Best Show EVAR

Another thing I wrote ages ago.  A review of a tv show I had lots of fun watching on Hulu.

Murder One is a television program that aired in 1995. Well, I guess also in 1996 since it had a second season, but well. Let's just pretend it didn't exist. The second season, that is. Cuz the first season?? Best EVAR.

Hubbie and I watched this show when it first aired and it was definitely must-see-TV. For those not in the know, this show was about a murder trial that lasted the entire season. In the beginning, the show tried to be more about the firm that was defending the, um, defendant and that led to a few sub-plots that didn't do much (for example, trying to get the receptionist into the plot as more than just someone who says, "Right this way, Mr. Smith") and by the end they seemed to be focusing entirely on the murder investigation. The gist: a 16-year-old girl named Jessica Costello is found beaten, raped and murdered. A famous actor named Neil Avedon is accused of the murder. Other people are involved. Yeah, I know, but as Inigo Montoya once said, "It is too much. I will sum up."

REASONS why this show is awesome:
1) This was my introduction to two of my favorite actors ever: Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci. Oh, such a crush I had/have on Patricia. Such a lovely voice. So very yummy. And Tucci. 'Nuff said.

2) Daniel Benzali. Oh, I could do a whole post on the awesomeness of Daniel Benzali. So Bald. So Handsome. So...fuckable. Daniel Benzali played the main defense attorney, Ted Hoffman, husband to the lovely Patricia. Benzali has this voice, one of those voices where he could read the phone book and you'd be melting and waiting for his next word. He had this ability to say so much with his eyes and he could tell Richard Cross that of course, they're still friends, but his eyes said, FUCK YOU, creep. And I only say "had" because even though he did do other things after this show, I don't think he ever really did this kind of major role again. Which is a shame. My television could use more Daniel Benzali. And Ian Mcshane. Maybe they could do a buddy cop show. I'd watch!

3) Guest stars!!! OMG, every single episode of this, I'd say, "It's so-and-so!!! OMG!!!" I mean, at the time, who knew, but to go back and see all the now-familiar faces. Just a pure joy. And yes, I'm a big enough nerd to have written them all down as I watched. If it had only been one or two, I probably wouldn't have, but damn, but the fifth or sixth time I decided I had to record it for posterity.
SO: here goes, in no particular order:

Adam Scott (Party Down, Parks and Recreation, Step Brothers)
Brittany Murphy (Tai from Clueless, et al.)
Gregory Itzin (President Logan from 24)
Dean Norris (Hank from Breaking Bad)
Anna Gunn (Skyler from Breaking Bad; Mrs. Seth Bullock from Deadwood)
Dylan Baker (from EVERYTHING EVER)
Mary McCormack (FUCKING GODDESS)
Richard Schiff (West Wing)
Kevin Tighe (Locke's evil father from Lost)
Steve Harris (The Practice)
Tia Carrerre (Wayne's World)
Debra Christofferson (Crazy Rubber Suit Lady from NYPD Blue!!! She told Sipowicz that she had to wear a rubber suit under her clothes to hold in her juices!!! I couldn't forget that if I tried!!!)
Patricia Belcher (Caroline Julian from Bones - the one who says "cherie")
Miguel Sandoval (That Guy from Medium, et al.)
Harry Lennix (Boyd from Dollhouse; 24)
John De Lancie (Q!!!!!!!!!!)
Christian Clemenson (Socrates Poole from Brisco County Jr)
John Carroll Lynch (Drew Carey's cross-dressing brother from the Drew Carey Show; also, Mr. Marge Gunderson!)
Pamela Adlon (from Californication, Louie)
Charlotte Ross (NYPD Blue)
Jenna Elfman (Dharma and Greg)
Moon Unit Zappa (Valley Girl, spawn of Frank)
Concetta Tomei (chain-smoking ghost mom from Providence)
Kelly Hu (sorceress in The Scorpion King, Lady Deathstrike from X-Men 2)
Natalia Nogulich (transsexual music teacher from Picket Fences - Louise Talbot)
Conor O'Farrell - That Guy I Know I've seen SOMEWHERE, but where????
Richard Riehle - That Guy I Know I've seen SOMEWHERE, but where????
Tobin Bell - Jigsaw! (from the Saw movies)
Larry King as himself
Anne Haney - That Chick I Know I've seen SOMEWHERE, but where????

4) Miriam Grasso's Big Red Glasses!!! I guess the actress was on Hill Street Blues, but I never watched it, so I don't think I've seen her in anything else. She was truly wonderful on this show, though. Someone referred to her as "a nightmare in pumps."

5) Teh gay!!! Richard Schiff played a gay dude and they dealt it with it fairly awesomely. He was a closeted married guy who got caught in a bathroom with another guy, and couldn't deal with people finding out. He ended up committing suicide, which is a fairly common way to deal with this issue on television. I suppose at the time it hadn't become a cliche. But it was interesting in that the, I dunno, administrative assistant on the show was gay. They never said he was gay until this episode. (but it was kinda obvious) But even though it was obvious, no one treated him any different or anything, he was just another person who worked there. Anyway, he got a line about how unfortunately, society sometimes forces gay men into the closet and then they can't deal with the consequences of getting caught out of the closet and maybe society shouldn't be so fucking stoopid and just let them BE. I'm paraphrasing, DUH. But they handled it pretty well.

6) Mary Fucking McCormack. Every time I've seen her since that show, I always remember her from it. And I remembered that her name was "apple-something." Cuz I may not have known I was bicurious when I watched the show, but damn, I was noticing her big time. Now I just think of her as Mary Shannon from In Plain Sight.

The Not-So-Greats:
1) The two lawyers who weren't Justine Appleton or Arnold Spivak were BORING. And so of course, they were also fucking each other. BORING. I don't even remember their character or real names. Lisa? I dunno. Yawn. Major Fucking Yawn.