The Undoing Review: The Undoing (Season 1 Episode 1)

You think you know someone, and then something like this happens. The Undoing Season 1 Episode 1, “The Undoing,” takes a seemingly perfect life and threatens to upend it into something unrecognizable for Grace Fraser.

Nicole Kidman holds massive presence, dominating every scene with an absolutely kind-hearted and well-meaning character that suits her incredibly well. It’s the kind of role that could easily turn toward hokey, but Kidman is able to bring such empathy and intensity to the part, holding the show on her shoulders and doing so gracefully.

What makes The Undoing stand out is that there’s initially no doubt in either Grace’s mind or in Jonathan’s eyes, from what we see at least, of any tension or misgivings. They are happy; perhaps bored, looking for a way out of their current lives, but certainly not unhappy, per se.

The signs of unravel begin only after the creeping doubt sets in, where they click into place fast and harshly without Grace being ready for it.

But to stick with the happy period, which lasts for the majority of the episode, it’s an idyllic life that finds them both in their element. It’s the kind of set-up where the cracks aren’t visible, where we are treated to several days in the Fraser home until tragedy strikes.

It’s refreshing to show the good of their family before the eventual fall, as we need a baseline to see that while they are affluent and stuck in a rich rut, they aren’t exactly like the people they surround themselves with.

It’s a surprise to find out Grace comes from money, with the introduction of her father Franklin (the always great Donald Sutherland), as she appears to care deeply about helping rather than helping herself first and foremost.

This isn’t to strike rich people with a broad brush, but given the company they keep, and the wandering eyes of judgment, there’s a gulf of difference between Grace and her friends.

Elena is a curious character, as we don’t get an exact read on her. We pick up on what others see of her, with their judging and their already-made-up opinion of how she’s waiting for her kid outside of school all day. None of what she does is suspicious, really, more that it doesn’t align with the more elitist ways of the people she finds herself in league with now.

She’s comfortable in her body, unabashedly so, and even Grace can’t entirely hide her prejudices, though it reads more as being uncomfortable than judging Elena.

But with the gift of looking back, much like Grace will from here on out, the scene of Jonathan returning home upset may be in a totally different context now. Is he upset that he has lost a patient he cares deeply for, or is he returning upset with how something with Elena ends up?

They don’t interact at all on the episode, and whatever makes Elena upset in the bathroom of the event is outside Jonathan’s element, as he’s planted next to Grace the entire time. There’s more to this to come, clearly, but it’s curious how Grace and the events are potentially lining up against him without much striking evidence yet.

There is something Elena sees in Grace, though, the way she watches her so intently. Is it admiration she watches her with, or is it a form of jealousy, wanting the life she leads? She comments on Grace’s kindness often, so it very likely is the former.

Of course, the show could easily go down the route that Jonathan is the father of Elena’s baby and is the source of her son’s tuition, which is why the detectives are so curious, but that may be a little too obvious.

One aspect that could go a long way is Grace’s undeniable way of reading into people during her sessions. She can see a lot, and so the show could go down a path where she starts to analyze her life, maybe even analyze Jonathan, and start to pick up on things she never noticed before.

But that may also be her undoing, looking for things that may not be there. Doubt will gnaw away at her now, and there may be no way out of that.

Since Jonathan likely never left, what with his phone hidden away in the drawer and none of the convention hotels hosting him, there’s the question of where he could be. Hugh Grant makes Jonathan into a somewhat kind, surly soul, so it will be fascinating to watch that facade possibly crumble.

There is one tell that Grace can’t exactly answer for right away, and it’s her apprehension to Mendoza and O’Rourke’s questioning. She’s not telling them everything, and it’s not entirely clear why. Is there more that she’s not revealing to us, the audience, or is she simply not wanting to get involved? It’s a curious wrinkle.

There are slight Big Little Lies vibes throughout the episode, beyond the David E. Kelley and Nicole Kidman connection. Grace’s clique and their investment in their children’s school is a similar jumping off point, and given how gossipy they get before anything even happens, there’s the potential for grudges or misinformation spiralling out of control, much like Lies.

The episode is immaculately shot with an eye toward the grandiosity of the Fraser lifestyle, paired to vibrant pastel colors not only in the costume design but also in the palette of the furniture and the environments they exist within.

When you have Susanne Bier directing the entire series, it’s going to look fantastic, and The Undoing is no exception. We are practically inside Grace’s head, every shot a careful consideration of her mindset at any given time, and the filmmaking reflects her world turning upside down in an instant with great paranoia and flair.

The Undoing starts quite strong and leaves you wanting more. The fear that closes out the episode is palpable, and that once idyllic life may be going down a dark path.

Some stray thoughts on the episode:

• From the quick glimpses, Elena has been killed rather violently, which likely suggests a crime of passion. There’s one shot that’s gruesome and definitely overkill.
• The scene where Jonathan comforts one of his patients is framed oddly, like Grace walks in on it at the last second. Is this a calming memory of her husband, or an idealized picture of what she thinks he does?
• Though they’re completely different shows, another show that comes to mind where appearances can be deceiving and a family is potentially torn apart by the process is Apple TV+’s Defending Jacob.

 

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The Undoing airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.

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