Doctor foster is a 'good' drama in that it has certainly touched sensitive spots in a lot of people
^I think this is true. Though some of it annoyed me - the bloody sex scenes as per usual actors are asked to get naked and busy in a degrading and unnecessary way.
I am not convinced though on the Borderline Personality Disorder though. She is impulsive, emotional and superficial at times. But I'm not sure that she is manipulative enough. Also she maintained a marriage for 15 years as almost the sole bread winner as a respected doctor. I'm not sure a person with strong Borderline traits could sustain that level of commitment and steadfastness.
My first thoughts in the first series was that it was about her trying desperately to deal with trauma of what was happening to her. For me, this was the most compelling part - how she dealt with the betrayal and confusion all around her. I actually experienced something similar (not to do with a relationship) and I really recognised some of her responses - including suddenly more drinking, and (once) going out at 2 a.m. on my own to a club just to get away from the horror of everything that was happening to me as my life fell apart spectacularly and I was completely alone (with a dependant child). It was weird to see similar things on TV, even though the reasons and storyline was different.
The other thing I liked about the first series is the way they make her a complex personality. Originally she comes across as the lovely, blameless, caring GP and mother. When it all kicks off though the "feral" side comes up - something commented on earlier in the storyline by her husband (though in a sexual way). Whilst most women would play nicey-nicey, partly for self-preservation and what-would-people-think she does the opposite and ups the ante and fights back for a settlement on her terms in a way that most people would perceive as "unwise". You kind of cheer for her guts and gusto, but worry for her at her high risk take-no-prisoners strategy. It also becomes clear how alone she is in her trauma. The way she is (arguing with the unsympathetic old foster mum Mary round dinner) before she walks into the sea you really feel for her aloneness and betrayal by (almost) everybody. For me that was a brilliant part of the series.
However, by series 2 I think she starts to look less sympathetic as a character; the storyline and behaviours get increasingly peverse and sensationalist (and I will be glad when its over now tbh). As we veer to the car-crash ending (literally) Its unclear whether she is trying desperately to save herself, her son or the second wife - or all three. Or she could be more unhinged than first thought. Her behaviour around her son seems increasingly disturbed and agree with people some of that is hard to watch.