Renee Zellweger as Pam Hupp in The Case of Pam. Photo: Skip Bolen/NBC
The phrase “Truth is stranger than fiction” was created for a true crime story like the one at the heart of The Pam Case. If the screenwriter had decided to create this particular series of heinous crimes, he would most likely have been dismissed as too outlandish. Luckily, the forces behind Dateline NBC thought there was more to this particular case and ended up turning Betsy Faria’s death story into a hugely successful 2019 podcast. Loudly touted as the television debut of Academy Award winner Renee Zellweger, The Case of Pam did an impressive job of bringing a compelling story to the small screen.
BUT-
The Case of Pam
Based
2019 Dateline NBC podcast of the same name
Starring
René Zellweger, Josh Duhamel, Judy Greer, Cathy Mixon, Glenn Fleshler, Gideon Adlon, Sean Bridgers, Seuanne Spock and Mac Brandt
debuts
Tuesday, March 8 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
Format
An hour-long crime drama based on true events; viewed four episodes for review
It’s easy to see why Dateline was intrigued in the first place. In 2011, Russ Faria of Troy, Missouri, called 911 to report that his wife, Betsy, had committed suicide. Unfortunately for Russ, Betsy had over 50 stab wounds and his call to the authorities made him sound theatrical. The decision to commit suicide was extremely unlikely. In the tiny town of Troy (pop: 12,000), law enforcement and re-election candidate Leah Askey were quick to blame the most obvious suspect in the family dispute: the husband.
But the series based on the crime is called The Case of Pam, so there are early indications that Russ may not be the killer. In the limited series, Russ’ attorney Joel Schwartz (Josh Duhamel) glides like a white knight, but even this seasoned, successful attorney is stymied by local roadblocks thrown in his way. One of the key witnesses in the case: Betsy’s best friend Pam Hupp (Zellweger), who seems to be pulling strings behind the scenes, but to what end?
Renee Zellweger as Pam Hupp, Heather Magee as Judge Mennemeyer, Josh Duhamel as Joel Schwartz in The Pam Case. Photo: Skip Bolen/NBC
Like the podcast, The Thing About Pam is narrated by Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison, lending a strange yet compelling folkloric edge to the increasingly unsettling story. Morrison’s narrator obviously knows more than we do, and he helps the series as he slowly uncovers clues and details that inevitably lead to the story’s protagonist.
Zellweger and her many prosthetic limbs get most of the press for the show – and yes, a show based on such an unsavory character would be hard to sell if it wasn’t for the Oscar-winner’s smart performance. Pam is cruel to both her mother and offspring, positioning herself as a godsend for Betsy and her family members. These annoying aspects of her personality are heightened by the ubiquitous giant drink from the fountain, which Zellweger sips in an angry, obsessive manner. The actor also highlights the peculiar twang of Pam’s twang in Missouri; it’s not exactly a challenge to Anna Delvey or Elizabeth Holmes, but her portrayal is almost indistinguishable from the real Hupp’s voice on the podcast. She fearlessly plays Pam’s unsympathetic nature, and the most frightening part of the story is the suggestion that such a monster could appear anywhere, even in disguise in the Nice Midwest.
But none of this should overshadow the show’s real utility players: Duhamel and Judy Greer as lawyers on opposite sides of the Faria case. So often unfairly dismissed from her role as romantic comedy best friend, Greer is uncharacteristically sly as Asuka, refusing to admit that she may have pointed the wrong guy and coming up with many implausible theories to make that accusation true. Duhamel is also a revelation here, adopting the real Schwartz’s frizzy locks and refusing to give up proof of Russ’s innocence, no matter how many cards are against him. Aski Greer gleefully and repeatedly stresses to Schwartz how far he is from Troy’s inner circle, but Schwartz is undaunted, believing the truth is on his side.
To be honest, in an era of television where none of us are strangers to legal drama or crime docs (as evidenced by the recent return of Law & Order), shows ripped from the headlines rarely offer twists and turns of events. twists and turns, heartbreaking memories and thrilling courtroom showdowns. But more importantly, The Case of Pam’s actors break out of their molds, which makes it stand out in an overloaded genre.