I don't usually write reviews, but I felt compelled to share my thoughts. The current rating for this series feels misleading and overly generous. While the series certainly has its strengths, unfortunately, the weaker aspects weigh heavier.
Let's start with the positives. It's refreshing and important to see more series featuring strong female leads. What this series does well is portraying that strength and vulnerability can coexist. The protagonist is depicted as someone who, despite facing difficult and complex situations-like dealing with abuse of power-manages to stay strong, keep performing at work, and carry on. Her strength doesn't come from immediately confronting or exposing the issue, but from navigating it in her own way. This is an important and realistic portrayal of how complex it can be to deal with abuse and dependency. Women are not robots, and this series does a good job of showing that strength can take many forms.
Themes like consent, power dynamics, ambition, and dependency are handled with care. The impact of these themes on various characters is portrayed with nuance. The internal struggles and moral dilemmas feel authentic and give the story depth. The lead performances by Anouk and Patrick are particularly strong. They carry the series with convincing and powerful portrayals that stand out.
However, the series also falls short in several key areas. Despite its moments of depth, the story often slips into predictable and clichéd territory. Some plot developments feel too convenient or simplistic, detracting from the overall believability of the narrative. There are moments when events feel forced, as though certain storylines were rushed or not fully thought through. This undermines the impact of the story and feels like a missed opportunity.
The acting by supporting characters is also inconsistent. While the leads manage to carry the show, many of the side characters feel flat or unconvincing. This weakens certain scenes and makes them feel less authentic. A stronger directorial approach could have made a big difference here.
The soundtrack is another missed opportunity. It often feels as though popular (Tik Tok) songs were randomly selected to match the mood of a scene, but without much depth or thought. This feels lazy and diminishes the emotional impact of certain moments. Music can elevate a scene, but here it feels more like a distraction than a meaningful addition.
And that's perhaps the greatest disappointment: the details. The series has a strong foundation and relevant themes, but the execution lacks precision. The predictable plot choices, inconsistent acting, and superficial soundtrack hold the series back from its true potential. With more attention to these details, this could have been a much stronger production.
In the end, it's unfortunate that it still feels like a Dutch production in the sense that it lacks that extra layer of sharpness and finesse. That's a shame because the potential was definitely there.
In conclusion, while the series has its valuable moments, the many shortcomings were too significant for me to overlook. In my view, the high rating is not fully deserved.
