Friends & Enemies

S1 E2: As the Nineties progress, America becomes ever more divided and fragmented. At Waco, a religious cult becomes a lightning rod for a fear of big government invading our homes. That same conspiracy fear plays itself out in the popular idea that aliens walk amongst us. Meanwhile, the awful sight of dead American soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu divides America on its role in the world. Even in women's figure skating we find ourselves divided along class lines with the Tonya and Nancy saga. Class warfare dominates TV with the rise of Jerry Springer's reality show, whilst real-life violence and rapper lyrics become intertwined, and America turns to a new generation of drugs like Vicodin and Prozac to cope with it all. Domestic violence explodes with the Oklahoma City bombing, and following a government shutdown, Bill Clinton declares that the era of big government is over. The "shock jocks" are commanding huge audiences, as is the O.J. Simpson trial – ending in a verdict which polarizes the nation. But when Matthew Shepard is murdered in a homophobic attack, America unites in condemnation. A new dance craze also unites the nation: the Macarena. Rudy Giuliani orders a clean-up operation in New York City, and the hip new sitcom Friends is an overnight hit, along with a revolutionary search engine for a fast-growing tool: the internet.