Am I supposed to hate Julia? (Motherland)

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

I'm about 4 episodes in (season one), and honestly - I find her and, more specifically, her husband, so fucking annoying that I may just have to throw the towel in.

I get that she is supposed to be a harangued mother, feckless dad, etc, but she is just so incredibly unlikeable.

She berates her mother, so cruelly, for stepping back on childcare (creating a gap the wanker dad should be helping to fill), sometimes in front of her mothers friends.

She only ever does stuff with or for her kids because other people have basically played on her massive insecurities. But it's at caricature point now, where its losing any humour.

I'm just not finding the comedy at all with her. I'm wondering if the fact that there isn't even a drop of niceness written into her character means we are supposed to dislike her?

I'm only still watching for Anne and Liz. Even Kevin - they made him a bit funny at the start but it's going a bit slapstick (the wearing all the coats scene?)

I want to get it, and I want to like it, and there bits I like. But it just feels so over over the top. Like they've ramped up any potential for a bit of comedy to just levels of ridiculousness.

I like her because she is dislikeable. Or, I like her because she doesn't even attempt to be likeable. I like her because she isn't thriving - just surviving or pedaling, I suppose, and it isn't pretty and isn't pretending that it is. And I like a bad guy.

Against the grain but I so love the series. Haven’t thought to be honest who I like I just find it amusing as being a mum of 6 I have encountered all the Julia/liz/Amanda at the school gates.
keep watching it may grow on u

When she is on the phone to her husband and she says "I want our children to be raised like I was, by my mother" 🤣

I don't think any of them are supposed to be completely likeable but we can perhaps see some of ourselves in all of them.

Only managed 2 episodes down here in the south. I love the actor in other things, and that's why i tried it. Love 'Liz' in everything she does though.

In fairness, that's a cracking line

You like Julia's husband? I admire her that she hasn't killed him already. Probably there is no jury in the world who would put her to jail for killing that good for nothing bastard husband.

I don't like Julia's character, but every time I hear her talk to him I feel sorry for her.

I love Liz. I fell in love with her when she explained Julia how to throw a birthday party.

And why didn't Julia just order pizza if she was so hungry that day. Why, Julia?

I really fancy Oliver Chris and can understand why a woman might put up with shit treatment from him 🙈

What's the matter with you all! It's not a documentary folks

I re-watched the final episode recently and the bit where Anne gleefully tells Julia that she 'saw Amanda shagging Kevin up the back of hygge tygge' had me howling.

I love Amanda, so well acted.

I love the series so much I could rewatch most episodes multiple times and not get bored. They are all supposed to be exaggerated versions of different parents that everyone probably is/encounters and all of them are written really well.

Julia is not likeable but I like her for that reason. Her rants and moans are basically me and probably a lot of other parents, except we have more of a filter. She is most of us on a very bad day. She gives no shits, doesn't care what she looks like but at the end of the day is just trying to do her best for her kids despite some massive failings at this 😂. And I feel sorry for her- her mum clearly favours Julia's sister (in the mother's day episode she raves about the flowers she sent but doesn't acknowledge any of Julia's efforts) and her husband is an absent dick.

I think she's one of those uncomfortable sitcom characters, like Basil Fawlty, David Brent or Hyacinth Bucket. I'm not sure you're meant to like her. As the series goes on you do start feeling for her in certain ways. All the characters are slightly cartoonified in some way or other.

I also think Anna Maxwell Martin plays her perfectly. She's got such a good knack of finding the extreme discomfort and awkward edges of the characters she plays (see also Carmichael in Line of Duty).

God yes her performance in Line of Duty is up there with some of the best acting I think I've ever seen. She plays the unlikeable bitch boss SO WELL especially in that first episode she appears in- I remember being absolutely blown away.

Julia is supposed to annoy you, I think. She is quite mercenary but it's funny to recognise all characters as some of my peers. Peers whom I have left faaaaaaar behind now thank god.

IKR? She does so much with just a glance, a shift in posture, a pause. All delivered in that clipped whisper. She's an astonishingly talented performer.

I think they’re all awful in their own ways, but you end up liking them all. Even the drippy doormats Anne and Kevin, become likeable.

I find Liz the most awful. She’s so lazy and a half hearted mum.

I love Julia. But maybe it’s because it’s written and played to perfection.

I also think Anna Maxwell Martin plays her perfectly. She's got such a good knack of finding the extreme discomfort and awkward edges of the characters she plays (see also Carmichael in Line of Duty).

Agree with this. She doesn't go for the ditsy angle with Julia, which I think is what a lot of other actors would automatically have done.

Me too!!!

It's comedy folks - you don't have to like anyone or even be polite

[a bit like Mumsnet]

I love Motherland!

Julia- she's a complete user, but driven there by desperation. The things I recognize in myself are the running to school all the time, getting frustrated by tiny things because the whole life is overwhelming, in-laws that come to 'help' and who are not helpful (that episode is actually like a video of my life). She's not nice, she's not a good friend, she's carrying the whole 'mother's burden' and can't manage it- I'm surprised so many on here condemn her for that when her husband is such a twat (again like so many husbands on here!)

Liz- um, of course Liz is laid back. She doesn't work! She's free all day now the youngest is at nursery. In the real world Liz would be roundly condemned for not going back to work immediately and keeping up her pension and running round like a headless chicken like Julia. Funny how everyone loves Liz, Liz's lifestyle is the antithesis of what is always recommended on here (i.e. to be a working mum, not dependent on benefits).

What people are saying is that Julia should not only bear all the burden of childcare, working, looking after the IL's and doing everything, she should also be nice and smiley and a great friend. Many people on here have admitted dropping their friends as they can't find time to see them/hate going out anymore.

I'm surprised so many people can't relate to at least bits of Julia when the posts I see reflect exactly her frazzled overwhelmed life with a crap husband.

We'd all like to be Liz, avoiding work, wanking in the bath, shagging farmers, but needs must!

Oh, mate.

I like it all in a slapstick sort of way ! I adore Anne . The one with Amanda and her mum, the Mother’s Day one, I thought was great.

it does annoy me how Julia just makes her life so hard. It doesn’t need to be that hard! The Ivy school shoes thing, they live in London and they have a car, surely you’d nip to Asda and get something there, if not there’s a tesco or something nearby too?! I’ve gone and got stuff at midnight from
Asda before sports day etc, it’s not hard ?! Also Mrs Lamb is the school receptionist and seems to run the entire place 🤣 I have to say I’ve come across a few like her haha

Honestly, me and all my mates relate to Julia the most. I don’t know anyone run as ragged, but her character is just spot on. The scenes with the nun and in the church were so perfect, they could only have been written by a Catholic.

I don’t know anyone remotely like Liz, but have definitely met several Amandas when mine were at primary.

I love that she thought king and hard about it and said “No I don’t think so” then revealed she was really high up at GSK 🤣🤣

Amanda auctioning the kiss is PERFECTLY cringe. I love it.