Gypsy

I really love this series. I saw a lot of negative reviews and almost didn't watch it. I am not through with the season, so I cannot speak to the ending, or if it is satisfying. However, it is a slow-burn, layered, psychological drama. It reminds me a little of the Hulu original Chance, which also featured a psychologist as the central character. It will not appeal to anyone seeking a fast-paced series, but if you don't need all that and are willing to let a show slowly reveal its plot, give this one a try.

Without repeating the general setup of the story, the series is centered around Watt's character Jean. To say that she's complicated is a vast understatement. The episodes leave enormous unanswered questions about what is driving her tremendously aberrant behavior. That will either frustrate you terribly, or leave you intrigued as I was. The final episode leaves many loose threads in the plot line so I assume it's a cliffhanger, though one could possibly read the ending as a hanging question grand finale. If you can hang with a sometimes low- energy plot, if you like watching a great actress testing her limits with a totally out-of-the-box character, you may enjoy watching Watts as Jean. She is one twisted sister, that I can promise you.

Unlike many of the review writers on IMDb, I have watched the full ten episodes before giving my opinion. It's an original plot with intriguing twists. Jean, the main character, kept surprising me with her own disturbing entanglements. Her being a therapist, and a very good one I may add, always on top of her game is almost admirable. It's more than just ironic the way she manipulates peoples' lives, its making the character really original and interesting. It's quite a refreshing and original show, sometimes I would even call it actual art. It's somehow freakish and crazy, but also quite recognizable. 8 out of 10 for originality and leaving all the unanswered questions.

I've been a Psychologist for some years now and I can't watch this show unless I pause it frequently. It makes me that mad. The main character breaks every rule of Psychotherapy and plays with her client's lives for her own benefit. This show sure made me curse a lot.

The girl jean falls in love with has clear Borderline Personality Disorder traits. Every Psychotherapist knows how dangerous it would be to get romantically involved with somewone with BPD. A Psychotherapist would KNOW what that person would become and how life with such a person would be. Still, Jean plays with the girl's emotion while the latter is in the Ideation phase of BPD. Which is very, VERY cruel and irresponsible. Involving herself in the client's lives is also a big "No-No" in CBT.

Basiscally everything Jean does as a Therapist is wrong. The show does depict Narcissistic traits and Borderline Personality Disorder accurately. Jean's acting is good. She made me very angry and it's rare that a fictional character is able to do that to me.

--- Minor Spoilers ahead (but don't worry too much, as I've wrote down the next line, I don't know much to give it away) --- 3 episodes in is not much, so I'll make this quick.

The story revolves around Jean, this psychologist who is married and has a little trans girl. Love how they approach the subject like: "It's complicated, but hell, it happens." And then it moves on to the main story: Jean is "effing" crazy. Well, not so much. She has anxiety issues and for some reason, starts entering her patients' acquaintances (or family, or whatever) lives, and it really makes no sense (to me) as to why is she doing that, because we aren't given much on her state of mind. We only know about what's on her mind when she's thinking of Sidney (Yes, that's a girl, and yes, it's quite gay what they have there). Sexual tension ensues. Besides that, we get to see Jean's day-to-day life. And it's quite boring. Sure, the series has potential, but I have a feeling that the "Thriller" tag on IMDb is a little bit (completely, as of now) off. It's simple cheesy melodrama. Buuuut, I'm still hoping it will spiral down to hell with this little bullshit she's doing (meddling with patients lives). However, I enjoy when suddenly all characters are in a room with a gun in their hands, each pointing to the next and before you know it, blood is everywhere. That's my kind of movie (or series). And that's what I'm hoping for here, so I'm biased when it comes to guessing an ending that is not terrible. For those of you who don't like that gory, tense, climax thingy, rest assured, I doubt it will happen. I'm even starting to hope for a happy (and gay) ending! But given the circumstances, it's kinda hard to believe it will go so smoothly.

The opening and ending sequences tracks are fantastic (so far), and I can't wait for someone to upload the soundtrack to YouTube, so I can listen to it and reminisce about the series. And preferably, cry in a corner while doing so.

Hmm... what else?

Naomi Watts is great as always, but I'm afraid Billy Crudup just can't keep up. He has this face, that no matter how mad he's supposed to be, his eyes make it seem like he's having a great time at a party in a Bahamas beach. While on ecstasy. I don't even know why I thought (or wrote) that. Anyways, the little girl is cute and is fantastic. I see a future for her. Or not. You know child actors. Sophie Cookson and Karl Glusman are given lesser roles but they nail it nonetheless. The others non-important characters are also great, specially the pill addicted redhead that doesn't show up much. I expect great things from her.

About the technical stuff, there isn't much to say, it's quite straightforward and by the book, and I wouldn't want to bore you with details. Let's just say it's good.

Concluding, Gypsy gives off a psychological thriller vibe, but doesn't push that aspect throughout the series (or rather, the 3 episodes I've watched) degrading itself to a simple melodrama ("Should I cheat or should I go?"). Nonetheless, it's very intriguing, to the point it's rendering me unable to stop the classic (is it classic already?) Netflix marathon.

Watch it. Give it time. And then we'll see. Or not, because if you stop watching it, it's only gonna be me seeing it...