In many ways, the trial of O.J. Simpson spurred the modern concept of reality TV. It brought Americans to their television sets in unprecedented numbers, watching a plot unfold that couldn’t have been constructed in any writers’ room. As a result, The People vs O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story feels like a perfect fit. Just as America becomes obsessed with true crime tales through documentaries such as Serial, The Jinx and Making a Murderer, Ryan Murphy and associates have brought cameras into a story that always felt larger than life.

The pilot episode “From the Ashes of Tragedy” sets the scene for an unfolding of iconic pop-culture moments. It’s a densely packed hour of TV, with a brisk pace that keeps the action constantly moving forward. There’s a constant pressure emanating from American Crime Story. Long shots through the prosecutor’s department of the Los Angeles Police Department inject chaos into the air as the LAPD recovers from the Rodney King riots. A tour of the crime scene plays out like the bridge of a horror film. While Ryan Murphy is best known for putting on a morbid show in American Horror Story, he treats this series with a softer touch. It’s visually engaging — painting L.A in smoke-dense yellows and black.
But Murphy is smart enough to know that O.J. is an actor’s show, and he lets the cast shine. With an ensemble that enlists the likes of John Travolta, Cuba Gooding Jr, and AHS series favorite Sarah Paulson, there’s a breadth of talent on display. Murphy’s script is dense with passionate pleas, emotional breakdowns and monologues that practically demand to be shouted from the rafters. Paulson, playing head prosecutor Marcia Clark, delivers in spades. A scene of her listening to O.J.’s interrogation has her acting against a tape recorder, yet she bellows with the energy of a stage actress.
That same boldness extends to the rest of the cast – except Gooding. Gooding’s portrayal of O.J. is arguably the weak link of the operation, never quite escaping the shadow of the real man. In dealing with the ambiguity of Simpson’s innocence, Gooding lands on an almost bipolar portrayal.
The People vs O.J. Simpson is a reflection of Ryan Murphy’s best talents as a creator. Like the best moments of Horror Story, Crime Story is an expert execution of delightful shlock. It’s over the top, wild and bigger than life. Yet you couldn’t craft more appropriate words to describe the O.J. trial itself.
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter @ChrisBerg25