuseries. Beyond that, though, the series premiere of proved to me that true crime can be as disturbing, intriguing, and gory even when someone isn't an outright killer. I already said it once, but I never expected the first episode to chill me to the bone in the way that it did, and it's grossed me out more than any other true crime series I've watched over the past couple of years.

The good news is, if you're like me and are intrigued by The Mortician but had trouble getting through all the upsetting things described in the first episode, this will be a shorter run than most true crime docuseries. This three-part series will be completed in just a couple more weeks, and then live on HBO Max for anyone who wants to just barrel through it all at once and possibly pay for therapy later. Let's just say that after this first episode, I'm not sure I want anyone I know to be cremated anymore.

For those looking to experience the series in real time, be sure to check out The Mortician on HBO, Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. I'll be watching, possibly with my fingers peeking out from behind my hands when it gets to gory, but I just have to know where this story goes.