Meddling: Remember the 2002 pairs figure skating judging scandal?
February 8, 2022 10:31 AM - Season 1 (Full Season) - Subscribe
Yeah, I had forgotten, too -- but NBC (well, Peacock) made this four-episode miniseries to retell the story, and they added a lot of details that didn't come out at the time.
From the TVDB:
Tara Lipinski produced it, and it's a very good piece.
The interviews are direct, and the story progresses as a good pace. My only complaint is that they text explaining who some of the people are was too small for my old eyes!
I had no inkling of Berezhnaya 's story, and it was really affecting. Then again, that French judge needs a poke in the eye.
The controversial story of Canadian figure skating pair Jamie Salé and David Pelletier losing gold to Russians Anton Sikharulidze and Elena Berezhnaya during the 2002 Winter Olympics in an organized crime scandal spanning three continents.
Tara Lipinski produced it, and it's a very good piece.
The interviews are direct, and the story progresses as a good pace. My only complaint is that they text explaining who some of the people are was too small for my old eyes!
I had no inkling of Berezhnaya 's story, and it was really affecting. Then again, that French judge needs a poke in the eye.
That was amazing! Lots of new information. Thank you so much.
posted by BibiRose at 2:50 PM on February 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by BibiRose at 2:50 PM on February 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
I thought this was great and struck the right balance of treating all of this as important to these people but also understanding it was "funny" to the outside world.
And yeah, Marie-Reine Le Gougne (the French judge) seemed to lack ... self-awareness? Or something. I just wanted her to admit that yes, she did do something wrong, but felt like she had no other choice or something.
I love how much it gives the skaters involved time to tell their stories and become people we care about (on that note, I was highly disappointed to find out that Jamie Salé is a supporter of the whole truck convoy stuff. Her Twitter is ... something).
I do think the new scoring system -- while it still has flaws -- is better for everyone, honestly.
I was never a fan of Tara Lipinski as a skater (I was always on Team Michelle Kwan) but I have come to love her so much since. I used to listen to the Tara & Johnny podcast constantly and she seems like someone who knows her flaws and is OK with them. I love seeing her do something like this. She (and her husband, Todd Kapostasy, who co-produced and directed it) put together something that may have only had insider interest and made it compelling for everyone. That's what good documentaries should do.
posted by edencosmic at 5:41 PM on February 9, 2022 [3 favorites]
And yeah, Marie-Reine Le Gougne (the French judge) seemed to lack ... self-awareness? Or something. I just wanted her to admit that yes, she did do something wrong, but felt like she had no other choice or something.
I love how much it gives the skaters involved time to tell their stories and become people we care about (on that note, I was highly disappointed to find out that Jamie Salé is a supporter of the whole truck convoy stuff. Her Twitter is ... something).
I do think the new scoring system -- while it still has flaws -- is better for everyone, honestly.
I was never a fan of Tara Lipinski as a skater (I was always on Team Michelle Kwan) but I have come to love her so much since. I used to listen to the Tara & Johnny podcast constantly and she seems like someone who knows her flaws and is OK with them. I love seeing her do something like this. She (and her husband, Todd Kapostasy, who co-produced and directed it) put together something that may have only had insider interest and made it compelling for everyone. That's what good documentaries should do.
posted by edencosmic at 5:41 PM on February 9, 2022 [3 favorites]
Yeah, Jamie Salé turns out to be a right-wing, anti-masker, Freedom Convoy-supporting asshole. So fuck her sideways.
posted by holborne at 8:38 PM on February 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by holborne at 8:38 PM on February 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
And yeah, Marie-Reine Le Gougne (the French judge) seemed to lack ... self-awareness? Or something. I just wanted her to admit that yes, she did do something wrong, but felt like she had no other choice or something.
Yeah, it was the cherry on top of her self-absorption with no self awareness when it turned out she now performs reiki.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:54 PM on February 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
Yeah, it was the cherry on top of her self-absorption with no self awareness when it turned out she now performs reiki.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:54 PM on February 9, 2022 [4 favorites]
Yeah, it was the cherry on top of her self-absorption with no self awareness when it turned out she now performs reiki.
I literally said, "Of course!" out loud to the TV.
posted by BibiRose at 4:13 AM on February 10, 2022 [3 favorites]
I literally said, "Of course!" out loud to the TV.
posted by BibiRose at 4:13 AM on February 10, 2022 [3 favorites]
You two are brutal....and entirely correct.
Even if there is still some subjectivity in scoring for figure skating, at least seeing the score for each move onscreen, and the "par" score for that move, gives so much more transparency than the old system. It goes a long way to making up for the old way.
posted by wenestvedt at 2:46 PM on February 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
Even if there is still some subjectivity in scoring for figure skating, at least seeing the score for each move onscreen, and the "par" score for that move, gives so much more transparency than the old system. It goes a long way to making up for the old way.
posted by wenestvedt at 2:46 PM on February 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
We went to watch this last night and somehow ended up watching a one-hour version of the story on Netflix instead of this one, as nothing relevant came up when I searched Hulu, so I assumed I had the wrong streaming service. Pretty sure that is the first time I ever watched an entire show without realizing I wasn't watching what I thought I was watching.
posted by COD at 6:34 AM on February 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by COD at 6:34 AM on February 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
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posted by COD at 4:11 PM on February 8, 2022 [1 favorite]