Ryan Murphy can tell a story in a riveting way. He is not afraid to explode people’s expectations in works ranging from GLEE to HOLLYWOOD to POSE and AMERICAN HORROR STORY. They don’t always connect, but when they do – pow!
Such is the case with IMPEACHMENT – no, the ones of the most recent president – but the one that brought the country to its knees: Bill Clinton. As always with a Murphy endeavor the perfect cast is uniformly excellent, bringing fresh life to familiar characters like Linda Tripp (Sarah Paulson), Bill Clinton (Clive Owen), and of course Monica Lewinsky (Beanie Feldstein), who also serves as producer. But each episodes features talent like Margo Martindale, Annaleigh Ashford, Edie Falco, Judith Light, and a host of others. They make each episode potent, powerful, and oh so sad.
You probably know the gist of the story but have never seen it told like this. The relationship between Monica and Linda is almost Shakespearean, as both women and girl seek attention and approval in different ways. Murphy is great at filling out the story, including the rise of Matt Drudge and the internet news craze, Ann Coulter, George Conway, and Michael Isikoff who were all a part of this very complicated web.
Given Murphy’s history with projects like ASSIGNATION OF GIANNI VERSACE which featured sex and nudity galore, you might expect the same in IMPEACHMENT, but it’s tame. The many layers of betrayal – personal and political – make it a must see for anyone interested in history or politics.
As you watch you will no doubt be thinking of the more recent impeachment – another story which I can’t wait for Ryan Murphy to tell.