Impeachment: American Crime Story turns into a compelling domestic drama
Hillary Clinton takes center stage on Impeachment, and Edie Falco gives the performance her all.
TV Reviews Impeachment: American Crime Story
It’s here, it’s here! The Hillary Rodham Clinton episode is finally here! After using Edie Falco as the prestige thespian carrot to keep us hanging on, we finally get an hour-and-a-half of her playing the woman who should have become president in 2016.
But before we get HRC, the presidential candidate; or even HRC, the First Lady; we get HRC, the wife of the Governor of Arkansas. If we must be precise, the episode doesn’t even begin with her. It starts off with real footage of the press conference during the 1992 election where Gennifer Flowers stated she had a 12-year affair with Bill Clinton. In a way, it’s a fitting introduction to the way Hillary is portrayed—as a woman who is defined by the mistakes of her husband and is punished for them in ways that he never will be.
HRC is used to cleaning up her husband’s messes. This is clear from the no nonsense way she arrives at the New Hampshire headquarter ready to talk strategy. The problem is that she isn’t used to playing the sweet-yet-broken housewife the electorate wants. You see, it’s not enough that she dons a headband, cozy up to him on a couch, and relive the experience of his adultery in 60 Minutes. She was supposed to be demure as well. Instead, she explains herself this way by saying, “I’m not sitting here, some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette. I’m sitting here because I love him, and I respect him, and I honor what he’s been through and what we’ve been through together. And you know, if that’s not enough for people, then heck—don’t vote for him.”
With that, the contentious relationship between Hillary and the American public is born. The lesson learned is that you can’t insult Tammy Wynette and expect Middle America to let you get away with it.
When the Monica Lewinsky story breaks, Hillary is once again making the press rounds to do damage control. She is a pro at explaining Starr’s political machinations and brushes off the more salacious aspects of the Lewinsky rumors. Poll numbers are high, and she is confident that she is working as a team with her husband. Monica is still hiding from the press and refusing to talk. There are reasons to believe the Clintons will weather this.
But Starr won’t let his obsession with who did what to whose privates go. He instructs the Altar Boys to “turn up the heat” on Lewinsky, which just means asking Monica for a writing sample and some fingerprints, but it works. She fires Ginsburg, hires a new team, and her new lawyers strike a deal with Starr: Monica will air her dirty laundry (wink, wink) as long as she and her family gets immunity.
When Bill Clinton’s DNA matches the residue left on the blue dress, the independent counsel celebrates with an almost morbid glee. It’s the booster they need to talk dirty to Bill Clinton when he testifies before the Grand Jury. It pains me to say this, but it is also the spunk that gives this episode, well, spunk. For while the first half was efficient in bringing us up to speed with the series of events that finally put Clinton on the stand, it wasn’t particularly riveting. Once Clinton realizes he will not be able to avoid Starr any longer, the episode turns into a mesmerizing domestic drama. Because there is also no way for him to avoid Hillary any longer.
The morning of his testimony, HRC wakes up to find her husband in her room. He finally admits to her that he “slipped up”, framing Monica as the temptress as one does, to a stunned Hillary. The reaction is one you’d expect: anger and shock. But there isn’t time to linger in the pain and what we get is but an amuse-bouche of Edie Falco’s craft. A spicy one at that.
The episode then gives us an extended take on Bill Clinton’s verbal duel with Carrie Bennet. While many of the Bill’s scenes have paled in comparison to that of the women in the show, this is one instance where the focus is well-warranted. If only because the whole interrogation is absolutely unhinged.
If you’ve ever witnessed a Twitter debate go off the rails because of semantics, this will feel oddly familiar. Carrie drills Clinton on his definition of sexual relations, but Clinton says he will be using Paula Jones’ legal defense team definition, which is “touching certain parts on another person to arouse or gratify.” Since he did not ever touch Monica with that intent, he can deny ever having had sexual relations. It’s a self-own in the stylistic tradition of Ben Shapiro, but one that lets him off the hook!
I mean, Clinton spends a solid two minutes sounding like a Burning Man aficionado’s Tinder profile with his philosophizing over the word “is.” Starr decides to intervene, and he is not afraid to ask the tough questions. Like, does kissing count as sexual relations? Boobies? How about oral sex? Time is up though and Clinton, triumphant, just points to his written statement as explanation.
When facing Hillary, though, Bill is useless. Secluded in Martha’s Vineyard for his birthday, HRC instructs the staff to put her husband’s belongings in the guesthouse. At dinner with Vernon and his wife, Bill tries to get back into her good graces by sharing an anecdote about running into an ex-boyfriend of hers. As he describes the encounter, the camera lingers on Hillary’s face, lost in thought, her silence and stiff jaw the only clues we need to understand she is thinking of what could have been. Not what could have been with that other guy, but what could have been if she had invested in herself instead of them.
But the real highlight of the episode is what happens when they’re back home, alone. Bill is begging her for forgiveness, but her response is to throw a vase against the wall. This is only the beginning though of an intense discussion where Edie Falco expertly guides us through a whole smorgasbord of human emotions. From rage to heartache to regret to shame to longing to pride to a pure, pure ache, we ride that emotional roller coaster firmly by her side. After a lifetime of having her marriage painted as a calculated agreement, HRC finally accepts that this might be the reality. Not because she wanted it to be that way, but because Bill’s recklessness has given her no other choice.
The wait was long, but boy was it worth it.
Stray observations
- Another heartbreaking moment was watching Monica comfort herself by saying that in a decade she will be married and have kids, and this will all feel far away. Reader, that was not what her future was going to be.
- Another excellent performance: Chelsea side-eyeing her father in disgust LOL. If she never appears again, I will still consider that a stellar moment in the show.
- Threaded through the episode is a lot of talk of the East Africa Embassy Bombing perpetrated by al Qaeda and masterminded by Osama Bin Laden. I wasn’t entirely sure what this addition was trying to accomplish other than make the case that Clinton was still dealing with Presidential crap while his marriage imploded? That better decisions would have been made had he not been so distracted by his horny ways? That he was still doing his job despite it all?
- The last shot of Hillary wrapped in a chunky cream-colored sweater, staring at the ocean with tears and determination in her eyes gave me strong Nancy Meyer’s aesthetic vibes.
- “Just because you didn’t always finish doesn’t mean you didn’t start.”
64 Comments
The focus on the Sudan bombing was either to set up or just straight up advance the whole “wag the dog” thing that was big at the time.
Whitecaps: American Crime Story.
Yo the scene between Falco and Owen at the end gave me STRONG ‘Whitecaps’ vibes. It almost seemed an homage to that riveting sopranos episode/scene.
I didn’t know you could refuse to answer grand jury question just cause you didn’t feel like it.I thought that’d be contempt.
They’re saving that for American Crime Story: Insurrection in a few years .
Do you honestly believe the makers of this series have any interest in tackling Trump’s insurrection?
It reminded me of someone trying to pin down Kellyanne Conway.If you have absolutely no sense of shame, you can talk yourself out of a lot. It throws people off.
Honestly, Bill should have refused and said “hold me in contempt”.
“but just hold me!”
He should have yelled, “I have nothing BUT contempt for this court!”
You’re ALL out of order!!!
The Bin Laden subplot seemed to me to show Clinton was still doing his job. He carefully considered his Cabinet’s advice and took a what seemed to be a prudent course of action. But ultimately it sewed the seeds of 9-11, seemed to be the historical context.
It’s also for context—the GOP is going crazy trying to nail Clinton for a BJ—the FBI is literally dancing when Linda get Monica to implicate herself while wearing the wire a few episodes ago. Meanwhile an existential threat—actual danger, something real to worry about—lurks on the horizon.I’m disgusted that Clinton was so stupid. But I’m absolutely livid that the GOP was so, so pissy angry at losing the WH after twelve years in power that they went after stupid crap like this.
Clinton was doing his job and his balls were empty so he could concentrate.
So Monica Lewinsky did this country a service.
Well maybe if Mrs. Clinton was “doing a service” at home . . .
“the GOP is going crazy trying to nail Clinton for a BJ”Is that we should reduce that to? lol
Oh lord, “sowed,” not “sewed.”
Sadly, the embassy bombing gave birth to truther conspiracy theories that it could have been prevented but wasn’t so it would be a distraction from the scandals. There is no event so tragic some won’t use it to their own ends.
Why did the episode include details on the East Africa Embassy bombing and response?As I recall, their was a lot of speculation and criticism at the time that Clinton ordered the Sudanese bombing as a distraction from his grand jury testimony, which would be a pretty craven thing to do.I think this show’s take is rather sympathetic to Bill Clinton in portraying his actions as entirely non-political and solely in the interest of American safety. In fact, the writers seem to be rather heavy-handedly using hindsight to suggest that Clinton’s actions were not only correct but also that, had the bombing hit its proposed target, it would have dramatically changed history for the better.
At the time it was called the “wag the dog” scenario.
The Sudanese bombing didn’t seem like a distraction to me, but the Iraq bombings that came later sure did.
I think just for historical context as well. In some ways Operation Infinite Reach was the start of what eventually became known as “the war on terror.” Also, this tidbit per Wikipedia:
The missile strikes also caused anti-Semitic canards to spread in the Middle East that Lewinsky was a Jewish agent sent to influence Clinton against aiding Palestine. This conspiracy theory would influence Mohamed Atta, the ringleader of al-Qaeda’s Hamburg cell and the September 11 attacks.
The casting on this show is a head scratcher. Is Edie Falco a great actress? Sure. Does she give me any sort of HRC vibe? No way. Same with Bill. Same with Monica. They don’t look like them and they don’t feel like them. It’s a huge distraction. I was waiting for the part where Tony shoves Hillary up against the wall and almost smashes her face in.
Appearances aside, I would say Beanie and Clive are doing good jobs with the mannerisms and voice work.
Absolutely agree.
I guess we all see these people in different ways, but these actors don’t capture much of anything that rings true for me from that time. Monica always seem to have a vibrant personality, but Beanie plays her like a sad bunny and then a sad sack. Physically, they are nothing at all alike, aside from being overweight and brunette. That’s not enough.I think they wanted to show Clinton as a seducer, but he comes across as very dark when the guy we knew had this over the top charisma. It’s completely missing with Owen.
Monica wasn’t even overweight. I do love Beanie. From Lady Bird and What We Do In The Shadows to Booksmart which was my favorite movie of that year. But she looks nothing like Monica, which is fine but she just doesn’t give off Monica vibes. Monica was always cheerful and confident. This Monica seems to have zero self-esteem and incapable. Maybe it’s the writing. She always looks scared and sad, though. Just not feeling it.
Monica Lewinsky has talked at length about how she was back then vs. the confidence she has now. I was very lucky to get to hear her speak about 5 years ago. I think you have to assume in your worst moment, you’re probably not at your peppiest.
Yes, exactly; Edie Falco really didn’t seem much like Hillary at all.
Great actress but think Edie is horribly miscast. Clive has mannerisms but always seems so unhappy. Think Beanie is great though.
I think Falco and Feldstein are so good that it doesn’t matter that they’re not uncanny likenesses. I appreciate that they didn’t cast lookalikes or overdo it on prosthetics. Owen, on the other hand, doesn’t work. He looks goofy and acts goofy. He did have a good scene in that questioning, but it was literally the first time I’ve seen any of Bill’s slick fire in him.
Disagree, I see nothing ‘’goofy’’ in Owen’s portrayal. He is good with Clinton’s voice and mannerisms, the way he holds himself, his charisma and wandering eye, and his nervousness etcetera.
I’ve yet to see a shred of charisma or charm and I’m so distracted by the prosthetics, but yes, he’s good with the voice, I’ll give him that!
No more than Clinton actually was kinda goofy with that “Aw shucks, what’s a good ol boy like me doin’ in this big ol white house?”
Sure, but Real Clinton was never charmless like this version.
I just don’t believe that this Clinton had interns lined up to crawl under his desk and um, gratify.
Exactly.
I agree with you; I thought I was the only one who thought Owens was doing a good job. 😏
I read many comments praising Owen actually (on other sites or YouTube), so I’m surprised to see many unfavourable comments of him here) He did a great job, and he’s a great actor in general
Chelsea, on the other hand, was perfect casting.
Disagree. Owen Clive and Beannie are doing a great job with mannerisms and voice, like someone here already said – and they indeed fell like real-life counterparts once you got used to their looks.
I’m waiting for Bill to ask Hilary for the gabagool.
Bill doesn’t like that much pulp!
Agreed. Despite the commendable work that everyone does here, they feel like the people they’re portraying only in certain parts. Never completely. But that’s really not too surprising when looking back at People vs OJ. I haven’t watched Versace, so I can’t say anything about that.I think Sarah Paulson has been the best here so far, despite the whole fat suit shenanigans. Then again, I’ve only seen a few clips and interviews of these real life figures, so maybe I’m way off in my assessment.
It’s also weird how gigantic Bill’s and Paula’s noses look in the show. I genuinely can’t tell whether they were given prosthetics or the strange make-up on them makes their noses look that big. It’s strangely distracting and I really wish it wasn’t.
Agreed about Hillary, but I think Clive Owen’s Bill is believable (I know I’m in the minority here). I don’t think I’ve had enough exposure to the real-life ML to compare the actress’s performance to her.
It’s a shame that it’s become impossible to talk about her without certain parties devolving into frothing rage, because Hillary Clinton really is a fascinating figure who could probably anchor a miniseries of her own.
As has ever been the tragedy of her life, Hillary Clinton’s story is a very classic one that would absolutely be seen differently if she were a man. A young idealist who became cynical after a lifetime in politics and a series of personal humiliations, who came close to ultimate power but lost to a fool not because of her own shortcomings, but because of the shortcomings of her society? It’s practically Shakespearean.
Hulu did a very interesting documentary mini-series on Hillary Clinton. I particularly liked how they tracked certain moments in her life with the larger political and cultural changes in America.I think a dramatized series about her would be wonderful as well, but you should definitely check out the Hulu doc.
I had a similar thought reading the Katie Couric profiles popping up everywhere. I appreciate why people don’t like her (or are disgusted by her long history of on-the-record bullshit), but they seem upset that she hasn’t self-isolated on a small island under the strictest vow of silence. I found the NYMag article an engaging read just because she lived through a very specific and weird cultural moment.
Is it because this isn’t available on streaming that it seems like nobody’s watching? I feel like way more people watched the first two installments of ACS and I hardly know anyone watching this.
Not sure. This is the only one of them that I’ve watched. It could be a subject matter thing?
I feel like we’re culturally exhausted by anything Clinton related (Bill OR Hillary.) I’m watching the show for Beanie and because it’s pretty well written but I can’t say I’m enjoying it or able to overcome a lot of the flaws
I think it helps that I’m not American, so I haven’t been quite as inundated as everyone else.
In the comments of the previous recap, I said Edie Falco was not even attempting to sound or behave like Hillary. I still believe that, but honestly her performance in this episode was so good I ended up not caring about any of that other stuff. It is difficult enough for some actors to realistically portray a single emotion, but Edie nailed a range of them (shock, pain, anger, sadness) in single scenes…hell even in single facial expressions!A truly outstanding performance from a great actress. I hope we get a little more of her in the final two episodes, but if not it was a joy to watch her triumph in this one.
Hillary Clinton should have been president? She had every opportunity but too many people can’t stand her. The 2016 election was a disaster and the American people got screwed.
The balls on Clinton to question the meaning of the word “is.” Couldn’t believe it then; still can’t believe it now. That is one smooth operator there.
This is such a weird performance. I know in interviews Falco has said she was doing a “version” of Hillary Clinton and not an impersonation, but that feels like a little bit of damage control to me. Why have a show with people covered in putty to look like their characters and listen to ither actors talk about how much work they did to get the voice or mannerisms down and then have this performance like it’s dropped in from another show?
Clinton’s Northern Ireland trip is when James’ officially becomes a Derry Girl.
If anyone is curious about how Monica is doing these days, I highly recommend checking out John Oliver’s interview with her in the episode he did on public shaming:
She seems to be doing okay sans the husband and children she predicted she’d have by now.
Hurrah! A Linda free episode.
Edie Falco did a great job…but I struggled to accept her as Hillary because I thought she looked and sounded nothing like the real woman. I know Clive Owen has been raked over the coals, but I actually find him to be much more believable as Bill.