United States of Tara

Again. Such an unbelievable fact that my brain cannot accept. This series is better and better by episodes after episodes, seasons after seasons, weeks after weeks. And suddenly it's announced that it's over? The last episode will air on June 20. I really could cry that I have to loose this show. I think I'll do after the finale. Nowadays it's so hard to find a good series which can complete your imaginary world. Instead of the up-to-date shows on TV, I only watch series which have already been over. United States of Tara is the only I'm following. And I'm just shocked with its cancellation's announcement. I cannot believe it's over. I cannot.

Tara Gregson (Toni Collette) is suffering from a dissociative identity disorder. Max Gregson (John Corbett) is her long suffering husband. Her sister Charmaine Craine (Rosemarie DeWitt) is judgmental. Marshall Gregson (Keir Gilchrist) is her shy gay son. Her daughter Kate Gregson (Brie Larson) is trying to find her identity.

This is a great dysfunctional family drama. Toni Collette is amazing in portraying all her personalities. She really pushes her acting range to the limits. And the chemistry with the family is brilliant. They feel like a real family that has real love, real joy, real fights, and real struggles.

This is such an enjoyable and entertaining series. And wow how awesome, beautiful and talented is Toni Collette. Always enjoy it when she is in a film/series. Awesome family dynamic, always something to laugh about and cry about and make you grateful it's not your family. But hey you still end up loving them all.

I started watching this show not knowing anything about it, and was expecting something along the lines of a Tracy Ulman variety show. I was surprised to find something much deeper. It's not really even a comedy, though it has some comic elements. I found the characters likable, and oddly enough...believable. Someone else mentioned that this is not the typical family, but what the heck IS a typical family? As for making a joke out of rape and incest, I don't find that to be the case here at all. Being able to laugh at our reactions to these atrocities is not nearly the same as laughing at the actions themselves. I watched all 12 episodes in a marathon sitting over 2 days (I'm on vacation, what can I say). Love it, and I hope it continues.

I also don't understand the negative comments about this show, for example the fact that drugs and alcohol are present. This is what makes the show realistic (except perhaps for a subsection of the population who don't accept that alcohol and drugs are part of North American society). The characters are believable and sometimes quite funny. Some of the episodes, for example the one in which Tara's sister undergoes a second breast operation, push American obsession with perfect beauty to the limit. As others have said, Collette is outstanding as Tara but the other actors more than hold their own next to her various roles. This is a very idiosyncratic take on contemporary society.