S01.E10: The Verdict

[Tara Ariano]

In the season finale, the prosecution and defense make their closing statements; the jurors deliberate; and the verdict is given.

[Aethera]

Hi there folks. Just wanted to remind us all of a few things:

 

We have all sorts of people here in the American Crime Story forums. There are folks who are certain that OJ committed the murders, and others who think that the LAPD framed him. Folks who have no idea what to think. Folks who are mad at the jury, mad at the prosecutors, mad at the defense team, mad at the witnesses. Folks who don't understand what all the fuss is all about. Folks who have read extensively about all things related to the trial, and those who have only watched this show. Folks who like Cuba Gooding Jr., and others who don't.

 

All of our posters are allowed to express their opinions here, and all opinions should be respected.

 

Since this episode is the culmination of the series, and includes the verdict, I expect some excited feelings, and lively discussion. Let's keep it calm, respectful and friendly, please. Don't express exasperation with someone else's opinion, don't post while angry about something that's been said, and don't demand evidence from others. This forum has been largely respectful and fun during the airing of this show, despite the polarizing subject matter, and I'm confident we can continue the trend! Thanks in advance!

[SoSueMe]

Wow, it all comes rushing back, that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

[Armchair Critic]

I've got a lump in my throat, I felt like I could have cried with Kim Goldman after the verdict was read on the show tonight.

[Spartan Girl]

That damn jury didn't deserve one ounce of gratitude. They didn't do their job. They didn't give a shit about evidence or their civic duty. They just wanted out and used peer pressure to get the holdouts to change their votes.

The Goldmans deserve a medal for not putting a hit on OJ (or his lawyers or the jury).

Kardashian puking in the men's room after the verdict....I feel your pain, pal.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Spartan Girl

[Umbelina]

I was going to say, good for them, they really stuck the landing with this finale.

 

Then I realized we have another half hour to go!

 

I'm thrilled that we do.  I will miss this show.

[CeeBeeGee]

Sure you can talk, Johnnie. OJ could've testified anytime he liked.

 

RK looks devastated.

 

OJ, please stop pretending you give the slightest fuck about your motherless children, whose slaughtered body you left for them to find.

 

Death threats--JFC, people. Johnnie was a POS but he doesn't deserve that. Unlike OJ, he didn't actually kill anyone.

 

Johnnie must think the jury is stupid if he has to use nursery rhymes to formulate a persuasive argument. Well, they fell for it in the end.

 

Great bullet points, Marcia. Too bad the jury refused to listen.  I also liked Darden's speech--liked him reminding the jury again about the 911 tapes. Too bad the jury didn't give a shit about a woman being stalked and beaten by her husband.

 

HAHAHAHAHAHA Johnnie preaching against domestic abuse

 

OJ crying crocodile tears for his audience.

 

"Could be forever"--Darden, you're assuming an entirely undeserved level of dedication and civic responsibility for this jury. They knew the night before when they packed their bags what their verdict would be.

 

"We can all do the math"--really obnoxious. She was asked to tally--she did so.

 

Eff this jury.  FOUR HOURS. Utterly contemptible. Even the defense thought that was bullshit.

 

OMG Johnnie actually used bodyguards from the Nation of Islam? Like--seriously? So he's an anti-Semite then (or at least he finds a way to handwave it away for his own purposes). Puts him in good company with Mark Fuhrman.

 

Jailhouse guard, please get your nose out of OJ's ass. OTOH he demonstrated that OJ got Rich Guy treatment.

 

Glad the Goldmans were there and the jury could hear how they'd wronged them. Not that the "we can do the math" asshole would've given a shit.

 

RK, we all feel the same way.

 

Shut up, Johnnie. You don't respect Darden or you wouldn't have demeaned his presence on the prosecution's team.

 

"You haven't changed anything for black people. Unless of course you're a rich famous one in Brentwood." Loved Darden's pat on Cochrane's shoulder as he walked away.

 

Johnnie's wife, walk away from him, you deserve better.

 

Loved that the last scene comes back to what this case was really about, and has been all along--men who rape, men who beat, men who murder women, and how easy it is for them to get away with it. Jury didn't care.  But that's what the case was about.

 

Rest in peace, Ron and Nicole. I'm sorry we couldn't do better by you.

[ShadowHunter]

I cried at least 3 different times. I wish the two guilty voters had stuck with it at least it would have been a hung jury.

 

Poor Ron. Poor Nicole failed both in life and death.

 

Darden was right when he told Cochran "You haven't changed anything"

[Armchair Critic]

Did OJ gain weight in jail because Cuba is a bit chubby in his nude scene

Why did they give Shapiro a dirty look when he commented about boxing when the defense team was talking about their future plans?

Watching him party after he is free at least we know he eventually gets his comeuppance.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Armchair Critic

[SoSueMe]

Gee he never did get around to bringing in the REAL killers.

[Mya Stone]

Oi. I forgot how powerful each person's closing arguments were.

To this day I will never understand Ito allowing OJ to speak without taking the stand.

The deliberation room was incredibly tense. It absolutely made me sick to my stomach.

Showing actual footage of the verdict was smart and well done. Little known Mya fact: 14 year old me was on my local news station because my civics teacher had us watch the verdict live in class.

Very interesting that they showed that OJ was (most likely) tipped off to his verdict. It explains his stroll into the courtroom for the last time like he was the goddamn mayor. (Side note: How did they show him shaving yet he had stubble on his face? Cmon, continuity peeps.)

The faces on the prosecution when Darden said, "What if we won..." Ugh.

Schwimmer's face. It was everything. He played the hell out of the entire verdict reading scene - and every moment after. The look shared between him and Marcia said so much with no words.

I honestly don't understand how any member of the jury could sit there and listen to Kim's anguished, guttural cry and not think to themselves, "We've made a HUGE mistake."

The press conference with the DA's office was incredibly somber. When Darden broke down into a puddle and Fred and Kim embraced him - it just broke my heart all over again. The defense after party was in stark contrast.

Darden's quiet conviction. Those words he spoke to Johnnie. Sadly prescient, and I know, most likely fabricated.

I know I say this every week, but Sarah Paulson is a revelation. She brought IT - none more so in her scene wth Darden in the office. Hurt, disappointment, and frustration came across with every word spoken.

The smile that OJ had - it never touched his eyes. Ever. Tough realization that nothing would ever be the same in his world. I get the sense that Cuba played it like he felt guilt over it all...but I truly think the only thing he feels badly about is his fall from grace.

[Umbelina]

Just...perfection.

 

Well done show. 

 

Mya Stone, cosign your entire post.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Umbelina

[SimoneS]

This was an outstanding series. I had no idea what to expect when I sat down to watch, but this is one of the best miniseries that I have ever watched. The writers were daring and subversive taking on every social issue of our time; racism, misogyny, spousal abuse, police corruption and brutality against minorities, best defense is for wealthy, etc. Yet, they wrote an entertaining script with heartbreaking moments and bits of humor. I hope the writers win Emmys along with every single the actor in the cast.

 

It is hard to identify which actor gave the strongest performance. Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance, Sterling Brown, David Schwimmer, John Travolta, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kenneth Choi, Nathan Lane, etc. all won my respect. I only wish the actress playing Sean got more airtime. I cannot wait to see what the actors do next. Let me not forget the musical director selected the perfect music for every moment in the series. I will never hear “Another Bites the Dust” and “Fight the Power” and not think about the jury on this show.

 

Ito was so pathetic, caving in to Cochrane’s games. Marcia and Chris did their best in the closing, but it was too late. O.J. crying was so pathetic. Johnny Cochrane’s closing was so overwrought and overdramatic. I remember watching it live and rolling my eyes, but I wasn’t surprised that the jury was persuaded after that debacle of a prosecution. The defense attorneys giving Shapiro the cold shoulder was hilarious. I didn’t know that he testified against Bailey and helped get him disbarred.

 

I cannot believe that they reached a verdict so quickly. I was surprised that there were only two guilty votes on the first go around. At least, the forewoman agreed with me that the gloves did fit and he was trying to make them not fit. That juror should have never admitted that she voted guilty.  How did they convince her and the other juror to change their votes and so quickly! The defense attorneys’ reaction to the quick verdict was hysterical. Shapiro, “they discussed this verdict less than anyone in America.” Bwah! I cannot believe that juror gave O.J. of all people the black power fist.

 

Wait, Johnny got protection from the Nation of Islam. Bailey, “just get in the van or I’ll tell them that you are Jewish.” Bwah! WTH.

 

Thin Oprah! The crowds outside the court and across the court was crazy and brought back memories.

 

I can’t believe the guard praised O.J., ask him to sign the football, and then gave him a heads up on the not guilty verdict. Unfreakingbelieveble!

 

Poor Marcia and Chris, getting their hopes up. Damn. The final scene where she confiding in Chris about her rape was heartbreaking.

 

In real life, I wasn’t surprised at the verdict, but the shock in the courtroom was palatable through the tv screen. Poor Goldmans and Browns. Bobby’s reaction to the verdict was classic; the horror at being duped and knowing that O.J. got away with two murders. Yet there he was picking up O.J. from jail. What a smuck! He even went to the party.

 

“Better not be a Bronco, I’m not going up the highway in no damn Bronco.” Bwah. Who came up with these lines. O.J. really had no clue how angry white people were about the verdict? His former friends and society dropped him like a hot potato. As Chris’ neighbors said in the earlier episode, “he’s black now.”  His son knew though which is why he gave the puppy. I suppose he still had A.C. He was so pathetic reliving is his past football glory.

 

Yes, you will never be mayor, Gil Garcetti, your son will. He is such a politician. I cannot believe that he rolled his eyes at Marcia’s despair over this loss.

 

I am not sure what Johnny Cochrane was expecting from Darden. The fallout from the trial did bring around some investigations into police misconduct, but Darden was right that the verdict would not stop the police from brutalizing and arresting people of color.

 

I will miss you on Tuesday nights, show, well done. Farewell!

Edited April 6, 2016 by SimoneS

[AndreaK1041]

There were some missteps in this episode and it was overwrought in parts, but ending with the victims was spot on.

[ShadowHunter]

Crying again now that they showed the pictures of Ron and Nicole at the end.

 

At least I got a small laugh when he got the dog so he would always have a friend.

[Spartan Girl]

Crying again now that they showed the pictures of Ron and Nicole at the end.

 

At least I got a small laugh when he got the dog so he would always have a friend.

I wailed at that part. Nooooooo! Don't give him that sweet defenseless puppy!

That last sequence was everything. I let out a big fat Nelson Muntz "Ha-Ha!" at that last photo of OJ in jail...although I got a little freaked at the revelation that he's eligible for parole next year.

Emmys for all!

[toodywoody]

The ending made me cry. Kudos to showing them both. Well done

[bmoore4026]

Anyone else feel like crying after seeing the pictures of Nicole and Ron? 

[Primetimer]

How American Crime Story's ultra-watchable first outing put us back in the mid-nineties, and why we let it.

Read the story

[ketose]

I loved "Ain't No Sunshine" as the closing montage song. Even more than lyrically, the song was perfect in tone. What happened to the principles weirdly restored my faith in God. Shapiro really testified against Flee at a disbarment hearing?

 

And dammit, when you keep warning about nudity, I'm not expecting a dude's ass.

[Eolivet]

"They spent less time talking about the case than everyone in America." --Shapiro with the other line of the night.

 

My other favorite line of the night. Clark's "Everyone wants justice for the victims," because of the inherent double meaning behind that. Yes, everyone wants justice for the victims -- including this jury, who (as the show seemed to imply) wanted justice for the victims of the LAPD. Justice means different things to different people.

 

Justice actually was an interesting theme tonight. Did OJ get justice? I liked them showing how profoundly his life had changed, and how he now stood, virtually friendless and image forever tarnished, in the statue of himself in his golden days. The crowd would never cheer for him like that again. Was that justice in some way? It's a rhetorical question the show asked.

 

I also loved how it became clear they were using Kardashian as a stand-in for celebrity and fame. After the verdict, most celebrities of the world seemed to vomit at the thought of OJ. He became a pariah to many famous people. Kardashian was the perfect vehicle for that.

 

I've talked a blue streak and will shout from the rooftops, a la Johnnie Cochran, how transcendent the acting has been. But tonight made me realize the writing has been awfully sharp, too. The acting brought it to life, but the show really said a lot for itself and said it well.

 

I hope in the flood of Emmys this show absolutely deserves, there's one for the writing or the directing. Acting carries you a long way, but I think the writing pushed them over the goal line, so to speak, in terms of phenomenal television.

 

I echo the sentiments of everyone here -- I've adored this show, this cast, this board. I've loved discussing the case and I've learned so much from all of you. Thank you for this incredible experience. Let's all meet up again, hopefully, in September and virtually toast to a victory -- an Emmy victory.

 

I'd like to think in some small way, justice was served through this show. Justice through master class acting and incredible storytelling. And for a TV viewer, that's the sweetest justice of all.

[Pepperminty]

Emotion over reason. Why did the two guilty jurors cave?

 

I can't believe Ito let OJ speak. What the heck?? That was outrageous.

 

I had a flashback to when the verdict was read. I remember the news showed a group of african-american women at a domestic violence shelter jumping and screaming in joy at the verdict and I was so confused. I remember thinking, didn't they know he was a wife beater?

I wonder if his kids think he did it?

Edited April 6, 2016 by Pepperminty

[Bronzedog]

Great speech from Darden to Cochran. Cochran didn't change anything, he simply helped a murderer to continue to walk among us. Fortunately, the murderer was arrogant enough to continue to commit crimes and was eventually charged with one.

[TheOtherOne]

Vanity Fair fact check

 

Vulture fact check

 

EW.com

 

Marcia Clark's reaction

 

[wanderingstar]

Fantastic finale! I don't know how these writers managed to wring suspense out of the verdict when the audience already knew the ending, but they did. Kudos to them and everyone in this cast.

 

Chris Darden and that burn - "unless he's a rich one from Brentwood." Don't know if that actually happened, but it was hella satisfying to watch.

 

It was also satisfying to see OJ realize that he wasn't going to be able to slip back into his old life. I also loved the look between him and Robert Kardashian at the party. 

 

Sad to see this show end. I have really looked forward to it every Tuesday night. Miniseries makers will have to step up their game after this.

[TattleTeeny]

Such a great series--it's hard to believe that, while watching the first episode, I was totally incredulous and laughed at some of the acting. It really turned around, man.

[JakeyJokes]

I also cried at the Ron and Nicole pictures. They ended the show like I hoped they would -- with little updates on all the major players -- but ending with those two reminded us that underneath this cast of crazy real-life characters that you couldn't make up was the fact that this was really about two people who were murdered.

(On a weird note, I have an old astrology book that claimed O.J. and Nicole were both Cancers and it must have been wrong, since she was born on May 19th. The things I remember....)

Entertainment Weekly posted a great Marcia Clark interview just now. She correctly predicted that the show would end with O.J.'s social fall from grace, and said that Kris Jenner truly wanted to testify about the domestic abuse but it would have all been hearsay. It gave me unexpected respect for Kris.

And on the tone of unexpected respect, I love how they wrote and played Cochran. He was at times very likable and at times rather awful, and I'm sure that's how he was in real life. It was a nuanced, layered take on the man.

[hoosiermom]

The only way I could come to terms with the verdict was knowing OJ's life would be in the toilet on the the outside. He probably would have been treated as a hero had he gone to prison. And of course he IS in prison now. Oh how I love my friend Karma!

[TheOtherOne]

Read this a few weeks ago, and it seems even more relevant now:

 

Dominick Dunne's article from the December 1995 Vanity Fair on OJ's post-trial life and the reaction toward him

 

Good read. (The part about Dunne meeting some of the jurors--who were looking to sell their stories--was particularly interesting, IMO.)

Edited April 6, 2016 by TheOtherOne

[ninjago]

Watching this series has been like watching the ESPN 60 For 60 about Michigan's Fab Five, hoping that this time Chris Webber won't call that non-existent time-out and get called for a technical.

 

But, no C Webb really did blow it and so did the OJ jury.  After Darden's so-powerful closing argument tonight, I wonder how the jurors sleep at night.  

Edited April 6, 2016 by ninjago

[Armchair Critic]

What did Gil Garcetti say about his career and OJ? A couple of scenes I wish I had put closed captioning on

[ketose]

Read this a few weeks ago, and it seems even more relevant now:

 

Dominick Dunne's article from the December 1995 Vanity Fair on OJ's post-trial life and the reaction toward him

 

Good read. (The part about Dunne meeting some of the jurors--who were looking to sell their stories--was particularly interesting, IMO.)

That is a great article. The "riot" was the White community OJ joined, shunning him and drying up and  financial future.

[Umbelina]

Vanity Fair fact check

 

Vulture fact check

 

EW.com

 

Marcia Clark's reaction

Thanks for posting these.

 

I think the interview with Marcia Clark, and the clip of Sarah Paulson were my favorite things, and I really enjoyed those most of all.

 

Oh and holy hell, that commercial of the guys on the couch watching the finale was inspired!  I didn't know what the heck was happening there.  They should have left the logo for the show they were advertising up a bit longer, but that was an ad the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce crew would have been proud of.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Umbelina

[lovinbob]

Crying again now that they showed the pictures of Ron and Nicole at the end.

Agreed, but that's always been one of my least favorite photos of Nicole. She was such a striking woman and that photo didn't do her justice.

I loved "Ain't No Sunshine" as the closing montage song. Even more than lyrically, the song was perfect in tone. 

Agreed.

 

"They spent less time talking about the case than everyone in America." --Shapiro with the other line of the night.

 

My other favorite line of the night. Clark's "Everyone wants justice for the victims," because of the inherent double meaning behind that. Yes, everyone wants justice for the victims -- including this jury, who (as the show seemed to imply) wanted justice for the victims of the LAPD. Justice means different things to different people.

...

I've talked a blue streak and will shout from the rooftops, a la Johnnie Cochran, how transcendent the acting has been. But tonight made me realize the writing has been awfully sharp, too. The acting brought it to life, but the show really said a lot for itself and said it well.

 

Agreed on the writing. And just the conceptualization of the story. When the series began it felt a bit like it might be a literal retelling of the story, but it was really so much more than that. Particularly in light of the justice issues currently in the news, the story is terribly relevant, and they did a great job making us see that.

 

I struggled with the Robert Kardashian scenes. It took a long time for the public to see any crack in his support for OJ -- or at least that's how I remember it. I appreciate it on a story-telling level, but it didn't ring true.

 

The Goldmans. Just heart-wrenching. One thing though: why did they portray Ron's stepmother as a blonde? She looked so much older and blonder than she was at the verdict. (At least, I think that was supposed to be his stepmother.)

 

One last thought: interesting that they highlighted that Ito was the only major player not to write a book. I wonder why they pointed that out. Does it show that maybe he's not the famewhore he came across as? 

Edited April 6, 2016 by lovinbob

[TexasGal]

From the link above to Marcia Clark's reaction, I was glad she said the prosecution didn't REALLY think they had won after a 4 hour deliberation. I mean, come on. Of course, I guess she'd say that now regardless of what they thought then.

On a purely frivolous note, I know I'm not the only one who hoped the nudity warning meant the show was gonna go there with her and Darden, right?!

I'm so glad the last image was the photos of the victims.

Edited April 6, 2016 by TexasGal

[helenamonster]

First of all, huge congratulations to everyone involved with this fantastic miniseries. As someone who was a fetus when the murders were committed and still in diapers when the verdict was read, but years later became very interested in the case, I was hooked from the beginning. Even though I knew a lot of what was going to happen (some things were new/surprises, which was nice) the suspense and tension were excellent. But seriously, everyone, especially the actors, did an amazing job with this, and hopefully they'll be recognized come the Emmys. It's also been great discussing the show here, learning a lot about the case that the show didn't cover, hearing different people's perspectives/experiences...I hope to see you all back here next year to talk about Hurricane Katrina. A less, uh, glamorous topic for a miniseries but one that could also open up a lot of interesting discussions. And it's an event I actually remember, so I feel like I'd have more valuable contributions than I did here.

 

So many great scenes in this episode, but I was especially impressed with the closing arguments due to the fact that that type of scene is not one that gets shown on TV all that much. It was very long, and essentially just three people monologuing one right after the other. It's so hard to pull a scene like that off on TV, but they did. It also helps that I think Paulson, Brown, and Vance were the three standouts in a series overflowing with acting talent. Of all the Emmys I hope this show gets, it's those three that I'm really pulling for.

 

Also loved the envelope with the verdict being passed around the courtroom. A man's life was essentially in that envelope, and they played the tension wonderfully.

 

And of course, the scene between Cochran and Darden after the verdict was especially poignant, and the point I keep thinking about. This case could have changed the game for police departments across the country. Cops all over could finally realize that they could be held accountable for racially-motivated brutality and prejudice. But it didn't happen, as we all know all too well today thanks to the unnecessary deaths of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and countless others. Between this case and Rodney King, the LAPD was ripped wide open for the entire country to see the systemic racism within. And it changed...nothing. And that is so frustrating to me. The reason we keep hearing about these awful incidents of unarmed people of color being brutalized and killed by police is because they know they can get away with it. If this case, that was such an embarrassment for one of the country's biggest police departments, had influenced more of a crackdown on this kind of thing, maybe that wouldn't be the case.

 

I liked the montage of photos at the end, and obviously totally appropriate that it ended on Ron and Nicole. Interesting how this series started off with footage of the Rodney King beating/subsequent riots, what the case became about, and ended with the victims, what the actual murder was about.

 

To dramatically switch gears here...I spent almost the entire hour and a half hoping that the nudity warning meant that Clark and Darden would be having post-verdict hate sex in Clark's office. And on that note, I will show myself out.

[Umbelina]

I did kind of a weird thing with this episode, and I think I am just now realizing it.  I looked at it more as a TV miniseries than as something real, that people were murdered, and the murderer got off.  I saw that all happen the first time, and watching it again was not something I was looking forward to.  I've done a lot of reading since then, but I haven't watched much, if any, of the real trial.  It was my way, I think, of enjoying the finale.  I was able to do that right up until Sterling K Brown stood there during the press conference.  I'll never forget how my heart was just breaking, and Christopher Darden came up to the microphone, and I felt so deeply connected to him when he could no longer speak, when his heart was on display.

 

After the build up (and believe me, in real life, it felt like it took even longer to get to it, so again, all kudos to everyone involved for capturing that) to the verdict, and once it was over, I was able to exhale and enjoy the rest of the finale.  Honestly, it probably would have been more powerful to end this at the one hour mark, but I am so very glad they didn't. 

 

Here's the real press conference.  Dang, this is excerpts, I may try to find the uninterrupted version later.

 

Edited April 6, 2016 by Umbelina

[ketose]

One last thought: interesting that they highlighted that Ito was the only major player not to write a book. I wonder why they pointed that out. Does it show that maybe he's not the famewhore he came across as? 

In a way, it showed me how unaffected Ito was by the trial. He didn't quit. He just kept being a judge for another 20 years. It was the ultimate symbol of his indifference to the importance of the case itself.

 

I tried to remain as OJ free as possible during the actual trial. I didn't see the Bronco chase. I didn't watch the verdict live. It all seemed dumb and disgusting. With the miniseries, I can see the case in context, with at least some of the reality behind the scenes.

 

I liked the interview with Marcia Clark where she described how one potential witness told her she couldn't win the case, but that Brentwood would expel OJ. He was part of the Riviera Golf Club.

Edited April 6, 2016 by ketose

[whiporee]

 

My other favorite line of the night. Clark's "Everyone wants justice for the victims," because of the inherent double meaning behind that. Yes, everyone wants justice for the victims -- including this jury, who (as the show seemed to imply) wanted justice for the victims of the LAPD. Justice means different things to different people.

 

It's interesting that you mention this, because it was the precursor to it that cost her the trial.

 

Trials aren't about revenge. Her job is not to seek vengence, and the fact that that was her motivation is why she lost. She assumed that everyone looks at cases the way she does, as a way to get vengence for the victims. But juries aren't necessarily like that, and not everyone is looking for vengence. Some people look for justice, and they aren't the same thing. But because she assumed the jury would see things the way she did, she framed her arguments that way. Clark presented her case as though someone must pay for this crime; Cochran presented it as a quest for justice. Clark's closing arguments made the case that it was clear Simpson committed the crime, but Cochran pointed out that a conviction based on corrupt evidence is not justice. The jury sided with Cochran not because they were biased or racially blind, but because their definition of justice was different from Clark's.  If we're going by this portrayal of events, then Clark worked under the assumption that close was good enough, because the jury ought to want vengence as much as she did -- that's why she could say that evidence found be a racist police office didn't matter. it's why she could argue that a single drop of blood from a bloody crime scene was enough. It's why she hung her case on DNA presented by someone who didn't know how to present it, and why she didn't have arguments against the idea that the evidence was mishandled. She thought close was enough. Most times it would have been. In this trial it wasn't.

 

And I'm glad. I'm not overly glad Simpson got off, but I'm much less comfortable with the State going after people with vengence in mind. And I'm especially not comfortable with prosecutors using their office to work out personal demons and desires for revenge. That might just be my take, but the state has a lot of power, and those who can dispense it must act on a higher motivation than getting even.  

 

I read above that someone thought Darden's close was powerful, and it was. But it also opened an easy door -- if he was so full of rage, why wasn't there more blood in the Bronco? He didn't have time to put plastic on the seats or wipe things down. And in his desire to make the case about the victims, he asked the jury to react emotionally. When they reacted emotionally, that led them back to their gut reactions about LAPD, about Furhman and even about Simpson. It was powerful stuff, but it was the exact wrong message to send. 

 

Now that it's over, I think it was a great show, well acted, well produced. And I also think it was absolute bullshit. It didn't investigate the case or the killings or what made it so compelling 20 years ago -- Murphy & Co. wanted to make a show about a miscarriage of justice, and that's what they showed. It was total bullshit that key parts of the defense's case -- like Henry Lee, like the obliteration of Fung, things that brought into real question the viability of the collected evidence -- were barely mentioned or brushed aside. There were big problems with the state's case that went beyond race baiting, and it was a total screw job that this show is the way the case is now viewed and remembered. Add into that the way they portrayed the jury, as the white members being bullied by their black peers, was reprehensible. We don't know what happened in that room, but to portray it the way they did, without even a hint of the white jurors making a case or an argument, was, well, flat out wrong. It presents as fact that the jury acted wrongly, and frankly, that may be what Murphy believes, but it's absolutely not a fact, nor is it one that any juror has ever suggested. No one was in the room where it happened besides those jurors, and to present their behavior in that light was, like I said, just wrong. 

 

Good show, I hope it wins some awards (though I like The Americans a lot more), and an interesting way to revisit a piece of history. Just not a very fair one. 

[SimoneS]

Schwimmer's face. It was everything. He played the hell out of the entire verdict reading scene - and every moment after. The look shared between him and Marcia said so much with no words.

 

That shared looked was so well done by both actors. The acknowledgement between the characters that they were both devastated by the verdict. I have said this a couple times before, but I hope this role makes cast directors and film producers stop seeing "Ross" when they look at David Schwimmer. He is a talented actor who deserves meaty dramatic roles.

[ketose]

Why wasn't there more blood in the Bronco? Because OJ didn't get a lot of blood in it when he murdered 2 people. I understand that's a common argument, but every conspiracy theory is based on incongruous things that can still occur without a sinister explanation. The standard is beyond a reasonable doubt. That doubt isn't reasonable enough for me.

[drivethroo]

If Johnnie Cochran is getting death threats from white people angry at him because of this trial, he's not going to call LAPD (whom he's putting on trial) for protection, he's going to call the Nation of Islam. Fruit of Islam can be trusted a whole lot more than LAPD in that situation. Doesn't mean he's anti-Semitic.

David Schwimmer nailed Robert Kardashian's look of utter shock at the verdict.

Everyone on this show was wonderful.

OJ was the last to know the white world he craved and yearned for so much had abandoned him. But black folks knew. That's why he packed up Sydney & Justin and moved to Florida (as well as trying to hide his assets from the Goldmans).

I think Judge Ito didn't write a book because he would've had to stop being a judge. He retired last year so he's free to do what he likes now.

[Bama]

So sad this series is over.

 

One thing I'm SO GLAD they got right - the clerk court's initial mispronunciation of "Orenthal".  While reading the verdict for the murder charge of Nicole, she stumbled over his given name and just about everyone in the courtroom flinched.  She corrected herself and pronounced it correctly when reading the verdict for the murder charge of Ron.

 

Ever since then, whether it be news clips or documentaries about the case they always only use the audio of the verdict reading of the correct pronunciation of "Orenthal".  

 

I don't know why that little incident has always stuck with me but I remember it every time I see or hear the verdict read and invariably think to myself "She messed it up the first time but they never use that one!"

 

It was so jarring because it was the culmination of 18 months of that circus and as I said, all the spectators visibly reacted to it - especially at the defense table.

 

I actually said "They included the "Orange....Orenthal" part!" out loud while watching.

 

Loved the ending montage.

 

Oh, and whoever asked what Garcetti said, it was something like "20 years in public service and I feel like my headstone will say 'He lost OJ'".

 

Way to make it all about you, dickpickle.

[helenamonster]

That shared looked was so well done by both actors. The acknowledgement between the characters that they were both devastated by the verdict. I have said this a couple times before, but I hope this role makes cast directors and film producers stop seeing "Ross" when they look at David Schwimmer. He is a talented actor who deserves meaty dramatic roles.

 

Co-sign. Every once in a while a Friends gifset will show up on my Tumblr dashboard and if it has Ross in it, I'm thrown for a total loop cuz I'm so used to Schwimmer as Kardashian now. Serious kudos to him.

 

I had no idea that Shapiro testified against Bailey when he was being disbarred, and for some reason I think it's hysterical.

[Dev F]

I feel like I should've guessed that the series would end with OJ and his statue.

 

"My name is Orenthal, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

[CeeBeeGee]

If Johnnie Cochran is getting death threats from white people angry at him because of this trial, he's not going to call LAPD (whom he's putting on trial) for protection, he's going to call the Nation of Islam. Fruit of Islam can be trusted a whole lot more than LAPD in that situation. Doesn't mean he's anti-Semitic.

 

 

Sorry. You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. If you engage a known anti-Semitic organization to protect you, you will be rightfully accused of either anti-Semitism yourself or trying to minimize it. I'm sure Fuhrman received a few death threats after the tapes were made public--imagine the reaction if he'd enlisted the protection of the Klan? People would've been even more outraged, and rightfully so. And it's a false binary to assert there are only two choices for personal protection--the LAPD or the NOI.

 

Johnnie's a hypocrite, that's all. He doesn't care about some kinds of racism.

Edited April 6, 2016 by CeeBeeGee

[Artsda]

Amazing miniseries an ending. I'm sad it's done.

 

They captured the mixed emotions of the verdict so well. 

 

Liked the end of showing "where are they now?" with real images side by side with the actors.

[Umbelina]

I have to say, I also liked the touches and scenes with Kardashian's Bible. 

 

His look when OJ returned it was powerful, the Bible he so believed in, since he was deeply religious, defiled, himself, defiled, it all played very, very well.  I do wonder if that happened, but even if it didn't, in conveyed his obvious feelings.  Then, leaving the Bible there when he left the "party" and telling Jason, as he told Dominick Dunne, that he was done.

 

It worked, as so much of this series did.

[drivethroo]

Well then you'll just have to chalk me up to being an anti Semite because there's no way Johnnie Cochran would've gotten any decent protection with the LAPD or a private white security firm.

Who else was going to protect Johnnie? certainly not the police or white security firms. Who else was left then? The Black Panthers? The Crips? The Bloods? Each of those groups would've been found problematic.

Sorry, but during those times (and hell even now) I'll trust the Fruit of Islam to protect me more than the police. If that makes me or Johnnie Cochran and anti-Semite, I'm good with that. It was widely known in the 90s that if you wanted protection, you want people patrolling your streets to make them safer, you call the Fruit of Islam, not the police.

Edited April 6, 2016 by drivethroo

[DangerousMinds]

All security firms are white?