Imperfect Women Review: Apple TV’s Addictive Thriller Has More To Offer Than Its Predictable Mystery

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Apple TV+’s Imperfect Women isn’t likely to become a cultural phenomenon like Big Little Lies, but it’s a captivating thriller with more to offer than just its somewhat foreseeable mystery. Based on Araminta Hall’s novel, the series follows three lifelong friends after Nancy (Kate Mara) is murdered. The remaining two, Eleanor (Kerry Washington) and Mary (Elisabeth Moss), grapple with their grief and uncover surprising secrets about their shared past.

I found myself really drawn into the way Eleanor tries to support Nancy’s husband, Robert, after her death. Their connection is… complicated, to say the least, and watching them navigate that, especially with both their families breathing down their necks, was compelling. Meanwhile, Mary is off doing her own investigation, which is interesting, but honestly, it’s the stuff beneath the main mystery that really makes Imperfect Women stand out. It’s those deeper layers that elevate the whole story and kept me hooked.

Imperfect Women’s Main Characters & Themes Are More Compelling Than Its Central Mystery

Credit: Apple TV

Instead of a suspenseful whodunit, Imperfect Women is more focused on deeply exploring the lives of Eleanor, Mary, and Nancy, and the significant issues they face. The series initially centers on Eleanor’s story, then shifts to Nancy’s past, and finally culminates in Mary’s perspective. This structure lets viewers connect with each woman personally, understanding their feelings of being overlooked and undervalued.

To outsiders, Eleanor seems like a focused career woman, Mary a devoted mother, and Nancy a social butterfly. But each woman is secretly struggling with hidden challenges and making sacrifices that often go unnoticed – especially by the men around them, like Mary’s husband, Robert, and Howard. This lack of appreciation is just one example of the sexism they experience, even from people they’re close to. The show focuses more on these women and their inner lives than on the actual mystery of Nancy’s death, which becomes predictable fairly quickly, despite a few misleading clues.

The series generally portrays its three central female characters well, but some of the supporting characters aren’t developed as fully. Characters like Eleanor’s brother, Donovan, and Nancy and Robert’s daughter, Cora, are initially presented as significant, especially during Eleanor’s episodes. However, when the focus shifts to Nancy and Mary, these characters are often sidelined, and their connections with Eleanor – and, in Cora’s case, with her father – aren’t explored enough.

Even though she joined the show later in the season, Sheryl Lee Ralph, known for her role in Abbott Elementary, quickly became a standout performer with just two scenes. As Eleanor’s mother, she brought a powerful presence and delivered the show’s most moving lines, helping to bring Eleanor’s story to a fitting end. The scenes between her and Washington were particularly wonderful, highlighting the incredible talent both actresses displayed in Scandal and Abbott Elementary.

Imperfect Women Is Best-Suited For Binge-Watching

Credit: Apple TV

Though new episodes of Imperfect Women are released weekly after its two-episode start, the show is best enjoyed by watching multiple episodes at once. The central mystery isn’t compelling enough to keep you hooked week after week, and each individual episode doesn’t stand out on its own. Instead, try watching all eight episodes in one go, or spread out over three sessions focused on the stories of Eleanor, Mary, and Nancy.

With compelling acting from Washington, Moss, and Mara, and plenty of suspenseful moments, the show is definitely captivating. While we wait for season three of Big Little Lies, this new thriller about wealthy women whose lives are shaken by a murder offers a good distraction, though it doesn’t quite reach the same level of quality as the popular HBO series.

Imperfect Women debuts with a two-episode premiere on Apple TV on March 18.

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2026-03-12 16:28