The Girlfriend Series-Premiere Recap: Unreliable Narrators

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A thriller’s appeal lies in its pace. The rate at which details unfold shapes the tempo of our involvement, keeping us hooked episode after episode. Typically, great thrillers build up subtly, with each plot twist outdoing the last. However, the new Amazon Prime series, “The Girlfriend,” based on Michelle Frances’s book and featuring Robin Wright as both director and lead actor, seems to embody the qualities of a sophisticated psychological thriller from the streaming age: characters seeking the same goal for various reasons; luxurious settings; impeccable fashion; and the suffocating anxiety of excessive wealth. Yet, it stumbles with pacing. The pilot, at an extended 50 minutes, is largely uneventful.

In a simpler and more conversational tone,

Creating a pilot in any genre can be challenging due to the heavy load of necessary backstory or explanations. The show “The Girlfriend” adds an extra layer of complexity by switching perspectives between its two leading characters, Laura and Cherry. Laura is a successful gallery owner, while Cherry is her son’s ambitious real estate agent girlfriend. They both vie for the attention of Daniel, a medical student with a youthful charm. By showing events from both women’s viewpoints, there might have been some interesting dynamics if their interpretations of situations differed significantly or if the plot progressed with each switch. Unfortunately, we witness all events first through Laura’s eyes and then revisit them through Cherry’s, which feels repetitive and even slightly condescending. The core plot idea is that each woman views the other as a rival adversary. We don’t need to see reminders of their past interactions being friendly or unfriendly to grasp this concept.

It’s clear that the hostility between Cherry and Laura is potentially lethal, as the series commences with the echo of a gunshot. Overlaid with catchy pop tunes and the ruckus of a brawl – shouts, smashed glass, additional gunshots, and fleeing footsteps – we get hints about future events: a movie projector, a bar cart, a window, a swimming pool, a high-heeled shoe, and some blood. Initially, we encounter Laura as she listens to similar mysterious noises in her grand London mansion. These sounds are designed to instill fear, but the rough editing undermines the sequence’s pace. Assuming it was her cat, Moses, who knocked over a vase in the living room, Laura decides to go for a swim in her pool.

A startling figure turns out to be Laura’s son Daniel in the water, initially giving the impression that he was drowning her. However, upon resurfacing, Laura displays a joyful expression usually reserved for a mother finding her long-lost child. Their roughhousing hints at an unusual bond, bordering on inappropriate familiarity between a mother and son. They discuss Cherry, whom Daniel insists is unlike the girls he typically dates, implying a resemblance to his mother. Laura clarifies that it should be the other way around: Cherry bears a likeness to her mother instead. Regardless of how you look at it, the situation is somewhat unsettling.

When we shift to Cherry’s point of view, it becomes clear that she and Daniel were the ones causing the unexpected noises that frightened Laura; they had thought they were the only ones in the house at the time. Their relationship is described as a whirlwind: Daniel is taken aback when he first sees her, even though she’s still a stranger, walking to work as his night out gets increasingly drunk. They cross paths again when Daniel visits Cherry’s office about a penthouse. Assuming Daniel to be a corporate finance bro interested in a luxury apartment, Cherry conceals for her colleague, Pandora, and accompanies him on a tour of the property. In an awkward exchange where “entertaining” becomes a coded term for sex, Cherry takes him to a more tasteful, refined apartment that she believes will appeal to his preferences. Daniel and Cherry engage in an intimate encounter right then and there, and later he treats her to a date at one of his father’s extravagant hotels.

During breaks with Daniel, we uncover what motivates Cherry. Originating from a middle-class family, her mother is a butcher and her deceased father, who passed away when she was 14, was a builder. Cherry reveals to Daniel that her father’s demise shaped her into a resilient individual, and it becomes evident through her tenacious attitude towards work. Pandora, the coworker unknowingly involved in her relationship with Daniel, serves as a contrast for the class-driven resentment fueling Cherry’s aspirations. Pandora comes from wealth, her job seemingly being more of a pastime; she arrives at work hungover, mislabels items, leaves whenever she pleases, and yet still receives a promotion over Cherry, simply because her family has connections. This injustice enrages Cherry to such an extent that she spits in her boss’s coffee mug.

In simpler terms, the given text suggests that Cherry’s point of view becomes more engaging compared to Laura’s, who, while not entirely incorrect about Cherry, doesn’t make a strong impression. When they meet for dinner, Laura, a divorced woman known for her outspoken nature, feels uneasy about meeting Cherry. Upon arrival, Cherry is jokingly referred to with a stripper-like name by Isabella, which angers Cherry according to the narrator’s account, but appears as though she handles it gracefully from Laura’s perspective. Laura seems uncomfortable with Cherry’s revealing outfit, while others find it amusing. The text also mentions Howard making an inappropriate comment about the situation.

In a curious twist, as Cherry examines an enigmatic artwork adorning the wall, Laura inquires about her thoughts. Cherry describes it as “unusual, with undertones of violence yet gentleness,” and then points out its creator, Caspian Alexander. Initially, Laura is taken aback by this revelation until she discovers a book on art, placed on the table, titled “Caspian Alexander: Gentle Violence.” Later on, we’ll find out that Cherry had earlier perused the book and memorized the title for a later conversation. While there’s a hint of humor in this situation, the narrative of “The Girlfriend” maintains a more serious tone, refraining from incorporating comedy.

At the threshold of dinner, Laura catches sight of Cherry performing an intimate act with Daniel, visible through an open door in the corridor. Later, it’s revealed that Howard was once in a similar situation when he first met his parents. It seems a certain lack of discretion is prevalent among them.

Following dinner, it becomes clear that Laura accompanied Daniel on his travel adventures across Europe during his gap year. Daniel also shares some personal news with his parents; he’s transitioning from pediatrics to trauma surgery, contrary to the plans he and Laura had discussed earlier.

Cherry seems to have a penchant for fabrication: she claims her father was an architect and that she graduated from the elite St. Florian’s school, where her colleague Pandora is an alumna. However, later it’s discovered that there are no records of Cherry ever attending St. Florian’s, as confirmed by the school’s headmaster, whom Laura communicates with regularly.

Either Cherry is intentionally making Laura suspect that she’s deceiving her, or she isn’t very clever about keeping secrets. After all, these people often communicate with each other. It seems strange for her to repeat things that Laura herself had said earlier in the day, unless it was to deliberately mislead her. To be fair, Cherry doesn’t strike me as a master manipulator.

At dinner before the meal, Cherry took a bracelet from Laura’s jewelry box. Later, when Laura “accidentally” spills hot caramel sauce on Cherry’s legs and dress – which she was planning to return – Cherry goes to the bathroom to clean herself up. In the hallway, Laura spots the bracelet peeking out of Cherry’s handbag, which was left on a side table. Although Laura is wealthy enough not to immediately check if it’s hers, she tells Isabella that it gave her a sense that Cherry is “hiding something.” However, even at this point, there’s still a chance for Cherry to win sympathy. Laura can be quite rude, and Pandora certainly didn’t deserve the promotion she received. But Laura crosses the line when, in the bathroom, she deliberately lets Moses, an indoor cat, outside. What harm did he ever do to her?

In this version, I’ve tried to make the language more natural and easier to read while maintaining the original meaning and tone of the text.

Laura senses that Cherry might be connected to Moses’s disappearance, but she can’t find any solid evidence to support this theory. At the gallery opening a few days later, her suspicions grow stronger when Daniel and Cherry, who usually never leave without saying goodbye, depart suddenly and mysteriously – a behavior unbecoming of their obedient son. In reality, Cherry had enticed Daniel into leaving following a chance encounter with her ex-boyfriend Nicholas’s new fiancée. Although the details surrounding Cherry and Nicholas’s breakup remain unknown, we do know it was a tumultuous relationship. She deliberately avoids him whenever they cross paths at the cycling studio, and later discovers through social media that he is engaged. Given the widespread coverage of his engagement, it’s apparent that he enjoys a certain level of fame – even Cherry’s mother has noticed articles about it in magazines.

A few days after posting lost posters for Moses, Laura happens to be near Cherry’s office and decides to confirm if Cherry actually works there. Remarkably, the story seems excessively repetitive as it describes Laura calling Isabella to announce her plan, while simultaneously carrying it out – this undermines the tension of the situation. It turns out that indeed, Cherry does work at that office. However, what Laura encounters is not just Cherry’s presence but a heated argument between Cherry and Nicholas. He confronts her for stalking him, telling her she makes his skin crawl, to which she retaliates by punching him in the face. Before leaving, he calls her a “chav,” a British term for individuals of a middle-class background.

Initially, Laura feigns ignorance as if she didn’t notice anything, but Cherry moves towards her regardless. Later on, it’s Laura who is taken aback when Cherry informs her that Daniel has extended an invitation to her for the Sanderson family trip to Spain. Despite the strained relationship between the two women, Daniel and Cherry’s connection, which appears sincere, only grows stronger: After asking her to accompany him to Spain, Daniel expresses his affection for Cherry, a feeling she echoes in return.

Previously, Cherry’s mother had cautioned about Nicholas, expressing concerns that loving a wealthy individual might result in him not marrying her due to her family not being deemed suitable. By the conclusion of the episode, it becomes evident that Cherry is unwilling to idly stand by while others reap rewards she has tirelessly striven for but ultimately failed to attain, as her boss had suggested. Instead, she demonstrates a shocking act of revenge by carving a heart from a pig and inserting it into her ex’s wedding cake, ensuring that when they cut into it, blood spurts out and stains everything around. Even Chris Hargensen, the arch-nemesis responsible for Carrie’s prom night torment and the epitome of cruelty, could not have devised such a malicious plan.

Dept. of Investigation

It seems there’s some complexity in Howard and Laura’s marriage, as Howard appears to be involved in a secondary relationship with a woman named Marianne. This arrangement, though unconventional, doesn’t seem to bother either party, as evidenced by Marianne publicly touching Howard at the gallery opening. However, Howard is considering ending this relationship and focusing solely on Laura, despite Laura appearing content with the current situation.

The question then arises: might Cherry (likely another character) and Marianne work together to harm Laura? Or could this entire scenario serve as a cautionary tale about the potential risks of polyamory?

At some moment, Cherry prepares a French 75 using a cocktail kit once owned by Wallis Simpson and informs Daniel that it’s difficult for her to understand him when he has a silver spoon in his mouth, chuckles.

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2025-09-10 16:56