Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies) and Hugh Grant (Paddington 2) can’t save HBO’s The Undoing. They are the only noteworthy part of this miniseries. The first episode, which shares its name with the entire series, was a slog to get through. Before you watch the first episode, ask yourself if you care about what ultra-rich New Yorkers do to support overpriced private schools and the drama that comes with keeping up appearances.
“The Undoing” episode has the same amount of action as the first five minutes of a Law & Order episode. Had the ending murder scene started the episode, The Undoing would have been more interesting because the lengthy backstory would have a known justification rather than an anticlimactic reveal that leaves you wondering the impetus of the titular undoing.
You would think after watching 60 minutes that it would be obvious what moves the plot forward. However, the writers amused themselves with multiple red herrings and a ton of misdirection. Will Grace Fraser (Kidman) cheat on her husband Jonathan (Grant) with a mother from the Reardon School? Who murdered a mother whose kid was nothing more than a charity case to Reardon’s other families? The questions posed throughout the first episode are intriguing, but the pacing is so drawn out that watching more than 15 minutes feels like a chore.
It may not be that The Undoing is a terrible show. It may be that it’s a great show at the wrong time. When there’s so much class drama going on in the real world, it’s hard to care about snobby, rich white New Yorker’s raising money for their kids’ prep school, so that students from poor families can receive scholarships under the guise of supporting diversity. It’s too close to reality to be classified as escapist entertainment, but not grounded enough to be a cathartic release.
Additionally, the plot overuses cell phone calls and texting as a storytelling device. In a 60 minute episode, the characters spend 10 minutes using their cell phones. Usually, it’s justified because the main characters are a busy therapist and a pediatric oncologist. After the first two missed calls and four ignored texts, the cell phones become a distraction. The writers rely on them to give the audience the story rather than create a visually engaging show.
As curious as I am about what happens after the cliffhanger of the miniseries inaugural episode, there is nothing drawing me to check out more than one episode. Don’t fall into the sunk cost fallacy and continue investing time because you love Grant and Kidman. If your curiosity gets the best of you, go read the book the series is based on. In fact, skip the series. Go read Jean Hanff Koreliz’s You Should Have Known. The story could be gripping when told properly. Chances are Koreliz had a better grasp of her vision than David E. Kelly (Big Little Lies) did in this adaptation. The fact that the series introduction focused on introducing unlikeable people – with the exception of Grant and Kidman’s characters – rather than providing anything of substance may be the show’s biggest undoing.
The Undoing airs Sunday nights on HBO and are available the next day on HBO MAX.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWoiNlLqLR8
