All Her Fault Is a Misandrist Masterpiece

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In the series All Her Fault, the male characters never actually say “I love you.” But it’s clear they think it when everyday problems are blamed on the women around them – like when a mother is held responsible for a child going missing, a husband adjusts his work for his wife’s commitments, or a teenage girl’s spending leads her boyfriend down a dangerous path. The women are consistently seen as obstacles by their partners, and the Peacock adaptation of Andrea Mara’s novel powerfully highlights the unfairness in their relationships, families, and careers. Surprisingly, this repetition doesn’t become boring. Instead, All Her Fault builds intensity, especially for anyone who underestimates women. And those who are shown to be doing the underestimating? Mostly the men. Beneath the suspenseful plot, the series reveals itself to be a sharply critical look at how men view women.

Megan Gallagher created and Sarah Snook stars in and executive produces All Her Fault, her first live-action TV series since Succession. It’s a gripping show that you’ll want to watch all at once. The story quickly picks up speed, presenting a complex mystery that begins with the disappearance of Milo, the young son of wealthy couple Marissa (Snook) and Peter Irvine (Jake Lacy). The initial event is confusing: when Marissa goes to collect Milo from a playdate, the woman at the door doesn’t recognize him. This woman isn’t the mother, Jenny, who arranged the playdate, nor is she her nanny. The phone number used to set up the playdate is now disconnected, and the real Jenny (Dakota Fanning) claims she never sent the text, saying she’s only met Marissa once. This raises the question: why would someone pretend to be Jenny and kidnap Milo?

The new series, All Her Fault, quickly establishes the key details of the case through detectives Alcaras and Greco. They introduce us to a range of characters connected to the missing woman, Marissa: her troubled sister, Lia; her brother, Brian, who lives with them; and Marissa’s business partner, Colin, who takes over the firm amidst the chaos. Everyone has something to hide, but the show’s real strength isn’t in what those secrets are. Instead, it’s the surprising bond that forms between Marissa and Jenny, who find support and friendship in each other despite their husbands’ attempts to keep them apart after Milo goes missing. They become more than just confidantes – they become allies.

Marissa and Jenny are quite different people, but they share similar struggles. Actress Cristin Milioti plays Marissa with a cool, controlled demeanor, reminiscent of her role in Ripley, while Sarah Snook portrays Jenny as constantly overwhelmed and heartbroken – often raising her eyebrows so high they seem to float off her face. Despite their contrasting styles, the two actresses create a believable connection as they grapple with feeling restricted in their lives. They’ve achieved success in their careers and enjoy motherhood, but something feels incomplete – perhaps a partner who acts responsibly. A scene of them sharing wine and hiding from a school fundraiser perfectly captures the comfortable, relatable nature of their friendship, even though the show’s wealthy, white characters deal with problems most people can’t relate to, like maintaining a huge pool or discovering their nanny has been dishonest. While Marissa is more immediately likable than Sarah Snook’s character Shiv Roy in Succession, Snook subtly hints at that role, adding little conversational quirks to her lines that make them feel subtly challenging. Snook excels at playing women who appear to be barely holding themselves together, and Marissa is another strong example of this talent.

Looking at the many TV shows released this past year, All Her Fault is one of several that focus on women dealing with difficult or abusive partners, or banding together against a shared problem (Bad Sisters, Sirens, The Better Sister, and The Hunting Wives are similar). What sets All Her Fault apart is its exploration of two frustrating marriages. It highlights how both husbands praise their wives for making sacrifices the men wouldn’t, and how the women are constantly burdened with endless housework despite being able to afford help – all because their husbands avoid contributing to things like meal planning or scheduling. The show lets Marissa and Jenny discuss how they’ve minimized themselves to please their husbands, and then portrays those husbands as so selfish and neglectful that viewers actively want to see them fail (like when Jenny’s husband ruins an important meeting because he can’t handle bedtime). Once the wives finally confront their husbands, the show delights in their downfall and the wives’ complete lack of regret. The title, “All Her Fault,” takes on a new meaning: Marissa and Jenny take responsibility for their actions, but the series surprises viewers with their unapologetic attitude – they simply move on, having learned their lesson and determined to do things differently.

While not all the men in All Her Fault are awful, some are particularly unlikeable. Anthony Peña gives a strong performance as Alcaras, who quickly realizes the connection between Marissa and Jenny goes deeper than just their shared worry over Milo. Among the less appealing characters, Zach Lacy is especially good at playing a frustratingly self-centered version of a familiar type, similar to his role in The White Lotus. An early confrontation, where Peter questions Marissa about a playdate and Alcaras turns the question back on him, is particularly satisfying. However, the men primarily serve as obstacles, creating dramatic conflict before the story focuses on Marissa and Jenny discovering their own independence and rejecting traditional definitions of relationships – like ‘team’ or ‘partners’ – often used in modern marriage. The show initially offers quick thrills through explosive confrontations where Marissa and Jenny call out men who avoid responsibility. But its most significant contribution is its celebration of women who choose to break free from societal expectations. It’s easy to see why they would.

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2025-11-05 22:55