I can’t believe how compelling this episode was, considering that we all know exactly what the verdict was going to be. I am also incredibly sad this show is over. It was fascinatingly constructed, brilliantly acted, and extremely well-written. Shall we discuss? Feel free to talk about the show as a whole, as well as this episode. Some thoughts:

1) In a global sense, it seems to me that Judge Ito didn’t do a very good job with this trial — in this episode, he lets OJ give a protracted statement after noting that he’s not going to testify on his own behalf; he doesn’t recuse himself when the news came out that this wife (a) knew Fuhrman and (b) was mentioned in Fuhrman’s tapes; he was very unprofessional with Marcia at times, etc. I’d be interested to hear from lawyers in Fug Nation any thoughts on this, or from anyone who knows if that’s considered common knowledge, or if I’m just off track here.

2) Ryan Murphy is a very adept director. And given that this episode takes the first ten minutes and hands a long, static monologue to three characters in a row (in the form of closing statements), you know this show trusts its actors to hold our attention, which they do. If this show doesn’t take home a wheelbarrow full of Emmys, I will be surprised. AND ENRAGED.

3) I am going to miss Chris Darden. Is there any way Sterling K. Brown can be convinced to come over to my house in glasses and say kind, sympathetic, smart things to me on a weekly basis? I think it would make me feel better.

To the finale. Spoiler: OJ is acquitted. I hope your DVR didn’t cut out with twenty minutes to go the way mine did.