THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY

Article originally published as THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY Review on Seat42F.

American Horror Story is FX’s most popular program, so it’s no surprise that the network has doubled down on the creative team, ordering a second series by them, AMERICAN CRIME STORY. The official title of the first season, premiering tomorrow, is THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY, which is a bit longer than it probably should be. That’s not the only thing that’s different from the Horror franchise, though, which typically only allows one or two words beside its core moniker.

The biggest change is the level of quality present. While American Horror Story is extremely artistic and surreal, with the style and tone of the piece being as much of a draw as the story, AMERICAN CRIME STORY is much more grounded in reality, to its detriment. Though, Murphy and company managed to maintain an excellent product when delivering The Normal Heart for HBO, so pulling the new series away from the fantasy realm can’t fully excuse the jolting adjustment.

AMERICAN CRIME STORY, rather than being in the Murphy vein, is very much a true crime story. This is in vogue right now, with Serial being a hugely successful podcast and Making a Murderer getting lots of attention over at Netflix. The network’s own Fargo qualifies as one of these, too, though is more hyper-realistic, so doesn’t have the same limitations as this series, which has the added challenge of telling a story practically everyone is at least a little familiar with.

The crux of this series will be in showing the human side of the tale, getting into the emotional state of those involved and making a compelling character study, which is where it is best. There are a number of intriguing personalities involved in this case. It takes about a full hour of THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY for the audience to get used to this new format, and for the story to get to that all-important element. This means, perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, that the series begins slow, then picks up quickly thereafter.

Hour two is what hooks me. Featuring remarkable performances by both Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) as O.J. Simpson and David Schwimmer (Friends) as Robert Kadashian, this is where THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY figures out what it needs to be. Sure, there’s the spectacle of the case, and that does come through. But taking us behind the spectacle, to the parts at-home watchers weren’t privy to the first time around, it is where things really soar.

There is no shortage of performers poised to follow up those brilliant moments of the second installment, giving me hope that the rest of the season will be just as good. From Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story) as Marcia Clark, to Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) as Gil Garcetti, to Christopher Darden (Army Wives) as Sterling K. Brown, to Christian Clemenson (Boston Legal) as Bill Hodgman, and, of course, Courtney B. Vance (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) as Johnnie Cochran, the casting is terrific. And I haven’t even seen the great Nathan Lane (The Producers), credited as a main player, yet! Plus, there are a host of terrific guest stars lining up, a few of which already appear early on.

The one possible weak link is John Travolta (Grease, Hairspray), who is playing Robert Shapiro. I say possible because, quickly reviewing some clips of the actual Shaprio, I’m not sure Travolta’s choices are all that far off from who he’s supposed to be. And yet, there’s something so plastic about his Shapiro that I’m not convinced he’s doing his best. Travolta has oodles of talent, but it’s been awhile since he’s really shone. It will be interesting to see if he rises to the level of his co-stars, or continues is professional descent.

The second thing, besides character, that AMERICAN CRIME STORY does well is to tell the story in context. No, I’m not talking about how this trial gave birth to the Kadashian infestation in the public spotlight, though that certainly is a regrettable consequence. Instead, I’m speaking of race relations in Los Angeles at the time, which plays a very big role in what motivates a number of character decisions. Some of the early mistakes made by the prosecution and law enforcement seem to be related to combating negative images brought about after the Rodney King riots, making context very relevant.

So, even if Travolta never really steps up, there verdict is likely to be positive on THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY. There is so much going right here that it can likely overcome a few minor missteps with ease. Just give it an hour to get its footing first.

THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. on FX.

Harry's Law is the only law

NBC's Harry's Law ends its hiatus last night with "After the Lovin'." Adam (Nathan Corddry) and Harry (Kathy Bates) disagree over the morality of taking a settlement from Harry's former firm after her old colleague, Sam (Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal, CSI: Miami), gets a nail in the head. Tommy (Christopher McDonald) is also accused of being immoral when a girlfriend finds out he is seeing other women, and sues him over it. And Cassie (Karen Olivo) tries to help a friend whose ex-husband (Jay Harrington, Better Off Ted, Private Practice, in a chillingly awesome performance) seems threatening.

Morality is something that can be subjective, and Harry's Law loves to play in the gray areas. Harry does what she thinks is right, even if that crosses the boundaries of what is known to be legal. Adam tends to follow the letter of the law more carefully. But in "After the Lovin'," the letter of the law isn't clear. They cannot accept the settlement if Sam is not in his right mind. But is Sam sane? Traumatic events can put one's priorities in order. Does Sam agree to cutting a large check because his brain is injured, which the doctors deny, or because he has a change of heart?

To be completely fair, should Sam ever come to his senses and press charges, any judge is likely to side with Adam here. Given Sam's abrupt about face post-accident, it only makes sense that caution should be taken in this situation. Yet, Harry has a point about the evil of cigarette corporations, and wanting to get money out of them. Though her judgment is clouded because Sam works for Harry's old firm, which kicked her to the curb. But even setting that aside, Harry's client (Brent Jennings, Moneyball) deserves the money for losing his wife to addiction to the unhealthy product.

Seeing Adam and Harry at odds in "After the Lovin'" is actually a great development. Harry clearly has a motherly instinct for Adam, and Adam is hurt by Harry's questionable actions because of the high respect that he has for her. Harry threatening to fire Adam may have gone a little too far, but everyone says things that they don't mean when they are upset. Their business relationship is fundamentally stable, even if they disagree. It's great that they are there to keep each other in line when a line is in danger of being crossed.

Clemenson is fantastic in the regrettably small role of Sam. A veteran of creator David E. Kelley's former series, Boston Legal, Clemenson brings the same level of talent he consistently showed in his Emmy-winning performance, now with a different character. There are similarities between Sam and Jerry, to be sure, but there are also differences. Sam is more toned down, and less quirky. It's wonderful to see him again in any capacity, and hopefully Clemenson will return to the show soon.

The opening of Harry's Law, when Sam almost breaks the fourth wall at the beginning of "After the Lovin'," is absolutely fantastic. The fourth wall was frequently torn down on BL, though HL has a somewhat different tone. The scene brings to mind a memorable occurrence when Jerry sang the Boston Legal theme song, though, sadly, Harry's Law does not have a full theme for him to perform. Terrific reference for Kelley fans.

So Tommy is in trouble again in "After the Lovin'." And, at first glance, it seems that it's just his womanizing ways leading him astray. The latest victim? A girl he has been seeing for months (Melinda McGraw, Men of a Certain Age, Mad Men, The Dark Knight), who learns that they aren't exclusive. She is understandably upset, and perhaps thinks of taking legal action because she has been dating a lawyer and has court on the brain. Of course, this is an overreaction, and she drops the suit. But it shows the level of pain that she is feeling.

Tommy is far from blameless, of course. He acts dishonestly and without regard for her feelings. However, as is the case in other areas of Tommy's life, his being a player is a defensive mechanism for his insecurities. Tommy is afraid of being alone, and so keeps backups. He does love this woman, but is afraid that she will abandon him. Is it too late for him to make a real go of a relationship with her if he commits to sincerity and drops the act? Let's hope not. He should be happy. She seems like a warm person who may entertain a second chance, and Tommy needs lots of those.

Tommy's actions are not exactly defended by Oliver (Mark Valley), whom Tommy asks to represent him in "After the Lovin'," but still earns Oliver disgusted glances from Chunhua (Irene Keng) anyway. What did Oliver do to her? There has got to be more to this story than has been shown on screen, and it's important for both of these characters that the viewers are let in on that.

Cassie has a very tough case. Her friend (Emily Maya Mills) is scared, but there isn't any proof to justify a restraining order. Judge Beckland (Derek Webster) would like to help, but there's just no basis for him to do so. Add to that, the ex's counsel (Omar Metwally) believes his client is a good guy, and Cassie has no case. In fact, as "After the Lovin'" goes on, Cassie's friend seems paranoid, and viewers might be forgiven for thinking that she is trying to set her ex up. And in trying to protect herself, Cassie further hurts her client's standing.

Which reveals a glaring hole in our legal system, without offering a way to fix it. This is something that Harry's Law does plenty, but when the safety and well being of a child are on the line, it is even more disturbing than usual. Without the ex acting against the mother of his child, there is nothing anyone can do. But once he acts, it could be too late.

This is 'solved' in "After the Lovin'" by Cassie's friend's kid (Izabela Vidovic) loading a gun that her mother leaves pointed at the door. The ex comes by in the middle of the night and is killed. He is no longer a threat, but the cold way that the child seems completely unaffected by her actions is even more scary. How must the father have treated his daughter for her to be this way? Not a happy ending.

What's more, next week's episode of Harry's Law will feature another creepy kid. So tune in to the new time slot Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Article first published as TV Review: Harry's Law - "After the Lovin'" on Blogcritics.