Imperfect Women is the ultimate TV crossover event.
The minute the casting for this gripping new Apple TV thriller was announced, fans were ecstatic beyond belief. And rightfully so.
The drama centres on three women – Eleanor (Kerry Washington), Mary (Elisabeth Moss) and Nancy (Kate Mara) – who’ve been best friends since they met at college.
While their friendship might look perfect from the outside, the veneer is cracking underneath the surface. When one of the trio is murdered, the other two embark on a mission to find out who killed their friend, uncovering other toe-curling and horrifying secrets along the way.
After the trailer was released, fans were right to say that it’s giving Pretty Little Liars meets Big Little Lies. Thankfully, unlike some TV thrillers that have been released as of late, the twists that unravel throughout the eight-episode arc don’t lead to a lacklustre ending.
As enticing as the story is, sucking you in as you uncover the depths of each character’s deceit, it’s the performances from this stellar cast that give the show its gravitas. Even if certain storylines lead to predictable ends, the journey along the way makes it all worth it.
Key details on Imperfect Women
Here’s what you need to know about the sizzling Apple TV thriller.
When is Imperfect Women being released?
Imperfect Women premieres with the first two episodes on Wednesday March 18 on Apple TV.
The subsequent episodes will then be released weekly on Wednesdays.
Who’s in the cast?
Aside from the three leads Kerry, Elisabeth and Kate, other cast members include Joel Kinnaman as Robert, Nancy’s husband; Corey Stoll as Howard, Mary’s husband; and Leslie Odom Jr as Donovan, Eleanor’s brother.
Is it based on a book?
Yes, Imperfect Women is based on the book of the same name by Araminta Hall.
However, the book is set in England, with the three lead characters meeting and becoming friends at the University of Oxford, rather than in America.
Will there be a season 2?
A second season of Imperfect Women is yet to be confirmed, but I reckon there’ll certainly be an appetite for it.
Apple TV hit the jackpot with its three lead stars, securing what can only be described as a holy trinity of acting.
First, you have the indomitable Kerry Washington, best-known as the razor-sharp Olivia Pope. The queen of monologues, with an enviable snarl that tells you she means business. (Scandal fans in particular will know what I’m talking about).
Next, you have Elisabeth Moss, who soared to fame in Mad Men, before leaving viewers haunted forever with her portrayal of June Osborne in The Handmaid’s Tale. Don’t underestimate her sweet-as-pie character, Mary. There’s more to her than meets the eye.
Last but not least, there’s Kate Mara, who earned her breakout role playing ambitious reporter Zoe Barnes in Netflix’s political thriller House of Cards. Nancy might come across as a timid socialite, but she is more cunning than many would ever assume.
Three women from very different walks of life, who are able to convince us from the get-go that they’ve been friends for decades. They’re each other’s ride or dies… which makes the betrayals that follow that much more gut-wrenching.
While bingeing the show (I tore through all eight episodes in record time), I found myself mulling over the double standard of its title. It’s called Imperfect Women, and yet the men in the drama are far from perfect themselves.
Yet another reminder that women are often judged far more harshly for their mistakes.
When I spoke to the three lead stars ahead of the show’s release (more from that chat to come later), I brought up this hypocrisy as part of my first question, prompting Kerry to snap her fingers with approval.
Not only was this one of my favourite moments of my career as an entertainment journalist, but it also made me feel even more emboldened to shout from the rooftops about the important messages that this sensational show conveys.
The way that the male characters are able to get away with murder – literally and figuratively – filled me with a rage that felt all too familiar. I know many women will resonate with it, too.
Verdict on Imperfect Women
I was addicted from the start, and thankfully Imperfect Women stuck the landing. I feel very lucky that I was able to binge it all in one go… but for fans streaming weekly, it’ll definitely be worth the wait.
I might have connected to the ethos of Imperfect Women on a personal level, but looking at the overall picture, it is an absorbing thriller. The pacing keeps you on your toes throughout, especially as the narrative flits between the three women’s perspectives.
As skeletons come tumbling out of the closet, you’ll find yourself wanting to rewind all the way to the start, to see if you view certain characters in a different light.
At its core, this sizzling thriller is a study of female friendship. The beauty of it, how many women view their female friends as their soulmates… but how it can turn toxic too, when a sisterhood that felt unbreakable disintegrates.
And then, when it feels as though all is lost, how the shattered shards of a heart can be pieced back together again. How, no matter how many unforgivable things have been said, these women will still be there for each other when it counts the most.
Imperfect Women premieres with the first two episodes on Wednesday March 18 on Apple TV, with episodes then being released weekly on Wednesdays.
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