NBC
NBC’s venerable crime and justice series Law & Order has spawned several spin-offs over the years (SVU being the longest surviving of the bunch), and now Dick Wolf’s television empire is expanding with the new eight-episode proposed anthology series Law & Order: True Crime which will tackle a new high profile crime each season … and having to withstand the comparison to Ryan Murphy’s crime anthology series
Law & Order: True Crime – The Menendez Brothers focuses on the notorious murders of José Menendez and his wife Kitty. When the crime was first investigated by the Beverly Hills police, it was thought to be either “gang bangers” coming in to Beverly Hills to cause trouble or a mob-related hit due to José’s shady business partners (Menendez owned the home video company Live Entertainment which got its start in porn under a former owner, something Menendez was totally against). Of course as the investigation progressed, the murders were committed by the Menendez sons, Lyle and Erik, who are currently serving life in prison without parole. The series opens with the boys committing the murders and deals with the early stages of the investigation, including how the police bungled things by not testing the boys for gunpowder residue (they were so upset, these rich Beverly Hills lads couldn’t have possibly killed their parents, right?).
But Lyle and Erik behaved anything but upset in the days and weeks after the murders, basically given carte blanche to spend as much money as they wanted with their father’s business credit card. But new details emerge that make them more likely suspects, like the fact that their father had told others that he was upset with his sons’ irresponsibility in life, love and money and was cutting them out of the will. No revised will was ever found, but a computer document labeled “Will” did suddenly vanish from Kitty’s computer, and without the new will the boys were to inherit the fortune. So, would their stories of fear and abuse hold up? One person who immediately believes they did it was attorney Leslie Abramson, telling anyone who would listen that she believed Lyle and Erik were guilty. But, she doesn’t get much more to do in the first episode.
NBC
Episode 1 is basically introduces us to Lyle (Miles Gaston Villanueva) and Erik (Gus Halper), showing us Lyle as the cold and calculating one while Erik is about to fall to pieces at any minute. Both actors do a good job in their roles, probably the standouts of the series. Edie Falco takes on the role of Abramson, but she’s not given enough screen time in Episode 1 to really register. All I could think of was that this was a battle of the poodle perms between her and Sarah Paulson in American Crime Story. Where I have some issues, and why I compare the show — for now — unfavorably with American Crime Story is in the supporting cast. Perhaps it’s the writing or the directing, but a lot of the performances are almost amateurish, simply reciting the lines and visibly emoting. I don’t feel a lot from these characters. And there are quite a few big names in the first episode: Lolita Davidovich utters nary a word as Kitty, Anthony Edwards puts in a brief appearance as a judge, and Heather Graham shows up as the mistress of Erik’s shrink, a character that seems to have no reason for being but actually plays a huge role in the case later on. The worst offender is Josh Charles as Dr. Oziel. He’s got a worse wig than Lyle and he just seems to have shown up to collect a paycheck. He was awkward in his first scene with the Menendez family and even more awkward making out with Graham. The supporting performances just give the episode a very cheap feel, like NBC didn’t really want to pony up much money for a new show that may or may not continue past the eight episodes.
I remember when the Menendez case hit the national headlines in 1989 and how this was one of the first major trials to be broadcast on television (on what was then Court TV, which also made the O.J. trial appointment television). In the ensuing decades, details have been forgotten and the outcome has become hazy so I’m interested in continuing to see how this unfolds. I just hope the quality — and with only eight episodes it should feel a little more big budgeted than it does — and the performances improve. If nothing else, the two actors playing Lyle and Erik should see their stars rise.
Did you watch the season premiere? Will you stick with it? Tell us what you think!
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