White House Plumbers

All historians remember the times of the early 70's and the scandal plagued Nixon administration and anybody knows, you don't have to be a history student to know about Watergate as the incident has long been dissected all thru pop culture. This new "HBO" 5 part miniseries called "White House Plumbers" takes a dark hearted comedic like look at the guys who worked behind the scenes in a clumsy and crazy like way in the Watergate break in. Justin Theroux and Woody Harrelson have good on screen chemistry as Howard Hunt and Gordon Liddy both former CIA and FBI agents respectively who's trying to help the president would ultimately break down the Nixon administration. Overall watching with the scenes and the clothing and hairstyles and dialogue it feels very early 70's as you watch the tag team duo turn clownish for the President. It's really funny with drama to watch how the break ins were botched, as dirty little tricks backfire. All of this really wasn't necessary still both Hunt and Liddy are determined Kool aid drinkers for Nixon, as you the viewer feel in company of a madmen like tag team. Overall pretty good historical parody of the 70's "Watergate" scandal that any political historical buff should watch.

I was expecting a serious take on Watergate. However I am not disappointed that it is a satirical look at what happened. I don't know about E. Howard Hunt. But I always thought G Gordon Liddy was a buffoon. And a psycho. (I read his book). So I am enjoying Justin's take on him. I was 19 years old when the hearings were happening. A cousin of mine who was in college at the time was very into it. Only later when the books started coming out did I start paying attention to what happened. Yes I would have preferred a serious series. But I am enjoying this. Not crazy about the person playing of Howard Dean.

Films based on true stories are often more fascinating, and in this case, bizarre and hilarious.

The two main characters are in many ways opposites but contrive to reluctantly work together in order to serve their respective sense of egotistical self importance, their greed, and their stupid mission to save the President.

The impression that their families convey is one of relative normality in spite of the weird behaviours of the 'plumbers'.

White House staffers and CIA, FBI too appear to be quite reasonable right wingers and far less extreme.

That clears the stage for the comedic antics of the undynamic duo!

White House Plumbers is a five part HBO mini-series based on the actual historical events when Nikon's own saboteurs got caught during Watergate Scandel. E. Howard Hunt who is played by Woody Harrelson and G. Gordon Libby played by Justin Theroux are former FBI agents who are hired by Nixon to break-in to Watergate to steal or to overhear the Democratic parties strategies. Unfortunately they were unprofessional and careless undercover operatives that got caught in the act. The series was more comedic and a historical piece than anything else. Lena Headley acted as Woody's wife who was a former operative herself, unfortunately she ends up dying in a plane crash which might or might not have been cohorts by the FBI. Judy Greer played Justin's stay at home to help raise there five kids. Although they were implicated and indicted for over 20 years they served less than 5 years in minimum federal security prison. Kim Coates, Tony Plana, F. Murray Abraham were the Cuban individuals who were hired to break in, I never knew they failed twice to get into the hotel. The story started out slow but it was a good piece, I could definitely see Justin and Woody being nominated for their roles.

Gordon Liddy was a certified psychopath, willing to kill journalists and break the law in the name of patriotism, and yet even after being hired to, and then convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wiretapping, upon being released from jail, his views made him a hero to millions as a demagogue radio show host. For decades, he was living proof of the power of progranda-style language to fire up the fear and loathing hidden in people's minds, allowing listeners to overlook the tiny detail that they were listening and being influenced by a psychopath.

This satirical TV show on one of Liddy's more well-known bungles is funny and educational. But ultimately its real value will hopefully be to give insight and awareness to the particular younger generations whose parents and grandparents got sucked into believing the fear-based rhetoric that came out of Giddy's radio show for decades.