Pam & Tommy (2022)
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Pam & Tommy Review
Pam & Tommy is a 2022 biographical drama miniseries that premiered on Hulu. It is a very entertaining, interesting real life story.
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“The tape. Well, yeah, fellas, we all want to know“
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The film is about the story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, particularly focusing on the period when their sex tape was released to the public. I hadn’t expected a show that would be this much fun, but it really was very interesting to watch. Obviously, a lot of liberties were taken when making it and Anderson herself was not pleased with the result. The exclusion of Tommy Lee’s erratic, violent behavior was the sourest thing that the creators chose to gloss over.
With that being said, this is still a very well made series. Most of the eight episodes struck the right tone between dramatic and comedic. The choice to also focus on the guy who first got and leaked the tape was somewhat authentic, but he still got way too much screen time, though Seth Rogen was amusing in the role.
Lily James is the real star here. I was amazed by her performance here. She looked the part as she was transformed impeccably into Pamela, but she also excelled depicting her truthfully. Pam here is fun, sweet and also rather smart actually, which are all the notes that James played stupendously. She truly shined in the last couple of episodes where she got the most to do.
Sebastian Stan was also superbly cast as Tommy Lee. He killed it here, making the case that he also deserves a bigger career in Hollywood. The character is problematically portrayed as being too positive, but still he was magnetic in the role. Both actors were terrific and the character development was excellent.
Pam & Tommy is a surprisingly romantic show. The first half was particularly charming and endearing in the central relationship. The two obviously loved each other tremendously and that great affection was wonderfully depicted here. But still, their breakup was rushed and more could have been done to portray the darker side of their troubled relationship.
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My favorite part of the series is its portrayal of the early age of the internet and how popular this sex tape was. It was hilarious how nobody knew how this world works, but the show was also great at showcasing just how horrifying getting your private videos leaked to the whole world must feel like. The series is suitably feminist and sex-positive in that regard.
Overall, Pam & Tommy did sidestep the issue of Tommy Lee’s problematic behavior almost altogether, but the series dealt so well with the whole sex tape scandal and just how terrible it must have all felt to Anderson. The highlight is the surprisingly romantic and sweet first half.
Worst Episodes: Drilling and Pounding and The Master Beta.
Best Episodes: Jane Fonda and Seattle.
