As Episode 1 of "White House Plumbers" (2023 release; 5 episodes ranging between 46 and 64 min each) opens, we are at the "Watergate Office Building", where a group of men are trying to break into the DNC offices, but fail due to having the wrong tools. We are informed this was the second failed break-in attempt, and not the last one. We then go to "A Year Earlier" as we are introduced to Howard Hunt and Gordon Liddy, political operatives and all-around hacks doing Nixon's dirty work leading up to the 1972 presidential elections. At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from producer-director David Mandel ("Veep"). Here he looks back at how the Watergate gang came about, starting with ex-FBI wacko Howard Hunt and Hitler-loving Gordon Libby. The brazenness and ultimately sheer stupidity of these guys knows no boundaries, as this mini-series amply showcases. Much of it is shown tongue-in-cheek, and the lead performances by Woody Harrelson (as Hunt) and Justin Theroux (as Liddy) fit in perfectly. Yest despite all that, I found the overall mini-series less than the total sum of its parts, perhaps because it was all so obvious. In the end, this is pleasant divertissement, rather than, say a serious look at these events (such as "All The President's Men").
"White House Plumbers" premiered on then-HBO and HBO Max in early May, but for some reason I just now caught up with it. If you are in the mood for a politically-inspired mini-series (if not satire) set in the early 70s, I'd readily suggest you check it out, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from producer-director David Mandel ("Veep"). Here he looks back at how the Watergate gang came about, starting with ex-FBI wacko Howard Hunt and Hitler-loving Gordon Libby. The brazenness and ultimately sheer stupidity of these guys knows no boundaries, as this mini-series amply showcases. Much of it is shown tongue-in-cheek, and the lead performances by Woody Harrelson (as Hunt) and Justin Theroux (as Liddy) fit in perfectly. Yest despite all that, I found the overall mini-series less than the total sum of its parts, perhaps because it was all so obvious. In the end, this is pleasant divertissement, rather than, say a serious look at these events (such as "All The President's Men").
"White House Plumbers" premiered on then-HBO and HBO Max in early May, but for some reason I just now caught up with it. If you are in the mood for a politically-inspired mini-series (if not satire) set in the early 70s, I'd readily suggest you check it out, and draw your own conclusion.