Impeachment: American Crime Story
The third series in the true crime anthology from award-winning writerproducer Ryan Murphy – following on from The People vs O J Simpson and The Assassination of Gianni Versace – this compelling drama takes us back to the 1990s to delve into the impeachment of then American President Bill Clinton over his affair with young White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
A smart move is to tell the story not from the perspective of the two major figures in the scandal but from a key character on the sidelines, namely Republican civil servant Linda Tripp (played by the always dependable Sarah Paulson) who befriends the 22-year-old Lewinsky (Beanie Feldstein) when they both end up working at the Pentagon.
Tripp’s motives for her maternal concern are shown to be more selfserving than sympathetic as the incisive
– and frequently slyly humorous – script lays out the myriad reasons why Tripp feels embittered. Demoted from a senior position in the West Wing and seemingly determined to take her revenge, Tripp begins to gather evidence from her lovelorn young friend who has confided in her about her secret relationship.
It eventually leads to a truly shocking act of betrayal. Paulson and Feldstein both deliver excellent performances and they get classy support from Clive Owen as Clinton and Edie Falco as the longsuffering Hillary.