Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth
In February 1996, the sex tape of Pam and Tommy went viral. The Times considered whether to print the tape, but ultimately decided against it because it became more and more mainstream. The tape tarnished Pam’s reputation, and her Glamour interview went on for two hours.
Tommy is struggling to keep up with the latest music trends. He goes to The Viper Club, but he’s out of the loop. He also gets angry in the bathroom when a couple of kids mention the last good record he produced was in 1987. ..
Tommy is thrown out of the club by security, kicking and screaming, cursing at the cameras that happen to be there. Unfortunately, this is not a good look and it reflects badly on Pam and her career. This is something Gail, the reporter from Glamour, is quick to point out. ..
Tommy is frustrated with the tape because it keeps coming back. He doesn’t like that it’s being spread around and he doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Pam is open about the fact that the tape has a short fuse, but she admits that there’s a chance it will get out and cause some trouble.
With Pam and Tommy bickering over the direction of their careers, Mötley Crüe hit another roadblock. Their studio time in the “big room” has been given to another band, also under the Elektra label, as their sales and popularity continues to dwindle.
Alicia Krentz, a reporter at the New York Times, rings through and asks if Tommy can help her with a story. Tommy is quick to curse and hang up. Unfortunately, Alicia continues to do her research and learns that this tape was stolen from a safe. She encourages her editor, Burt, to run with the story but he refuses again.
Tommy and Pam decide to hire a team of lawyers to stop the story from being printed and try to hit back against the distribution. Of Couse, leveling this against Bob Guccione is akin to kicking the hornets nest, and he’s quick to decide on pulling the free speech card. He’s going to blow up images from the tape and make the news.
Alicia learns of the impending lawsuit and decides to go public with her story. This causes the story to become more mainstream, which has negative consequences. ..
Gail from Glamour leaves a message for Pam to call back -clearly in relation to the tape. If that wasn’t bad enough, Jay Leno ends up doing a comedic riff on the tape during a late-night show. ..
Pam is frustrated and feeling helpless. Unfortunately, that’s only made worse when she receives a letter in the morning, informing her she needs to testify in a deposition. As Tommy tells her that they’re “in this together”, it’s obvious that they’re anything but.
The Episode Review
Tommy and Pam are in the middle of a public relations nightmare after a tape of them doing an intimate conversation was released. They’re struggling to deal with the fallout from the tape and what it means for their relationship. Beyond that, there’s really not a whole lot else going on.
With Rand absent from proceedings, the attention instead turns to various different reporters and rumblings across the entertainment landscape. Seeing how Pam has had to deal with all of this is tough to watch and you can’t help but feel sorry for the pair.
Despite the episode only clocking in at around 30 minutes or so, Pam and Tommy still gives the impression of dragging out its material. Sure, the pacing is quite good but aside from the tape spreading, there’s not a lot else to really sink your teeth into. Thankfully the acting helps to prop up any plot shortfalls this week, leaving the door wide open for where this one may go next. ..
