This week I had the opportunity to start watching the highly anticipated FX series, "The People v. O.J. Simpson." After hearing the initial reviews on E! News, and the season progressing to its eighth episode, I finally sat down to watch the first episode, only to realize within the first five minutes that I was hooked.
The show follows the trial of NFL star Orenthal J. “O.J” Simpson and his alleged murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman. Not that I need to clarify -- the trial and reputation of O.J. Simpson has an infamous history.
Each episode of the series averages about 45 to 50 minutes long, but it is a time commitment worth making -- everything from casting to content was impressive. The way the drama is filmed changes with the mood of the scene, with shots varying between quick and documentary-like as well as some very tense as slow climactic ones. The techniques behind the camera don’t discredit the acting in front of it. The star-studded cast includes John Travolta, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Schwimmer and Bruce Greenwood.
The quality of the acting and cinematography, exceptional in itself, brings an already remarkable story line to life. The trial happened in 1994, a year before I was born, yet it still continues to influence pop culture and strike the interests of those too young to remember it. "The People v. O.J. Simpson," now that it’s alive again on television, has shed light on the subject for those who didn’t experience its unfolding firsthand, and has renewed discussion for those who did. Even in this first episode, the major topics surrounding the case -- O.J.’s influence as a celebrity, and racial rioting -- were explored, setting the stage for what is clearly about to become a very dynamic legal proceeding. The Kardashians, in true American TV tradition, also make an appearance, shedding light on how personally invested both Kris and Rob Kardashian were in the trial.
And not to give it away, but what really kept me interested, especially as a 20-year-old having grown up after this trial happened, was the astounding amount of evidence that incriminated Simpson. Everything from the timeline of the night of the murders, blood samples, and interviews were detailed and built on each other. Knowing the outcome of the trial is not a spoiler -- it only created this itch where I couldn’t stop asking myself, “How did he get away with it?”
As I mentioned before, "The People v. O.J. Simpson" on FX is well worth watching, because once again, this was only the first episode.
You can catch up on the first eight episodes of the season here.
