Betty did much better defending herself on Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story Season 1 Episode 6 than I thought she would.
But much like we feared, Betty was an utter fool for thinking that she could get the better of Dan while he was on the stand.
What she got for efforts was her $700k invoice to Dan wiped clean and a paltry $28k to live.
I have to admit that as the case wound to a close and the monthly support payments were announced, I wasn’t even sure if Betty was supposed to pay Dan or if she’d get a payment before he remarried.
Your case, your divorce, might be the worst one I’ve seen in this county.
Sid
It sure was sweet of the judge to award a settlement that would never go into effect since Dan already announced that he was getting remarried.
The whole display was nauseating.
Before we delve into the details, I have to ask you guys a question.
Why is Betty always shown talking with her mouth full?
What is that supposed to mean? Is it representing stress eating?
Would she really continue to talk with her mouth full when she’s lunching with the ladies? There was one particular scene when her gob was full for the entire scene, but I didn’t see a morsel of food on their plates.
And by that, I mean they were clean. The food hadn’t even been delivered to their table yet. Maybe they were supposed to photoshop some food onto the plates and just forgot.
Anyway, it’s a very weird thing that I couldn’t shake while watching.
I can tell you that I’m happy as hell I never got married. Epstein credits are such a scam. How can they be legal at all, let alone in a situation when a person doesn’t get the opportunity to determine when the person who spent all of the community assets on the other really left the marriage.
Have you ever wanted to read divorce proceedings more than you do after seeing that stuff on screen? Was it real?
The only thing an attorney ever did for me was lose. I can do that for free.
Betty
I wish I had the time to research this case because it seems like fiction. Who knew courts were so unfair during divorce proceedings or that you had no recourse to asks questions to state your case when something as important as custody of your children is concerned?
All of this is to say that it’s no wonder Betty was losing her mind.
Attorney: How would you describe Mrs. Broderick’s itemized expenses that she’s using as the basis for her support allocation.
Dan: Outrageous.
Attorney: Would you characterize Mrs. Broderick as driven by greed?
Dan: Yes, and frankly, I’m going to have to tighten my expenses very soon. Not just with a daughter going to college, but I am getting remarried and starting a new family. I anticipate there will be expenses in connection with that.
It seems most likely that the newspaper articles she found around the house with red writing on them, taunting her, were done by her.
Linda wanted an alarm system because she was so worried about Betty’s instability. If we’re to believe the story, Linda was also refusing to help Betty find her lost china, so it’s all open for debate.
If I were Linda and had been harassed by Betty all that time, that would have been something I did, but I wouldn’t have been able to watch Dan screw over his ex to that degree.
Linda is far too much of an enigma for the story to make much sense.
The story of Linda and Dan is racing to a close, though, as Betty already has a gun.
And with the way that Betty was lurking around her daughter’s graduation snapping photos like a paparazzi, murder is just going to be another day in the life.
Whether her mouth is stuffed with food or she’s half crying in a courtroom scene, Amanda Peet is killing it.
No pun intended.
She’s almost unrecognizable in this role. She’s mastering facial expressions in scenes such as Betty walking into a room hopeful that Dan might give her the time of day and finding him, instead, hand in hand with Linda. From sparking to flat in seconds.
Dan: All of my wealth, really, is in my law practice. I’ve had it evaluted, and if the court agrees, I intend to offer Betts half that value
Attorney: Would you sat that once you achieved success, Mrs. Broderick was happy?
Dan: The more money I made, the more she spent. But, no, she was never satisfied. If it was expensive, she needed it.
Attorney: How would you describe the support that Mrs. Broderick provided you when you began your legal career.
Dan: Non-existent.
Even Christian Slater is giving a little more empathy to Dan than he probably had. There were a few moments when I almost believed that Dan didn’t want Betty to suffer too much.
But then I remember that Dan was garbage, and I realize that those stray moments of kindness were the first indication that he’s manipulating Linda as much as he manipulated Betty.
What better way to keep Linda close before marriage than if he portrayed himself as compassionate? After all, every other minute of his day was dedicated to crushing Betty’s spirit. So what other reason for those momentarily lapses of compassion could there have been?
Betty: What was the moment this divorce really started.
Dan: April 12, 1969.
Judge: And what’s the relevance of that date, for the record?
Dan: That was the date we got married, your honor.
It proves that Dan can’t always read a room. The one time Linda needed him treat Betty to her face as he does behind her back was when Linda was asking about installing a security system.
Was Dan as codependent on Betty as she was on him? I’m starting to think that Dan needed crazy Betty in his life. Craziness be damned, Dan liked the effect he had on Betty. Maybe his ego couldn’t live without it. His ego certainly was a factor in his death and Linda’s.
If he’d been able to let Betty go, he might be alive. If he’d fully committed to his new wife and installed security, Dan might be alive.
What about you? Are you beginning to believe Dan is just as crazy as Betty?
Let me know what you’re thinking this far into the show.
I assume we’ll follow Betty up to her incarceration. After all, this is her story, and that’s where her “life” ended.
Hit the comments!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.