'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story' Episode 2: Parallel stories of past and present make it a gripping watch
Spoilers for 'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story' Episode 2 - 'The Turtle and the Alligator'
In this episode titled 'The Turtle and the Alligator,' we were shown the folding and unfolding relationship of Dan Broderick (Christian Slater) and Betty Broderick (Amanda Peet) with flashbacks of the past and a daunting present. The series chose to show viewers the background of the duo whose marriage and divorce had led to a double murder using the character's past life experiences. We were shown how Dan had used Betty as a crutch to make it to a life where the couple had nothing to worry about but firm club outings and galas. The nitpicky aspect of Dan's personality was brought out in these flashbacks showing viewers how Betty came to be the wife she was, and why and what caused her to derail her thoughts so far as to commit a double murder. The story of their life as a couple, along with a parallel present that showed the unfolding of Betty's murder trial, helped the narrative to become a more relatable story with viewers invested enough to analyze.
The flashbacks from their young days as a couple, their early days as a married couple, their milestones of their first kid, their first home, and Dan's first firm all served as stepping stones for the overall storyline. The way the series chose to bring the depths of these characters to the forefront using different timelines of their relationship solidified these characters as main players in a gripping tale. As we were taken into the struggles that young Dan and young Betty (Tiera Skovbye) faced, we were shown Dan's views on what he wanted his marriage to be like. He didn't allow for servants after their first night as a married couple and told Betty he wouldn't need to sleep in a messy bed saying, "You can make the bed."
He patronized her as she suggested they couldn't afford three doctor coats after he said he would buy three so she didn't have to stay up spot treating the one. We saw them grow as a couple to the point where success and money were all Dan cared about. His wit and his sharp mind had gotten him through medical and law school, leaving Betty a shadow to his success when we as viewers were shown how desperately she had made sure to have been there for him behind the scenes. There were barely scenes in which we were shown Dan holding his child, while Betty fed, played and took care of them. All this painted a picture of the woman who now sat awaiting a verdict for the murders of her husband and his second wife Linda Broderick.
The parallel stories were almost a necessity as there was a magnifying glass placed on Betty as she grew from a child to a woman who was solely dependent on the man that thought she was there only to please him. It brings meaning to her violent outbursts we saw in Episode 1, the pure fugue state the divorce had left her in, and now, in a courtroom as her father speaks about how she told him she wanted to commit suicide because "Dan was driving her up the wall." The past and present merging were done when the audience was shown how the characters had developed personality traits that caused a divorce that ended with murder. Do the two timelines help to bring the gravity of the situation that Betty is now facing to the forefront while posing interesting questions for the viewers to answer? Did Dan poke Betty enough for her to finally through up her hands and lose it? Did Betty feel robbed of a life she helped him make and keep? The love was once there and it seemed pure, what happened after?
The series' use of metaphors, dialogues in the past that foreshadow Betty's future in her marriage, and simply spelling out a narrative that caused a violent end makes put this show on the must-watch list. While this is a true story, it is still daunting but it is an interesting watch.
'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story' airs Tuesdays on the USA Network at 10 pm ET.