Pam & Tommy came to its much-anticipated conclusion on Wednesday, as the titular couple finally gave into the spread of their tape ahead of becoming parents for the first time.
In tense scenes, the pair clashed over a proposal by online porn pioneer Seth Warshavsky to hand over the rights to their video, pushing their relationship to a breaking point as a pregnant Pamela pleaded with Tommy to sign the deal so that her ordeal could finally be ‘over.’
Meanwhile, having been at the epicentre of the tape’s theft, Rande finally had a moment of clarity, selling the original tape for $10,000 while making amends with his ex-wife Erica.
Emotional: Pam & Tommy came to its much-anticipated conclusion on Wednesday, as the titular couple finally gave into the spread of their tape thanks to the rise of internet pornography
As the eighth and final episode moves the story to June 1996, Tommy joins his Motley Crue bandmates launching their new album, delivering an impromptu performance to a crowd of thrilled fans outside Tower Records.
Despite a rapturous reception, his attention is drawn to some unimpressed onlookers.
Meanwhile, after her overwhelmingly negative reception to her role in Barbed Wire, a heavily pregnant Pamela struggles to land another big-screen part, despite calls from Baywatch bosses to reprise her role, performing a screen test for LA Confidential.
Tense: Meanwhile, having been at the epicentre of the tape’s theft, Rande finally had a moment of clarity, selling the original tape for $10,000 while making amends with his ex-wife Erica
Divisive: As the eighth and final episode moves the story to June 1996, Tommy joins his Motley Crue bandmates launching their new album, and he quickly catches the eye of some unimpressed onlookers
Woes: Meanwhile, after her overwhelmingly negative reception to her role in Barbed Wire, a heavily pregnant Pamela struggles to land another big-screen part
It’s clear she’s struggling with the spread of her sex tape with Tommy, despite his reassurance that it ‘can’t get any worse,’ noting that over seven million people will have watched the racy clip.
Having been enlisted by gangster Butchie to do his dirty work in a bid to pay his debts, Rande hands over $1,100 of the money owed by a compulsive gambler, and he begs the boss to let him go, with Butchie eventually agreeing to make their deal even if Rande can come up with $10,000.
With hands scarred from his crimes, Rande breaks down in tears at the seat of his car.
At odds: It’s clear she’s struggling with the spread of her sex tape with Tommy, despite his reassurance that it ‘can’t get any worse,’ noting that over seven million people will have watched the racy clip
Emotional: With hands scarred from his crimes, Rande breaks down in tears at the seat of his car, as he desperately tries to pay back gangster Butchie
Things don’t seem to be going any better for Pam and Tommy either, as the devastated actress learns she didn’t land the LA role, losing out to eventual Oscar winner Kim Basinger, and also discovers she’s no longer in the running for ‘a Bond spoof’, eventually becoming Austin Powers, with the role instead going to then-unknown Elizabeth Hurley.
And having originally been booked to close the VMAs, Tommy and the Motley Crue learn they were bumped to the pre-show, meaning they were cut from the live broadcast, leading the band to walk out in a rage.
Tommy desperately tries to reassure Pamela that the heat around the tape will eventually die down, but he later gets a phone call from Sixx, who urges him to plug in the computer.
More problems: After a few hiccups thanks to a slow internet connection, Tommy discovers the tape has been shared for free online, sparking a pleasurable reaction from men across the globe
Elated: Seth can’t hide his delight when he discovers the tape’s record-breaking views, and after learning the couple is suing him over the distribution of the video, forms a plan
Cashing in: Seth proposes that they give him the rights to stream the video for a profit, preventing anyone from creating bootleg versions
Infuriated: Fighting back tears, Pamela reminds her husband of the impact the tape has had on her because she’s ‘not in it like him’, and even proposes she give Seth the rights without Tommy’s agreement to his clear rage
After a few hiccups thanks to a slow internet connection, Tommy discovers the tape has been shared for free online, sparking a pleasurable reaction from men across the globe as they tune into the clip on IEG (Internet Entertainment Group).
In the middle of another ‘collection,’ Rande also sees that the tape has ended up on IEG’s website, having previously dismissed Seth Warshavsky’s vow to kickstart a revolution through online pornography.
As Pamela and Tommy launch legal action to try and prevent the ‘plague’ of the tape’s spread, Rande seeks help from a psychic medium, pleading with her: ‘Why does bad stuff keep happening when good stuff should be happening to me?’
After pulling out her tarot cards, Rande finally realises the person he’s wronged: His ex-wife Erica, and goes back to her apartment to plead forgiveness.
Realisation: Rande seeks help from a psychic medium, and finally realises that the outcome has been karma for wronging his wife Erica
We need a break: Heading home to make amends, Pamela reveals she needs to get out of LA for some ‘time away,’ but Tommy pleads for her forgiveness and suggest they run away together to Lake Mead by the Vegas strip
Tommy and Pamela learn their injunction was denied by a judge, who views the tape as commentary in accordance with the First Amendment, before being called into a meeting with Seth, who proposes that they give him the rights to stream the video for a profit.
Reminding them the tape could be shared online by bootleg sites if IEG keep it free, he notes that if they hand over the online rights, the video would be far more contained and seen by a significantly smaller number.
While Tommy immediately dismisses the offer claiming blackmail, Pamela pleads for her ordeal to be over.
Upsetting: Despite their attempts to check into the hotel unnoticed, Tommy and Pamela are quickly mobbed by fans, and he accidentally hits her arm as he pushes her into the lift
Furious: As exhausted Pamela struggles to sleep, Tommy heads downstairs, where he quickly starts drunkenly bragging about the tape to a group of punters, unaware his furious wife has caught him downstairs
Fighting back tears, Pamela reminds her husband of the impact the tape has had on her because she’s ‘not in it like him’, and even proposes she give Seth the rights without Tommy’s agreement to his clear rage.
Meanwhile, after setting an egg timer giving him just two minutes, Rande apologises for his behaviour and vows to leave Erica’s life for good, but she notes they could stay in contact every now and then.
Branding himself an ‘agent of chaos,’ Rande admits he feels ‘terrible for women,’ and Pamela for sharing the tape, with even Erica noting: ‘You are not the greatest gender.’
Pleading: Meanwhile, after setting an egg timer giving him just two minutes, Rande apologises for his behaviour and vows to leave Erica’s life for good, but she notes they could stay in contact every now and then
Drowning his sorrows in a bar, Tommy lashes out at a punter who takes a jibe at him over the tape, forcing Nikki to break it up, and he reminds him he ‘loves showing his d**k’ and there are worse things to be defined by.
Heading home to make amends, Pamela reveals she needs to get out of LA for some ‘time away,’ but Tommy pleads for her forgiveness and suggest they run away together to Lake Mead by the Vegas strip.
Despite their attempts to check into the hotel unnoticed, Tommy and Pamela are quickly mobbed by fans, and he accidentally hits her arm as he pushes her into the lift.
Tearful: Finding Pamela back at their house watching the tape, Tommy vows he’ll ‘do better’ for his wife and their unborn child, and she pleads with him to sign the contract handing over rights to the tape to IEM
‘It’s over’: After he asks what will happen if he doesn’t sign, her silence leads him to smash the table in a fit of rage, before signing the contract and throwing it at her in disgust
As exhausted Pamela struggles to sleep, Tommy heads downstairs, where he quickly starts drunkenly bragging about the tape to a group of punters, unaware his furious wife has caught him downstairs.
After she storms away in disgust, Tommy discovers Pamela has fled with their car, and he speeds off on a motorbike to find her.
Finding Pamela back at their house watching the tape, Tommy vows he’ll ‘do better’ for his wife and their unborn child, and she pleads with him to sign the contract handing over rights to the tape to IEM, admitting she ‘doesn’t care’ about the privacy violation anymore.
After he asks what will happen if he doesn’t sign, her silence leads him to smash the table in a fit of rage, before signing the contract and throwing it at her in disgust.
Breaking down, Pamela tells her husband ‘it’s over,’ with Seth quickly setting the stage to put the tape up for sale for $29.95, but he quickly notes they need to find a better copy.
Epiphany: Rande also attempts to clear his conscience by apologising to a swimsuit-clad Pamela lookalike outside the Chinese Theatre
Plans: He then discovers Seth waiting for him at his apartment, where he sells him the original tape for $10,000 in a bid to clear his debts
Touching: Proving he still has some semblance of good, Rande sends the money from selling the tape to Eric, along with signed divorce papers
Rande also attempts to clear his conscience by apologising to a swimsuit-clad Pamela lookalike outside the Chinese Theatre, before discovering Seth waiting for him in his apartment, asking him for the original version of the tape.
Having finally had a ‘moral epiphany’ Rande tells Seth to ‘f**k off’…. but quickly agrees to sell the tape when he realises the money would finally help him to pay off Butchie, but instead sends the $10,000 to Erica ‘in karma’ along with their signed divorce papers.
The series ends with Pamela finally giving birth to her first child with Tommy, with him filming the tender moment on a video camera, while their saucy tape is seen for sale in a video store, while the Motley Crue’s latest album is demoted to the clearance bin.
As Pamela gets a tattoo of Tommy’s name on her ring finger, she shares a tender moment with her son while gazing at her husband’s portrait… before on-screen text notes the couple divorced two years later, after he was arrested and later imprisoned for six months following a fight in their kitchen.
The couple briefly reunited in 2008, but split just months later.
Pam and Tommy is available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK.
At last! The series ends with Pamela finally giving birth to her first child with Tommy, with him filming the tender moment on a video camera… before on-screen text reveals they divorced two years later
