If you loved Big Little Lies, Dirty John is your next TV obsession

Like Big Little Lies before it, Dirty John is a soapy but serious meditation on the insidious nature of domestic violence. Only this time, the story is true.

Bravo’s newest scripted series, Dirty John, is an absorbing piece of entertainment. Boasting a stellar cast and a juicy true crime component, the series is irresistible and instantly addictive.

Based on the popular Dirty John podcast (which, itself, is based on award-winning reporting by Chris Goffard of the LA Times), Bravo closely hews to the events that unfolded in each audio episode. Back in 2014, Debra Newell, a successful interior decorator with her own flourishing business, met a man named John Meehan online. But what once appeared to be a fairy tale relationship quickly devolved into a real life horror story involving terrifying threats, sinister crimes, and even murder.

Not only is the story bananas, but it boasts several truth-is-stranger-than-fiction twists that make it perfect for a limited series. Just like the podcast, the first episode opens with not-so-subtle allusions to a grisly death, and then leaves that thread (mostly) hanging.

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Murder bookmarking was a trick previously employed by HBO’s critically celebrated hit series Big Little Lies, tragedy starkly framing the story of everyday, upper class women, going about their lives and working on their flawed relationships. Only this time, the story is true.

After Debra became involved with John Meehan, her entire family was tormented by a connection to the enigmatic man. The horror continued for almost three years, until the unthinkable happened. While both Big Little Lies and Dirty John are both series that aim to entertain, they utilize a common yet tragically overlooked problem in our society today: domestic violence.

These stories are both told within the borders of tony, lily white communities – places where dysfunction is often skillfully concealed from the world – illustrating that domestic violence can and does happen anywhere. Also, gorgeous California mansions means oodles of opportunities to shoot in expansive and modern spaces by the sea. If you miss the house porn of Big Little Lies, Dirty John has you covered.

DIRTY JOHN — Season:1 — Pictured: (l-r) Eric Bana as John Meehan, Connie Britton as Debra Newell, Juno Temple as Veronica Newell, Jean Smart as Arlene Hart, Julia Garner as Terra Newell — (Photo by: Frank Ockenfels/Bravo) Acquired via NBCU Media Village. /

The stable of talent that Bravo has assembled for this cast runs deep. Debra Newell is portrayed by golden goddess Connie Briton, and Juno Temple and Julia Garner smartly play her two daughters, Ronnie and Tara. Living legend Jean Smart steps into the role of Arlane Hart, Debra’s off-kilter mother. And these women are not here to play. Their collective raw talent elevates the would-be soapy drama with an element of immediacy and organic emotion.

With the exception of John himself (a smarmy Eric Bana), most men are at the periphery of the story. The series makes a shrewd move to cast women in all the roles involving decision making surrounding John’s shady behaviors and even shadier past. Both the sharp private detective that Ronnie ends up hiring (Scrubs alum Judy Reyes), and Debra’s crackerjack lawyer both argue caution when dealing with the loose canon that is John Meehan.

While Meehan causes untold damage, it’s up to the women to uncover the terrifying truth while simultaneously protecting themselves from potential backlash. The system has failed them, uncovering the brutal fact that, in the direst of times, all women can truly rely upon are instinct, common sense, and each other.

Related Story. Big Little Lies Excels At Portraying Truths of Domestic Violence. light

While both Big Little Lies and Dirty John often paint bleak pictures – illustrating that one disturbed man can move through the world unhindered, unsettling everything that gets in his way – it’s electrifying to root for women looking to take down their oppressors. In fact, this type of story seems to be our new modern day equivalent of the old David and Goliath story. And Goliath is the patriarchy.

‘Dirty John’ premieres Sunday, November 25th at 10/9c on Bravo TV.

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