Whoever thought the sex tape scandal involving Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee would turn into a mini-series? Well, in the world of Hollywood, sex sells so in turn, it’s not too surprising that a mini-series explores the nature of such scandal. Pam & Tommy follows the relationship of the famous couple who got married after only knowing each other for 96 hours. The first episode is titled, Drilling and Pound, so it’s safe to say that this isn’t going to be a PG show that the whole family will enjoy. However, given the nature of the content, does Pam & Tommy make a good case for themselves as television series?
First things first, the casting for this mini-series is spot-on, especially the title characters themselves. The show opens with an interview between Jay Leno and Pamela Anderson and it generally felt like I was watching the real-life human beings. It’s not just the fact that they nailed down the look for each character (though you notice it’s not really them when the close-up hits), but the mannerisms that make you feel as if you genuinely watching Pamela Anderson and Jay Leno. Of course, the acting is pretty strong, but given the fact that Lily James and Sebastian Stan are playing the leads here, it’s not particularly surprising that they knock it out of the park. However, the focus isn’t exactly on Pam & Tommy in the first episode. Granted, you’ll hear the wild porn-like sex these two have (though you don’t actually see the sex scenes in the first episode), but the focus is mainly on Seth Rogan’s character Rand, who’s the construction worker trying to put together Tommy’s ultimate dream bedroom.
In some ways, it’s actually disappointing that we don’t really spend time with Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson’s characters. Lee comes across as a douchebag here, so it would’ve been great to see the kinder side of his character. Plus, getting to know a bit more about the dynamic between Anderson and Lee would’ve been great. Obviously, they love sex, but surely there’s more to these people outside of the sheets? We know that they’re famous but peeling back the layers and focusing on their humanity could’ve really helped the story go a long way. However, I can’t deny that this was actually a very good opening episode. Sure, we don’t spend much time with the famous couple, but watching Rand navigate through this world as Tommy and Pam’s construction worker is pretty fun. The first episode is really just a set-up for what’s to come later on throughout the season. Rand is consistently humiliated and punked by Tommy Lee. Though you won’t like the famous musician in the first episode, it really helps you connect with Rand’s character because he’s being treated like crap. I don’t know exactly know how the rest of the season will play out, but hopefully, they smooth out Tommy Lee. Surely, he can’t be a dick 24/7, right? It’s hard to care about Tommy and Pamela’s sex tape being leaked when the titular characters aren’t exactly the most likeable people in the world.
Still, the purpose was to drive sympathy towards Rand, and the pilot succeeds on that front. As I previously mentioned, you don’t get much of an intimate look at the couple but at the very least, you understand their lifestyle for the most part. The first episode can be confusing. The message is clear as day, but the protagonist is Rand here, not Tommy and Pam. To add onto my disappointment about not really following the characters, it does take away from the narrative because the story is supposed to center around them. The pilot should’ve made more of an effort to tell the audience that they are the leads here, though still give Rand his story as well. Nevertheless, the pilot never feels unfocused or anything of that nature, but if you were going in hoping to get more information about the private lives of Tommy and Pamela, well, the pilot episode isn’t for you. That isn’t to say that first episode of Tommy & Pam was a bad. Regardless of what your expectation is, it was a fun hour of television and something I definitely recommend watching. It’s not perfect by any means, but for a series about a sex crazed couple, it’s nice that the focus isn’t purely based on that. There’s a clear objective when it comes to this mini-series, and it should be great to see their lives unfold once the sex tape is leaked. The only reason you shouldn’t watch the pilot is if you were hoping for a marathon of sex and drugs.
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