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'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story' Episode 4: Dan's gaslighting has fans calling him 'narcissistic a**hole'

One narrative shows Betty's murder trial where a psychologist breaks down how gaslighting can cause 'the separation of any sense of realties in one's life'
PUBLISHED JUN 17, 2020
Christian Slater (USA Network)
Christian Slater (USA Network)

Spoilers for 'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story' 

If there was an episode that could paint Dan Broderick (Christian Slater) as a narcissist and sadist, Episode 4  of 'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story' does the trick. Titled 'More To It Than Fun', the episode chronicles how Dan gaslit his wife Betty Broderick (Amanda Peet) into believing she was crazy and that he was not having an affair with his paralegal Linda Kolkena (Rachel Keller). The episode goes back and forth in timeframes. While one narrative chronicles the days from when Dan started his affair to when he filed for divorce, another narrative shows Betty's murder trial where a psychologist breaks down how gaslighting can cause "the separation of any sense of realties in one's life".

"Dan must’ve took classes on being a narcissist a-***e! Dude stole her entire life, and when there was nothing left, he traded her in for a younger model that looked exactly like her younger self! #dirtyjohn #bettybroderick," tweeted a viewer. Another replied, "Gahhhh damn! Dan is cold blooded! See! This unfortunately why women should work or stack some dough. Dan said,  TO HIS WIFE, he pay for her life so if anyone gonna leave it’s gonna be her! #dirtyjohn get money and don’t know how to act man (sic)." The second user was referring to the part of the episode that showed Betty ask Dan to fire Linda to which he replied, "I pay for your life. So, if anyone is going to be getting out, it's you."

Dan's pure ignorance of his wife's feelings was evident in this episode as we see him publicly dating Linda as he plans on a divorce that leaves his wife with nothing — no kids or finances. A well-reputed lawyer with an MD, Dan is the man in the department of medical litigation and so has access to friends in high places. "Dan had a strangle hold on the legal community in San Diego so she found it difficult to find excellent representation. Just awful. #DirtyJohn," tweeted another viewer. With the courts on his side, whether through intelligence or conning the system, Dan managed to break more than just Betty's spirit. "Betty didn’t need prison. She needed extensive counseling to undo the mess Dan did to her brain! #dirtyjohn #bettybroderick," tweeted another viewer. The psychologist explains the act of gaslighting saying, "It's named after a famous motion picture in which a man who wants something from a woman and pretends to be her friend and marries her but in fact is her enemy. He is kind but in every moment he is undermining her sanity."

"Trying to think of someone I hate more than I hate Dan Broderick. I’ve got nothing. I hate him so much. #DirtyJohn," tweeted another user with another making a valid point writing, "All that Dan had to do was tell her that he wanted to end the marriage. Instead, he played all these games and gaslit her. #Dirtyjohn." It's a trigger-filled episode that had fans understand why the real Betty murdered her ex-husband and his second wife, as they continued to slam Dan for being a narcissistic sadist. Not to mention, in October 1985, two years into his affair, he admits to Betty, "You were right the whole time."

"I’ve never had sympathy for the killer in true crime series, but this show has me feeling sorry for Betty. Dan was awful to her, from the gaslighting to moving her into a run-down house. Just awful. #DirtyJohn," tweeted a user. The psychologist explains how after all the lying and brainwashing, Betty was put under constant pressure, causing her to react in ways that could mirror emotional instability. Fans were 100 percent convinced that Dan was to blame. "Not condoning the murders AT ALL. But Betty stayed w/ Dan thru med school, law school, 4 kids, affair, etc. Her whole identity was being a wife & mother. Then he snatched that all from her. Truly awful. #DirtyJohn," tweeted another user with another one replying, "Wow Dan! You WERE really a piece of work! Pushed that woman to murder! She lost her marbles! #dirtyjohn #bettybroderick."

'Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story' airs Tuesdays on the USA Network at 10 pm ET.

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