PAM & TOMMY (S1E8) “Seattle”: All Things Must End

The end has come for Pam & Tommy. And while the series feels impossible to conclude, it does seemingly wrap it all up. “Seattle” struggles for most of its episode to feel like a conclusion, yet in the end presents itself as a moment in time. As the sex tape scandal following Pamela Anderson did not end, the series feels open, not for another season but for the continuation of time that followed its ending points. Because at the end of it all, this is still loosely based on a true story – and the story never truly ends.

The Void of Obscurity

Opening in June 1996, Mötley Crüe is releasing their new album in front of the local record store, giving a performance for all who have come out. As they are able to relive both the glory days and embrace a changing musical climate, there is the feeling that it is not enough, their entry into music history is a thing of the past. As fans of grunge arrive at the record store, the camera holds onto Tommy (Sebastian Stan), his eyes taking in the meaning of their returning stares. There is the sense of falling into obscurity in the face of newer and fresher music, as well as the constant struggle to stay relevant. It speaks to an earlier episode of Pam & Tommy, Tommy and the band downgraded to a smaller recording studio due to the needs of newer talent.

The parallel of obscurity continues to linger as the series returns to Pamela (Lily James). Where Mötley Crüe’s struggles come from an inevitable need to stay relevant amongst new talent, Pamela Anderson finds herself fighting just as hard – her battle also thrust upon her, but by scandal and industry expectations. She is not fighting age and newer talent, but a viewpoint of a misogynistic industry that sees her as not only pregnant but damaged by the notoriety the sex tape has brought her.

As Pam and Tommy’s fame in their chosen industries seems to be fading, the sex tape lingers, refusing to just go away. And while they come to the understanding that it can’t get any worse, an entrepreneur in the online porn industry finds a way to make sure that it stays in the limelight forever.

Hands Forced

Whether by choice or consequence, Pam & Tommy has been a film that examines how others can seemingly force action, pushing others into situations they would have never found themselves in otherwise. Tommy pushed Rand (Seth Rogen) to his breaking point, his cruelty to others leading to a ripple effect of actions that would permanently change the course of others. Had he just let Rand leave with his tools, this series may not have even existed. From there, Rand stole the safe and released the tape, greed, anger, and pain dominating the lives of many in its wake.

As “Seattle” gives viewers a moment to take in the karma and the injustice, it also sees how far the ripples have reached. Rand at the end of “Destroyer of Worlds” found himself unable to repay Butchie back the $50,000 he borrowed. With Miltie (Nick Offerman) out of the country with all their money, Rand is given a unique opportunity to repay Butchie all that he owes by collecting other outstanding debts for him. Where “Destroyer of Worlds” sees Rand cathartically accepting the consequences of his decisions, “Seattle” sees him broken from the torment and pain he has given others. And where it begins as physical pain, it transforms into karmic, his religious beliefs circling back to provide the understanding of the pain he has been causing others – primarily Pamela Anderson.

And while Rand attempts to make amends, he sees how he has forced others into their situations and how he has been doing it for years. While he is unable to correct what he had done to Pamela, Rand tries to make amends for the pain he has put his ex-wife through. While he is able to collect the money Butchie has offered in return for his freedom of debt, he gives it to Erica (Taylor Schilling), releasing her from their marriage and giving her the money for the debt he caused her – and the pain. There is a catharsis to watching Rand come to the realization of his actions, yet an understanding that his reparations will never reach their conclusion, the damage he caused rippling further than he ever thought possible.

Pamela and Tommy find, much like Rand, their actions have forced them into rapidly changing situations they too can not control. Where the release of the tape spiraled out of their control, too often they let others tell them how to handle it, the consequences coming down on too often on Pamela. As they are forced to fight back, forced to navigate the waters of curiosity and misogyny, “Seattle” finally brings them to the tipping point. As an entrepreneur releases the tape for free, Pamela and Tommy find its reach limitless. And while Tommy is willing to accept that it will run its course, Pamela wants it all over, a release of the tape promising limited viewership and an end to the scandal.

It’s an intriguing moment Pam & Tommy presents to viewers, contrasting the weight of decisions from earlier in the series in “Uncle Jim and Aunt Susie In Duluth”. As Penthouse was threatening to release images, Tommy, and a room of male lawyers, convinced Pamela that filing a suit against Penthouse was the smartest idea. And while it ended up blowing up in their face, it was Pamela who was forced to carry the weight of the aftermath. Here in “Seattle”, it is Pamela pushing for the resolution, for Tommy and her to sign the release to secure limits on the tape and an end to their constant struggle. Where Pamela reluctantly agreed to the lawsuit earlier, Tommy is adamantly against the release here. The series has been culminating to this moment, Tommy’s lack of understanding for Pamela’s forced role in all this leading to an explosive moment of forced action.

And when a decision is finally made, it is one whose repercussions will have new rippling effects in its wake.

Conclusion

Pam & Tommy ends on a seemingly hopeful note, one that is unfortunately tainted by the knowledge of the future, as well as a new understanding of one of the biggest scandals of the 1990s. Pam & Tommy in its own right is a series that continues the profiteering of the sex tape, yet in its wake, delivered to audiences a new perspective into its true victim – Pamela Anderson. Pam & Tommy takes the time to understand not only what happened to her, but how and why. Forces moving around her with no regard for the aftermath she alone had to endure. And as news of an upcoming interview with Pamela Anderson, as well the announcement of her upcoming Broadway debut in Chicago, it seems her story is far from over.

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Pam & Tommy is available on Hulu!