Mainland

I have watched and reviewed all 3 episodes so far. Episodes 1 was good, 2 & 3 were very average, but wow, episode 4 really knocks it out of the park. It is relentless and unforgiving. It reveals another side to all the characters that you honestly didn't expect. Not much happens action wise, but there is a much bigger payoff.

The sense of claustrophobia is created very well and the camera work and lighting really serves the story. Nicole Kidman and Brian Tee are great in this one. I enjoyed the storytelling between Hilary and her mother.

And of course the wonderful extras bring a sense of reality to the story.

As Expats, this isn't the reason you visit the mainland.

Clarke has been trying every possible avenue to hold his family together.

I presume this is the American production's patriarchal influences on the writers?

Or possibly availability of others for filming during the pandemic? It provides the opportunity for both Sarayu Blue and Brian Tee to show their talents.

Truth is I'm relieved to see another one of the male characters show some vulnerability.

Every female that has a watched this so far must be empathetic towards Hilary also. I think her character required some depth, Im not sure a xenophobic mother helped Hilary's character's mother's personality, could've gone to the cutting room floor.

Margaret has been falling apart, Just enough to see if our theory about the persons behind Gus's trauma is correct.

I'm ready to know one way or the other. It's important to see characters written for actresses who once upon a time were only referred to as "of a certain age", talent certainly doesn't wane with experience or age. Are the other viewers ready to add a new counterpoint? I mean besides Dave's wanting to be an alcholic father.

In this episode, we follow the three main characters' personal stories that don't intertwine at any stage.

Hilary is stuck in an elevator with her disagreeable mother and her weirdly-looking neighbor Tilda. Mom talks too much about private matters and then the lift gets stuck, so the three women get an unwelcome chance to spend some "not-so-quality" time together. With mothers (and family stories) like that, one is not surprised that Hilary is not inclined to procreation.

Mercy and David spend time of better quality (or just pleasure?) having sex in her dingy apartment and discovering she may be pregnant, even if David's sperm is not top quality. That is left undecided (stupid cliffhanger) but I think Mercy is on the family way, David will move in that direction, and "bye bye" Hilary who'll get a chance to be a strong, SINGLE, independent woman - not a spoiler, just my take on the situation.

My least favorite part was Margaret and hubby stuck at the morgue and waiting to identify the body who could be their son. Clearly not a good moment, but Margaret is such an unpleasant character, tunnel-visioned, stuck in her grief, I don't care about her sorrow. Obviously, the body is not Gus's. My take is that Gus will be found and this family will go back to normal, or the parents will split... whatever, I don't care.

PS Another reviewer mentioned a "patriarchal influence" on the script, but where exactly? I never saw a series more drenched in estrogen, it's children, mother, lovers' trouble, and relationships all the way, just one step from pure, undiluted soap opera. Not necessarily a bad thing, but "patriarchal"? LMAO.

We have been watching this show from the start and have looked forward to each episode as it dropped. Had I reviewed the first two episodes I would have given a 7 or 8 out of 10 but these last couple of episodes have begun to drag behind a become quite frustrating. It feels like a case where the writers had decided it was going to be a certain number of episodes and so they now have to pad it out to go the distance. This depletes the story's tension and interest factor as it becomes overloaded with padding. Long transitions through corridors, unnecessarily drawn out pondering, painfully lengthy build-ups to key reveals - way too slow. Don't do this. Come on please! Hopefully the next couple episodes will reward the viewer with some of the pace and slickness the first two episodes promised.