FX’s hit anthology series American Crime Story returns for its third season on Tuesday, exploring the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky sex scandal that rocked the White House and the entire nation in the late 1990s.
Clive Owen stars as the 42nd United States President Bill Clinton, whose affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky (Beanie Feldstein) lead to the first impeachment of a U.S. President in over a century.
After playing Marcia Clark in the first season – The People vs. O.J. Simpson, Sarah Paulson returns to play the much-maligned Linda Tripp and Annaleigh Ashford playing Paula Jones.
Sex scandal: FX’s hit anthology series American Crime Story returns for its third season on Tuesday, exploring the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky sex scandal that rocked the White House and the entire nation in the late 1990s
Monica: Clive Owen stars as the 42nd United States President Bill Clinton, whose affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky (Beanie Feldstein) lead to the first impeachment of a U.S. President in over a century
Linda: After playing Marcia Clark in the first season – The People vs. O.J. Simpson, Sarah Paulson returns to play the much-maligned Linda Tripp and Annaleigh Ashford playing Paula Jones
The episode begins in January 1998 in Washington D.C. with Monica Lewinsksy (Beanie Feldstein) looking out her windows as rain pours.
She goes over some of her belongings including a leatherbound edition of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass (which Clinton had given her as a gift), along with a number of passports.
She picks up a copy of the Washington Post revealing Clinton had won his second term
She’s then seen at a coffee shop, telling the barista it’s probably her last time, because she’s moving to New York.
She gets a page from Linda Tripp, who tells her she may have a solution to their problem and has her meet for lunch at the Pentagon Food Court.
As Monica headss down an escalator, she is unaware that she is being followed, while it’s clear she’s being surveilled by the government.
Monica picks up a magazine and sees Linda Tripp coming down the escalator, waving at her, but something seems off…
Linda arrives with two FBI agents, who tell her that she’s in big trouble, as Linda tries to reassure her, saying they did the same thing for her and it’s for her own good.
The agents suggest to speak somewhere more quiet, as they get in an elevator as Monica is clearly terrified as they lead her to the Ritz Carlton Hotel.
One agent takes Monica into one room, while Linda goes into another room with the other agent, as she’s greeted by Mike Emmick (Colin Hanks).
She sees Linda in the next room, and Mike asks Linda to be removed, but Monica wants her to stay.
‘I want that treacherous b***h to see what she did to me,’ Monica says.
The series will be based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President.
The first season was based on another Toobin book, The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson, with the second season, The Assassination of Gianni Versace based on Maureen Orth’s Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History.
The all-star cast also includes Edie Falco as Hillary Clinton, Anthony Green as Al Gore, Billy Eichner as Mike Drudge, Cobie Smulders as Ann Coulter, Kathleen Turner as Susan Webber Wright, Margo Martindale as Lucianne Goldberg and Mira Sorvina as Marcia Lewis.
Hillary: The all-star cast also includes Edie Falco as Hillary Clinton, Anthony Green as Al Gore, Billy Eichner as Mike Drudge, Cobie Smulders as Ann Coulter, Kathleen Turner as Susan Webber Wright, Margo Martindale as Lucianne Goldberg and Mira Sorvina as Marcia Lewis
Sarah Burgess created the series, who is also Executive Producer alongside Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, Larry Karaszewski, Scott Alexander, Alexis Martin Woodall and Sarah Paulson.
Monica Lewinsky will serve as a producer alongside Henrietta Conrad and Jemima Khan.
The real-life scandal first unfolded in January 1998 on The Drudge Report website, which was later picked up by mainstream media outlets like The Washington Post.
Monica: Monica Lewinsky will serve as a producer alongside Henrietta Conrad and Jemima Khan
While Clinton, who was in his second term as President at the time, denied the allegations at first, more and more evidence came to light.
Such evidence included a semen-stained blue dress that Lewinsky had been encouraged to save without cleaning, by her one-time friend Linda Tripp.
While Clinton continued to deny the affair, he ultimately came clean in August 1998, which lead to his impeachment.
Clinton was ultimately acquitted on both impeachment charges, and he ultimately served out the remainder of his term.
Term: While Clinton, who was in his second term as President at the time, denied the allegations at first, more and more evidence came to light
Dress: Such evidence included a semen-stained blue dress that Lewinsky had been encouraged to save without cleaning, by her one-time friend Linda Tripp