As you might have guessed, the show would be centered around the #MeToo movement and its many controversies. Through Nussbaum’s probing questions, we learn that Murphy originally had the idea for the show to air as the next installment of the “American Crime Story” franchise, which seeks to recreate true events. The show would have a “Black Mirror” je ne sais quoi.
“Every episode would explore a different story, starting with an insidery account of the Weinstein Company. There would be an episode about Kevin Spacey, one about an ambiguous he-said-she-said encounter. Each episode could have a different creator,” Nussbaum writes.
The series would be undeniably viral in the current climate of #TimesUp and #MeToo feminism. But, this idea is more pie in the sky than reality for the time being. Murphy has one foot in the door at FX, and another at Netflix, where his contract begins in July.
i-D writer Emily Kirkpatrick argues that this show shouldn’t come to fruition, given the fact that we are still very much so living a “Black Mirror” reality, dotted with constant controversy. The abuse of power can be traced through entertainment, to politics and every sector in between.
While Kirkpatrick’s argument is certainly a compelling one, there could be some value in creating a show that illuminates the very real horrors of those in power. Sure, everyone knows about the Weinstein scandal, but not everyone is aware that he’s paid off journalists, politicians, et al with hush money in an effort to cover up his tracks.
Perhaps a show like Ryan Murphy’s Consent is exactly what this country needs in 2018.