Gaslit

[Ron Bulman]

Has anyone else seen the first episode of this on Hulu?  Julia Roberts as Martha Mitchell, Sean Penn (unrecognizable) as the AG.  It's really factual and funny with irony included!  I laughed out loud at least three time and chuckled more.  Can't wait for next week.  Watergate done right?  We shall see.

Though MSN and Yahoo don't agree with me.

 gaslit julia roberts - Search (bing.com)

Edited April 26, 2022 by Ron Bulman

[Joe Bauer]

We watched this first episode as well.

First let me share that Sean Penn's John Mitchell transformation was so remarkably good, I had to keep reminding myself that it really was Sean Penn in that role. Best make up transformation job I can ever recall in a major film.

What a contrast to the laughably stiff plaster cast mask make up job on Woody Harrelson as LBJ.

Most reviews I've read have praised Julia Roberts in her Martha Mitchell portrayal.

Let's admit it...Roberts truly is a great actress.

Once again she tackles the tough acting job of re-enacting a real life character and doing so with such thoughtful and intelligently subtle control that you find yourself not just believing she IS that person, but finding her character even more interesting and watchable than the real life one! 

Shades of Robert's Erin Brockovich as a beloved icon of all time favorite female lead movie characters.

Dan Steven's John Dean really hasn't grabbed me ... yet. However, Betty Gilpen's Maureen Dean ? WOW! Give me more!

All I remember of "Mo" Dean back in the Watergate hearing days was her incredibly cool, collected and almost stoic expression throughout her entire husband's testimony. Along with her eye catching classy dress, hair and beautifully smooth skin.

In this first series episode Gilpen's Mo Dean is shown to be much more than simply the beautiful high class Saks 5th Avenue store front window mannequin look-alike we saw during the nationally televised Watergate hearings.

Surprisingly, she is instead revealed to be a women of remarkable personal character strength, confidence, intelligence, deep thought and surprisingly liberal moral convictions. And so subtly sexy no wonder John Dean lost his Nixon ambition fixation for one of her. If the script is honest, Mo Dean sounds as if she became John Dean's moral conscience mentor more than anyone knew at the time.  Giving Gilpen's Maureen Dean's character role this much showcasing (in the first episode anyway) really added to the entire story line in a worthy value way imo.

To be honest though, the John Dean and Mo Dean characters kind of stole some of the scenes in this first episode. A little easier to watch an attractive and interesting young couple versus an older and much less attractive couple yelling at and arguing with each other most of the time.

Shea Whigham's G. Gordon Liddy is at times pretty interesting...however, in such a scarily portrayed  dangerous nut case way you wonder if he actually was as extreme fanatic crazy as he is depicted.

Penn's Mitchell has to be good imo as again, I am believing his character without hardly any distracted thought that it is really Sean Penn behind that gad awful ugly big nosed double chinned face of Mitchell. Penn also has that highest level in born actor talent gift of intelligent subtlety in portraying a well known real life character.

Still, I am always conscious of the higher importance meaning of the Martha Mitchell story.

How in her eccentric but honest values way, she helped expose that huge snake pit den of corruption of Nixon and his entire team which had highjacked our highest executive branch of government and if not caught, would have continued their total constitution and democracy violating crimes.

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by Joe Bauer

[Mark Knight]

I have not seen GASLIT, but I did read G. Gordon Liddy's book, WILL. After reading the book, I do believe he was crazy, as in, capable of committing horrendous acts if he thought that they would further a cause he supported.

I'd like to hear Douglas Caddy's take on Liddy.

[S.T. Patrick]

From Hougan, Colodny, et al, Liddy was the livest of wires, but he was also the most honest of the particulars over the years. 

Looking forward to seeing Gaslit, but, to me, the litmus test will be how they treat John & Mo Dean. If it's a Dean love fest (once again), I must write it off. Dean and Jeb Magruder are at the heart of the break-ins (multiple, May & June '72). McCord, it appears to me, sabotaged the operation without Hunt's knowledge. The FBI found ZERO bugs in the DNC. Why? McCord didn't plant any there, as he was supposed to. 

The key to Watergate is the literal key inside Eugenio Martinez's mouth. Martha Mitchell is a sideshow act compared to other "side characters": Lou Russell, Carl Shoffler, Philip Bailley, Heidi Rikan, etc.

 

 

[Joe Bauer]

Disagree about Liddy. He doesn't deserve "any" praise in my opinion.

Do agree with the rest of your post.

I do wonder how much more of the true McCord story we don't know.

[Norman T. Field]

"however, in such a scarily portrayed  dangerous nut case way you wonder if he actually was as extreme fanatic crazy as he is depicted."

The technical term is 'bat's ass nutz'. Yes, he was all that and more. 

[S.T. Patrick]

21 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

Disagree about Liddy. He doesn't deserve "any" praise in my opinion.

 

I would not say they were praising Liddy. I would frame it as such: they are writers who have spoken to many of the particulars in the case, primary and secondary. Many like Dean and Magruder have notoriously changed aspects of the story every time they've gone on record. You almost can't quote one of their statements or writings because they probably changed it in the next one. Liddy, however, is someone who always admitted his role in what he was involved in, and they seem to feel, as a group, like Liddy was he one who was always honest with them, honest and unchanging, even when it made him look bad - or crazy (i.e. the Jack Anderson story). So, I would say that they aren't praising him, as much as they felt like the misdeeds he wrote about are ones he wrote and spoke about accurately and honestly.

Edited April 27, 2022 by S.T. Patrick

[Ron Bulman]

On 4/26/2022 at 12:51 PM, Mark Knight said:

I have not seen GASLIT, but I did read G. Gordon Liddy's book, WILL. After reading the book, I do believe he was crazy, as in, capable of committing horrendous acts if he thought that they would further a cause he supported.

I'd like to hear Douglas Caddy's take on Liddy.

Doug was there.  I'm not him.  But Liddy does seem pretty nutty in the first episode.  Like he'd do whatever it takes to win, he roughs a guy up.  

Regarding S.T. Patrick on Mo and John Dean, it's not a love fest, yet at least though they are featured.  No Heidi or the others, yet, again. 

McCord is a dark shadowy background character thus far.

I think it's worth watching as a funny at times maybe semi historical somewhat factual first episode.

You can always stop after 5-10-15 minutes if you disagree.

Comments welcome from those who do watch it.

I'll be watching the second episode.

[Joe Bauer]

2 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

Doug was there.  I'm not him.  But Liddy does seem pretty nutty in the first episode.  Like he'd do whatever it takes to win, he roughs a guy up.  

Regarding S.T. Patrick on Mo and John Dean, it's not a love fest, yet at least though they are featured.  No Heidi or the others, yet, again. 

McCord is a dark shadowy background character thus far.

I think it's worth watching as a funny at times maybe semi historical somewhat factual first episode.

You can always stop after 5-10-15 minutes if you disagree.

Comments welcome from those who do watch it.

I'll be watching the second episode.

We will be watching the second episode as well.

[S.T. Patrick]

15 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

Doug was there.  I'm not him.  But Liddy does seem pretty nutty in the first episode.  Like he'd do whatever it takes to win, he roughs a guy up.  

Regarding S.T. Patrick on Mo and John Dean, it's not a love fest, yet at least though they are featured.  No Heidi or the others, yet, again. 

McCord is a dark shadowy background character thus far.

I think it's worth watching as a funny at times maybe semi historical somewhat factual first episode.

You can always stop after 5-10-15 minutes if you disagree.

Comments welcome from those who do watch it.

I'll be watching the second episode.

I'll absolutely watch it.

[David Andrews]

It's "The story we wanted to tell," but it could be told more interestingly if they did more with the Howard Hunt character, who goes unexplored in Episode 2, at least.  So, I'm betting no plane crash in the series.

[Ron Bulman]

13 hours ago, David Andrews said:

It's "The story we wanted to tell," but it could be told more interestingly if they did more with the Howard Hunt character, who goes unexplored in Episode 2, at least.  So, I'm betting no plane crash in the series.

I think Hunt might be the Liddy of these first couple of episodes in the next few.  Would that not make sense if it's the story they want to tell?  it was dramatic in the first place.

From episode two. 

Regan's endorsement of Nixon sought.

Kissinger Peace talks of 1968 (not committed to).

"Jesus Christ wouldn't make it through the republican primary".

McCord:  "Don't Shoot!"

"I saw this in a dream (E. Howard Hunt), Liddy. retribution.

[Joe Bauer]

Watched the second episode of GASLIT last night.

Not sure what to say. Story line jumping kind of distracting.

Big ugly John Mitchell and Martha cuddling and french kissing on the dramatically beautiful Southern California sea view bluff one second, and the Watergate burglary team running around bungling their break in attempt with doors locks that wouldn't open, batteries left behind and a first night duty security guard noticing sloppily applied flaps of tape protruding from the same locked basement stairwell door jam ( twice ) which immediately inspired the security guard to call the DC police...which resulted in an embarrassing hide and seek "come out, come out where ever you are"...then "GOTCH YA" scene in the darkened DNC office rooms minutes later?

Well, at least we get to see Martha Mitchell very roughly kidnapped and injected with sedation drugs against her will next week.

 

[David Andrews]

19 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

I think Hunt might be the Liddy of these first couple of episodes in the next few.  Would that not make sense if it's the story they want to tell?  it was dramatic in the first place.

From episode two. 

Regan's endorsement of Nixon sought.

Kissinger Peace talks of 1968 (not committed to).

"Jesus Christ wouldn't make it through the republican primary".

McCord:  "Don't Shoot!"

"I saw this in a dream (E. Howard Hunt), Liddy. retribution.

I'm not holding my breath for a Hunt renaissance on Gaslit.  They got a relatively little known, mostly-TV actor to play him, while for Liddy they got Shea Wigham, who played Nucky Thompson's (Steve Buscemi's) brother Eli on Boardwalk Empire for five great years.  A pity, since Hunt and Liddy were a comedy team out of Samuel Beckett.

+++

What, no gaslighter memes this year?

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by David Andrews

[Michael Crane]

So,how do you get the Youtube videos to come up like that?

 

When I do it,all I get is a link.