Three episodes in, I totally see both the frustration and the appeal.
Shanola Hampton's stage presence is staggering; I could watch her walk, talk, and get business done all day. :)
A'zaria Carter also carries her fury and fragility *so* well.
But you're so right, too - the show's story and scripting are on par with The Equalizer (the hackers are similar, too!), & yet, it has this GEM of a novel concept, in the push-pull with Gosselaar's character, buried in the rough. 😬
The trauma management, too, is *so* strange. These are all articulate, high-functioning human beings who still... conveniently don't put in the work for themselves with therapy?
Relying on husbands, fellow victims, and each other to hold space all the time instead?
SUCH a weird disconnect between the walk and the talk.
So far, Margaret's seemed the stablest, in at least recognizing that her kids needed to be far from her inability to change, but WOOF.
What an uneven crew!
@MLClark Kelli Williams (Margaret) is a favorite actress of mine but she is essentially playing the female version of Tim Roth's character in Lie To Me where she really was undervalued for 3 years. I like how she PLAYS this character but she's also there with her "super power created from trauma" and I'm so exhausted from hearing that take on hypervigilance from trauma.
Oh, that whole aspect is icky, and I think they've gone out of the way to mention it in all three episodes? They just *keep* *digging* *in* to how her trauma makes her magical.
No, the only thing "magical" with Margaret was her having sufficient self-awareness to recognize that her ex was correct to ask for full custody, and that this was in the best interests of her kids. A rare gift in real life!
Otherwise, she remains a very hurt person walking. Full stop.
@MLClark Yes it's all well and noble for her to have the awareness to know she is suffering and doesn't want to put that on others ... but at the same time she won't get the help she needs and it's STILL on others because the entire team has to work around her trauma ... ??? and enables her at the same time? And then calls her magical? I can't even 🤣