Imperfect Women–Embroidered Friendships

Based on the book of the same name by Araminta Hall, Imperfect Women  stars a powerhouse trinity of actors:  Kerry Washington (“Scandal) as Elaine, Elisabeth Moss (“Handmaid’s Tale”) as Mary, and Kate Mara (“House of Cards”) as Nancy.  This is a murder mystery wrapped up in the fragile and torn package of friendship–one of the three women is murdered in episode one.  

Nancy, an obscenely wealthy and privileged wife of a scion of business, Robert Hennesy (Joel Kinnaman) is found murdered at home, with no suspects.  However, her  murder leaves the remaining friends–Mary and Elaine–in shambles, with husbands and lovers, and even a brother among the persons of interest.

Plot twists in every episode have the viewer  questioning who really did it. As more backstories are revealed, this psychological drama forces shifting perspective with each unreliable narrator’s version of the story. And whose perspective is more credible is subtly influenced by wealth and privilege.

Mary and Elaine both have long-simmering secrets as do their husbands and lovers.   All have motive, means, and opportunity.  Whose version of the truth can be believed? They proclaim who they imagine themselves to be and who they are to others, especially to their BFFs.  Suturing betrayal with friendship, the stories embroider the three women’s  desperate need to be the closest of friends.

“Friendship is the glue that holds our imperfect lives together.”

Reminding this reviewer of “DTF St. Louis”, friendship is exposed in all its duplicity, schadenfreude, and envy. Solving the murder is only the postscript.

Availability:  Apple+ (US)

Note: Kintsugi is the Japanese art technique of painting gold between the cracks of a broken ceramic, believing the broken but repaired art form is even more beautiful in its flaws than the original piece.  Opening graphics to “Imperfect Women” show three ceramic outlines of the main characters’ cracked faces, now glued back together with fluid gold paint.