Retellings of historical events do not often lend themselves to a captivating and suspenseful television series. It’s not exactly a nail-biting season if you already know exactly how it’s going to end.
However, FX’s original series, “The People vs. O.J. Simpson: An American Crime Story” is the exception. This series follows the infamous murder trial of O.J. Simpson that took place from 1994 to 1995. It’s a story that the audience is already familiar with and one that many remember watching unfold before their own eyes. Surely, without the element of surprise this show was destined to be a flop.
“The People vs. O.J. Simpson” defied this destiny, and FX announced it as the most-watched new show of 2016 as well as the network’s top-rated first-year series to date.
Many factors can be attributed to the surprising success of this show, one of them being the star-studded cast, which included Cuba Gooding Jr., Sarah Paulson, David Schwimmer, John Travolta and Nathan Lane to name a few.
Or perhaps audiences appreciate how the show addresses relevant issues that were as much a problem now as they were then. Issues such as race, police brutality, the influence of media and sexism were heavily highlighted during the trial and resonate with the modern audience of “The People vs. O.J. Simpson.”
FX may simply have its excellent methods of storytelling to thank for its success. Although, the story and its characters are well known, the series humanizes them and shows us the repercussions of the events that took place.
While in the midst of this “media circus,” we walk alongside Marcia Clark who is in the middle of a divorce while juggling the demands of this complicated case. We learn how, lawyer and best friend of Simpson, Robert Kardashian harbored some doubt concerning the innocence of Simpson.
Small details such as these remind us that these were real people, with lives separate from the O.J. Simpson trial that were heavily affected for years to come. These additional humanizing perspectives are what make “The People vs. O.J. Simpson” so captivating to watch.
However, maybe the show wanted to leave us with something even more substantial. In the season finale, in the very last scene, we are left with pictures of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, the victims of the trial. Ultimately, this trial was never solely about O.J. Simpson.
This trial was meant to find justice for the people who lost their lives. The media, the defense and the public made it into something much bigger. Although, it helped address big societal issues that needed to be discussed, it was at the expense of two innocent victims and their families who never received the closure they deserved.
Instead of making them a means to bringing justice to society, “The People vs. O.J. Simpson” reminded us that the sole purpose should have been bringing justice to their own tragedy.
Perhaps, this revelation and redemption for the real victims at the center of the trial is the root of “The People vs. O.J. Simpson” season’s success.