Pam and Tommy (1×05) Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth Review

For our review of the last episode of Pam and Tommy, click here.

The tape is out now and there’s little to be done to stop it now that it has spread as much as it has. The next step will be to find a way to accept this fact and move on. This latest episode of Pam and Tommy was the beginning stages of that. A Pam and Tommy centered episode, it forces to take a deep look at themselves and their careers as the controversy put a spotlight on them. Suffice it to say that they may not have handled that pressure the best but behind it all, they are still human. Though the cracks are there and continuing to form, where it will all ultimately go remains to be seen.

Taking a more macro approach, we start to see the impact of the tape on the world and pop culture as a whole be it newsrooms determining the story’s newsworthiness or late night talk show writers rooms brainstorming the best monolog jokes. As more information comes to light, some decisions perhaps became easier to make thus digging them deeper. That being said, there was still a difference between Pam and Tommy in terms of how their lives were affected. Pam’s issues have been well documented, however,  the episode did take an interesting trip with the latter as his fading relevancy only grew as he felt overshadowed both professionally and personally, bottling up that resentment for the most part while having it come out in the occasional outburst. Sebastian Stan was great here as Tommy.

The biggest development, however, came from the head of Penthouse magazine getting hold of a copy of the tape and threatening to publish stills. Tommy’s first incling was to sue therefore Pamela was merely there for the ride amongst a room full of white guys in suits whether or not that’s what she really wanted. Penthouse wasn’t going to give up without a fight thus making the spotlight much worse for Pam and Tommy and everyone else in their circles.

The episode should have stayed with Pam and Tommy throughout but instead it took a detour to check out the webcam operation hinted at in the last episode.

It ended with Pamela being deposed and subjected to an oral examination as a result of the Penthouse suit. Things are about to get wild but maybe not in the way that many would hope as the tone change has seemingly made for a different dynamic.

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.