‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’: 3 Things We Learned in the Premiere

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Impeachment: American Crime Story, Season 3, Episode 1, “Exiles.”]

As with any television series or film based on true events, viewers must take the dramatizations with a grain of salt, but there were plenty of interesting revelations made during the premiere episode of FX’s Impeachment: American Crime Story.

Covering the Bill Clinton (Clive Owen) impeachment scandal, the show tracks the key players involved including Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky and Sarah Paulson as the woman who exposed their fling, Linda Tripp. Below, we’re breaking down some of the most interesting claims revealed in the opener, “Exiles.”

(Credit: Tina Thorpe/FX)

Hillary Clinton & Vince Foster’s Bond

In a peek at life in the White House in 1993, Linda runs into Hillary (Edie Falco) while using the restroom. Linda comments that she finds it odd the First Lady would use a workers’ space instead of private bathrooms in a conversation with colleague Kathleen Willey (Elizabeth Reaser). But their banter hints the reason behind this habit stems from Hillary’s closeness with Vince Foster, Linda’s boss, and deputy White House counsel. Is the series claiming the pair were having an affair themselves or is this just an added layer of fictional drama?

Mr. Jones’ Hollywood Break?

(Credit: Tina Thorpe/FX)

Kicking off the legal proceedings of Paula Jones (Annaleigh Ashford) and her husband Steve (Taran Killam) in 1994, the couple meets with a lawyer and recounts her claim that Bill Clinton had propositioned and exposed himself to her. Their initial ask is that Paula receives an apology from Clinton and that they receive a walk-on role in Designing Women for Steve who has been trying to breakthrough in acting. Although a small detail, it’s a rather interesting ask for the couple to make.

Related

Roush Review: 'Impeachment' Is Mostly Monica's Tripp-y Story

Paula’s Drawing

During her meeting with lawyers, Paula offers to draw the appendage that Bill Clinton allegedly exposed to her, referencing a notorious claim made in the real-life case regarding the former president’s genitals and their appearance. This is different from Jeffrey Toobin’s book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President, upon which this season of ACS is based, where Paula’s drawing took place in court.

Stay tuned for more revelatory claims as the season unfolds and let us know what you thought of the premiere in the comments section, below.

Impeachment: American Crime Story, Tuesdays, 10/9c, FX