SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

The second instalment of this series is based again on another true story about a woman married to a narcissist.

I'm able to manage watching it because I have a lot of years of healing under my belt, but don't recommend it for newbies. It's hard to take it all in.

There is, however, one particular thread running through it, a psychiatrist testifying as an expert witness, outlining everything a BS goes through step by step, plus dealing with the narc aspect, the gaslighting, the crazymaking, and I'm sitting here going "yep, yep... yep, aaand yep...".

It's really quite well done and an education for anyone who hasn't had the experience IRL.

I watched the whole series, and had the same reaction during that scene where the pyschologist's take was told.

it's funny - there was a thread about this season awhile back and when I could not locate it later, I did a google search for SI and Betty Broderick. Came across an old thread with SI folks talking about how she was so God awful, horrible to her kids, etc. I was really shocked when I came across that old thread.... of other BS blasting her for being a bad mom.

Obviously, no one would condone the murders.... or even the way in which she abandoned her kids.

AND

As far as I'm concerned, this is how relational betrayal trauma can manifest.

I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I do see that her WH contributed to her mental breakdown. On the other hand, how many of us go through the same thing and have resorted to threats, harassment, stalking, and murder? How many of us have ruined our relationship with our kids because we couldn't stop obsessing over what our XWS was doing? This isn't just the story of a BW dealing with infidelity. It's a story of someone who already had a predisposition to unsafe behavior dealing with infidelity and the consequences to her not receiving the help that she desperately needed.

It struck me of more of a victim to perpetrator narrative because by the end of it, everyone was telling her to stop and leave him alone. I don't think they overly glamorized or painted her in a sympathetic light in the end nor did they necessarily villianize the WH either. He was a POS but he didn't deserve that.

I never really paid much attention to the story at the time. She really went off the deep end, and if she really involved the kids in the drama as depicted, that's a big sickness talking I think.

If I go on Netflix I only can access season 1.

How are you guys seeing season 2?

I'm in Canada, does that make a difference? They're not labelled season 1, season 2. They're called "John Meehan" and "Betty Broderick".

I only see the Meehan episodes to play.

Season 2 isn't available on Netflix yet. It was released as a regular episodic show on USA, and those usually don't show up on Netflix for a while after they've been released.

You either have to have cable, or pay a little extra for Hulu live TV and have it record there.

Thanks for the responses. Now I know why I haven’t seen the Broderick story - though familiar with it.

The one movie I saw with Meredith Baxter-Birney was well done. The H contributed to her mental demise but he didn’t deserve to be killed.

I downloaded it on my Netflix - called Dirty John, Betty Broderick. Saw the one with the psycologist and yes yes yes that nailed just about all of it. Although hard to watch in some parts - I am watching it all the same.

I'm a WW but I could relate to what she went through as a wife who devoted her life to her kids and was told she was nothing for it. I felt like her acting was incredible and it would leave me rattled after watching it. Such a horrific journey for all involved.

I went on line after watching the Betty Broderick Netflix, there are actual videos of the real woman. Have to admit she is a bit scary. Has applied for parole I think three times and shows no remorse - her next application date for parole is 2032.... I would have thought she would have had some remorse about taking the children's father out of their lives. No excuse for the abuse she suffered but those children lost both parents over this.

The episode with the psychiatrist was a huge trigger for me. I couldn't even finish watching the rest of the series. The description of infidelity trauma was spot on

She has shown no remorse and her actions were those of someone with sociopathic tendencies. I can understand how she flipped but her XH did not deserve to be killed. I feel sad for her children. It is tragic that she got no sustained help from a psychiatrist or therapist.

The series was very well done I thought, especially the psychologist's

description of gaslighting, so spot on. I was reminded of how much of my life was consumed by infidelity and all it's ramifications.

I watched this, i was scared too , it was like watching DR foster except ten times worse.

however in some weird roundabout way there is this feeling of cathaticism.

when she spread his cake all over his bed clothes etc. it made me feel this high. like pay back.

i cant believe betty broderick is still in jail in her 70s, she went through years of narcissistic abuse and yet shes paying for it.

@nekonamida i disagree, i think high levels of narcissistic abuse and gaslighting can do that to a person. Friends and lovers betraying you. her own friends in the end judged her, it was that one woman who backed her (the one from the support group) until obviously the murder happened. but up until then, all she needed was validation, and she hadnt had it from her kids, her friends, until that woman. i agree that the conversations she had with her children will have scarred them for life. but i disagree that it its unusual behaviour. i think a lot of people are conditioned these days to bury feelings of pain and trauma and not talk about them but i think if we didnt have that societal pressure , more people would show that level of pain. like she did.