Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Strong sexual content in serious, somewhat silly drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Obsession
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Adapted from the novel Damages by Josephine Hart, as OBSESSION begins, successful surgeon William Farrow (Richard Armitage) has a chance meeting with Anna Barton (Charlie Murphy), the woman his son Jay (Rish Shah) is in love with. Despite the fact that William is happily married to Ingrid (Indira Varma), he begins an affair with Anna that soon results in tragic consequences for both of them.
Is It Any Good?
Deadly serious and a bit silly, this series about a dangerous affair does manage to generate some steam, but is so pulpy that the unintentional laughs sabotage the sexiness. Part of the issue plaguing Obsession is the curious opaqueness of William. Anna is given more of a backstory; we understand right away that her traumatic past informs her present and makes her vulnerable to men with control issues as she self-sabotages. William is given no such revealing moments. Instead, we're left to wonder why a fully grown responsible man who seemingly loves his wife, family, and life quite suddenly throws it all away for a few erotic encounters. The two obviously have a vibe, but characters, like people, need reasons to do what they do, and Obsession isn't giving William any.
William and Anna's sexy meetups border on ridiculous as well. It seems clear the audience is meant to understand these two are enmeshed in a BDSM-style power exchange, but what we see is William wrapping silky ribbons around Anna's thigh and demanding she get him a glass of wine, hardly the stuff of heavy breathing. When the interactions between the two get more serious, the vibe is immediately creepy, not sexy: William invades Anna's boundaries non-consensually, which is decidedly non-hot. Then a telegraphed tragedy occurs, and whatever sexy energy's been built up ebbs away. It's positively anti-climactic in every sense.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about dysfunctional characters in Obsession and discuss why writers so often turn to them for good material. Why is a person with serious problems a more compelling character than one with a calm, "normal" life?
Is the audience supposed to sympathize with William? How can you tell? How are we supposed to regard his many transgressions? How is a sympathetic character presented, and how is that different from an unsympathetic character?
Sexual misbehavior is often the focal point for dark dramas. What other examples can you name? How does the show keep you invested in characters who do bad things?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 13, 2023
- Cast : Richard Armitage , Charlie Murphy , Rish Shah
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : April 16, 2023
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