'Gaslit' Episode 6: Watergate hero Frank Wills' newfound fame leads to his downfall
Starz's ‘Gaslit’ focuses on stories of individuals whose lives were turned upside down by the Watergate scandal. The political thriller brings to light several untold stories about the scandal while uncovering its whistleblowers, perpetrators, and those who ended up blowing the lid.
An earlier episode of 'Gaslit' introduced Frank Wills (Patrick Walker), who was instrumental in exposing the Watergate scandal. Frank was a security guard who received national acclaim for his role in preventing the 1972 attempted break-in at the Watergate Hotel in Washington DC. Sadly, all he received in return was a paltry raise from $80 to $82.50 per week. He was never honored with a promotion and never accorded any public recognition. The new episode of the Starz drama sheds light on Frank's struggles after exposing one of the biggest political scandals in America’s history.
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Episode 6, 'Tuffy,' begins with Frank being interviewed by Janelle (Lauren E. Banks), a reporter. Frank mentions that he is not employed anymore in the Watergate building after the management asked him to resign because of his fame. He also reveals details about his personal life and how his girlfriend broke up with him after the incident. He is trying to seek employment in other institutions, including the University of Howard.
Later in the episode, we see him on a date with Janelle, who keeps badgering him for Watergate updates. They later go to Janelle's friend’s birthday party where everyone is star-struck by Frank. They call his actions heroic and hail him as a national hero. An overwhelmed Frank opens up that he wants to use his newfound fame for humanitarian causes. He wants to help other people so that his name is not just associated with Watergate, but with history.
Towards the end of the episode, Frank reveals to Janelle that he didn’t get the Howard job because of his controversial reputation and because the employer was a Nixon fan. Janelle tries to console him but a frustrated Frank admits that he doesn’t want to fight anymore. Instead, he is going back to Georgia to take care of his old mother. He talks about his financial crisis and the struggles he has had to go through ever since the break-in. Every day, he wakes up hoping things would change for him but nothing does, he laments. He realizes he doesn’t belong in Washington DC and doesn’t want to fight in a place that doesn’t want him. In the last scene, Frank is shown leaving for Georgia.
The new episode of 'Gaslit' is available on Starz.