Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
More On:
Dirty John
As any critic, television executive, or Twitter rando is quick to tell you, we’re currently in the age of peak TV. But who decided that the third golden age of television had to be so bleak? From visually and emotionally dark dramas all about failing morality to morbid sad-coms about death and the collapse of America, we’re at a point where the best shows on television are also the most depressing. Thank Connie Britton for Dirty John for lending some levity to these dark times.
Based on the highly popular true crime podcast of the same name, Dirty John follows the life and many cons of John Meehan (played by Eric Bana), a grifter who grifted his way into a life of luxury. The original podcast, from Wondery and the Los Angeles Times, uses copious interviews from his victim Debra Newell (played by Connie Britton) and her family to shape the many ways he hurt her. It’s a story of hurt and deception told through glorified gossip for reasons that are made apparent at the end of the six-episode series.
But Bravo’s adaptation never glosses over the alleged creepiness of John Meehan or how gossipy the series wants to be. It fully embraces it, thanks to an unsettlingly committed performance from Eric Bana, as well as its decision to give us Connie Britton at her most wide-eyed. The whole series is a longer and better cast version of any-made-for-Lifetime TV movie. And this glamorous take on a by-the-numbers plot is exactly what we need right now.
In an age of television that’s constantly trying to either have a complicated conversation with its audience or outsmart them (looking at you, Westworld and Mr. Robot), Dirty John tries to do neither. Instead it tells a simple story we can all guess the ending to in a tonally perfect way. Of course there are heated standoffs between John and Debra’s daughters, played by Juno Temple and the ever-excellent Julia Garner. Of course he steals her money. Of course the cops can’t do anything to help this very wealthy family. Dirty John has never hit a beat we weren’t expecting, but it hits its marks with enough fabulous clothes, gorgeous views, and gripping performances that it’s hard to look away.
Dirty John intrinsically gets something that television as a whole has been struggling with for a while — TV is entertainment, and entertainment should be fun. There have been other shows this year that have gleefully leaned into this element of the medium. 9-1-1 began this year as the most insane emergency drama ever created and still manages to keep its crown, one selective earthquake at a time. (Both of these shows featured Connie Britton — coincidence?) American Horror Story: Apocalypse abandoned anything resembling horror and its own plot to bask in the greatness of quippy witches and warlocks. Even GLOW spent some time this year leaning into its campy side.
Every one of these shows has felt like a breath of fresh air in this ever-brooding TV landscape, but Dirty John has felt like the biggest. This year has been dark, and right now we’re in the middle of the darkest and most stress-filled month of it. What do you really want to watch? Another too-serious show that wants to preach at you about morality and philosophy or an over-the-top family mystery that knows its kind of silly and leans into every trope ever harder?
Sometimes all we really need out of TV is an excuse to appreciate the glorious acting charms of Jean Smart and scream “Connie Britton, NO!” at our screens for an hour at a time. Dirty John and Bravo understand that about us, and they’re all too happy to deliver. Once the holidays are over and our lives are back together we can go back to dissecting the sad-com and theorizing about the latest too-slow psychedelic drama. But right now we need a break. Let’s watch pretty people backstab each other and talk about odd accent choices.
