What I’m Watching: Gaslit (Series Finale)

Gaslit: Season 1, Episode 8 “Final Days” (B+)

There have been so many limited series recently that have started out so well and then ended with a bit of a whimper and I’m pleased to report that, even though I wasn’t entirely fond of the episode before this one, this was a very strong finish. Opening with Martha Kelly’s Rose Mary Woods showing scientifically how she must have pushed the wrong button while she was stretching to erase the tapes highlighted the absurdity of all this in an episode that wasn’t quite as over-the-top as the rest. Paul and Angelo were thrilled to be able to come arrest John and parade him out in front of the press, though somehow he managed to escape severe punishment despite his explicit role in all of this. Seeing Dean and the other top dogs, including Halderman, Colson, and Magruder out working in the prison yard discussing whether they were guilty or whether, as Dean put it, they were “all Nixon,” was an interesting reflection on their degrees of complicity. Liddy being in the same room at the courthouse with Dean and telling him how he had learned how to kill a man using just a pencil was a perfect coda for those two characters and the way in which they’ve both played a part in all this. It’s sad to see Martha’s fate, but at least Winnie tried to pay tribute to someone she judged initially but then really got to know when she gave her a chance. This has been quite a ride, with such a terrific cast and a great way to learn about a relatively exaggerated but still worthwhile chronicle of history.

Series grade: B+
Series MVP: Shea Whigham as Gordon Liddy