FXTalk about a whole lot of mixed emotions.
The People v. O.J. Simpson just capped off its excellent first season with another excellent presentation of the thing we all knew was coming.
Even if we were too young or just too out of touch to remember the specifics of the O.J. Simpson case—which made the past nine weeks extra interesting—we all know how this whole thing ended. Simpson was found not guilty, and that decision was felt and reacted to all over the country.
Even knowing that, we were still filled with an incredible sense of tension and dread leading up to the reading of the verdict, mostly thanks to all the people we had come to know and love throughout the recreation of this case. When Robert Kardashian threw up in the courthouse bathroom, we felt like throwing up. We wanted to hug Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden, and we wanted to cry with the Goldmans.
As impartial as the show once claimed to be, it was hard to celebrate with O.J. and his defense, especially because he spent the first few hours of freedom since he was arrested for the gruesome death of his ex-wife having a party, filled with people he didn't even know.
If we didn't have an opinion before, it's hard not to have one now, given whose emotions were most highlighted throughout the finale. Clark and Darden were the heroes who lost, and it immediately seemed that Cochran and Shapiro were just playing the part of believing they were on the right side of the case.
We did feel for Cochran as he watched Clinton address race on live TV and realize what he had achieved by winning, regardless of whether or not he won with the truth, and we weren't loving Marcia's attempt at ignoring or pushing aside the racial aspects of the verdict. Then, she was sharing the story of the time she was raped by a waiter, and how that experience made getting justice for victims all the more important, and our sympathy and respect for her was immediately back.
Did we decide who to root for based on facts, or based on which emotional moments the show focused on? Should we have been rooting for anyone at all?
We don't know how to feel, aside from sad that we don't get more Marcia Clark, Chris Darden or Johnnie Cochran. We may even miss Cuba Gooding Jr.'s O.J. Simpson, and we will absolutely miss talking about this show every week.
What did you think? Vote in our polls below, and share your thoughts in the comments!