S01.E02: California

[AntFTW]

Quote

Martha and John rekindle their love and their power-couple working relationship at a campaign event in California, overshadowed by G. Gordon Liddy and his team bungling the break-in at the Watergate.

Air Date: May 1, 2022

Edited May 5, 2022 by AntFTW

[QuinnM]

Oh gosh, Rosemary Woods ‘What is my brain doing up there.”  I sat and laughed out loud.  Like really laughed out loud.  God love them, whoever made her such a twit from the start.

[Violetgoblin6]

Absolutly adore the costumes and hair. Wish I'd been an adult in the early 70's rather than just being born! Great show, Penn is fantastic! 

[rlc]

Flight attendant: Your daughter asked for a Bloody Mary.

Martha Mitchell: okay

Flight attendant: She’s 11

Martha Mitchell: Don’t make it too spicy 

[OoogleEyes]

They really were bumblers, weren't they?

GGL was an absolute nut job, I can't believe that they put him in charge of this caper. He went on to make couple of movies after he was released from jail and they were something.....special. 

I had absolutely no idea that was Sean Penn under all of that makeup. 

Ah, the good old days when there were actual consequences for actions.

Edited May 5, 2022 by OoogleEyes

[WatchrTina]

Wow.  What a window into the colossal shit-show that was the Watergate break-in was.  I'm old enough to remember Watergate but I was too young to have paid close attention to its ins and outs -- especially at the beginning -- so this was really interesting for me.  But oooooh I did not like the way that goon threatened Martha.  I recall having a low opinion of Martha "The Mouth of the South" Mitchell back in the day but this depiction of her situation throws a whole new light on the subject.  I guess that's the point.

Bottom line:  I'm in.

[poeticlicensed]

So far I am enjoying it. It helps if you listen to the Slow Burn podcast if you are trying to follow the events. I remember the Watergate hearings but not much before that regarding the scandal. The clothing and sets are making me do a 70s cringe. Lots of polyester, long sideburns, comb overs and the stiff hairstyles on the women. Republican women helmet hair i called it. Liddy is coming off like a psycho. I also had no idea it was Sean Penn under all that makeup. Im not getting Dan Stevens as Dean yet, but whoever is playing Mo has it down. 

Watergate was so ridiculously unnecessary, the Republicans were going to win anyway. I did think was interesting that they were already referencing a division in the party between the Christian right and the old school Republicans. Talk about foreshadowing. 

I'm also not really seeing Martha in Julia Robert's.

I'm definitely watching. How they show the hearings will be fascinating 

Edited May 10, 2022 by poeticlicensed

[Ms Blue Jay]

It's also fun to simultaneously watch The First Lady because they are showing the Betty and Gerald Ford stuff directly after this.

[monakane]

On 5/17/2022 at 2:53 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

It's also fun to simultaneously watch The First Lady because they are showing the Betty and Gerald Ford stuff directly after this.

Same here.  I was in my early 20s during Watergate, so I remember all of it.  I loved Betty Ford, so I am enjoying that as well. I'm loving all the 70s fashions on both shows.  I would like to see more about Martha.  Poor John Dean.  They are making him out to be a buffoon, but that is not how I remember him.

Edited May 23, 2022 by monakane

[Aqua]

On 5/23/2022 at 1:46 PM, monakane said:

Same here.  I was in my early 20s during Watergate, so I remember all of it.  I loved Betty Ford, so I am enjoying that as well. I'm loving all the 70s fashions on both shows.  I would like to see more about Martha.  Poor John Dean.  They are making him out to be a buffoon, but that is not how I remember him.

I wondered if Dean approved of or was involved in the production of this episode? He is probably the only one of the whole bunch who's still alive.

[Aqua]

I thought this episode was hilarious. The bumbling burglars were hysterical. This episode seemed to be played for laughs. But then the last part where Martha was restrained by the body guard -> I thought they were delving into black comedy. I thought that part must be fictionalized but then I read it's possibly true. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1975/02/19/102749845.html?pageNumber=18

I wonder if this will be a big part of the show. It will be upsetting if they injected this element but don't address it.

[Aqua]

Also I had thought the past two episodes that John Mitchell actually loved Martha but apparently not if he is behind this goonish stuff.

[Anela]

I’ve just realized that this is the same John Dean I follow on Twitter.  Surreal. 

[Aqua]

6 minutes ago, Anela said:

I’ve just realized that this is the same John Dean I follow on Twitter.  Surreal. 

I think he's the only good guy (i.e., repentant) person to come out of Watergate.

[zoey1996]

On 7/9/2022 at 11:51 PM, Aqua said:

But then the last part where Martha was restrained by the body guard

I was surprised to recognize Brian Geraghty, from Big Sky, as Peter the bodyguard. Martha and John had a complicated relationship, to say the least.