The Trial of the Century Comes Back to Life
February 11, 2016
Do you remember every shocking moment—the car chase, the glove, and of course, the verdict? Twenty years later, you get to watch it all over again.
On Feb. 2, FX premiered their new anthology series “American Crime Story.” The first installment in the series, “The People vs. OJ Simpson,” revolves around former NFL player, OJ Simpson, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., and the case that had the nation on the edge of their seats.
Executive produced by Ryan Murphy, creator of the widely acclaimed Glee and American Horror Story, “The People vs. OJ Simpson” will chronicle the murder case in which Simpson was the lead suspect and the lives of the now infamous lawyers who gave the trial its popularity.
“Brentwood? Nobody gets killed in Brentwood…” prosecutor Marcia Clark, played by Sarah Paulson, says in the premiere episode as she hears the tragic news of the murders for the first time. The murders, which took place in Brentwood, Los Angeles in June 1994, took the lives of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Simpson immediately became a top suspect in the case due to his known past of physical abuse and evidence being found on his property, including the notorious glove, as seen in the show.
The creators of the show have promised to keep the show as factual as possible. “We did tons of research,” said Scott Alexander, one of the creators and writers of the crime series, to Entertainment Weekly. “I think we’re very proud of how close we stayed to the truth while creating drama out of recent history,” he added.
Also, there will be new details revealed in the show that will even surprise viewers who watched the trial live 20 years ago. After watching the events of the first episode, it is clear that the creators intend to stay true to their word by providing the audience with an interesting and factual show.
“The People vs. OJ Simpson” marks John Travolta’s return to the small screen after 37 years. Travolta plays Robert Shapiro, a key member in Simpson’s defense team. In one of the most important scenes from the premiere episode, we see Shapiro, as he decides to join the defense team, privately asking Simpson “Did you do it?” to which Simpson claims that he did not and that he loved his ex-wife, despite it being obvious to Travolta’s character that Simpson is lying. The first episode of this series promises another brilliant role played by Travolta that is sure to deliver.
Since the premiere of the crime drama, many of the people involved in the trial that the series is based on have come forward to express their thoughts on the new series. Kato Kaelin, who will be played by Billy Magnussen, was a houseguest on Simpson’s property at the time of the murder. Kaelin has been skeptical about the series, saying to the Daily News “I’m afraid a whole new generation will be watching this as a documentary rather than a drama.” He has also claimed that is afraid that there will be fabrications in the show.
Also, prosecutor Marcia Clark, who was at the center of much media scrutiny at the time of the trial, has said that watching the premiere episode was “was enormously painful,” and that it was like she was “reliving a nightmare.” Though it has been difficult for her to view the series due to the effect that the trial has had on her life, she does believe that the show is “phenomenal” and is “beautifully done” from what she has seen.
“The People vs. OJ Simpson” will reignite your obsession with the notorious case and will not disappoint. This dramatic retelling of the trial of the century will be your new guilty pleasure.