There is a particular relationship some mothers have with their sons that’s often labeled as helicopter parenting during childhood, but when these boys become men, the bond sometimes evolves into an uncomfortable obsession. Prime Video‘s “The Girlfriend” — based on Michelle Frances’ 2017 novel of the same name, and adapted for television by Gabbie Asher and Naomi Sheldon — follows a unique mother-son relationship that goes off the rails as soon as the son’s new girlfriend steps onto the scene. A shocking and twisted story about manipulation, control and jealousy, the series is a wild, thrilling ride from its opening scene until its unsettling conclusion.
Set in present-day London, “The Girlfriend” begins with Laura (Robin Wright, who directs several episodes). An accomplished art dealer, Laura has her loving hotel tycoon husband, Howard (Waleed Zuaiter), and an overbearing bond with her adult son, Daniel (Laurie Davidson), a physician. From the outside looking in, Laura’s world is absolutely picturesque, but as soon as she meets her son’s new love, Cherry Laine (a flawless Olivia Cooke), she’s immediately put on edge. Cherry is beautiful, intelligent and ambitious, but Laura is immediately suspicious of the glamorous redhead. The pace and seriousness of the young couple’s romance feel threatening to her. Moreover, Laura is also put off by Cherry’s vague answers regarding her upbringing. Unwilling to cut the umbilical cord, Laura starts digging into Cherry’s past while trying to turn everyone, including Howard and her best friend, Isabella (Tanya Moody), against the young woman.
For her part, Cherry, a real estate agent and the daughter of a butcher, is determined to cling to her new lover. Although she adores Daniel, he also has the lifestyle she always imagined attaining. Seeing Laura’s discomfort with her, Cherry employs her feminine wiles to cause a fracture in Laura and Daniel’s connection. Unfortunately, when her sultry but crafty actions fail to sever the mother-son relationship in the ways she expected, a new and much more diabolical side of Cherry emerges.
“The Girlfriend” builds tension because of its unique structure. Across the six episodes of the limited series, audiences witness scenes and scenarios from either Cherry’s or Laura’s perspective before the viewpoint shifts, providing viewers with an alternative angle on what they’d seen initially. At first, the women appear to be locked in a petty squabble over Daniel’s attention and affection. Yet, as time passes, the pair end up engaging in a full-blown and increasingly diabolical war.
At first, the show is standard and slightly predictable fare for this type of psychological narrative. However, halfway through, “The Girlfriend” takes a jaw-dropping turn, forcing audiences to question everything they’ve learned up to that point. The twist sets off a series of sinister and shocking events, escalating the feud between the women, with Daniel caught in the middle of their horrifying escapades.
What separates “The Girlfriend” from similar shows is the dynamism Cooke and Wright bring to the screen. While Cherry is more versed at keeping her rage simmering just below the surface, Laura struggles to hide her anguish and disgust, which alarms those closest to her. Additionally, the tit for tat game of sabotage and retaliation makes for a particularly taut narrative that never quite goes in the direction one might expect. Just as viewers might find themselves picking sides, either Laura or Cherry does something unconscionable, shifting the narrative’s foundation.
As history tells us, when the most vicious wars inevitably come to an end, destruction, chaos and hopelessness are left in their wake. As “The Girlfriend” hurtles toward its fiery conclusion, the story proves it’s well beyond a beach read transformed for the small screen. Instead, it examines the lengths people will go to in order to maintain or achieve the lives they desire. More than anything, when the show finally ends, its finale will stun most viewers into silence.
“The Girlfriend” premieres Sept. 10 on Prime Video.
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