Grace Fraser is living the only life she ever wanted for herself. She's a successful therapist, has a devoted husband and young son who attends an elite private school in New York City. Overnight a chasm opens in her life: a violent death, a missing husband, and, in the place of a man Grace thought she knew, only a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster and horrified by the ways in which she has failed to heed her own advice, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and herself. Written by Fahad Riaz
"The Undoing" (2020 release; 6 episodes of about 55 min. each) brings the story of Grace Fraser and her family. As Episode 1 opens, we see a boy running in the street towards a shop, and as he enters the shop, he makes a gruesome discovery. We then go to "Two Days Earlier", as Grace, a therapist, is getting ready for another work day. We are introduced to her husband Jonathan, himself a successful doctor, and their teenage son Henry, who attends an elite private school. Later that day, Grace joins a group of ladies who are preparing for a fundraiser for the school. One of them, Elena, has no concerns about breastfeeding her new baby tight then and there in front of the group... At this point we are 10 min, into Episode 1.
Couple of comments: this new TV mini-series is directed by Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning Susanne Bier. The story is based on the 2014 novel "You Should Have Known" by Jean Hanff Korelitz. It basically is a Manhattan-centric murder mystery, so one has to be very careful what to disclose so as not to spoil any of the whodunnit. The opening episode takes its time to let us get to know Grace Fraser, a woman who seemingly has it all: a successful career and a wonderful family. Yet it becomes clear that all isn't necessarily as it seems... Nicole Kidman, now 53, remains stunningly beautiful (and looks easily a good 10 years younger that her age), and is perfectly cast in this role. Hugh Grant, now 60, has long ago lost his youthful appearances and now is a seasoned veteran, showing wear and tear. Reardon School, where young Henry attends, is a fictional school. Bottom line: the opening episode is full of intrigue and this mini-series looks to deliver a lot more fireworks in the remaining 5 episodes.
"The Undoing" premiered on HBO this weekend, and Episode 1 is now available on HBO On Demand and other streaming services. New episodes air Sunday evenings at 9 PM Eastern. If you are in the mood for a highly stylish and good ol' fashioned Manhattan murder mystery, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
*UPDATE 11/1/20* Just watched episode 2. Plenty of drama and, yes, plot twists. Nicole Kidman shines as she is in virtually every frame of this episode. I'm pretty sold on this now, and can't wait to see how it's all going to unfold in the next 4 episodes.