FX’s newest anticipated series American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J. Simpson began airing on T.V. February 2nd. So far it has yet to disappoint. Based off of real events as well as Jeffrey Toobin’s The Run of his life: The People Vs. O.J. Simpson. The story follows the trials of O.J Simpson, the suspected murder of Nicole Brown Simpson (Simpson’s ex wife) and the events leading up to the famous trails of the ’90s.
Cast:
No mini-series would be complete without an all-star cast based off of actual people involved with Simpsons trial. The cast includes Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J Simpson, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro, Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, Connie Britton as Faye Resnick, Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran, and other many diverse and talented actors.
Going Deeper:
The 10 episode miniseries incorporates more than just the topic of the O.J Simpson Trial. They incorporate social issues into the show, including racism. One issue with these trials was whether the whole case was just brought on by racism or not. In the show they give us more insight into this through many of the characters experiences other than just Simpson. Sexism is also another social issue the producers covered with Paulson’s character Marcia Clark. Clark was the Prosecutor representing “The People” during the trials. She had dealt with sexism during the duration of this case and it was depicted into the show. Whether it was about her appearance or personal life, Clark was made into a victim of sexism by the people of America. These are just some of the great details they added into the on screen adaptation of the trial, since it brings up understated issues of that time, but is also a present topic of discussion throughout these progressing times.
The Jury:
Later on in the miniseries, we are shown the point of view of the jury and the on going issue of changing jurors. Hand picked jurors were placed in a high end hotel for the duration of the trials. The only catch was that they weren’t allowed T.Vs or a phone and were under constant watch by gaurds. Many problems arose and it turned into constant changes with the jury. The attorneys for Simpson wanted to have as many African Americans on the jury as possible. Eventually, this turned into a constant battle between Clark and Cochran (Simpson’s attorney). They both consistently change the jurors by checking their criminal history and looking to see if they had any biased opinions. Chohran wins later on with only two white jurors and the rest being African American.
What’s Wrong with the show?:
Like most shows, there are always going to be some error, inaccuracy, or criticized view point. So far, they have stuck as true to the trials itself as well as the book it’s based on. The famous O.J Simpson chase in the Ford Bronco was incorporated early on, but the writers of course changed a few minor details. They have stuck to the importance of the event itself. Overall there is not much to critique on the show other than the few minor details and the added in content to the story. It incorporates things many people may not know about the case and it also shows the audience that the series is so much more than the just trial of determining if a man is guilty or not for allegedly committing a crime of which they were later acquitted.
Where To Watch:
The People Vs. O.J. Simpson has just finished airing on FX but is available on the FX now app as well as Xfinitys On Demand for a limited time and is speculated to be released on Netflix next February.
