The Verdict

"God, that was tense" is really the best way I can describe the finale; and it's just as much about the fallout as it is the verdict itself. But hearing the prosecution's closing statements (which are nothing less than damning) just compounds the dread, even if the finding is a foregone conclusion. The writers really know how to turn the knife here, first with Garcetti's plea to Darden and Clark in the opening moments ("Guys, please nail this") and a single line in during Garcetti's funereal press conference from a reporter: "So, are you going to find the real killer now?" I mean, you are right there with the Goldmans' anguish.

We all knew how this would end, but that somehow makes it even worse. Just like the rest of season, this is really about race, and the crowd reaction footage is a testament to that. This has always been quality television, and the finale is no letdown.

And I'm actually kinda sad it's over.

9/10

I missed the series when it was first on, but I heard people talking about it. Then, all ten episodes were released on Netflix. The last three days have been so entertaining as my wife and I got totally hooked. I was teaching my Seventh Graders the day of the verdict. A social studies teacher yelled down the hall that they were about to announce the result and I hustled my whole class to a small room and watched the result with about 150 kids and adults. The presentation of the verdict on this show was done to the letter. What I didn't see were the closing arguments. There was so much evidence against O.J., but it never mattered. As Ito said, this trial was about emotion. The jury rendered the wrong verdict. Of course, the mistakes with the gloves and Furhman's being allowed to testify, probably did them in. Unfortunately, they had their minds made up before they ever sat down in that jury room. Also, two jurors seemed to give in to pressure without even a fight. The other part off this episode that was somewhat satisfying was that while O.J. got his freedom, he never really got it back. He thought he would be embraced by his friends. Well, he became a pariah. For the most part, they just stayed away. Robert Kardashian, who was his best friend for 20 years, realized that he was guilty and never had anything to do with him again. The father of those self-centered girls did not terribly long after the end of the trial. He appears to have been a tragic figure. That said. Great series!

The People vs O.J. Simpson: The Verdict (2016)

The tenth and final episode in this magnificent series has O.J. Simpson (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), the defense and the D.A. facing the jury in a moment in time that will change all of their lives as well as change the way America judges the legal system.

Well, the series has finally come to an end and it ends on another terrific episode. I'm pretty sure everyone watching this series and episode already know the outcome of the verdict so it's rather amazing that the director was able to build up the suspense like they were able to. It's also rather amazing at how this episode ends because the sight of O.J. pretty much tells you everything you need to know in the trouble that he would face going forward.

Now, for the overall series. I must admit that I was downright floored at how wonderful it was. For starters, the amount of energy, passion and anger expressed here was rather remarkable and even more so when you consider that most people already know all the facts about the case. We know about the race card. We know about Furhman. We know about the verdict. Yet, even though we know everything the series still managed to make us pay full attention and took us for an excellent ride.

A lot of the success has to go to the wonderful cast. To say the majority of them were simply amazing would be an understatement because it's hard to play people we're already familiar with. Sterling K. Brown (Darden), Nathan Lane (Bailey), Sarah Paulson (Clark), David Schwimmer (Kardashian), John Travolta (Shapiro) and Courtney B. Vance (Cochran) were all remarkable in their parts and managed to turn in some of the greatest performances you're going to see anywhere. The one weak spot for me was Cuba Gooding, Jr. who simply wasn't right for the role. He just never once made you feel like you were watching O.J.. He was just missing that certain charisma and charm that O.J. always had. I blame miscasting more than anything else.

So, in the end, THE PEOPLE VS O.J. SIMPSON was a tremendous success and I must admit that I'm going to miss watching it each week. I can also say that I would gladly start the series over and watch it again.