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Courtesy FX

I suppose the reason I didn't immediately hop on FX's The People v. O.J. Simpson was because of its lineage. Historically I have been a BIG fan of creator Ryan Murphy, whose first two seasons of Glee and first season of American Horror Story were TV revelations. Unfortunately, his work can lack a certain... shall we say, subtlety? And in the cases of Glee and American Horror Story offered more bells and whistles than actual substance. That's why when Murphy trotted out The People v. O.J.—a retelling of the early '90s O.J. Simpson "trial of the century," I was inclined to lump it in with films like this, in which the narrative is less than trustworthy.

OH BOY WAS I WRONG. As it turns out, The People v. O.J. is an AH-MAY-ZING docudrama with whip-smart scripting, fantastic acting, and throws a harsh spotlight on the racism, sexism, and media dishonesty that still dogs society today.

Based on the nonfiction book, The Run of His Life by Jeffrey Toobin, the show not only dramatizes the show itself, but what the various players were experiencing, and the steep racial tension of America at the time. O.J.'s trial went down not too long after the Rodney King verdict and LA riots, when the black community was up in arms about police brutalizing their people. (Sound familiar?) The People v. O.J. depicts a 360 degree view of the world at that time—including the experiences of black lawyers Johnny Cochran (who was racially profiled in front of his children) and prosecutor Chris Darden (who is referred to by neighbors as an "Uncle Tom" for his stance against O.J.).

Gender equity and sexism also takes a huge role, as in this past week's episode in which prosecutor Marcia Clark (brilliantly portrayed by Sarah Paulson) is crucified by the media for her "frumpy look" and permed hair. When she gets a makeover, the reaction is even worse—but the sexism doesn't come close to stopping there. Clark is also looked down upon by her male colleagues for trying to be a mother while prosecuting the biggest trial of her career. It's something that's infuriating, and wildly important to be talking about right now.

But don't fret! Murphy's trademarked whimsy is also ingrained into this show—especially when portraying the stiff and unnatural Robert Shapiro (John Travolta is great in this role), and the Kardashian family (father Robert was a good pal of "Juice" and assisted the defense). Not only is it hilarious to see young Kim Kardashian and Krew's reaction to the media blitz, we can see how at a very early age they became addicted to fame.

Is everything in The People v. O.J. Simpson 100 percent factually accurate? Nope, but it's close. Naturally time is compressed, and small points are added for dramatic flair, but all-in-all, when taken as a whole, it's better than true. It's a pitch-perfect portrayal of the time, and how it directly mirrors so much of the pain and strife America is experiencing right now.

Watch The People v. O.J. Simpson. It is goddamn terrific.

Watch it on Hulu, iTunes, and on FXNow. It airs live on FX, Tuesdays at 10 pm.