'Serial' Episode 9 Review: New Evidence And The Day After In 'To Be Suspected'

"Serial" episode 9, "To Be Suspected," starts off with a few new developments that alter the possible timeline for Hae's murder on Jan. 13 and also cast doubt on some of Jay's testimony. Adnan once again returns to the spotlight, but instead of recounting what happened the day Hae was killed, host Sara Koenig focuses on the day after.

Koenig introduces three new bits of evidence that shatter a lot of what we thought about what happened to Hae. Laura, a friend of Stephanie, Jay and Adnan's, said there were no public phones or phone booths at Best Buy. From the investigation, Jay said Adnan called him from the store at 2:36 p.m. That call has been crucial to the case, but this latest revelation belies Jay's version of what happened that day. Laura was certain there was no phone at Best Buy since she would shoplift and pay attention to where the cameras were and other aspects of the store's layout.

Summer, who was friends with Hae, was listening to "Serial," and she said it was impossible that Hae was dead by 2:36 p.m. Summer said she was a manager on the boy's wrestling team and talked to Hae well after the time she was supposedly killed. She was annoyed that Hae could miss some of the meet since she was inexperienced and wanted Hae to keep score for the matches. Summer said she was talking to Hae after the final bell and after the last school buses cleared the loop in front of the school.

So, can we rule out Best Buy and the 2:36 p.m. call? The only alternate theory is from Chris, Jay's friend, who said in episode 8 that the murder was committed at Woodlawn Public Library. Koenig doubts that, as there are so many people and students around right after school ends and she notes that a possible 3:15 p.m. call would really conflict with Jay's timeline.

In the last piece of new evidence, we learn that Aisha Pittman was on the other end of the call that Adnan received at Cathy's house. Cathy said Adnan was acting odd on the night of Jan. 13 and that he left the room after receiving a call. She said he was acting panicked or nervous. If Aisha was telling Adnan that the police were going to speak to him, the meaning behind what Cathy overheard changes drastically.

The new evidence will be the most scrutinized part of "Serial" episode 9, as it has a lot of ramifications for the timeline of known events and, once again, chips away at the credibility of Jay. If not Best Buy, where? How does Jay's timeline pushed ahead 35 minutes or so affect his testimony? Despite the questions, the biggest enigma is still Adnan.

We learn a lot about Adnan in this episode, but he still seems like a mystery. Adnan is distraught, in disbelief and even calls the police after finding out Hae's body was found on Feb. 10. In the following days, Adnan's behavior was all over the place, and that's something that should be ignored, Jim Trainum, a former homicide detective, argues. Trainum says that Adnan's reactions are not credible as its all subjective.

Adnan's letters to Christa were perhaps the most illuminating glimpse into the real Adnan. The letters are compassionate and show Adnan to be an attentive and caring friend. If anything, the latest episode of "Serial" portrays Adnan as a person that was prevented from communication, which leads to a personality and identity imposed upon him by others. During Adnan's interrogation, Detective Greg MacGillivary lays out a theory that Adnan was angry about the breakup. Adnan's lawyers, first Cristina Gutierrez (who was fired by Adnan) and later a public defender, refused to have him testify.

During the second trial, while Adnan remained silent, his attorney described the act as a "crime of passion." At the sentencing, the judge lays out an incredibly harsh assessment of Adnan as an intelligent manipulator who intentionally killed Hae. But is that the Adnan that Koenig and others know?

Which leads us back to square one with "Serial." Someone, somewhere, is lying, but it's hard to say who or what at this point and 15 years removed from what happened. Next week, Koenig will look at how Adnan's lawyers tried to introduce reasonable doubt into the jury box.

Check out our timeline of the case here and an interactive graph detailing the complicated network of people connected to Jay and Adnan here. "Serial" returns on Dec. 4.