Pam and Tommy (1×08) Seattle Review

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

The characters had to come to their senses at some point. As far as Pam and Tommy were concerned, the tape was only the beginning as the internet proved to be an even bigger threat despite everybody attempting to move forward. Will this be the final straw to drive them apart? The series has always had a feminist perspective as the contrast between Pamela and Tommy’s experiences were glaring and just sad. Women’s rights were a big issue then and they still are now. It is safe to say that the leaking of the sex tape hurt her way more than it hurt him as the hits kept coming. She wanted things to be over. However, it would come at a cost. Meanwhile, karma was the theme of the day for Rand as he set form on a redemption tour as a means to finally turn his bad luck around.

When it came to Pamela and Tommy, the bad publicity continued to loom large thus preventing them to truly move forward despite their many attempts to do so.  Seth Warshavsky’s (Fred Hechinger) Seattle operation needed a hook for their site, so why not stream the sex tape online? Making it even easier to spread while continuing to undercut Rand, there was plenty of frustration to go around. Subsequently sued by the couple, Warshavsky took it as a badge of honor. Losing their injunction, he offered to buy the rights to the tape thus preventing the spread of it across the internet. A potential way out was not seen that way as far as Tommy was concerned. Pamela wanted it to be over and was not interested in profiting from it. The contention was back on.

The renewed recognition of the sex tape made for some uncomfortable moments. Pamela wanted to just get away but Tommy convinced her to let him join her so it can be like the old days. However, it did not end up that way as a mob of people swarmed them in Las Vegas. This trip was the beginning of the end for them as she was over with the drama and his gaslighting. As a result, she left him in Las Vegas though he didn’t stay there for very long, finding his way back to their home. Despondent. she gave him the silent treatment as he opened up himself to her. The lack of a response just made him mad. All Pamela wanted was for Tommy to sign away the rights to the tape and he eventually did, giving her the end she wanted.

Believing what he did to Pamela was the cause of his bad karma, Rand went on an apology tour to try and get some good karma back after all the women he slighted. On a personal level, he received the means to finally pay back his debt but it also meant selling the original sex tape to Warshavsky. Ultimately, instead of paying back his debt to Butchie, he gave the money to Erica. While the redemption arc was somewhat compelling, the impact just wasn’t there in balancing his story with everything else.

The ending was anti-climactic as Pamela was getting ready to be a mother with Tommy after the birth of their first child as end of their relationship supposedly happened off screen with text filling in the gaps, informing viewers of what eventually happened to them and all the other characters. It would have been nice to have at least one more episode with that stuff.

In the end, a series with so much promise, some genuine wild moments, and some great performances ends with a whimper. The consistency just wasn’t there.

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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.