I'm hooked: 'The People v. O.J. Simpson' is must-watch TV for the next 16 weeks

The verdict is in, the People vs. OJ Simpson is appointment TV for the next 16 weeks...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

FX’s The People v. OJ Simpson miniseries premiered Tuesday night, pulling us back into the chaos of the “trial of the century” all over again.

It’s one of those things that people remember where they were as it went down.

As the white Bronco sped through the highway, as he tried on the gloves in the courtroom, and as the judgment was read by the jurors…. It is high drama, so this makes for great TV.

Murder was the case – The series begins with footage of the Rodney King beating and LA riots. That was just to set the stage, because two years later, we are in a rich LA neighborhood, and Cuba Gooding Jr. is our Orenthal James Simpson, handing his bag to his limo driver. He’s late leaving for the airport.

Later, a barking dog with bloody footprints is spotted by a neighbor who is also walking his dog. That neighbor is the person who discovers the body of Nicole Brown Simpson in a pool of blood and calls the cops. When they show up, they walk through the house, which is candlelit. The Simpson kids are in their beds sleeping, but the bathtub is full of water. One of the cops sees a pic of OJ and the kids on the wall. Other cops arrive on the scene to Nicole’s body by the gate, feet away from a man’s body. There’s a black leather glove left behind and shoe prints. Also, a letter.

Telling OJ – Detective Mark Fuhrman shows up, saying he knows where OJ Simpson lives, and it’s nearby. They need to notify him that his ex-wife was murdered. When the cops show up at his gate, the lights in the house are on, but no one answers, and there’s a white Ford Bronco in the lot. They enter the gates, and one of the detectives spots small blood stains on the handle of the car and on the interior. (Hmmmm inner-resting…)

They go to the poolhouse behind OJ’s house, and a high-ass Kato Kaelin tells them OJ is in Chicago. They call him in Chicago, at his hotel, and say, “Your ex-wife Nicole Simpson has been killed.” That fool replies with “OMG IS SHE DEAD?” Sir, unless Webster’s Dictionary came up with a new meaning for “has been killed,” clearly, that’s what he means. He hangs up and starts crying. Is it from shock or regret? Meanwhile, the detective peeps that he didn’t even ask how she died.

Meeting Marcia – Marcia Clark gets a call about a double homicide, and what started as police notifying one of the victims’ relatives has turned into a major lead for a suspect. The detective drops OJ’s name, and Marcia is basically like “who is that strangerbish?” which is surprising because he was a beloved athlete and public figure then. They mention that there was blood leading into OJ’s house, so they need a search warrant from her to look at the rest of his crib. The victims: OK’s ex-wife Nicole and her lover, Ron Goldman.

Welcome, OJ – At Marcia’s office, they find out that OJ flew to Chicago at 11:45pm. Ron Goldman was alive til at least right before 10. The crime scene pics show up, and it is a gruesome murder, but the people there do not want to believe that The Juice coulda done this, since he is such a nice dude.

Media swarms OJ’s house, and his friend Robert Kardashian shows up concerned. Man, that family is way too embedded in far too many things we’ve cared about in the last 2 decades. David Schwimmer as the grey-streak coiffed daddy of Kim Kardashian is inspired casting.

OJ’s limo pulls into his compound, and police are waiting for him. They move him away from where the media can see through his gate to tell him they need to ask him some questions. One nosy (and really good at his job) cameraman sneaks a look over the fence and captures the quick moment when one of the cops handcuffs him. This is captured on film, and dude tells his crew, “OJ is a suspect.” WELP. Suspect #1 tells the cops he’ll talk to them to show he has nothing to hide, so he willingly follows them to the precinct. His left hand middle finger is bandaged too, which raises the eyebrows of the detective. Chile… this is shadier than a palm tree.

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