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The John Meehan Story – Dirty John

Play trailer 1:55 Poster for The John Meehan Story – Dirty John 2018 Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 36 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
"Dirty John" is a true-crime anthology series that explores the theme of love gone wrong, set against the backdrop of sunny Southern California. In the course of each season, viewers can follow a relationship from promising beginning to catastrophic end, raising the question of whether it's possible to really know someone, even the person one loves most. Through exploring the nuances and reframing the narratives of well-known cases, the series serves to remind the audience that there are two sides to every story, and people are often not quite as they seem.
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Dirty John — The John Meehan Story

Dirty John — The John Meehan Story

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Critics Consensus

Dirty John might not live up to the thrills of its source material, but Connie Britton puts on a clinic with her interpretation of true crime treachery.

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Critics Reviews

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Alessa Dominguez BuzzFeed News In the scramble to extract big meaning (and meaty roles) from true crime stories, scripted series like Dirty John may make them less interesting... Apr 5, 2022 Full Review Brad Newsome Sydney Morning Herald Where Dirty John is perhaps most revealing is in its understanding of how people's pasts, their traumas, their beliefs and their desires cause them to behave in the strangest ways. Feb 22, 2019 Full Review David Sexton London Evening Standard Eric Bana is terrific as Dirty John, so sexy and appealing yet creepy too. He combines those qualities perfectly: you really can believe that when he focuses attention on you, you can hardly resist. Rated: 4/5 Feb 14, 2019 Full Review M.N. Miller Ready Steady Cut And that is precisely the issue with Dirty John, a series structured on (and described as) John being charismatic and even sleazy when [Eric Bana's] portrayal is anything but. Rated: 2/5 Aug 17, 2022 Full Review Lara Ben-Ameur Espinof This might only be something that audiences who followed the podcast or were aware of the story Dirty John is based on can fully enjoy. [Full Review in Spanish] Rated: 2.5/5 Apr 4, 2019 Full Review Rohan Naahar Hindustan Times Dirty John may not be quite as gripping as the LA Times podcast, but it's another step in the validation of a medium that is witnessing a golden age. Rated: 3/5 Mar 15, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Annette B Overall not a bad story and the acting was pretty good. The only reason I wouldn’t give the show a higher rating is because of how they build up the story. I feel there was a lot of room for the viewer to better understand how Debra was so blind to all his faults, just in terms of storytelling, I think that would’ve made for a better show. Currently, Debra is made to look rather pathetic. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/22/24 Full Review Geneva J Such a good cast. I'm glad they captured the severity of the situation without making it seem exploitative. Props to everyone involved. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/25/23 Full Review Lukas-Jeremie K I actually really liked "Dirty John". Both seasons had a very interesting and gripping story - even if I don't know if and how much of it was partly made up. Both seasons are rather quiet and long-winded, which I didn't find disturbing. I'm probably in the minority there, but I actually found the second season better than the first. It's probably due to Amanda Peet's great acting and I also enjoyed seeing Christian Slander again because I'm a big Mr. Robot fan. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/29/23 Full Review Liz M Started out great but the whole thing is about three episodes too long. It really started dragging in episode five and never got going again. Debra was a pure, and unbelievably naive and desperate to be loved by yet another man. Hard to generate much sympathy for her when the truth was hitting her in the face, and she just pretended it wasn't all true. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Great series! Really realateable! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member I made it to episode for where John was laying in the hospital bed spewing all his lies and Debra was eating them all up. That was it for me. Nobody could possibly ever be that stupid. The writing in this series is an absolute joke! Every character in this series is either stupid, rotten or annoying. After episode 4, I just couldn't watch anymore Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Dirty John — The John Meehan Story

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Cast & Crew

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Connie Britton

Debra Newell

Eric Bana

John Meehan

Julia Garner

Terra Newell

Juno Temple

Veronica Newell

Jean Smart

Arlane Hart

Patrick Cohen

Jeff

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Nov 25, 2018 Approachable Dreams Living a seemingly perfect life in Newport Beach, Calif., beautiful Debra Newell meets a charming doctor named John Meehan and gets caught up in a whirlwind romance, much to her daughters' dismay. Details Episode 2 Aired Dec 2, 2018 Red Flags and Parades Debra and John revel secretly in their newlywed bliss, as Veronica, Terra and Toby hatch a plan to prove their suspicions about their mother's new man. Details Episode 3 Aired Dec 9, 2018 Remember It Was Me Debra discovers John's criminal record; in the past, John starts his first family. Details Episode 4 Aired Dec 16, 2018 Shrapnel Debra confronts John; Arlane's past is revealed. Details Episode 5 Aired Dec 23, 2018 Lord High Executioner John gets clean for Debra; Terra learns John is back; John puts his sister through the ringer. Details Episode 6 Aired Dec 30, 2018 One Shoe Debra makes a decision about John; in Ohio, John captures the attention of Detective Dennis Luken. Details Episode 7 Aired Jan 6, 2019 Chivalry A look at how John operates while Debra tries to move forward. Details Episode 8 Aired Jan 13, 2019 This Young Woman Fought Like Hell John and Debra's relationship comes to a head in an unexpected way. Details

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Dirty John — The John Meehan Story

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Dirty John — The John Meehan Story

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Season Info

Director
Jeffrey Reiner
Executive Producer
Jeffrey Reiner, Richard Suckle, Charles Roven, Mark Herzog, Christopher G. Cowen, Connie Britton, Eric Bana, Chris Argentieri
Screenwriter
Alexandra Cunningham, Lex Edness
Network
Bravo
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date
Nov 25, 2018
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