Friends Like Her

I'm gutted I have to wait another week to see what happens next! It's quite rare that I identify with so many characters in one show. Having lived in Blenheim during the quakes, I know the locations and people well, but no amount of familiarity will ever make up for good character development and a compelling story. Motherhood can be a blessing and a curse as every parent knows, and this story smacks you in the face with all the feels around both loving your family desperately and being weighed down by them. Seamlessly weaving Maori and Pakeha themes of whanau together with obligation, tension and longing, I'm both excited for the next episode and scared it'll all be over too soon!

Having perused the handful of reviews for this show, I was wondering if maybe I had watched something different to most of the other reviewers who slathered this series with praise for both the acting and the script.

Give me a break!

Let's start by saying that some of the actors were exceptional in the roles they played. I was extremely impressed with the acting from the women who played the mothers of Liam and Rob. Unless I misunderstood, Liam and Rob were brothers, so the casting of the two men seemed a bit off. Liam had a distinct Maori twang in his speech, whilst Rob didn't. Some might argue that that is because Rob was moving in a more upper class direction than Liam, but if anyone tried that argument, I wouldn't buy it.

Morgana O'Reilly was great in her role, but I found Tess Haubrich difficult to watch. I found the script to this show very "amateur theatre" and it suited Tess's acting in this show.

I'm not going to lie, I binged it because a friend said it gets better as the season goes on. I am currently reviewing that friendship.........LOL

The scenery in the show was incredible and highlighted New Zealand beautifully, and Vinnie Bennett (Rob) was easy to watch too.

Because of the acting and the script, I spent the first half an hour of the first episode laughing. That's the only reason I would recommend this show is if someone I know needed a good laugh!

This show is a solid 8. The story itself is kinda cool in that it is a very originally written psychological drama.

The acting is fantastic, including the 4 main cast, PLUS, the two older " Moms" of brothers. There is no predicting of plot turns, ( except for one involving a teen), but it is so wonderful to see a swarthy of actors, who are usually relegated to background players being used in meaty roles. This showcases New Zealand and it's beautiful surroundings and the mix of folk and it's timeless traditions.

I can really state, that in 6 episodes, the plot never falters. Once again, all the actors are fantastic.

Everything about this series is rock solid and very binge-worthy. The characters are just so well thought out and so many of them just feel so familiar. The plot, likewise. At every turn, the plot checks out and makes sense in terms of the characters and their relationships spiralling out of control.

To top it all off, I absolutely loved the beautiful New Zealand setting and Pakeha and Maori cultures and their interaction throughout the series. New Zealand is a pretty good place I have to admit. Although it is nice not to have to deal with earthquakes across the ditch!

Can't wait to see more from this writer! Prepare yourself for another sleepless night of Netflix binging! (Or maybe just plan to start watching during the day.)

OMG! This is a heart racing drama, and locally made. Lots of fabulous characters, the storyline is so unpredictable, I haven't been this enthralled for so long. The characters all have secrets set against the magnificent shots of Kaikoura. It's going to be hard waiting for Episode 6. This series is right up there with the very best of British dramas. Love the local culture that surfaces occasionally. This is a drama that left my heart racing when the final credits rolled. Each episode ended with a cliffhanger, and I wonder how the story will finish, will there be tragedy or a happy ending, it's too unpredictable to call.