IR TV Review: DIRTY JOHN - THE BETTY BRODERICK STORY - EPISODE 6 ("The Twelfth Of Never") [USA]

The rabbit hole that "Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story" continues to go down is a slippery slope. With Episode 6: "The Twelfth Of Never" one would think that Betty (as played by Amanda Peet) has reached her lowest point but the episode shows her resolve and redemptive ways to a point. But unlike her ex-husband, she tries to play fair whereas he doesn't. Why a husband would treat the mother of his children so recklessly even if he remarried is beyond reprehensible. Again this is a dramatization though so parts of the story might not have the full fact represented at certain points. However what is undeniable is the sacrifice that Betty endured to get Dan (played by Christian Slater) where he is but he does not see it that way. There are some bright points that indicate Betty's potential but also many wrong decisions or perceptions. There are two possibilities for light at the end of the tunnel but the situations don't quite play out as one hopes or Betty hopes they would. It is about wordplay and coming to bear. The system is stacked against Betty at her best points to gain ground, mostly shrouded in the smugness of the boys' club and legal jargon. Slater plays the character with an inherent smugness of course but his character ends up being very two dimensional which likely is by design. Giving away too much more would reveal how the descent happens. Either way the path will always end darkly. The issue is that seeing the destruction of such a positive soul, whatever her perceived shortcomings may be, is a tale in unnecessary tragedy.B

By Tim Wassberg