Dirty John [Netflix]

[Mobius]

Yesterday I found a podcast called Dirty John. Listened to it in basically one sitting, very weird cool true story in the style of Serial or S-Town. Older woman meets handsome charming man, things take a turn. Great stuff.

Turns out they've just released a series of it. Eric Bana as Dirty John. Just watched first 2 and it's great.

Anyone watching and or listened to the podcast?

[studpuppet]

Read that. Thought this.

[Z]

I remember the success of that podcast really baffling me, seem to recall my impression being "jesus, people'll go crazy about any true crime shit that's a bit bingeable and comes out all at once" Was one of the main narrators on it mentally retarded or something too? Maybe a stoner to the point of mental retardation? Just insufferable to listen to.

Eric Bana getting some biggish roles is good though.

[phes]

^ yer, listened to the podcast a while back and it was a bit shit tbh. Probably didn't help I listened to it after S-Town which, while very imperfect, has a captivating subject

[BlodwynPig]

It's quite a nice series to watch - hints of TV movie but done well. Bana's eyes - dark windows of the soul.

[Rev+]

'Quite a nice series to watch' is a good way of putting it.  It's a pretty small story, told reasonably well.  Eight episodes was at least two too many, but a one-and-done self-contained series is becoming such a novelty that...

that I'm willing

... that it maybe stayed a bit longer than it was welcome

because after all this is the only time we'll be spending with these charTHEY'RE MAKING A FUCKING SECOND SERIES.  How the fuck does that work?  Can nothing ever be done once it's said all it has to say?

[Mobius]

Totally agree on it being quite a nice watch, and resembling a telly movie. It's quite comforting and that weird dreamy/serene feel to it works quite well, considering how fucking naive the mum is. John's feeding her utter bullshit and there's this plinky plonky lovey piano over the dialogue

Are they really doing another series? I did think it was weird how Netflix specifically said 'Season 1' when it's the only season.. the only thing I can think is it'd be a John prequel, fleshing out (or making up) his past

[Rev+]

Yeah, it was apparently always a two season deal.  They could take it in a Friday the 13th Part VI direction, I suppose.

[paruses]

Most of the way through this. Watched it with half an eye up to about ep4 then found it kicked in and was more engaging.

Very TV movie - but personally I find that a charm.

Question for anyone who listened to the podcast - does the eldest daughter come across as awful in that as in the series?

[BlodwynPig]

Totally agree on it being quite a nice watch, and resembling a telly movie. It's quite comforting and that weird dreamy/serene feel to it works quite well, considering how fucking naive the mum is. John's feeding her utter bullshit and there's this plinky plonky lovey piano over the dialogue

Are they really doing another series? I did think it was weird how Netflix specifically said 'Season 1' when it's the only season.. the only thing I can think is it'd be a John prequel, fleshing out (or making up) his past

It will focus on another true Dirty John - this time involving murder.

[BlodwynPig]

Most of the way through this. Watched it with half an eye up to about ep4 then found it kicked in and was more engaging.

Very TV movie - but personally I find that a charm.

Question for anyone who listened to the podcast - does the eldest daughter come across as awful in that as in the series?

she's just a typical valley girl with a bit of a heart.

[Ignatius_S]

Yeah, it was apparently always a two season deal.  They could take it in a Friday the 13th Part VI direction, I suppose.

When the show was announced, they said the second season would be a completely unrelated and self-contained story - doubt that will change.

My gut feeling is the plan was to create an anthology series that was shared some common theme - e.g. like American Crime Story.

[Ignatius_S]

It will focus on another true Dirty John - this time involving murder.

Has that been definitely confirmed?

[BlodwynPig]

Has that been definitely confirmed?

Not sure, but it was more a detailed synopsis than earlier "speculation"

[Ignatius_S]

Not sure, but it was more a detailed synopsis than earlier "speculation"

Thanks - I wouldn't be surprised if it was along those lines but wondered if you knew something more that made my post redundant!

[paruses]

I was pleased to be reminded how bad Americans are at doing ageing makeup. Jean Smart as the older grandmother looked like Kate McKinnon mocked up as a doddery old lady.

Thinking about it - as I was only half watching the first half I do have some questions about it if anyone can be arsed to answer -

What was the brother-in-law bit at the church in aid of?
Was the murdered sister  backstory really necessary? I saw that it affected the grandmother and nephew but the main character didn't seem influenced by it.

[BlodwynPig]

Thanks - I wouldn't be surprised if it was along those lines but wondered if you knew something more that made my post redundant!

Not more than what I posted - just a brief synopsis about a man who was given an ultimatum by his mistress - me or the wife. So he killed the wife.

[BlodwynPig]

I was pleased to be reminded how bad Americans are at doing ageing makeup. Jean Smart as the older grandmother looked like Kate McKinnon mocked up as a doddery old lady.

Thinking about it - as I was only half watching the first half I do have some questions about it if anyone can be arsed to answer -

What was the brother-in-law bit at the church in aid of?
Was the murdered sister  backstory really necessary? I saw that it affected the grandmother and nephew but the main character didn't seem influenced by it.

He used it as a tool / or the writers used it as a tool to break down the family bonds.

[Mr Banlon]

Thank god for the hatchery.

[paruses]

He used it as a tool / or the writers used it as a tool to break down the family bonds.

Thanks - thought that was the extent of it.

Hoping the next season is a companion piece rather than trying to put meat on JM's backstory (pointless) or one showing the making of the podcast - can only imagine that would be something like the Fast Show stop-motion sketch "Then we move this. Just a tiny bit. Click Click two frames. Then we move this again. Just a tiny bit. Click Click two frames....." ("Anyone fancy a Pint")

[Rev+]

When the show was announced, they said the second season would be a completely unrelated and self-contained story - doubt that will change.

My gut feeling is the plan was to create an anthology series that was shared some common theme - e.g. like American Crime Story.

The title of the thing's a bit limiting if that's the case, unless the common theme is fuckers called John.

[BlodwynPig]

The title of the thing's a bit limiting if that's the case, unless the common theme is fuckers called John.

Well it could be about escort murderers too.

[Funcrusher]

This is based on a compelling series of articles which I read when I was going through a phase of reading true crime stuff via Longform and Long Reads.

https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-dirty-john/

[imitationleather]

I never thought I'd say this, but I think Netflix needs to calm down on the producing true crime stuff thing. There's just too much of it, man.

I eagerly await their twenty episode series about Chris Watts.