PAM & TOMMY (S1E5) “Uncle Jim And Aunt Susie In Duluth”: There Is No Stopping This Ticking Time Bomb

While Pam & Tommy opened to the euphoric bliss of a celebrity couple and marriage, the cracks have begun to show as Pam and Tommy’s sex tape has begun to gain steam. While a quiet little sell initially, more and more people have begun to increase its availability, garnering not only more playback but also the attention of the press and late-night personalities. But what is truly heartbreaking is watching the celebrity duo not only struggle to control the tape’s release but their own personal struggles as well.

Ticking Time Bomb

By the end of “The Master Beta“, Pam (Lily James) and Tommy (Sebastian Stan) had not only discovered the tape and its current influential reach but had suffered the devastating loss of their child. A miscarriage. possibly brought on by stress, culminating into a heartbreaking scene of grief and anger. In a moment where privacy and compassion were needed most, the world had begun to demand more of the couple’s scandal.

As this week’s episode opens, a journalist for the LA Times is trying to pitch the story of Pam and Tommy’s sex tape to her editor. While she does not initially succeed, it is a well-placed opening that transitions viewers back to Pamela as she sits comfortably at home with a Glamour reporter conducting an exclusive interview. There is a strength she exudes, a calm aura, the intensity of the final moments of “The Master Beta” nonexistent – especially as Pam tells the reporter that bad stuff happens and you need to move past it.

Continuing its exceptional transitions between characters, Pam’s words linger as a teddy bear is shown, the t-shirt of the bear questioning whether it is a boy or a girl. There is deepening sadness as viewers see Tommy laying on the floor, staring at the bear. There is a peace and tranquility, yet a heartbreak as you watch the heavy metal rocker quietly mourn the loss of his child. As Pam enters, you not only feel the sadness for what has been lost but feel a void forming between the two. Something has changed and as the episode continues, the space between them only grows more.

There is no stopping it now

“Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth” is a quick, tightly paced episode, never extending its run time to align with the lengths of its previous episodes. It is determined to capture the acceleration of a scandal and the emotional impact that is building. The entire episode has the feeling of a ticking time bomb, the score only heightening the intensity. From a bar fight to additional links of the video, from journalistic interest to Jay Leno (Adam Ray) launching his nightly show at Pamela’s expense, there is no stopping what Rand (Seth Rogen) has set into motion. And while he is never seen in the episode, his effects are forever in the forefront.

And while the episode tackles the pieces falling into place to make this a highly published scandal, it is also accelerating the microscopic focus of Pamela Anderson. As “Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth” continues, Pamela is, without actually saying it, told to contain her husband as his bad behavior reflects badly on her. And in an instant, she is stripped of her individuality. In a moment of action, in a room of men, she is silenced and seemingly lead to follow through with a lawsuit against Penthouse – an action that further brings light to the sex tape circulating. By the end of the episode, it is Pamela Anderson alone that is subpoenaed for a deposition, her poor legal advice delivered by a room full of men ensuring a future repeat in hers and Tommy’s legal case.

With each scene, this is becoming less and less about the sex tape of Pam & Tommy, but of the treatment of Pamela Anderson.

Conclusion

As the episode is closing out, viewers see Pamela and Tommy fighting over the tape and the events that have followed, emotions of frustration and despair pushing each to a breaking point. “Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie in Duluth” sees the world working around Pam and Tommy, their lack of control more consuming as it slips further and further away from them. Much like this series, this story is being told through the eyes of others. They are not given the chance to speak, rather slowly and harshly “punished” for the exploitation and violations they are the victims of.

And with three episodes left, it seems it is far from over.

What are your thoughts on the series so far? Let us know in the comments below!

Pam & Tommy premieres with new episodes on Hulu every Wednesday!

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