'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story' Episode 2 Preview: Did her past play a role in Dan's murder?
Spoilers for 'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story'
The first episode was a gripping one as we were introduced to the beginning of the downfall of Betty (Amanda Peet) and Dan Broderick's (Christian Slater) marriage. Peet's introduction of a character that seems to be in extreme denial of an impending divorce was impeccable. The premiere episode titled 'No-Fault' brought Betty's perception of the situation into focus — she cared less about losing the battle with her husband and wondered more about if he might be "second-guessing the divorce". From Betty ramming her car into Dan's new house after finding out he sold their old home without her knowledge to the ending where Betty says in an almost-fugue like state, "I'm amazed it only took one bullet to kill Dan Broderick" — the series is a gem.
In Episode 2 titled 'The Turtle and the Aligator', we see the fallout of the judge's ruling in the previous episode. Dan seems to be buddies with all the best lawyers and the judge in his case and we don't know how that doesn't play as a conflict of interest. While Betty drank tea and ate macaroons with a friend, Dan was in court listening to the convenient verdict — "the issue of dissolution of marriage will be bifurcated, divorce is hereby granted". We saw how Betty had reacted when she lost the home she owned with her husband after he said she was being "unreasonable". In a state that seemed to be clogging her ability to make apt decisions, Betty rams her car into her husband's new home, where he was with his children. This gets Betty a 72-hour hold at a mental health institute. Imagine what she'd do after she finds out the divorce is finalized without her being there?
With the episode going back and forth with flashbacks, we will find out more about Dans and Betty's early life as a couple. We will also be able to gauge how things got so bad between the duo that the 'toxicity' in their relationship is irreparable. It seems as though Betty wants Dan back — from her efforts to always look good in his presence to telling her friends that he may be rethinking about the divorce after he refused to pay her lawyer's retainer fee.
We can further speculate that since Episode 1 had spent its entirety showcasing Betty's perception, we will probably get to learn more of her past. For example, Episode 1 had shown us the weird relationship she had with her unsupportive parents. This makes us wonder how they were when Betty was growing up. We would assume Betty's past experiences is what is helping her through her current divorce, but is there something specific? How did the couple meet? The intense hostility between the duo was clear in the first episode. We would expect Episode 2 to dig deeper into their past, and the events that led to Betty killing Dan with one bullet.
'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story' airs Tuesdays on the USA Network at 10 pm ET.