S01.E08: Final Days

[AntFTW]

Quote

In the final days of the Nixon administration, Martha struggles to keep her family together in the midst of her decline. Dean and Mo ready for their own future as G. Gordon Liddy gives Dean a parting gift.

Air Date: June 12, 2022

[MaryMitch]

Even though I know John Dean is still alive, I feared for his life in that room with Liddy. That guy was a psycho!

I was not aware that Martha had died so soon after Watergate.  I wonder if that "Martha was right" flower arrangement is historical. Kinda ugly, but spot on.

I enjoyed the series more than I thought I would.  Except for Liddy, he was just TOO creepy. (The actor did a great job!)

[MMEButterfly]

10 minutes ago, MaryMitch said:

Even though I know John Dean is still alive, I feared for his life in that room with Liddy. That guy was a psycho!

I was not aware that Martha had died so soon after Watergate.  I wonder if that "Martha was right" flower arrangement is historical. Kinda ugly, but spot on.

I enjoyed the series more than I thought I would.  Except for Liddy, he was just TOO creepy. (The actor did a great job!)

[MsMalin]

I don't remember hearing that Liddy was singing in court .  I wonder if they exaggerated his craziness a bit, lol.  I read his autobiography and it was fascinating. He was very intelligent and crazy. I thought John Dean was a little bitch boy.( to quote Theresa Guidice)

I felt sorry for the daughter. Julia Roberts did a good job too.

Edited June 13, 2022 by MsMalin

[AntFTW]

8 hours ago, MaryMitch said:

Even though I know John Dean is still alive, I feared for his life in that room with Liddy. That guy was a psycho!

Me too! That moment was intense! But I loved it. It was my favorite scene of the episode.

From the moment they wrestled Liddy into the room, I couldn't stop laughing. It was hilarious!

He said he ate the mama rat and her pups so that John Dean could live... and I cracked up 🤣

[cameron]

Talk about phony scenes.  Fort Hollabird in this show is depicted as being out in the boonies when in reality it was just over the Harbor Tunnel from downtown Baltimore and it housed "witness protection" people not people working with pick and axes.  

[WatchrTina]

On 6/13/2022 at 10:15 AM, MaryMitch said:

I enjoyed the series more than I thought I would.  Except for Liddy, he was just TOO creepy. (The actor did a great job!)

Ditto!  I had to fast-forward through the Liddy-goes-crazy-in-prison scenes.  But as much as I enjoyed the series (and Julia Roberts' performance in particular) I now feel the need to re-acquaint myself with how Watergate played out because the "facts" as depicted in this version do not line up exactly with what I THINK I recall from the recent CNN Special --"Watergate:  Blueprint for a Scandal".  I watched that show first and now -- having just finished "Gaslit" -- I think I have to go back and watch the CNN Special again.  I wonder if it will feel different?  A grey-haired John Dean is essentially the "narrator" of the CNN Special.  It's interesting to realize that he's evolved from "fall guy" for the scandal to "historical figure" reminiscing about his Watergate-related activities for the sake of posterity.

Edited June 14, 2022 by WatchrTina

[Hedgehog2022]

On 6/13/2022 at 11:15 AM, MaryMitch said:

Even though I know John Dean is still alive, I feared for his life in that room with Liddy. That guy was a psycho!

I was not aware that Martha had died so soon after Watergate.  I wonder if that "Martha was right" flower arrangement is historical. Kinda ugly, but spot on.

I enjoyed the series more than I thought I would.  Except for Liddy, he was just TOO creepy. (The actor did a great job!)

Shea Wiggam played Liddy...he was in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire"...great actor...he nailed Liddy.

[Hedgehog2022]

7 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

Ditto!  I had to fast-forward through the Liddy-goes-crazy-in-prison scenes.  But as much as I enjoyed the series (and Julia Roberts' performance in particular) I now feel the need to re-acquaint myself with how Watergate played out because the "facts" as depicted in this version do not line up exactly with what I THINK I recall from the recent CNN Special --"Watergate:  Blueprint for a Scandal".  I watched that show first and now -- having just finished "Gaslit" -- I think I have to go back and watch the CNN Special again.  I wonder if it will feel different?  A grey-haired John Dean is essentially the "narrator" of the CNN Special.  It's interesting to realize that he's evolved from "fall guy" for the scandal to "historical figure" reminiscing about his Watergate-related activities for the sake of posterity.

John and Mo Dean were not as noble as they wanted history to portray them...Dean was a brown noser, a boot licker and very thristy to be a part of Nixon's inner circle. He loved the perks of being in the inner circle and flying on Air Force One, having Camp David to himself for a long weekend with his wife and being wined and dined at Republican dinner parties and other events. He was smart to use the tapes to frame his involvement as being secondary to Nixon's corrupt "mob boss" behavior. But it forever kept him barred from being an inner circle Republican again. He's made a living off of cable TV appearances and book deals. Bully for him.

On 6/13/2022 at 8:21 PM, cameron said:

Talk about phony scenes.  Fort Hollabird in this show is depicted as being out in the boonies when in reality it was just over the Harbor Tunnel from downtown Baltimore and it housed "witness protection" people not people working with pick and axes.  

I wondered about that...I thought it was more of an Allenwood type of place for white collar criminals.

Edited June 15, 2022 by Hedgehog2022

[lucindabelle]

Dean was complicit but when he saw the writing on the wall he stepped up. It’s a low bar but it’s enough. Michael Cohen did but it wasn’t enough. Pat Cipallone needs to step up.

yeah pretty sure the watergate guys weren’t doing hard labor LOL but I enjoyed the scene with the real mafia.

and just when I was all stop with the crazy Liddy stuff they surprised me by showing that he hadn’t eaten the terrified rat at all, the whole family were his pets! Aw. He may have admired a Hitler but in reality he was a schmo. For the most part.

the real Dean had a child from a previous marriage. I’m glad they left that out as it would have complicated the story.

as for Marty, she was old enough to have known a little better. I’m sad she did f see her mother but glad her son was there. 
 

i thought Sean Penn acted the hell out of this role. I’m puzzled by those of you who think acting is about looking like a character. Mitchell was known to be gruff and abrupt. Penn nailed it. Roberts was phenomenal too.

[Cheezwiz]

On 6/30/2022 at 9:09 PM, lucindabelle said:

Dean was complicit but when he saw the writing on the wall he stepped up.

I think it was less about stepping up and more about saving his own skin. The portrayal of him in this series was  both amusing and unflattering.

The floral arrangement at the end was great, and amazing to know it was real. Kudos to all involved - it was an excellent miniseries.

[Aqua]

Are we to believe that all the Watergate convicts were conveniently sent to the same prison worksite so they could touch base and commiserate?

Was Martha really allowed to walk into a nursery and pick up a random newborn to cuddle, or was that supposed to be her son's baby?

[reggiejax]

On 7/24/2022 at 10:51 PM, Aqua said:

Are we to believe that all the Watergate convicts were conveniently sent to the same prison worksite so they could touch base and commiserate?

That seemed like a fabrication, but there is truth there, as I found out when I looked it up. A few of the Watergaters were locked up with Dean, but not practically the whole gang, as was portrayed. Charles Colson and Jeb Magruder were there with Dean.

And they were only there because they were receiving threats in regular prison, not sent there to soften them up to testify, as was done with Dean.

Haldeman was definitely not there, nor was Howard Hunt.