A new season begins with much more excitement and suspense that follows the anthology of true crimes that arise from the failure of love stories from the Los Angeles Times reporter Christopher Goffard. In this new season, Betty helps Dan but he embarrasses her.
The Betty Broderick Story explains what drove Betty to bare her teeth. It may also make you reflect on what it would take for you to do the same thing.
Peet's career-best performance is perfectly paired with Slater's appropriately stoic and conniving portrayal, effortlessly delivering a grade-A depiction of gaslighting, sometimes to the beat of a fun Neil Diamond song.
By the time it's over, Betty Broderick is both "a woman scorned" and one better understood, without sacrificing any of the trashy chewiness that has drawn viewers to such material since long before she ever pulled the trigger.
[Amanda Peet] is very, very good, somehow playing all sides of the tonal kaleidoscope here at once, differing depending from which angle you look at it.
Amanda Peet doesn't portray Betty as much as she embodies her. It's an astonishing performance: so painful at times that it's difficult to witness -- yet so compelling, it's impossible to look away.
Simply pointing out that it happened and tossing some goofy costuming on top isn't enough. Indeed, it erodes the possibility of seeing Betty Broderick or Carole Baskin or whomever as real, not merely true.
Slater's recognizable star power aside, the focus, really, is exclusively on Betty, and if there's any real reason to recommend The Betty Broderick Story, it's to appreciate the sheer range and volume of characterizations Peet gets to offer.
