In 1998, then U.S. President Bill Clinton was publicly reported he had an affair with an intern named, Monica Lewinsky. Their secret was revealed by the late civil servant, Linda Tripp. Besides recording numerous phone calls on tape, she found a crucial piece of evidence which is Monica’s blue dress covered in Bill’s “slime.” Although Bill’s exposure is true, he didn’t get impeached by saying these words. “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”
The Lewinsky Scandal remains as one of the biggest scandals in U.S. history along with Richard Nixon’s Watergate Scandal. Twenty-Three Years Later, Ryan Murphy developed a ten-part episode of American Crime Story’s third season based on The Lewinsky Scandal with Sarah Paulson (my all time-favorite actress) as Linda Tripp, Beanie Feldstein (Jonah Hill’s real life sister) as Monica Lewinsky & Clive Owen as Bill Clinton. “American Crime Story: Impeachment” aired on FX in 2021. (same year Zack Snyder’s Justice League streamed on HBO Max) It received positive reviews from critics.
A fourth season based on Studio 54 is currently in development. Ryan Murphy is working on a mini-series titled, “Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story” with Evan Peters as the lead. An upcoming eleventh season of “American Horror Story” is also in development.
I won’t break down every single episode. We all know Bill got away with it. I’ll do my best listing what’s or good or bad about Impeachment.
Positive & Negative Qualities
Positive: Sarah Paulson, Beanie Feldstein & Clive Owen all did a great job for their respective performances.
Other Cast Members such as Cobie Smulders, Taran Killam, Colin Hanks, Rae Dawn Chong, Billy Eichner Christopher McDonald & Edie Falo all did a solid job for their respective performances.
Prosthetic Makeup and a fatsuit transformed Sarah into Linda Tripp. She’s barely recognizable.
Costumes and Set Designs reflect The 90s. Especially Monica’s infamous dress.
Cinematography never succumbed to any technical issues throughout.
All episodes are based on the non-fiction book, “A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President.”
Technology from the aforementioned time period such as a tape recorder and slow dial-up Internet played a key role. Back when Bill Gates and Microsoft’s business was skyrocketing. I remember the good ol’ days when my family had AOL. We had to wait for several minutes. Now that we’re in the iPhone era, it takes less than a few seconds to gain full access.
Although the main focus is Linda gaining intel from Monica’s secret relationship with Bill, the mini-series involves Paula Jones, a woman who accused Bill of sexual harassment. Ann Coulter, a controversial conservative columnist attempting to expose Bill’s dark secret.
Primary Themes are Adultery, Hypocrisy, Friendship. Each one is handled maturely.
Fourth episode mentioned Bill is watching “G.I. Jane.” An underrated Ridley Scott movie with Demi Moore is suddenly gaining popularity after Chris Rock roasted Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness. Then, Will Smith smacked Chris in the face. Now Will is banned for 10 years not to show at Oscar ceremonies.
Negative: Unlike The People VS. OJ, there’s no “where are they now montage.” Same problem occurred with “The Assassination Of Gianni Versace.”
Say what you will about her, there’s no dedication to Linda after all that trouble she went through. I’m gonna have to Triple Down FX & Ryan for neglecting Linda’s legacy. I find it utterly disrespectful. She sacrificed her friendship with Monica in order to expose Bill’s infidelity.
The Final Verdict: C, FOR CRAMPED LEG!
American Crime Story: Impeachment is an underwhelming misfire. As of 2022, Impeachment is the weakest season. It pales in comparison to The People VS. OJ. Reminder, a fourth season focusing on Studio 54 is in development, I hope Ryan Murphy and his crew maintain course correction alongside American Horror Story. Since Hotel ended, the later seasons got me disappointed.
Rest In Peace Linda Tripp. Your legacy will never be forgotten. You don’t deserve public ridicule, you’re an American hero doing everything you can at the cost of your friendship with Monica. We Americans will do our best to expose an individual’s deep secrets with people we can trust.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 