Doctors Jonathan (Hugh Grant) and Grace Fraser (Nicole Kidman) seem to have the perfect life. Jonathan is an acclaimed pediatric oncologist, while Grace is a successful clinical phycologist specializing in clients with martial issues, with a keen eye for identifying people’s problems. They appear to be the perfect, happy couple, with a strong relationship, filled with love and humor. The Frasers also have a well-adjusted, outgoing 12-year-old son, Henry (Noah Jupe), who attends a prestigious Manhattan private school. They are a picture-perfect family, but all of that is about to come crashing down.
The morning after a big fundraiser for Henry’s school, a parent of one of the students is found brutally murdered in her art studio. Coincidentally, Jonathan goes missing around the same time, and quickly becomes the prime suspect. While Jonathan insists he is innocent, Detective Joe Mendoza (Edgar Ramírez) is almost certain that he has found the right man, and is out to prove it. Grace’s once perfect world suddenly comes crashing down as lies are revealed and things about her husband and family’s past come to light. Could her husband really be responsible for this heinous crime? As her life starts to unravel, Grace needs to figure out who she can trust, and what is true. And so she turns to her father, Franklin (Donald Sutherland), and best friend/lawyer Sylvia Steineitz (Lily Rabe) for help and guidance.
The Undoing comes from the master of legal TV, David E. Kelley. The series is an engaging, complex thriller with captivating characters, and lots of great plot twists and turns. Each episode ends with some big reveal that makes you eager to see what happens next. (I binged all six episodes in a single sitting!) The series also keeps you guessing as to the identity of the killer, providing evidence that makes everyone look guilty, and causing the viewer to constantly shift and question their alliances and suspicions.
Much of the focus of the series is on Grace Fraser, who is going through a psychological crisis of her own after having this major revelation come to light. She is a trained clinical phycologist. How did she not know about the issues in her marriage, and if her husband was really a killer, wouldn’t she have seen some sign of this over the past decade and a half? She wants to keep her family together but trust has been broken, and she doesn’t know what is best for her son. Nicole Kidman knocks it out of the park playing this conflicted and confused woman trying to make sense of it all. Hugh Grant also gives a memorable performance. As the series opens, we see him as his usual delightfully charming, stuttering character. It is like something out of rom-com—he has such wonderful on-screen chemistry with Nicole Kidman and Noah Jupe (who plays his son), and they feel like the world’s happiest family. As new things come to light, it just seems impossible that this wonderfully-charming man could have done anything bad, let alone evil. Is he truly innocent, or just a perfectly manipulative person? This shakes up the family, with son Henry wanting to believe his father, and father-in-law Franklin (who’s always had something against Jonathan) leaning the other way, though supporting his daughter in whatever she decides.
Being a David E. Kelley program, there is obviously going to be an amazing courtroom battle. And the way it plays out is fantastic, with lots of big twists and turns that keep you guessing as to the verdict. One of the highlights of the series for me was the wonderfully-ruthless, no-nonsense Haley Fitzgerald (Noma Dumezweni), the lawyer who is handling Jonathan’s defense. I enjoyed this character so much that I would love to see her get her own series!
All six episodes of The Undoing were directed by Susanne Bier (Bird Box, The Night Manager), who gives the series a very cinematic feel. She mixes beautiful wide shots of the city with more intimate extreme close-ups of the actors to help the audience really see and feel the emotions of the characters. As new evidence or suspicions come to light, the audience gets glimpses into the minds of the characters as the events play out in their thoughts, shaped by these new revelations, whether they ultimately end up being true or not.
The Undoing is a very ascetically pleasing series, and Warner Bros’ Blu-ray provides a nearly flawless pristine, clean picture. The rich, beautiful color palette is showcased in the beautiful shots of the city, while closeups on faces receive an excellent level of detail. I can’t imagine the show looking any better. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and utilizes the surround channel to provide a more immersive experience, whether it’s the sounds of the city, rain and thunderstorms overhead, or the roar of the crowd in the courtroom. The film’s score, which often consists of classical music, also beautifully fills the room. The six episodes of the series are split across two Blu-ray discs, which are placed on either side of a standard HD keepcase with a cardboard slipcase. Inside is an episode guide as well as the redemption code for an HD digital copy of the episodes, redeemable via Vudu. The 30 minutes of bonus material is split across both discs. This is mostly comprised of Zoom-like interviews with the cast and filmmakers as well as a fun conversation between stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant (their wonderful chemistry can be seen instantly).
What’s Included:
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Episodes: (5:35:20)
- All 6 one-hour episodes:
Disc 1: “The Undoing”, “The Missing”, “Do No Harm”
Disc 2: “See No Evil”, “Trial by Fury”, “The Bloody Truth” - 1080p / Widescreen 1.78:1
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
- Digital HD copy of the episodes redeemable via Vudu.
- The Undoing Revelations (23:26)
Collection of interviews with the cast and filmmakers as they discuss the show’s various characters and their major moments, plus the big final scene of the series. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and Zoom interviews with director/executive producer Susanne Bier, and stars Hugh Grant (“Jonathan Fraser”), Noah Jupe (“Henry Fraser”), Nicole Kidman (“Grace Fraser”), Donald Sutherland (“Franklin Reinhardt”), Matilda De Angelis (“Elena Alves”), Lily Rabe (“Sylvia Steineitz”), Edgar Ramírez (“Detective Joe Mendoza”), Noma Dumezweni (“Haley Fitzgerald”) & Ismael Cruz Cordova (“Fernando Alves”). There is no Play All option.- The Fraser Family (2:02)
- Elena Alves (1:52)
- Jonathan Fraser (2:41)
- Sylvia Steinetz (1:29)
- Detective Joe Mendoza (2:00)
- Grace Reinhart Fraser (2:06)
- Haley Fitzgerald (1:53)
- Fernando Alves (2:01)
- Franklin Reinhart (2:28)
- Henry Fraser (2:19)
- The Bridge Scene (2:35)
- Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant Introduce The Undoing (4:04)
Stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant sit down together to have a really fun conversation about premise of the film, what drew them to the project, and working with writer David E. Kelly, director Susanne Bier, and each other. - Creating The Undoing (3:11)
The cast and filmmakers discuss the premise of the series and the characters, the New York setting, and how this world was beautifully brought to life by writer David E. Kelley and director Susanne Bier. Includes Zoom interviews with director/executive producer Susanne Bier, executive producers Celia Costas, Stephen Garrett, Per Saari & Bruna Papandrea, and stars Hugh Grant, Nicole Kidman, Noma Dumezweni, Matilda De Angelis, Ismael Cruz Cordova & Noah Jupe, Lily Rabe, Donald Sutherland & Edgar Ramírez.
Digital:
Extras:
The bonus material is split across both discs, and is not included in the digital copy.
Final Thoughts:
The Undoing is a beautifully-shot, wonderfully written murder mystery thriller/character drama about a seemingly perfect family that is suddenly torn apart. The six episodes tell a complete story, and make the perfect weekend binge. Warner Bros. Blu-ray looks and sounds great and includes a nice assortment of interviews with the cast/filmmakers as well as a digital copy of the series. This release comes highly recommended.
