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The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

There’s no doubt that the ’90s were a different time. The internet was in its infancy, cell phones were massive bricks, and people all across this great nation could smoke indoors like it wasn’t a big gross deal.

The People Vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story salutes our former, looser attitudes towards indoor smoking by showing us the strong bond that Los Angeles District Attorney Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson) had with those delicious cancer sticks. We’re often told throughout the series that Nicole and O.J. were in love, but the only real passion we see onscreen is when Marcia sucks on her cigarettes.

In a tragic turn of events, Marcia did not get a smoke break last week. Will she get one in the finale?

Cigarette #1

She’s so ashamed, guys. Marcia Clark can’t handle the fact that she let the trial of the century slip away from her. Poor Marcia can’t know that future generations will herald her name! Or that Tina Fey will play homage to her in an episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt! She doesn’t know that her crime novels will race to the tops of bestseller lists (and be offered as a free Kindle book for Amazon Prime subscribers). Most of all, Marcia Clark has no way of knowing that one day the luminous Sarah Paulson will bring her heart and soul to life on FX.

So let’s just say that Marcia is having a bad day. She’s allowed to wallow. She’s allowed to sooth herself with the taste of ashy death. She can have that one last cigarette. Smoke on, baby. Smoke on. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You did your best and now the nicotine is going to hug your lungs tight. You are the phoenix that will rise from that cigarette’s ash.