Yep, it got played.  I guess there is truth to playing the hand you are dealt.  Tonight’s episode was all about opening arguments, the introduction of Fuhrman as a witness and strategy on both sides.  It seemed that for every solid argument Marcia nem had, Cochran nem had rebuttal.  You could easily see how she was pretty much unaware…about so much, and in the end it cost her the case.

Courtney Vance is playing the HAYLE of Johnnie Cochran to the point that I want to fly to Los Angeles, go to errybody house that got an Emmy in it, collect them all, change the names on them to Courtney Vance and have them delivered to his house.  If he doesn’t get an Emmy nomination I know somethin’!

Sarah Paulson is also excellent as Marcia Clark.  And she is playin’ her with such a naivete’ you have to wonder was she really that clueless.  And then there’s the actor playing Christopher Darden – again a hayle of a job.  You can see that he is somewhat hesitant about being co-lead counsel because of his fear of being called an Uncle Tom by his community and thinking he only got the case because he’s black.  It’s a been there done that situation for him because it’s exactly how he felt in law school.  Marcia tried to empathize, and he reminded her that she doesn’t know how it feels because she’s white.

In a flashback, we see how Johnny was treated unfairly the police who routinely pulled him over for being a Black man driving a nice car in a nice neighborhood.  Interesting that 20 years later, we are still having the same conversation.  I loved how the camera panned to the police car and license plate – “to serve and protect”….not “harass and hurt”.

You also see Judge Ito start to get swept up by the celebrity of it all when he receives a signed Arsenio Hall photo.  I was surprised they didn’t show the Kardashian’s tonight.  We also get a quick glimpse of Johnnie Cochran’s home life, where he worked on his opening arguments and rhymes and such for his wife, brilliantly played by Keesha Sharp.

The most surprising thing I learned to tonight was how they set up a tour of Brentwood, including the Mezzaluna restaurant where Nicole dined and Ron Goldman work.  The jury also visited Nicole’s townhouse (which was vacant and on the market) as well as where the two bodies were found.  They also got to visit Rockingham Estates (OJ’s house).  Johnnie Cochran made sure that they “staged” the property before the jury came so they could control the impression that the jurors got.  Johnnie Cochran was a mastermind!  He removed naked photos of Paula Barberi (OJ’s current girlfriend at the time) and replaced them with African-American art and pics of OJ with his wheelchair bound mother.  Well played, Johnnie, well played.  I’m trying figga out why that was allowed to happen in the first place, and second, who does that?

OJ was there for the tours, but actually remained in the car when they visited Nicole’s old condo.  He was more jovial at his own home….but got increasingly discouraged as the time approached for him to return to jail.  Judge Ito did make them cover that big arse life-sized status in his front yard (garage in real life) with a sheet.

Johnnie delivered a couple of one two punches to Darden who asked him to be respectful.  “I ain’t tryna be respectful…I’m trying to win”.  And then later when Darden asked Judge Ito to rule against bringing up Mark Furman’s past because the use of the “N” word would blind the jurors and make them so emotionally, they view the evidence and the trial logically.  Johnnie got in that arse like Eddie Long and ended it with “N” word PLEASE.  I hollered.  You better READ then Johnnie Cochran.

He did give Darden a piece of advice – don’t put Mark Furman on the stand.  Let the white foke do that.  Which proved to be pretty solid advice, since Mark Furman was the worst witness ever.  I had no idea he had a drawer full of Hitler-supporting memorabilia…..but I guess it makes sense.  John Singleton directed tonight’s episode, reunitin’ with Cuba Gooding Jr again.  Who still doesn’t look, sound, or ACT like OJ.  I am all in for this series.  Matta fact, I’m acting like my black arse don’t know what happens in the end.

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