S01.E02: She’s a Helper

[Whimsy]

Quote

Pam becomes a source of support not just for Betsy's family, but also for law enforcement and District Attorney Leah Askey as they build their case. Russ hires Joel Schwartz, a top criminal defense attorney from St. Louis.

Original airdate 3/15/22 

[Annber03]

Oh, god, the way they highlighted just how tight-knit this town was, to where so many people involved in some aspect of the case knew each other... No wonder Russ would feel helpless in prison, it really was looking for a time there like the deck would be stacked against him.

Man, Pam really does love to talk a lot. Luckily, that's also her fatal flaw. 

I like Russ' lawyer and the other guy working with him. It's good to see people actually taking the time to be thorough in examining this evidence, or what they can get of it. I also loved how both sides got excited at the news of the change in the beneficiary on Betsy's policy because they each saw that as proof of the other's motive to kill. 

It's so frustrating to hear about polygraph tests in these cases. I don't understand why people keep insisting on doing them when they can't even be entered as evidence and there's been plenty of proof of how inaccurate they can be in terms of determining one's innocence or guilt. 

[Bulldog]

Apart from Zellweger (whom I'm loving), the acting in this is pretty bad. 

The real life police department and DA can't be too happy with how they are being portrayed.  

[CraftyHazel]

2 minutes ago, Bulldog said:

Apart from Zellweger (whom I'm loving), the acting in this is pretty bad. 

The real life police department and DA can't be too happy with how they are being portrayed.  

I actually am loving Judy Greer, too.  She’s so good at being someone I love to hate, and I seriously want to smack her in this!  She is so gleefully smarmy.

[Melina22]

30 minutes ago, Bulldog said:

The real life police department and DA can't be too happy with how they are being portrayed.

Seriously, they're being made to look like corrupt idiots. 

[UsernameFatigue]

1 hour ago, Bulldog said:

 

The real life police department and DA can't be too happy with how they are being portrayed.  

Since the series is based on the facts of the case, they deserve to look like corrupt idiots. 

Renee is killing it, but I am enjoying all of the performances. The actor playing the DA (love Judy Greer) and those playing Russ's lawyers are doing a great job, 

Edited March 16, 2022 by UsernameFatigue

[Melina22]

I like that they continue to show Betsy's family in a realistic but kind light. I felt so sorry for the daughter who got ignored at the police station when she was trying to see her stepdad. 

[Crs97]

8 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Seriously, they're being made to look like corrupt idiots.

Good

[Straycat80]

The actor playing Russ’s lawyer is Josh Duhmel in a wig! I hardly recognized him, he’s doing a good job. 

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

The actor playing Russ’s lawyer is Josh Duhmel in a wig! I hardly recognized him, he’s doing a good job. 

Right :D? I remember him from "All My Children" - his character Leo was pretty popular back in the day. 

[Straycat80]

4 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Right :D? I remember him from "All My Children" - his character Leo was pretty popular back in the day. 

Yes, I was an All My Children fan back in the day, I liked Leo and Greenlee. He was married to Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas in real life back in the day. 

[AryasMum]

10 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

The actor playing Russ’s lawyer is Josh Duhmel in a wig! I hardly recognized him, he’s doing a good job. 

I didn’t recognize him. He was giving me Dominic West vibes. 

[Andyourlittledog2]

The Big Gulps are killing me. 

[roughing it]

It seems like the DA’s assistant isn’t quite buying the “Russ did it” story. She is side-eying some of the conversations. I wonder if that will come into play later…

[Lovecat]

On 3/16/2022 at 10:19 AM, Straycat80 said:

The actor playing Russ’s lawyer is Josh Duhmel in a wig! I hardly recognized him, he’s doing a good job. 

And the real Joel Schwartz (Russ's lawyer) makes a cameo in the bar as the bartender!  Dateline dropped a short episode of The Thing About Pam podcast, featuring interviews with Renée Zellweger (two e's, people!  I'm a Renée, too :) ), Joel Schwartz, and Russ Faria.  Joel loves Judy Greer's portrayal of the DA, and though it didn't seem like Russ had seen "himself" on screen yet, he did say that he had spoken with the actor portraying him several times.

[Cozytea]

On 3/15/2022 at 11:15 PM, Bulldog said:

Apart from Zellweger (whom I'm loving), the acting in this is pretty bad. 

The real life police department and DA can't be too happy with how they are being portrayed.  

I was thinking the same thing.  So I googled Police and Prosecutor reaction to "The thing about Pam". The first thing popped up was a YouTube video of the DA being interviewed about the mini series.  I watched it and she's basically whining about how she's being portrayed and how hard its been on her all these years because Dateline and social media. 

I was surprised they showed the cops asking Pam to set up a trust fund for the daughters. I remember the life insurance issue but how ridiculous were the authorities to still have her testify and take anything she said seriously when she basically stole the money from Betsy's daughters 

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

It's so frustrating to hear about polygraph tests in these cases. I don't understand why people keep insisting on doing them when they can't even be entered as evidence and there's been plenty of proof of how inaccurate they can be in terms of determining one's innocence or guilt. 

I think they're sort of used as leverage by the police (for better or worse, as the case may be). Sometimes just the suggestion of one to a witness and/or suspect offers the police some insight.

[poeticlicensed]

2 hours ago, Cozytea said:

I was thinking the same thing.  So I googled Police and Prosecutor reaction to "The thing about Pam". The first thing popped up was a YouTube video of the DA being interviewed about the mini series.  I watched it and she's basically whining about how she's being portrayed and how hard its been on her all these years because Dateline and social media. 

I was surprised they showed the cops asking Pam to set up a trust fund for the daughters. I remember the life insurance issue but how ridiculous were the authorities to still have her testify and take anything she said seriously when she basically stole the money from Betsy's daughters 

The cops and DA deserve whatever negative publicity they get. Their unwillingness to look beyond Russ cost a man his life. 

[chediavolo]

On 3/16/2022 at 12:27 AM, Melina22 said:

I like that they continue to show Betsy's family in a realistic but kind light. I felt so sorry for the daughter who got ignored at the police station when she was trying to see her stepdad. 

Me too. I wanted to cry for her. What  A bunch of scumbags at that station

17 hours ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

The Big Gulps are killing me. 

I know. I just keep thinking about how much sugar and toxic liquid she is consuming every day.

[dshgr]

2 hours ago, chediavolo said:

I know. I just keep thinking about how much sugar and toxic liquid she is consuming every day.

You're forgetting the multiple pumps of cherry syrup!

[Andyourlittledog2]

What made me laugh out loud was the discussion at the dinner table about plastic surgery. That was her mother, right?  The one with dementia etc she was 'so worried about'?  Such a liar. Anyway, it seemed so funny to me since Renee herself had so much plastic surgery that she looked like she had entered witness protection she was so unlike her natural self. That this discussion at dinner - mocking her - caused her to glare so menacingly just made me love her sense of humor about herself. I mean, Hupp did get plastic surgery and it was in character for her to be annoyed by the mocking comments, but still. Come on.  😁

[CrystalBlue]

7 hours ago, dshgr said:

You're forgetting the multiple pumps of cherry syrup!

Another anvil:  cherry syrup is RED!

[chediavolo]

9 hours ago, dshgr said:

You're forgetting the multiple pumps of cherry syrup!

All part of the sugar & toxic liquid. 

[Fig Newton]

Only two episodes so far, but I am really enjoying (wrong word to use for such a sad story) the show. RZ is phenomenal ! Her mannerisms, appearance, even down to the way she walks is amazing. She deserves all the kudos for this role. It really shows her acting chops. 

As a viewer who knew absolutely nothing about this case prior to watching this, color me intrigued.

On a side note, Renee was allergic to the prosthetic glue used in her transformation. She reported saying she was taking a lot of Benadryl secondary to her reaction. That, plus a fat suite.........nope, couldn't pay me enough to take this role.

   

[Madding crowd]

I think this episode was a little less jokey so I enjoyed it more. I’m never really a fan of violence humor unless it is really well done like Pulp Fiction. Renee is doing a great job here and I’m glad they are making the cops and DA as idiotic as they were. 

[Toothbrush]

On 3/17/2022 at 11:15 AM, Cozytea said:

I was surprised they showed the cops asking Pam to set up a trust fund for the daughters. I remember the life insurance issue but how ridiculous were the authorities to still have her testify and take anything she said seriously when she basically stole the money from Betsy's daughters 

This really happened. They told Pam the trust would be good optics rather than having the money sitting in her account during the trial.

Spoiler

Never mind. Just read the mod rule about not posting anything not yet shown 

I like how both the prosecution & defense thought the insurance money issue strengthened their case. 

I saw Josh Duhamal as king of the Krewe of Bacchus Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans a few weeks ago. He looked like his normal Timothy Olyphant twinning self. No curly wig in sight! 

Edited March 19, 2022 by Toothbrush

[LexieLily]

I hope the real-life police department and detectives weren't this case wasn't this incompetent; hopefully it's just 'dramatic license' for TV. If a suspect isn't read their Miranda Rights (and no, after the fact doesn't count!) what the suspect says and/or writes can't be used against them at trial. The DA/detectives seemed shocked and amazed that the first thing Russ' lawyer did was put in a request for evidence. What kind of rinky-dink police force is this?

The scene at the house with Betsy's daughter/Russ' stepdaughter and the grandma, aunt and Pam about killed me. Everyone is so determined to pin Betsy's death on Russ.

Keith Morrison's snarky narration and commentary is the best part.

Edited March 22, 2022 by LexieLily

[Crs97]

 

18 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

The scene at the house with Betsy's daughter/Russ' stepdaughter and the grandma, aunt and Pam about killed me. Everyone is so determined to pin Betsy's death on Russ.

For anyone interested here is a relatively recent interview with Betsy’s girls:

At about 2:40 they begin to talk about Russ

[Cinnabon]

46 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

I hope the real-life police department and detectives weren't this case wasn't this incompetent; hopefully it's just 'dramatic license' for TV. If a suspect isn't read their Miranda Rights (and no, after the fact doesn't count!) what the suspect says and/or writes can't be used against them at trial. The DA/detectives seemed shocked and amazed that the first thing Russ' lawyer did was put in a request for evidence. What kind of rinky-dink police force is this?

The scene at the house with Betsy's daughter/Russ' stepdaughter and the grandma, aunt and Pam about killed me. Everyone is so determined to pin Betsy's death on Russ.

Keith Morrison's snarky narration and commentary is the best part.

I don’t think they have to read anyone their Miranda rights until they are officially under arrest, but I could be wrong.