FXThe world was a different place in 1994.
It was a time of car phones, flannel, and Full House. Friends premiered. Bill Clinton was president. Twitter was a way you might describe the sound that birds make, and Facebook was just two words thrown together.
When O.J. Simpson and his friend, Al "A.C." Cowlings hopped in a white Bronco and took a ride down some Los Angeles freeways, there was no such thing as social media beyond a few lesser-known message boards. People were forced to talk to each other's faces about the ins and outs of the insane legal case without a single hashtag in sight.
Now, 20 years later, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story is giving us that chance to discuss the case—and TV's latest dramatization of the case—in a way we never could in the ‘90s, using a whole new kind of language and a very different perspective on how breaking news is reported and spread.
It's also giving a whole new generation of people the chance to experience a major part of American culture that we missed the first time around, either because we were too young to remember or just not even born yet.
In the spirit of that second chance, a four members of the E! Online office gathered together on the internet to discuss episode two of The People v. O.J. Simpson, "The Run of His Life," featuring that infamous car chase.
Holly: Kato was one of the stars of the entire thing. I'm trying to think of who I can compare him to. He was "the houseguest."
As far as the whole Bronco chase fiasco—and that's what it was, a giant fiasco—I wasn't that excited about seeing it played out on the series. When I look back I remember the actual news breaking of the murder, OJ's mugshot, the rise of Court TV, the trial, the glove and Robert Kardashian's face when the verdict was read. I always forget about A.C. and his bronco.
Natalie: Actually, what I most loved about the episode were all the real-life ‘90s things going on—the NBA Finals, Arnold Palmer's last US Open, Tom Brokaw…
Taylor: I found it really interesting how they included a scene of cutting off the NBA play offs in the episode itself.
Holly: I want to know if Robert Kardashian really told OJ's family that he had killed himself.
Natalie: It's not in the book (Jeffrey Toobin's book, "The Run of His Life", which this show is based on). I'm filing that under FICTION.
Lauren: They're really making Robert Kardashian look sympathetic and like a pretty normal guy who just happens to be pals with O.J. Simpson.
Natalie: The show is definitely building him up to be the voice of reason/moral center.
Lauren: I just keep trying to imagine a story like this happening now, because it's such a line to walk. It would be the biggest story, but it's such a sensitive topic.
Holly: I kept thinking about working on a newsdesk and having to confirm if O.J. was dead or alive. It sorta gave me anxiety.
Taylor: You really have to prepare for everything, It wasn't incredibly surprising to see those BTS media preparations in the episode. For that moment it really felt like he was gone.
So what would it be like if something like this happened today?
Natalie: First of all, if it happened today it would break Twitter. #OJwhitebronco
Lauren: Oh I didn't even think of hashtags!
Natalie: Presumably Twitter would have taken the place of all the people cheering him on along the road.
Lauren: There would be Periscoping.
Taylor: I can only imagine the live-tweeting—sightings from people on the freeway etc. It would be even more of an event.
Lauren: The things that unite the internet now are just so trivial that I can't even imagine what would happen if a major celebrity was accused of a murder like that.
Taylor: Even with the Making a Murderer trial that took the Internet by storm, this was a man that was just introduced to us. To follow an athlete that has such a following through a trial like this in 2016? I can't even wrap my head around it.