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The Thing About Pam, the true-crime mini-series based on Betsy Faria's murder, started with a fascinating premise. The show, starring the acclaimed actress Renée Zellweger as Pam Hupp, the victim's close friend, just aired its second episode, and though an upgrade over the first one, it still has things to improve.
Given the fascinating premise of a real-life character who consistently spun narratives to evade suspicion, the show started out interesting. But the question is whether this NBC series could have presented it better. The second episode is more entangled in the mystery, it's darker and more engaging, but perhaps it could have done better with less episodes or a shorter runtime.
The Thing About Pam review: A constantly thinning plot?
The upgrade from the first episode can be felt in terms of slow-building intrigue and a better glimpse at the characters. The engaging plot gets much better with the crisis involving Betsy's husband Russ Faria, played by Glenn Flesher, who has now completely become the prime suspect.
It is enjoyable to see how Pam evades the questions and sometimes redirects them. In great fashion, these scenes make viewers crave for more. But these come in flashes rather than in long-drawn sequences. Other parts feel a little thin compared to the overall plot.
The Thing About Pam takes a true-crime podcast-like approach, not in an Only Murders in the Building fashion, and that may be the real problem. At times, the show treads on Mindhunter-esque esthetics, while at other times, it tries to replicate a murder-podcast feel. The inability to commit to one of the approaches makes the show feel unsure.
The major problem could also be the lack of enough plot to cover the long duration of a mini-series. This is a problem with this episode, which makes one wonder if the creators should have stuck to a two-hour film instead.
The things that worked
There are many things that are great about this episode of The Thing About Pam. For one, the actors are always at the top of their game. It is believable, and though it feels like Zellweger still has a lot to give, it is still great acting from the veteran actress.
The technical team is top notch, from camera to sound, to production design. It all falls into place.
The ending was also a great one. The intrigue it created around Russ's defense attorney left viewers in a gray zone, wondering where the show will go next.
The bad
One striking thing was the lack of exposition of Pam's character. Since it feels like there isn't enough to show in the runtime, some light into Pam's character would be a welcome change. It is always like the viewers hear of how Pam is this excellent person who cannot be doubted, but very little of her human side or the motherly side of the character is explored.
This is definitely something whose presence can change the course of the series. There are still many episodes to go, and the show may improve on these lines in the coming episodes.
The next episode of The Thing About Pam will air on March 22, 2022. Stay tuned for more updates.
