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Do not let the cat out or guide a rock-climbing getaway simply but if you have not watched “The Girlfriend.” Spoilers forward!
When you love Olivia Cooke on the “Sport of Thrones” prequel and spin-off “Home of the Dragon” and also you’re itching to observe her in a unique, extra fashionable function, you are in luck — her miniseries “The Girlfriend” lately dropped on Amazon Prime Video.
Based on streaming tracker FlixPatrol, the collection is totally crushing it with viewers, so what’s it about within the first place? Primarily based on Michelle Frances’ 2017 guide of the identical title (which, in case you’re a subscriber, simply so occurs to be accessible on Kindle Limitless), the story facilities across the Sanderson household, led by domineering matriarch Laura (“The Princess Bride” and “Home of Playing cards” star Robin Wright). To say that Laura has a bizarre relationship together with her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson, who appeared in small roles in “Masters of the Air” and “Mary & George”) is an enormous understatement; after Laura and her husband Howard (Waleed Zuaiter) misplaced their first baby, Rose, whereas she was only a child, Laura turns into extremely connected to Daniel. Fortunately for Laura, Daniel does not have loads of critical girlfriends, which is why Laura is so shocked when he brings house a brand new flame, Cherry Laine (Cooke), and describes their relationship as critical.
It is additionally an understatement to say that Laura and Cherry butt heads as they struggle for Daniel’s consideration and affection all through the six-episode run of “The Girlfriend.” I would additionally say, after binge-watching the collection, that it is a soapy, campy, and barely contrived tackle the basic “evil mother-in-law” story. So what occurs in “The Girlfriend,” and what occurs to Cooke’s character Cherry?
The Girlfriend is totally bonkers from begin to end, however Olivia Cooke manages to shine regardless of a few of the present’s narrative pitfalls
When Cherry first meets Laura, she instantly understands the troublingly shut relationship between Laura and Daniel, however does her “greatest” to adapt to it — and by her “greatest,” I imply she tosses Laura’s beloved cat Moses out of a window and steals a bit of her jewellery. The rivalry between the 2 girls is straight away obvious to, actually, each particular person concerned within the state of affairs apart from Daniel. (Bless his coronary heart.) After Cherry claims she attended an unique prep faculty in London, Laura does some digging and discovers that Cherry by no means attended the college; to make issues worse, Laura sees Cherry slapping a person within the face on the road, who seems to be Cherry’s ex-boyfriend Nicholas Hale (Leo Suter). (Cherry additionally poses as a marriage caterer and stashes a lamb’s coronary heart inside Nicholas’ wedding ceremony cake forward of his upcoming nuptials, so it is secure to say that she’s not precisely steady.)
The battle between Laura and Cherry retains heightening all through “The Girlfriend” and involves a head when, after Cherry and Daniel go rock-climbing for his birthday and he is severely injured, Laura lies to Cherry and says that Daniel is useless. Whereas Laura whisks Daniel away to Spain to recuperate, Cherry in the end discovers that her boyfriend — or, technically, fiancé, contemplating that he proposed to her instantly earlier than his accident — continues to be alive. This clearly makes every thing a lot worse between Cherry and Laura, who maintain preventing over Daniel — who is sort of at all times blissfully unaware of his mom and associate vying for his love — till it builds to a really disturbing conclusion. (I will go away the ending of “The Girlfriend” unspoiled for anybody who needs to test it out for themselves.)
“The Girlfriend” is completely over-the-top and unrealistic, and regardless of a script that is usually a bit skinny, Olivia Cooke, a consummate performer, is superb as Cherry, whether or not she’s seducing Daniel or dealing with off towards Laura. Cooke is especially wonderful at small, refined facial expressions, which helps maintain Cherry from changing into a complete caricature. When you like this efficiency from Cooke, although, it is best to undoubtedly try “Home of the Dragon.”
When you like watching Olivia Cooke shrewdly romance a person for a strong place in society, attempt Home of the Dragon
Cooke has been in loads of nice movies all through her profession, however today, she’s in all probability greatest identified for taking part in Alicent Hightower on “Home of the Dragon.” Cooke does not really be a part of the collection till midway by way of its debut season; due to a ten-year time leap, Alicent is initially performed by Emily Carey alongside Milly Alcock as her greatest pal and confidante, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, inheritor obvious to the throne and the one baby of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine). Whereas Alicent continues to be performed by Carey, she entrances and marries Viserys after his spouse and Rhaenyra’s mom Aemma (Sian Brooke) dies, driving an infinite wedge between Alicent and Rhaenyra for good.
After that point leap, which occurs precisely midway by way of season 1, Alicent and Rhaenyra stay at odds, particularly as a result of Alicent appears all too conscious that Rhaenyra’s youngsters aren’t fathered by her husband Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan). (Alicent, to be truthful, is correct; as a result of Laenor prefers the corporate of males, he and Rhaenyra have an association, and her first three youngsters are secretly fathered by Ryan Corr’s Ser Harwin Robust.) Viserys, aged and frail by now, finally dies, and his closing phrases referring to “Aegon” actually start the Targaryen civil conflict referred to as the Dance of the Dragons. Alicent, certain that Viserys meant their eldest son Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) ought to take the throne regardless that Viserys named Rhaenyra as his inheritor, takes up arms and turns into the de facto chief of the Inexperienced faction. Rhaenyra, conscious that her father was probably referencing the “track of ice and fireplace” prophesied by Aegon the Conqueror, crowns herself queen and leads the Black faction for the Iron Throne.
Cooke is genuinely phenomenal because the highly effective and generally evil Alicent in “Home of the Dragon,” and fortunately for “The Girlfriend,” she introduced her A-game to that collection as properly. “The Girlfriend” is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and “Home of the Dragon” is streaming on HBO Max.
