Dirty John

:

Season 1
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
6.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 20
  3. Negative: 6 out of 20
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User Reviews

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  1. mrcovarrubius
    Feb 13, 2019
    8
    I enjoyed this after listening to the podcast - which I would recommend that everyone do first. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be nearly as believable and I would’ve probably given up at some of the ridiculous writing and story lines. But the events did actually happen, and were quoted verbatim from the real victims. I think the podcast is more suspenseful and gritty, but the show expands on it byI enjoyed this after listening to the podcast - which I would recommend that everyone do first. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be nearly as believable and I would’ve probably given up at some of the ridiculous writing and story lines. But the events did actually happen, and were quoted verbatim from the real victims. I think the podcast is more suspenseful and gritty, but the show expands on it by showing how Eric Bana as John can be seen as the charming ladies man who conned a lonely Deborah before showing his true colors. And I really enjoyed how spoiled and bratty the show made Deborah’s daughters, allowing John to attack their credibility when they were warning their mother and trying to distance themselves from him. I thought Deborah ignoring them in the podcast was head scratching, but see it more believable with how the daughters were portrayed in the show. l think overall the show gave me a better perspective of what happened than just the podcast. Really unbelievable that this story is a true event - zombie kill and all!… Expand
  2. JennetP
    Dec 17, 2018
    3
    I think I would have liked this series better as a true-crime podcast because, as a hybrid drama, it disappoints. Its high gloss and star power promise deft characterization and skillful plotting, but don't deliver those things. Instead, as so often in life, terrible things happen for no apparent reason to people who are hard to understand and harder to like. The overall story is mostI think I would have liked this series better as a true-crime podcast because, as a hybrid drama, it disappoints. Its high gloss and star power promise deft characterization and skillful plotting, but don't deliver those things. Instead, as so often in life, terrible things happen for no apparent reason to people who are hard to understand and harder to like. The overall story is most interesting at the beginning, when the audience isn't quite sure that the Eric Bana character is a con man because the people accusing him are so petty and smug that viewers want them to be wrong. Once the Connie Britton character discovers his collection of restraining orders (helpfully stashed where she can easily find it), all mystery vanishes, and the series becomes very predictable, melodramatic, and steeped in pop-psychological cliches.… Expand
  3. rinanci
    Dec 26, 2018
    3
    I am not sure which is worse...the writing or the acting. I believe Eric Bana and Jean Smart are collateral damage. Connie Britton, Julia Garner and Juno Temple play the most unlikable characters in the most unbelievable manner....
    Watching this reminds me of reading 50 Shades...HORRIBLE WRITING, but like a bad accident you just have to keep watching to see what happens
  4. buddhalou
    Jan 27, 2019
    5
    Airing on Bravo, though it feels like Lifetime. Really feels like everyone from the writers to the crew to the cast just kind of phoned this one in.
  5. feranflo
    Feb 24, 2019
    3
    The plot is kinda thrilling but the storyline and the characters are very underwhelming. There are also several continuity mistakes and slips, for example, when Debra picks up her phone and the next scene she's using another phone model. The characters are very unlikeable and not-relatable at all, specially Debra's daughters who just come up as spoiled brats.
  6. frankrog29
    Jun 1, 2021
    7
    I’m not sure why Dirty John Season 1 has such low ratings. I enjoyed it. It seems like it’s trying to emulate American Crime Story, which is significantly better in my opinion. Jumping around in time, the plot gradually reveals the nefarious and tragic circumstances and develops the characters, notching up the suspense episode after episode. It’s a fascinating character study of aI’m not sure why Dirty John Season 1 has such low ratings. I enjoyed it. It seems like it’s trying to emulate American Crime Story, which is significantly better in my opinion. Jumping around in time, the plot gradually reveals the nefarious and tragic circumstances and develops the characters, notching up the suspense episode after episode. It’s a fascinating character study of a self-destructive con man and sociopath who won’t accept charity when it’s offered to him. Apparently some viewers didn’t like season 1 because they listened to the podcast and liked it better. I did not listen to the podcast, but I think Dirty John Season 1 is a gleefully suspenseful and deranged character study and a portrait of a family whose bonds are being pushed to their breaking point by an intruder seeking to divide and conquer.… Expand
  7. dean09199
    Aug 24, 2020
    10
    Very interesting, very tense and very good acting. I got hooked on it from the very first episode.

Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
  1. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Nov 26, 2018
    70
    This series is cautionary escapism at its juiciest. [26 Nov - 9 Dec 2018, p.8]
  2. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Nov 26, 2018
    67
    Britton plays Debra as if some Botox seeped into her brain. Bana charms while simultaneously simmering.
    Read full review
  3. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Nov 26, 2018
    42
    Viewers might be suckered into wanting to know exactly who this guy is, but the vanilla, passive depiction of his primary victim dulls any empathy for her struggle to the point where your only motivation to continue is to see how dark this story might get.
    Read full review
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