It’s hard to think of an HBO show more successful thanGame of Thrones, but the underrated crime miniseries,The Undoing, broke one of its major records. ThroughoutGame of Thrones' eight-season run, the epic fantasy series continuously brought in high viewership. Even after a maligned final season,Game of Thrones' series finale crew drew in record numbers for HBO.
WithThe Undoing’s castled by A-listers Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, it’s unsurprising that it was such a hit in the UK, andthe David E. Kelley miniseries set the record for the most-watched American series to launch on Sky, a British broadcasting mega-company. The show raked in 2.78 million viewers in the span of 28 days, surpassingGame of Thrones' 2011 premiere (viaTHR).
However, whileThe Undoingwas a massive hit across the pond, its success in North America was much more modest. Kidman has been incredibly prolific on the small screen in recent years, but compared to her buzzy series likeBig Little LiesorThe Perfect Couple,The Undoinghas gone practically forgotten — and it deserves a much larger audience.
Nicole Kidman And Hugh Grant Play A Tragic Couple In HBO’s The Undoing
The Affluent Grace & Jonathan Fraser Aren’t What They Seem
InThe Undoing, which is based on Jean Hanff Korelitz’s 2014 novel,You Should Have Known,Kidman plays Grace Fraser, a therapist married to Grant’s Jonathan, an oncologist. A wealthy Manhattan couple, Grace and Jonathan have a young son named Henry, whom they send to an elite private school. Indeed, the Frasers' lives are seemingly perfect.
However, things take a turn for the dark and disturbing when Elena, a young mother of a boy at Henry’s school, turns up dead,Grace finds her charmed existence unraveling at the seams as secrets, affairs, and other betrayals come to light.
Kidman is no stranger to playing rich women in complicated marriages, especially on TV, butThe Undoingis one of the most psychologically thrilling series she has starred in.
It’s not long before we see the cracks in Grace and Jonathan’s marriage, but seeing the lies they’re willing to believe and the lengths they’re willing to go to in order to maintain their facade of perfection makesThe Undoinga must-watch.
The Undoing’s Cast And Atmosphere Are The Best Things About The HBO Thriller
Donald Sutherland Is A Particular Standout As Kidman’s Father
The Undoingis by no means a perfect HBO show, and if you’re coming at it primarily as a murder mystery fan, you may be disappointed, as some of the twists are easy to guess. But if you’re looking for more of a psychological thriller, at six episodes,The Undoingis anexcellent crime series you can binge in a day.
A big reason thatThe Undoingis such a riveting watch is its fantastic cast. It’s no secret thatKidman and Grant are two of Hollywood’s greatest, but the supporting players shine too.The Undoingfeaturesthe late Donald Sutherlandin one of his final performances as Grace’s father, Franklin, a man with secrets of his own.
Matilda De Angelis adds complexity to the role of Elena, making her so much more than just another dead girl in a mystery. Meanwhile,the underrated Lily Rabe adds some much-needed levity to the seriesas Grace’s high-powered attorney best friend, Sylvia Steinetz.
Nothing ever seems quite right, which adds to the miniseries' eerie, dangerous tone.
The Undoing’s setting also feels like a character itself. Whereas the beachy locales of Monterey inBig Little Liesand Nantucket inThe Perfect Couplehave us wanting to move there ourselves,The Undoingpaints a frosty, disquieting portrait of Manhattan. Though we may envy Grace’s bank account, nothing ever seems quite right, which adds to the miniseries' eerie, dangerous tone.
Why The Undoing Received Mixed Reviews From Critics
Many Felt It Was Too Similar To Big Little Lies
Despite its starry lead actors and viewership numbers coming in in droves, particularly in the UK,The Undoingwas hardly a hit with critics.Though a 75% Rotten Tomatoes score isn’t exactly dismal, it’s significantly lower than Kidman’s other hit HBO show,Big Little Lies, which received a much more admirable 89%.
Both Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman received Golden Globe nominations for their work inThe Undoing. Neither won, though Kidman took home the award forBig Little Liesseason 1. She was also nominated for season 2.
Therein, perhaps, lies the problem. Though Kidman and Grant unsurprisingly received praise for their performances, one ofThe Undoing’s biggest criticisms is that it’s too similar toBig Little Lies. Both series were created by David E. Kelley, andboth feature Kidman playing a glamorous, wealthy woman with a dashing husband hiding unspeakable darknessbeneath his charming facade.
Big Little Liesalso released its second season in 2019, the year beforeThe Undoingpremiered in 2020, thus it was extra fresh in critics' memories.
This is a pretty frustrating criticism. Yes,The UndoingandBig Little Lieshit similar beats, but that’s because their audiences enjoy them. Viewers of these shows, who are predominantly women,love watching Kidman wrap herself in a designer sweater, sip a glass of expensive wine, and figure out how to rescue herself from her terrible husband.
There’s nothing wrong with tropes if they work.
WhenThe Perfect Coupletook Netflix by stormin the summer of 2024, it too was dinged for embracing these popular tropes in Kidman’s other series. But there’s nothing wrong with tropes if they work. Superhero movies are laden with time-tested tropes, and they frequently get strong reviews. Female-driven Nicole Kidman series likeThe UndoingorBig Little Liesdeserve that too.
The Undoing
Cast
The Undoing is a psychological thriller miniseries starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. Directed by Susanne Bier, the series centers on Grace Fraser, a successful therapist, whose life unravels when a violent death, a missing spouse, and a series of revelations disrupt her seemingly perfect existence. The series explores themes of deceit and trust while maintaining suspense throughout its narrative.
