Review – Mrs. Fletcher

How the HBO limited series didn’t Let its premise hold it back

Photo credit to HBO

– Spoilers ahead –

Anyone who knows me knows that when I heard the masterful Katherine Hahn was helming a middle-aged-coming-of-age comedy-drama about loss and sexual discovery, I was there, popcorn popped, every Sunday night. And truthfully, I was not disappointed. Hahn once again delivers a nuanced tour de force as Eve Fletcher, leading the show with grace and humility, even when she’s spanking herself over a barstool.

The series follows Hahn’s character after her son, Brendan, leaves home for college. The stories diverge, primarily focusing on Eve, but checking in on Brendan periodically. The two narratives counterbalance each other, Eve being a kind, well-intentioned divorcee and Brendan being a former high school jock with no real world experience. As both characters are thrust into situations for which neither is adequately prepared, they are similarly forced to evolve. Although, Eve seeks to make herself better, whereas Brendan just needs to fly a little too close to the sun.

Admittedly, the first episode had me nervous. It was surprisingly dull despite a scene showing Brendan saying some very explicit things to the girl he was hooking up with as his mother listens. After Eve returns home from her son’s college, where he was anything but clingy, the episode ends with her stumbling into the world of online porn as she innocently Googles “MILF” after being called one. I thought to myself, “I cannot watch a whole series about a mopey mother discovering porn and her asshole son.” However, it far exceeded my initial expectations. The narrative uses porn merely as a vehicle that drives Eve forward and eventually evolves into a complicated and believable journey of liberation in every sense, not just sexual.

Photo credits to HBO

As a similarly sexually-repressed bisexual also struggling to be fulfilled, Mrs. Fletcher spoke to me deeply, despite the almost 30 year age difference between me and the character. The series speaks to the larger phenomena of what is is like to discover oneself. I think anyone trying to grow and understand themself can relate to Eve’s journey. Sexuality is portrayed realistically, as joyous, awkward, complicated, passionate, and undefinable. In other words, it’s portrayed as everything it should be. The show emphasizes consent. It illustrates how sex is perceived differently by every party involved. It succeeds in not creating a narrative about porn, but instead creating a narrative about how porn differs from real life.

Another way the series excels is with its representation of minorities. A show about a white, middle-class mom somehow managed to nail diversity right on the head, and it was not ham-fisted in the least. Almost worse than no diversity, is forced diversity. Or representation that feels like it is saying, “look at us, we’re inclusive!” Mrs. Fletcher was not trying too hard to make a statement, even though it did. The transgender, queer, and POC characters were completely three dimensional and not expendable in the slightest. Considering the northeastern United States setting, the way characters interacted with each other is also incredibly realistic. No one bats an eye at Eve’s female coworker who dates women, but there is some ignorance in the face of Eve’s transgender writing teacher, played by Jen Richards, an actual trans woman. However, ultimately, all the characters are treated with the empathy and respect they deserve.

Mrs. Fletcher takes a “slow burn” kind of approach, with the most shocking visuals typically being porn or Eve’s fantasies. This delayed gratification pays off in the final episode, with the viewer having spent enough time with Eve and her cohorts to care about what direction she will ultimately take. By now enough insight has been given into her desires, and the question ultimately becomes, “what side of herself will Eve choose?” Parallel to this, Brendan’s behavior finally catches up to him as he struggles in college and reaches a turning point. As these two characters’ paths finally converge back together, both discover something shocking about themselves and each other.

The finale was well worth the buildup and wraps up Eve’s story nicely. It follows her as she finally decides to change her name back to her maiden name, Eve Mackie, after many years, symbolic of her growth and willingness to move forward. Sure, this is primarily an attempt to distance herself from her loser ex-husband, who thankfully does not get much screen time, but it is also sets in motion a kind of victory lap for Ms. Mackie. The ensuing episode answers every question the series proposed and perfectly wraps up this bewildering snapshot of the characters’ lives.

Photo credits to HBO

It is unclear if more seasons are planned of Mrs. Fletcher even though it was marketed as a limited series. The story concludes more or less where the source material ends, plus Hahn herself described the final scenes in the finale as an "epilogue." So it could be rationalized that the show is finished. It is a perfectly self-contained story, which I found totally satisfying for what it was. Is there potential for more places to take the characters? Absolutely. But overall, Eve finally discovered something important and Brendon seemed to learn his lesson. The central conflicts were resolved. However, Tom Perrotta has said he is onboard for more, and we all know what happened with Big Little Lies, which was promised as a miniseries then a second season was green-lit, so we never quite know what HBO is up to. We will have to stay tuned.