TL;DR: NBC’s Dateline revisits the shocking Michelle Hadley case in “Simply Diabolical” tonight at 10 p.m. ET. Cord-cutters can watch live and on demand for free through trial offers from DIRECTV (5 days) and Fubo (up to 5 days).

A case that continues to generate headlines years later is returning to the national spotlight Friday night.

NBC’s long-running true-crime series “Dateline” will air “Simply Diabolical,” a one-hour report centered on Michelle Hadley, a California woman who spent nearly three months behind bars after investigators initially believed she was responsible for a disturbing campaign of threats and online harassment.

As new evidence emerged, however, the case took a dramatic turn and ultimately revealed a much different story. Veteran Dateline correspondent Dennis Murphy reports from Southern California in the latest episode.

The episode airs Friday, Aug. 21, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on NBC.

Don’t have cable or an over-the-air antenna? New customers can watch “Dateline” for free with DIRECTV’s 5-day trial through its signature packages and eligible genre packs, or Fubo’s free trial, which both include NBC access.

‘Dateline: Simply Diabolical’ streaming overviewDate: Friday, Aug. 21Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PTChannel: NBCStreaming: DIRECTV (5-day free trial), Fubo (up to 5-day free trial), PeacockHow to watch ‘Dateline: Simply Diabolical’ for free tonight

If you don’t have cable, you can watch “Dateline: Simply Diabolical” live on NBC through streaming services that offer free trials. DIRECTV includes a 5-day free trial, while Fubo also offers a free trial. Both carry local NBC stations in most markets and let eligible new subscribers watch the episode live at no cost.

The episode will stream the next day on Peacock, which you can try free for 2 months with DIRECTV’s Movie Extras add-on or bundle with Apple TV for $14.99/month, and get more than 30% savings compared to subscribing to each service separately.

What is the ‘Dateline’ episode ‘Simply Diabolical’ about?

According to NBC, the episode explores a cyber-revenge case that resulted in a young woman being jailed before investigators uncovered evidence pointing in an entirely different direction. The case ultimately involved a complex web of deception, digital evidence, and years of investigation.

The story centers on Michelle Hadley, whose life was upended after she was accused of carrying out a campaign of online threats against people connected to her former fiancé. Prosecutors later determined that the case against her had been built on falsehoods, leading to criminal convictions for others involved in the scheme. Federal investigators would eventually expand the probe, uncovering additional evidence that transformed the understanding of what happened.

Interest in the case has surged again in recent months following Netflix’s documentary “A Toxic Love Story,” which introduced the story to a broader audience and sparked renewed discussion across social media and true-crime communities.