The People v OJ Simpson, the first iteration of American Crime Story, the new anthology from Ryan Murphy, creator of American Horror Story, Glee and Scream Queens, doesn’t immediately hurl itself into the full frenzy of the OJ case. Exercising uncharacteristic restraint, Murphy — who merely produced and directs from a script by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski — deftly depicts the relative calm before the eventual storm.

What he’s showing us is the beginning of the America we’re stuck with today. He’s showing us a world where Marcia Clark’s case was undermined by the constant media preoccupation with what she wore to court and how uptight she came across and why she couldn’t find a decent hair stylist.

A world where OJ’s blank beach bum houseguest Kato Kaelin became both a punchline and an instant celebrity. A world where Nicole Brown’s friend Faye Resnick parlayed her witness box exposure into a tell-all book and a Playboy cover. A world where Johnnie Cochrane used America’s racial divide to reshape the narrative of the case.
Funny enough – this is one of the greatest moments of American history. You don’t believe it? Watch The People Vs. OJ Simpson starring John Travolta and Cuba Gooding Jr among others – a stellar cast.