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Dirty John

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Dirty John
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Dirty John is a live-action true crime drama Anthology series. It premiered on Bravo in November of 2018, before being aired internationally by Netflix in January of 2019.The first season is based on the story of conman John Meehan, (played by Eric Bana), a charismatic man who uses deceit and manipulation to seduce Debra Newell (Connie Britton), and the consequences it has for her family.A second season based on the story of murderer Betty Broderick featuring Amanda Peet as Broderick and Christian Slater as her husband Dan premiered on June 2, 2020.
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2024-01-18T23:47:36Z
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2024-01-18T23:47:36Z
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 Dirty John / int_170cf4b6
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Heroes Love Dogs
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Heroes Love Dogs: Terra is almost always accompanied by Cash, her Australian Shepherd, who she adores. When John attacks Terra in the finale, he even leaps into action and bites at John's ankles to help her and is later with her in her hospital bed. Terra in real life even started an Instagram account for her numerous dogs, including Cash.
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 Dirty John / int_1892d512
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Tall, Dark, and Handsome
 Dirty John / int_1892d512
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Tall, Dark, and Handsome: John as is standard for someone played by Eric Bana. His good looks are another way he wins people over.
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 Dirty John / int_22cf536c
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Chekhov's Gun
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Chekhov's Gun: When Veronica is teased about her habit of keeping her expensive purses in a safe, she argues that they're worth a lot of money and can be resold for their retail price if kept in good condition. Later on, she sells an extremely expensive, limited-edition purse for several thousand dollars so that she can fund a private investigator.
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 Dirty John / int_2764d432
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Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
 Dirty John / int_2764d432
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Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: John is very hard not to like and comes across as a really charming, laid-back and overall nice person. Beneath it however lies a deeply unstable and cruel man with seemingly no moral lines he won't cross.
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 Dirty John / int_297ab1b9
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Parental Abandonment
 Dirty John / int_297ab1b9
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Parental Abandonment: When she calls them for support, Betty’s parents want nothing to do with Betty during her divorce hearings, not offering a single kind word to her.
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 Dirty John / int_2b2abf36
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Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense
 Dirty John / int_2b2abf36
comment
Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense: Crossed with Love Makes You Stupid for Debra. She's a highly successful businesswoman with a ton of cash, but when it comes to love, it's noted that where others see red flags, she sees "a parade." Within a matter of weeks of knowing John, she's dropping tens of thousands of dollars on a getaway beach house on an exclusive island for the two of them.
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 Dirty John / int_2d4fa515
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Ax-Crazy
 Dirty John / int_2d4fa515
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Ax-Crazy: It becomes gradually clear that, beneath his charming persona, John is dangerously volatile and sadistic and becomes outright murderous as time goes on.
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 Dirty John / int_2dc0d2bf
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Hidden Depths
 Dirty John / int_2dc0d2bf
comment
Hidden Depths: Betty is shown to be more intelligent than most characters give her credit for, including asking if a legal library has a specific author and already knowing about a French dish when recommended at a high-end restaurant.
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 Dirty John / int_34dcfc96
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Kick the Dog
 Dirty John / int_34dcfc96
comment
Kick the Dog: Quite a few of John's actions, just as his insulting remarks about Toby's mother and Debra's sister and his campaign of harassment towards his ex-wife and later Veronica as well as his attempted murder of Terra, have no motive beyond sheer cruelty.
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 Dirty John / int_355007c3
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Brilliant, but Lazy
 Dirty John / int_355007c3
comment
Brilliant, but Lazy: John is highly intelligent and capable, able to flawlessly execute multiple scams at once, win over just about anyone and even find legitimate work as a highly paid medical professional, but prefers to simply coast through life and get by manipulating others.
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 Dirty John / int_35e077
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Fourth-Date Marriage
 Dirty John / int_35e077
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Fourth-Date Marriage: Debra agrees to marry John after knowing him for only a few weeks, as the episode captions highlight.
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 Dirty John / int_3ae6199a
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Psychopathic Manchild
 Dirty John / int_3ae6199a
comment
Psychopathic Manchild: John is clearly not very mature, preferring to coast through life by mooching off others even in his fifties and use his intellect for such schemes even when he has the skills and opportunity for legitimate success. The "psychopathic" part is gradually revealed as his behavior becomes more and more abusive to his partners and a cruel petty side to anyone who gets on his bad side, before becoming outright homicidal.
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 Dirty John / int_3aec9e5e
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Properly Paranoid
 Dirty John / int_3aec9e5e
comment
Properly Paranoid: Veronica and Terra are not shy at all about expressing their mistrust of John and are later proven to be extremely justified in their assessment of him.
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 Dirty John / int_3bc88a7f
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Foregone Conclusion
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Foregone Conclusion: Being based on true crime stories, anyone familiar with the accounts will know what happens when watching each season.
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 Dirty John / int_3d5c5deb
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Flat Character
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Flat Character: Linda Kolkena is presented as little more than “the other woman,� with no motivation or personality outside of being with Dan. However, she does touch the Villain Ball when she contemplates destroying Betty’s wedding china to one of Betty’s friends, and again when she steals Betty's diary from her home, then returns it by setting it in the front foyer.
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 Dirty John / int_3fe2b13f
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Ungrateful Bastard
 Dirty John / int_3fe2b13f
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Ungrateful Bastard: John's ex-wife, Tonia, is a kind, caring woman who helps put him through med school after he fails to complete law school. He repays her by having a ten-month affair with another woman, threatening to kill her when he suspects she got his license revoked, and painting her as a cheating, abusive shrew to everyone after it's over.
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 Dirty John / int_40bb59d0
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Blatant Lies
 Dirty John / int_40bb59d0
comment
Blatant Lies: Pretty much everything that comes out of John's mouth is a lie: his military career, his past relationships, his current job, his family life, and the explanations for why he has restraining orders and court cases against him. Egregiously, John tells Debra that Tonia cheated on him and is trying to ruin his life because of it, but we already know from flashbacks that he was the one with the affair.
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 Dirty John / int_40c57041
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Manipulative Bastard
 Dirty John / int_40c57041
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Manipulative Bastard: John is this to a T, having manipulated countless women before Debra, and escaped numerous arrests while pretending to be different people.
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 Dirty John / int_40cc0c7e
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Bittersweet Ending
 Dirty John / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: The first season ends with John dead and the family thus (for the time being) free of his manipulation, but still irrevocably shaken by it all.
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 Dirty John / int_479d4e5a
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Would Hurt a Child
 Dirty John / int_479d4e5a
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Would Hurt a Child: In the season one finale, John attempts to kill Debra's younger daughter Terra with a knife. He slashes her arm, but she ultimately gets the upper hand and stabs him repeatedly.
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Big "WHAT?!"
 Dirty John / int_4a8c4e5f
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Big "WHAT?!": The telephone sequence after Betty shoots Dan and Linda.
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 Dirty John / int_4e3d253b
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Downer Ending
 Dirty John / int_4e3d253b
comment
Downer Ending: After a contentious trial, including her oldest daughter and all but one of her previous friends testifying against her, Betty is convicted of second-degree murder. She's shown in prison being haunted by the ghosts of Dan and Linda, imagining how her life could have been, and singing "The Twelfth of Never" on a phone call.
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 Dirty John / int_50b9b3d0
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Crazy Jealous Guy
 Dirty John / int_50b9b3d0
comment
Crazy Jealous Guy: One of John's early red flags is angrily demanding to know who Debra is texting, thinking she's cheating on him, when she's actually just texting her nephew. Mirroring Debra's relationship with John, a flashback indicates that Debra's sister was alarmed by her abusive husband forbidding her to wear a bikini at the beach for fear of someone stealing her away from him.
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 Dirty John / int_567e7c4d
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Wounded Gazelle Gambit
 Dirty John / int_567e7c4d
comment
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: John frequently leverages his scars (which he claims he got in a helicopter crash) as a way for women to admire and pity him, though it turns out the actual way he got them is far less impressive. And though he is legitimately ill midway through the series, he has no qualms about manipulating Debra to feel bad for him and return to him because of it. When she finally decides to divorce him, he starts limping with a cane to further the false claim that his physical health is deteriorating for pity points, when he's still perfectly healthy at least healthy enough to attack Terra with terrifying force.
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 Dirty John / int_57c004fc
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Threat Backfire
 Dirty John / int_57c004fc
comment
Threat Backfire: When Betty demands Dan move out of the house if he doesn't "get rid of" Linda, he tells her she would be the one to move out. After he does move out, Dan goes on to sell their house without Betty's consent.
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 Dirty John / int_590eb583
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Domestic Abuse
 Dirty John / int_590eb583
comment
Domestic Abuse: John is abusive in all his relationships, emotionally and later physically, and is quick to posit himself as the real victim when he needs to.
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 Dirty John / int_62434fe2
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Sanity Slippage
 Dirty John / int_62434fe2
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Sanity Slippage: As Betty becomes more unhinged, the background behind her uses a spin blur to focus entirely on her.
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 Dirty John / int_63d861f8
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Even Evil Has Loved Ones
 Dirty John / int_63d861f8
comment
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Averted. It's made repeatedly clear throughout the series that no one else truly matters to John, not even his own children (his daughter Emily revealed in real life that she last spoke to him she was thirteen), and he will abandon or betray anyone if he has to. When overcome with guilt about killing him and feeling she took him away from his kids and sister, John's sister Denise reassures Terra that John had blood relatives but no real family and that was entirely his own doing and Denise doesn't mourn John at all or hold any anger towards Terra for what she did, only being happy that she is okay.
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 Dirty John / int_6b05b601
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Jerkass Has a Point
 Dirty John / int_6b05b601
comment
Jerkass Has a Point: Veronica is blunt, overbearing, demanding... and right about pretty much everything.
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 Dirty John / int_6d089995
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The Shrink
 Dirty John / int_6d089995
comment
The Shrink: Betty asks Dan to attend marriage counseling at their church when she feels him getting emotionally distant. He does, under the supervision of a priest. A court-appointed therapist is assigned to Betty following psychotic accusations by Dan. After Betty refuses cooperation, the therapist recommends denying custody of her children.
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 Dirty John / int_70746ec7
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Dance of Despair
 Dirty John / int_70746ec7
comment
Dance of Despair: Betty and one of her friends dance to a mixtape Betty made in her living room on the day of Dan's second wedding.
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 Dirty John / int_727a65e0
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Gaslighting
 Dirty John / int_727a65e0
comment
Gaslighting: Dan gaslights Betty throughout their marriage and during his affair with Linda. He blatantly lies to Betty about having an affair, his whereabouts when asked, and his intentions when he moves out without actually saying he’s moving out.
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 Dirty John / int_7374ab13
type
Once More, with Clarity
 Dirty John / int_7374ab13
comment
Once More, with Clarity: The penultimate episode is dedicated to revealing what John was actually doing all those times he was lying to Debra; for instance, he was late to her charity event because he was stuffing his face in a diner instead of being caught up by an emergency surgery, and the strange woman who breaks into their beach home early in the series was really bribed to be there by John.
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Self-Made Orphan
 Dirty John / int_780a078e
comment
Self-Made Orphan: Possibly. John's sister suspects he killed their father with an overdose of pain medication for the insurance money but since William was cremated shortly after and no autopsy was done, she is unable to prove it.
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 Dirty John / int_784a71d0
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Crime of Self-Defense
 Dirty John / int_784a71d0
comment
Crime of Self-Defense: Averted, as happened in real life. Debra's younger daughter Terra inflicts injuries on John, that ultimately prove fatal, when he assaults her, but no charges end up getting pressed because she was acting in self-defense.
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 Dirty John / int_7aa858c1
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Consummate Liar
 Dirty John / int_7aa858c1
comment
Consummate Liar: Dan repeatedly commits perjury while on the stand during his divorce hearing, lying about his actions during and after his marriage to Betty.
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 Dirty John / int_7c862b8a
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Chronic Backstabbing Disorder
 Dirty John / int_7c862b8a
comment
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: John. Despite his sister loyally taking care of him once he gets out of prison, he betrays her almost immediately. He also once deliberately caused a car accident with another woman, sued her, and then sued his own lawyers for malfeasance. It's noted in the longform that it's not even the first time he regularly sued his own legal team.
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 Dirty John / int_7c9dcc1
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THeUnfavorite
 Dirty John / int_7c9dcc1
comment
The Unfavorite: While John is the golden boy of the Meehan family, Donna is treated like dirt.
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 Dirty John / int_7d889c37
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Stepping Stone Spouse
 Dirty John / int_7d889c37
comment
Stepping Stone Spouse: Betty supports the family as Dan goes through both medical and law school. Shortly after Dan finally lands a lucrative position that will allow him to finally take care of the family without the financial stress Betty endured, he leaves Betty for his legal assistant.
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 Dirty John / int_7de3aec2
type
What Does She See in Him?
 Dirty John / int_7de3aec2
comment
What Does She See in Him?: Played with. While John looks great on paper — prestigious medical job, romantic, dedicated and handsome — Debra's daughters quickly discern that there has to be some reason he's still single with practically no life outside of Debra, especially when his bad side comes out to them with increasing frequency. Once John's past is dug up and Debra still takes him back, the question becomes even worse.
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 Dirty John / int_7f1be21
type
Functional Addict
 Dirty John / int_7f1be21
comment
Functional Addict: John see-saws between this and Addled Addict at different points in the series, but for the most part he's functional and manipulates others into believing he's not. His addiction does take a physical toll on him, though; in real life it's noted that he probably would have easily overpowered and killed the much-smaller Terra if not for his body's weakened state due to his drug use, and in the end, his organs are so damaged from his addiction that they're completely unusable for donations, a fact Veronica can't help but find bitterly funny.
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 Dirty John / int_7fc90c45
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GreyAndGreyMorality
 Dirty John / int_7fc90c45
comment
Greyand Grey Morality: While the show is firmly on Betty’s side, illustrating Dan as a villain, it also doesn’t excuse her intolerable behavior following the divorce. Dan’s secretary expresses horror at the profane answering machine messages she's made to transcribe and her son begs her to “stop saying bad words.�
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Serial Spouse
 Dirty John / int_810c980e
comment
Serial Spouse: Debra has been divorced four times, which embarrasses her, and part of the reason she wants to make things work with John is that she doesn't want him to be her fifth divorce.
 Dirty John / int_810c980e
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 Dirty John / int_815db542
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Phony Veteran
 Dirty John / int_815db542
comment
Phony Veteran: John claims to have served in Iraq and received injuries there. In reality, he got them from an accident he got into when he was using drugs.
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 Dirty John / int_8387bb18
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Good Girls Avoid Abortion
 Dirty John / int_8387bb18
comment
Good Girls Avoid Abortion: Discussed. When Betty asks Dan about an abortion following two rough pregnancies, he admonishes her, the concept being against his Catholic beliefs.
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 Dirty John / int_8af7b342
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Sibling Yin-Yang
 Dirty John / int_8af7b342
comment
Sibling Yin-Yang: Veronica is cynical, confrontational and abrasive and Terra is idealistic, shy and sweet-natured.
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Dirty John / int_8af7b342
 Dirty John / int_95b7c400
type
Faux Affably Evil
 Dirty John / int_95b7c400
comment
Faux Affably Evil: John is immensely charming and wins over just about everyone easily but has a cruel streak a mile wide underneath and can never quite hide that there's something seriously off about him. Even after others have found out the truth about him, he is still able to keep their trust.
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Dirty John / int_95b7c400
 Dirty John / int_9d12bbc1
type
Foreshadowing
 Dirty John / int_9d12bbc1
comment
Foreshadowing: The first scene of the season shows a high-school-age Betty in marksmanship class. Nearly three decades later, she is shown buying a gun, later shooting her ex-husband and his second wife to death. Dan is largely silent during a dinner with lawyers as one details getting away with the “perfect� divorce. Betty tells the court-appointed therapist in “Scream Therapy,� “I’m not going to be a single parent to four kids. He’ll die first.� Linda proposes getting a home security system to deal with Betty's intrusions, which Dan dismisses. Linda says "A lot of people have said she's joked about shooting us" in "The Shillelagh."
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Dirty John / int_9d12bbc1
 Dirty John / int_9d17b859
type
Made of Iron
 Dirty John / int_9d17b859
comment
Made of Iron: John takes multiple stab wounds to the torso from Terra and barely slows down.
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Dirty John / int_9d17b859
 Dirty John / int_9fbf8969
type
Cut Lex Luthor a Check
 Dirty John / int_9fbf8969
comment
Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Averted. John is able to get legitimate work as an anesthesia specialist, earning very good money, enough to afford a nice home and start a family, but his issues with addiction and his abusive behavior end up ruining it.
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Dirty John / int_9fbf8969
 Dirty John / int_a1b141f4
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My God, What Have I Done?
 Dirty John / int_a1b141f4
comment
My God, What Have I Done?: In a press conference, a juror admits to convincing the rest of the jury to go for second-degree murder, thinking it would result in a lesser sentence. When an interviewer informs her otherwise, she has this reaction.
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Dirty John / int_a1b141f4
 Dirty John / int_a2b38d3b
type
Eye Scream
 Dirty John / int_a2b38d3b
comment
Eye Scream: As in real life, Terra fatally wounds John by stabbing him through the eye, causing him irreversible brain damage.
 Dirty John / int_a2b38d3b
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 Dirty John / int_a2b38d3b
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Dirty John / int_a2b38d3b
 Dirty John / int_a426ae28
type
Multiple-Choice Past
 Dirty John / int_a426ae28
comment
Multiple-Choice Past: Part of the technique John uses to seduce people. He's claimed to be a licensed anesthetist and an Iraq war veteran, among others.
 Dirty John / int_a426ae28
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 Dirty John / int_a426ae28
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Dirty John / int_a426ae28
 Dirty John / int_a54534a0
type
Parental Neglect
 Dirty John / int_a54534a0
comment
Parental Neglect: Dan only shows interest in his children when it stands to hurt Betty. After Dan is given full custody, his youngest son gets lice and the school nurse mentions to Betty that the kids arrive at school in dirty clothes. For her part, Betty at one point drops off the four underage children, unsupervised, on Dan’s doorstep to go visit family out-of-state.
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Dirty John / int_a54534a0
 Dirty John / int_a54c2273
type
Dented Iron
 Dirty John / int_a54c2273
comment
Dented Iron: While John is physically capable and in very good shape for his age, his addictions have taken a serious toll on him and it's even been noted in real life that he would have easily overpowered and killed Terra for it not for his slowed reflexes and weakened state from his drug use and recent illness. A subsequent autopsy even reveals that his years of drug abuse rendered his organs completely unusable for transplants.
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Dirty John / int_a54c2273
 Dirty John / int_ac6ea68c
type
Near-Villain Victory
 Dirty John / int_ac6ea68c
comment
Near-Villain Victory: John evades Veronica and catches Terra off-guard with the intent to kidnap and kill her, but by sheer luck and determination, she manages to defend herself and fatally wound him. It's even commented on by a background character how lucky Terra is to be alive.
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Dirty John / int_ac6ea68c
 Dirty John / int_ad1db87c
type
Oh, Crap!
 Dirty John / int_ad1db87c
comment
Oh, Crap!: John when he drops the knife he tried to murder Terra with and she picks it up, stabbing him to death.
 Dirty John / int_ad1db87c
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 Dirty John / int_ad1db87c
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Dirty John / int_ad1db87c
 Dirty John / int_b11ac9f5
type
Abusive Parents
 Dirty John / int_b11ac9f5
comment
Abusive Parents: John is treated like his father's accomplice, and is used to further his manipulative schemes, requiring him to go to such lengths as to eat glass in a restaurant and get hit by cars in order to get payouts.
 Dirty John / int_b11ac9f5
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Dirty John / int_b11ac9f5
 Dirty John / int_bbddadc4
type
Murder in the Family
 Dirty John / int_bbddadc4
comment
Murder in the Family: Donna suspects that John killed their father by overdosing him on pain medication after she stepped out of the room (since they were told he might linger for weeks, delaying the insurance payout), but since he was cremated immediately with no autopsy, this is never proven.
 Dirty John / int_bbddadc4
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Dirty John / int_bbddadc4
 Dirty John / int_bc00493f
type
Precision F-Strike
 Dirty John / int_bc00493f
comment
Precision F-Strike: Betty's lone f-bomb is censored when ranting on the phone with her son.
 Dirty John / int_bc00493f
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Dirty John / int_bc00493f
 Dirty John / int_c10da874
type
The '80s
 Dirty John / int_c10da874
comment
The '80s: Betty largely takes place during this decade, with the fashions, décor, and soundtrack to match.
 Dirty John / int_c10da874
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Dirty John / int_c10da874
 Dirty John / int_c3245c20
type
I Lied
 Dirty John / int_c3245c20
comment
I Lied: After Dan serves Betty her first restraining order, he finally confesses his affair with Linda to her, having gaslit her for more than two years.
 Dirty John / int_c3245c20
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Dirty John / int_c3245c20
 Dirty John / int_c4b09e97
type
Doppelgänger
 Dirty John / int_c4b09e97
comment
Doppelgänger: In the second season, Chris Mason's performance as young Dan Broderick has garnered attention for his striking resemblance and similar mannerisms to Christian Slater, who plays the older Dan Broderick.
 Dirty John / int_c4b09e97
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Dirty John / int_c4b09e97
 Dirty John / int_c868a42a
type
Freudian Excuse
 Dirty John / int_c868a42a
comment
Freudian Excuse: Decades before the events of the series, Debra's sister was shot and killed when trying to leave her abusive husband. Their mother forgave the killer for her death and pled for leniency on the stand during his trial, which Debra translates into her own forgiveness of John after his past is revealed. (In the original longform, she had a darker reason as well: she had watched her sister get killed when trying to escape, and feared the same thing happening to her) John's mother resented him during her divorce and his father guided him into a life of petty crime and manipulation, which helps explain his extremely warped and sociopathic adulthood.
 Dirty John / int_c868a42a
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Dirty John / int_c868a42a
 Dirty John / int_c972d624
type
Slut-Shaming
 Dirty John / int_c972d624
comment
Slut-Shaming: After a boy calls for Betty at her parent’s home in the ‘60s, both of her parents ask if she is, then admonish her for presumably being, a slut.
 Dirty John / int_c972d624
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Dirty John / int_c972d624
 Dirty John / int_ce6555f0
type
Lighter and Softer
 Dirty John / int_ce6555f0
comment
Lighter and Softer: In the show, Debra's mother merely forgives her son-in-law for killing her daughter even though the murder crushes her (since she believed he truly loved her), which moves the court to give him a lighter sentence. In real life, her testimony included actively degrading Cindi and blaming her for having a hand in the marriage's failure, which shocked and disgusted some lawyers present.
 Dirty John / int_ce6555f0
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Dirty John / int_ce6555f0
 Dirty John / int_d397657d
type
Hoist by His Own Petard
 Dirty John / int_d397657d
comment
Hoist by His Own Petard: John is stabbed to death by Terra with the same knife he tried to murder her with.
 Dirty John / int_d397657d
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 Dirty John / int_d397657d
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Dirty John / int_d397657d
 Dirty John / int_d952cef0
type
Killing in Self-Defense
 Dirty John / int_d952cef0
comment
Killing in Self-Defense: Terra inflicts fatal wounds on John when she manages to get the knife he'd attacked her with.
 Dirty John / int_d952cef0
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Dirty John / int_d952cef0
 Dirty John / int_d9cf40fa
type
Screw This, I'm Outta Here
 Dirty John / int_d9cf40fa
comment
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Two different lawyers, while sympathetic to her, quit representing Betty after they aren’t paid and Betty refuses to cooperate with the process.
 Dirty John / int_d9cf40fa
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Dirty John / int_d9cf40fa
 Dirty John / int_dc057cf3
type
Adaptation Name Change
 Dirty John / int_dc057cf3
comment
Adaptation Name Change: Debra's older daughter was named Jacqueline in real life. Here, she is named Veronica.
 Dirty John / int_dc057cf3
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Dirty John / int_dc057cf3
 Dirty John / int_dc4a43ea
type
Screw Your Ultimatum!
 Dirty John / int_dc4a43ea
comment
Screw Your Ultimatum!: A villainous example. Betty demands Dan either fire Linda as his secretary when she suspects him of having an affair with her, or move out. He refuses, coldly telling Betty she would be the one to move out, because he owned everything.
 Dirty John / int_dc4a43ea
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Dirty John / int_dc4a43ea
 Dirty John / int_dd6ce5db
type
Artistic License
 Dirty John / int_dd6ce5db
comment
Artistic License: Before the credits for each episode, we get a disclaimer noting that while the series is based on true events, liberties have been taken in the portrayal. A list of specifics for the first season can be found here, and the second season can be found here. Notably in the second season, the names of the Broderick children have all been changed.
 Dirty John / int_dd6ce5db
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Dirty John / int_dd6ce5db
 Dirty John / int_e313b4e7
type
Manchild
 Dirty John / int_e313b4e7
comment
Manchild: John is actually frighteningly intelligent, but only ever uses his skills to manipulate and harm other people so that he can live an easy life; in real life, Debra's daughters are shocked to find out that he did little but sit around and play video games. As a lighter example, Terra is in her twenties but often acts more like a teenager, tending to get low-paying jobs with apartments in bad areas. When she breaks up with her boyfriend, she runs to Debra for comfort and begs her to work from home so that she can spend all night taking care of her. She's still likable and sympathetic and portrayed simply as someone who just hasn't quite figured out adult life yet.
 Dirty John / int_e313b4e7
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Dirty John / int_e313b4e7
 Dirty John / int_e4bb68b8
type
The Charmer
 Dirty John / int_e4bb68b8
comment
The Charmer: John is extremely charismatic and difficult not to like. It's what allows him to win over everyone he hurts and even convince Debra to take him back after she learns about his past.
 Dirty John / int_e4bb68b8
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Dirty John / int_e4bb68b8
 Dirty John / int_eb8ec7c8
type
Jerkass
 Dirty John / int_eb8ec7c8
comment
Jerkass: DAN. He is rarely shown in a positive light, especially when played by Christian Slater.
 Dirty John / int_eb8ec7c8
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Dirty John / int_eb8ec7c8
 Dirty John / int_eb8f64a6
type
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
 Dirty John / int_eb8f64a6
comment
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Debra is swayed by John's claims of being a victim of various misunderstandings and Terra starts to believe that perhaps he was bad once but has turned his life around with Debra's support. This misplaced idealism nearly gets Terra killed.
 Dirty John / int_eb8f64a6
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Dirty John / int_eb8f64a6
 Dirty John / int_eba4a0e7
type
Chronic Villainy
 Dirty John / int_eba4a0e7
comment
Chronic Villainy: John is simply not able to resist his evil nature, no matter how many opportunities for legitimate success he has. He gets into law school and then later finds legitimate work as an anaesthesia nurse, earning very good money and having a wife, home and kids, but ruining it all with his addictions, scheming and abusive nature.
 Dirty John / int_eba4a0e7
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Dirty John / int_eba4a0e7
 Dirty John / int_ee7fca3d
type
Silver Fox
 Dirty John / int_ee7fca3d
comment
Silver Fox: John and Debra are both in their fifties, with John's hair starting to go grey and Debra even having grandchildren through her son Trey, and still very good-looking.
 Dirty John / int_ee7fca3d
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Dirty John / int_ee7fca3d
 Dirty John / int_f36c4f98
type
Easily Forgiven
 Dirty John / int_f36c4f98
comment
Easily Forgiven: Holy hell, John, somewhat bordering on Too Dumb to Live for Debra at times (though she does have a Freudian Excuse). Despite his antagonistic relationship with the rest of her family, she can always find an excuse for him because she's desperate to find love and not get divorced again. And after everything he put her through, she takes him back after he gives her some frankly cringeworthy excuses to explain away all the dirt dug up on him (such as keeping restraining orders with his address around the house because they actually, supposedly, apply to other John Meehans). Her family ends up so frustrated by her taking him back that they begin to refuse to see her.
 Dirty John / int_f36c4f98
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Dirty John / int_f36c4f98
 Dirty John / int_f50995d
type
Hoist by His Own Petard
 Dirty John / int_f50995d
comment
Hoistby His Own Petard: Betty chooses to represent herself in her divorce hearing, presuming the legal system is largely set against her. In the process, she loses custody of her children and is given visitation rights along with a fraction of the monetary compensation she asked for.
 Dirty John / int_f50995d
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Dirty John / int_f50995d
 Dirty John / int_f740a274
type
Historical Beauty Update
 Dirty John / int_f740a274
comment
Historical Beauty Update: The real John wasn't ugly but was a fairly average looking guy and not anywhere near as good-looking as Eric Bana.
 Dirty John / int_f740a274
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Dirty John / int_f740a274
 Dirty John / int_f8c8175a
type
Malicious Slander
 Dirty John / int_f8c8175a
comment
Malicious Slander: Betty learns from a friend during the bifurcated divorce of the rumor that the hearings were closed due to her being a child molester, a false allegation.
 Dirty John / int_f8c8175a
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Dirty John / int_f8c8175a
 Dirty John / int_fccd06b6
type
Beware the Nice Ones
 Dirty John / int_fccd06b6
comment
Beware the Nice Ones: Terra is a very sweet-natured, loving person who cares deeply about her family and wants to see them happy and believes the best about people. She's also the one who finally puts John down for good by stabbing him multiple times and jamming a knife through his eye.
 Dirty John / int_fccd06b6
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Dirty John / int_fccd06b6
 Dirty John / int_fe64d5a1
type
Evil Is Petty
 Dirty John / int_fe64d5a1
comment
Evil Is Petty: The divorce court judge admonishes Dan and Dan’s lawyer for “fines� on Betty’s support payments and wasting time on petty details such as answering machine message transcripts.
 Dirty John / int_fe64d5a1
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Dirty John / int_fe64d5a1
 Dirty John / int_ff17ccf1
type
Innocently Insensitive
 Dirty John / int_ff17ccf1
comment
Innocently Insensitive: John jokes about shooting Veronica in the head thanks to his "military experience" in front of Toby, who becomes angry and uncomfortable because his mother was killed after his father shot her in the head. John insists he didn't mean it that way in the least — only to turn that on its head when Toby confronts him, and he coldly tells him that Toby should be glad his mother is dead so she won't have to see the "loser" he's become.
 Dirty John / int_ff17ccf1
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Dirty John / int_ff17ccf1
 Dirty John / int_ff7e9adf
type
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold
 Dirty John / int_ff7e9adf
comment
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Debra and Terra are both blondes with big hearts who easily forgive others because they want to see the best in them.
 Dirty John / int_ff7e9adf
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Dirty John

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Dirty John
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Anthology Series / int_6eef76b6
 Dirty John
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Stepping Stone Spouse / int_6eef76b6