Christopher Darden Is 2016’s Most Unexpected TV Boyfriend

When it comes to The People v. O.J. Simpson, the expectation game has been just as compelling as what we’ve gotten onscreen. From the moment it was announced that Ryan Murphy would be expanding his anthology universe to focus on the crime of the century, there was so much pre-hysteria: excitement, wariness, fascination. As every cast member was announced — Travolta, Schwimmer, Cuba Gooding Jr. — the expectations just kept getting cranked up. Was this going to be the best TV show ever? The worst? How problematic would it be? How would it handle the Kardashians? Would it jump-start Travolta’s career? Finally win Sarah Paulson that Emmy? One thing I am pretty sure nobody expected was that Christopher Darden would emerge from the mists of forgotten history to be America’s new TV boyfriend. But here we are. And after the series’ sixth episode, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia,” there is absolutely no denying it.

How did this happen? If you remember the events of 1994/95 at all, Christopher Darden was the unbuttered toast of the bottomless breakfast buffet that was the O.J. trial. There were so many big personalities in play, from Johnnie Cochran’s P.T. Barnum routine to dastardly Mark Fuhrman to beleagured Lance Ito. How could the mild-mannered, soft-spoken Darden ever stand out?

One of the best parts of The People v. O.J. Simpson is its dedication to bringing Darden to the forefront. It’s been a great call on so many levels. For one thing, Darden’s character is caught at the crossroads of the racial implications of the trial. He’s a black man in the immediate aftermath of the Rodney King riots, tasked with prosecuting a famous black defendant in a case where the racism of the LAPD is very much on trial. Sterling K. Brown has been knocking it out of the park every week so far. But it wasn’t until this week that Darden went from “good performance” to “[heart-eyes emoji],” and he did it in a big way.

“Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” was an episode that intensely focused on Marcia Clark, if you can believe that. With the prosecutor in the media’s crosshairs, everything from her parenting to her hairstyle to her romantic past were up for grabs, and Clark was ill-equipped to handle it. Enter Chris Darden: Bae Of The Year 1994.

When He Understands That Everybody’s Being a Dick About Child-Care Double Standards

When He Looks Like This Coming Out Of The Shower While Old-School TLC Is Playing

When He’ll Dance Your Worries Away To The Kind Of ’70s Soul That You Thought Shonda Rhimes Had Reserved For Scandal

When He’s The Only Person Who Likes Your Controversial New Haircut (And Even If He’s Lying, He’s Doing A Good Job Of It)

When He’ll Hold Your Hand In Public After Judge Ito Says Something Shady

It’s been a while since we’ve had a TV boyfriend this good. So, sorry about it, Kato Kaelin. You can stop jogging around shirtless. (…Okay, well maybe once or twice more.) Dean Strang and Jerry Buting? You had a good (if improbable) run. We’ve got a new man with a law degree. And he sure can cut a rug.