Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders 1x07
Leslie has a hard edged attitude. The brothers are in a desperate situation. Julianne Nicholson the talentless ugly one from ‘The Others’ has improved since then as she plays a lawyer who quits Leslie’s team. This has no emotional heights. The brothers have serious complaints about the way they are treated by the legal system. The jury deliberate and there is intransigence. The brothers are without resources and are unemployable. Their family are grievance-orientated.
The brothers are far from popular. 90s attire is worn. People are unfairly cruel to the brothers. There is sexism and the prosecutor plays it up for the cameras. The judge is unfair. The LA earthquake strikes. There is collective responsibility for how this all turned out. Leslie has horrified astonishment and Lyle exudes smarm. A re-trial is ordered and the legal system screws the brothers. The judge whines - he not only oversaw Menendez but Rodney King and McMartin as well.
The new prosecutor has contained anger. The cop smirks. The Menendez estate has gone to taxes and legal fees. Are Erik and Lyle avoiding responsibility? Barry Levin (Harry Hamlin) shows up. The crazy mistress settles with the bad shrink and talks of suing ‘Playboy’ and the bad shrink wants to sue ‘Vanity Fair’. Plans for the re-trial are made. OJ Simpson shows up. He and Erik chat as he and the Menendez clan knew each other. OJ gets special treatment and Erik badmouths Shapiro. The judge forbids any abuse testimony in the 2nd trial. Erik and Lyle have no sense of safety. Were Beanie Babies a thing in the early 90s? This was okay.
Best Lines:
“People really hate me.”
“Check the Court TV feed.”
“Sorry that happened.”
“The press convicted the boys years ago.”
“Point of fact.”
“That whole abuse thing.”
“I sure don’t.”
“That’s women’s logic.”
“I want to change my vote again.”
“Tainted by the media.”
“That sex abuse crap.”
“The contempt of my colleagues.”
“The detectives who stood in the blood under a ceiling dripping with brain matter.”
“Your clients are a couple of craven brats who killed for money.”
“One trial. One jury.”
“Please explain irrelevant.”
“My defence is built on imminent fear.”
~
Dissonance Theory
There is more overly stylised coldness and portentous silliness. Dolores and Lowe stare and yap. I’ve an inability to engage with this. This was not commendable and leaves you wearisome. Why so much unpleasantness for Dolores? What happens to the booze Maeve drinks? Maeve cracks and finds evidence of previous crack-ups. This show is extravagantly violent and Maeve gets paranoic.
Elsie, Stubbs, Theresa and Lowe lurk. William and Logan have no rough charm. The MIB hacks up a host snake and lacks human decency. This was atrocious. The MIB runs a foundation? The MIB blathers incoherently about Arnold and a story. The MIB is singularly unpleasant. Hector shows up again. Native Americans walk on by. Ford annoys. Logan annoys. How can Maeve smoke? She and Hector have a moment. Sherman Augustus guest stars.
Best Lines:
“Something hiding underneath.”
“No, I would not characterize this as normal host behaviour.”
“Big gun, tasteful scar.”
“Will end badly.”
“Turns of fate.”
“Lives out with the savages.”
“He went mad. I haven’t.”
Contrapasso
Dolores stares, Ford babbles and the MIB makes no reasonable arguments. Didn’t ‘The Simpsons’ spoof the ‘Westworld’ movie? Dolores plots and a host bird is worked on. Park workers are awful. Elsie finds something unexpected. There is an orgy. Logan makes his distain for William clear and then William leaves him. I think he should be treated with extreme suspicion.
This is obscurantist, hermetic and pretty tedious. There is a moral crisis for William. Dolores acts out. Logan has presumption and is morally culpable. There is no contemplation or reticence. What money do they spend in the park? Ford and the MIB chat. Maeve wakes up. This was chilly, preening, mannered dullness.
Best Lines:
“Creepy necro-perv.”
“Help me.”
No.”