History's Greatest Mysteries (TV Series) The Death of Bruce Lee (2021) User Reviews

Thoroughly Investigated

[AimC · 9/10 · 14 December 2021]

In addition to examining the details of Lee's death, this episode narrated a proper investigation by a veteran police detective. It was very interesting to follow the investigative process of gathering leads, ruling them out based on evidence and 3rd party expert opinions, and following the trail to the most credible theory given the amount of time that's passed.

It did get me to research further and my one nitpick is with the theory of excessive heat related to his collapse a couple months earlier. AC had been turned off that time in order to avoid noise in a dubbing session. The fatal collapse, on the other hand, occurred in a more social and most likely comfortable setting. These are just details that could've been mentioned to rule out heat stroke (a theory from a Lee biographer and not the detective) but it didn't detract from the thoughtful and deliberate job of the detective and the doctor.

Can we also address the possibility of a CONCUSSION.

[sweethotcakes · 9/10 · 21 February 2024]

This was very informative and appeared to be a good investigation. The only other possibility I thought of was that Bruce Lee might have had a Concussion, which wasn't really acknowledged seriously during that time. I'm no doctor, but it could be another thing to address.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Rapid movement causes brain tissue to change shape, which can stretch and damage brain cells. This damage also causes chemical and metabolic changes within the brain cells, making it more difficult for cells to function and communicate.

Complex recovery: Post-Concussion Syndrome Recovering from concussion means your brain cells must return to the normal function by rebalancing levels of chemicals, like sodium and calcium, inside and outside of the cell. This process takes a lot of energy, so it is important to conserve energy during recovery. When properly managed, the majority of concussion symptoms will resolve within a couple of weeks, however over-exertion of brain cells during recovery can cause symptoms to persist for months or even years. A significant percentage (estimates vary between 10% and 30%) of concussion patients suffer from extended recovery, known as Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS). Learn more about PCS, including coping advice and treatment options, in our Resource Center.

Catastrophic re-injury: Second Impact Syndrome During recovery, the brain is more vulnerable to re-injury. In rare cases, a second concussion sustained during recovery can cause the brain to undergo massive swelling. This extremely rare condition is known as Second Impact Syndrome (SIS). Approximately half of SIS patients die from their injuries, and the survivors often suffer from life-long disability.

Resource: Concussion Foundation.

Unanswered & Unsatisfactory Conclusion

[Pandjblue · 5/10 · 22 September 2021]

I enjoyed the background information. But the episode didn't provide a reason why Bruce Lee suffered a similar oedema 10 days before without taking the medicine with meprobamate. So why would they come to the conclusion that meprobamate caused the second oedema resulting in his death?? No satisfactory answers in this episode and this remains one of history's greatest mysteries!

Disappointing episode and left with more questions than answers

[Sho4227 · 5/10 · 26 September 2021]

This episode was interesting but ultimately disappointing in a couple areas. It was pretty neat to see someone actually in Hong Kong interviewing people and talking about how things were there back in the 60's. On the other hand the episode was a major letdown when it came to investigating Bruce Lee's death. People in the episode kept saying figure out why he collapsed the first time and you will figure out how Bruce Lee died when he had the second cerebral edema. Instead they just spend a few minutes on the first collapse and then promptly move on never to address it again. They also spend a portion of the show discussing allergic reactions to aspirin and how it would leave signs but then when they say the cause of death was the other ingredient in the drug they don't explain how they came to this conclusion or what if any medical indications led to this conclusion. Its just something that is thrown out in the last 5 minutes of the show. They also give no explanation as to what common side effects are of the suspected drug and what their thought process was in coming to the conclusion that it was responsible.

125 minutes of my life wasted!

[cdeanroane · 1/10 · 22 September 2021]

Why this show is over a hour long is a real mystery! What makes this show seem even longer then its' actual time is Laurence Fishburne constant commentary which is useless and comes off as he is getting paid per word he speaks!