'Pam and Tommy' Episode 3 Recap: "Jane Fonda"

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Pam and Tommy, Hulu

Rand Gauthier and Uncle Miltie have decided to sell the stolen sex tape.

Even though it could damage Pam and Tommy’s lives, Rand feels righteous in his revenge after being stiffed by Tommy Lee. The only problem is finding someone who will distribute that stolen videotape. They go around trying any porn distributor in the business, but even though the buyers are interested, they won’t touch the tape without signed releases from the two celebrities. And that’s something Rand and Miltie are never going to get.

Pam and Tommy, Hulu

Enter Erica. Erica (Taylor Schilling) is Rand’s estranged wife. They’ve wanted to get divorced for some time now, but the amount of money needed to end their marriage was too much for either of them. They’re still cordial with each other though and Rand shows up to fix Erica’s toilet. Finding the specific part for that toilet is going to be difficult, but after trying a few local places, Rand decides to try the internet. In the mid-’90s the internet was in its infancy. People who could afford to get online connected via their telephone lines. And it was SLOW. He finds the part for the toliet, but more importantly, he has found a way to distribute the sex tape.

Pam and Tommy, Hulu

Now Rand and Uncle Miltie have to find someone who will finance their operation. Luckily, Uncle Miltie has a producer friend that’s usually interested in these kinds of projects. Butchie (Andrew Dice Clay), a producer and mob man, wants in but only if they get releases. It looks like this will be all for naught, but then Rand explains that distributing the video on the internet will allow them to do it without repercussions. Rand’s knowledge of how the internet works is spotty at best, but this is a grand idea that has Uncle Miltie and Buthcie all in.

Meanwhile, Pam and Tommy are trying to get pregnant. They are trying their new-age blessings, but that only leads them towards a negative pregnancy test. Tommy is eager to keep trying, but Pam has to prepare for a big monologue on Baywatch the next morning. She’s particularly excited because as she tells Tommy, “the camera is finally going to be on my face for a change.” Despite being prepared for the shoot in the morning, the producers explain that they had to cut her big scene and they just want her to run out to the water like she usually does.

Pam and Tommy, Hulu

With the imminent release of Pam’s feature film, Barb Wire, she might not have to put up with her Baywatch producers anymore. Pam sits down with Gail (Mozhan Marno) to discuss the vision for Barb Wire. And that’s when Pam reveals that she wants to emulate the career of Jane Fonda. Fonda worked incredibly hard and was able to be a sex symbol in a film like Barbarella, but then transition into an award-winning actress and activist. That’s the kind of career Pam wants.

Both Rand and Pam are hopeful at the end of the episode. Rand is excited about the website launching and maybe he’ll finally have enough money to move forward in his life. Pam has her movie to look forward to and she finally gets a positive pregnancy test. The only problem is that Rand’s happiness is certainly going to bring about a period of extreme unhappiness for Pam.

And the final scene of the episode shows the tape being replicated.

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