Another truthful series about child abuse and how the past shapes the rest of one’s life.
Bravo to the screenwriters—throughout the first episode, we watch as the protagonist methodically drowns his sorrows in various substances, drinks heavily, and descends into madness from heroin withdrawal. "What a bastard and a jerk!" we think. Just as our opinion of Patrick reaches its peak, we’re shown his family history, which will make your hair stand on end. It includes everything you can imagine about child abuse. We’re used to thinking this only happens in families of homeless people, alcoholics, and other social outcasts. But here we have it—inherited British aristocracy with Oxford degrees, intelligent and respected people. Those closest to him choose not to see—a vivid illustration of how a sociopath influences the thoughts and actions of others.
It’s clear the author of the book that inspired the series thoroughly researched child abuse and the process of working through it. There’s the classic "tell someone I’ll kill you," constant flashbacks (very vivid), the inheritance of trauma across generations, and the dynamics of experiencing and processing traumatic experiences. Most importantly, the importance of saying "No!" and standing up for yourself—one of the crucial steps toward healing that works even decades later, long after the abuser is no longer alive.
A stunning series. Cumberbatch is brilliant, and with every role, he becomes even more so. His performance is so powerful that it transforms what seems like a simple five-episode series into genuine art therapy.
If you’ve ever been a victim of abuse, if you have your own childhood traumas (and almost everyone does), and if you’ve partially worked through/are working through them in therapy, then you must watch this.
