Motherland inconsistencies

[BikeRunSki]

I am watching the first two seasons again, having just finished the third one and I’ve noticed a couple of inconsistencies. I am happy to be corrected though.

1- in the first series Kevin says that his mother lives near Andover (I think it’s Andover, but the actual location doesn’t matter). In the third series he says that she died when he was 8.

2- in the first series Anne says she’d had an early menopause, so how did she get pregnant again in the second series (which I assume is Baby Niamh who she has had by the third series). Was there some kind of mistake/realisation that I missed?

Anne is too much of an earth mother and would feel guilty if she had to work late or go away with work and leave her brood behind
But that's the point... She's not a working mother, she's a sahm. She didn't try to juggle both.

@TheReturnOfTheMaud

I wasn’t convinced that anyone could (presumably) have enough presence to hold down a high-powered job and yet let themselves be treated as a skivvy by Amanda. That’s not about any trade-off between career and motherhood, that’s about personality.

Isn't that the point, though? When women become mothers society views them differently, they may view themselves differently. But Anne 's reveal is unexpected, that's what makes it funny.

Yes, it was funny and unexpected but, for me at least, not very plausible. A lot about the show rang very true for me but this bit didn’t. Hey ho.

I still believe that Anne only said this to shut Amanda up ! Quick thinking on her part.

Ah, yes.

The joke about Anne is to show how SAHMs are underestimated by society and especially Anne by Amanda. I thought it was a great joke.

If the writers are on here can they let us know what the thinking was behind Anne's revaluations? Was it true or bluff?
It's important stuff this ..

Yes the episode where Kevin talks about his mum pinpoints his year of birth as 1983, but then in the same episode I noticed he contradicted that when talking about when he got married (I think!).

I agree I thought it was a good joke. I did a very intellectual job pre sahm and think people who meet me now would have no idea and underestimate what I could do. Mums are underestimated

So many inconsistencies this series.

@Cleebope2

The joke about Anne is to show how SAHMs are underestimated by society and especially Anne by Amanda. I thought it was a great joke.

Exactly. The characters (and we) have pigeonholed her as 'just' a mum. To find out she previously had a successful corporate career is funny, but the joke is on us for making lazy assumptions.

Kevin also lists the fact he can’t swim as a reason why his wife is leaving him I think, but there was definitely a swimming episode where he was swimming?

Think I’ll need to rewatch the last episode as I didn’t catch Ann’s career reveal!

Kev struggled a bit with the swimming ( my fav episode ever)
' anyone got a hanger ? A wire one will do '
Love Julia so much.

I totally got the Anne joke. That was so funny about her being Global head of product at gSk

I think all the characters are supposed to be late 30s but IRL the actors are all 40 something

I got the Ann career joke too, thought that was so funny

Doesn’t Kevin start drowning in that swimming episode and gets saved by the alpha dad whose trousers he then throws out of the window or something

That episode is so funny - Julia trying to keep her hair dry and failing then having to go to a work event in a total state

Ohhh that’s ringing bells- Kevin gets jealous of new dad doing handstands and decides to hold his breath in the pool!

That episode made me itchy... the plaster on the floor, the hair in the pool... too much like real life!

@CatherineCawood

There was a thing about Marion moving to Maidenhead today think, or Maidstone. Can’t remember. But she moved away and it was another bone of contention with Julia. She was back in the area visiting a friend in one episode but hadn’t told Julia, so she was offended when she bumped into her

I might be imagining it but isn’t there a bit in the Christmas special so where Kevin is loading up the car with all of the presents and food to take to his ex wife’s house, but in the last series he is learning to drive? Unless it was a taxi? Maybe I should rewatch it!

Doesn’t Kevin start drowning in that swimming episode and gets saved by the alpha dad whose trousers he then throws out of the window or something

Yes, that’s what happened, saw that one last night.

Yes it was a taxi and he was doing all xmas at his in laws.

@mnahmnah aha! Quite possibly.

Where episode 6 of series 3 on catch up. There’s only 5 episodes, but 6 in the other 2.

The first episode of series three is the Christmas one that isn't on the streaming services making it six episodes all together.

I also appreciated the joke about Anne's job. She is a people pleaser and has clearly fallen under Amanda's spell, but she's not thick. She juggles her kids, runs the car pool, organises loads of the school events. I think it's a great joke about how mums lives can change and how who they are at the school gates isn't always who they really are.

Agree about Anne, and the swimming pool episode is so realistic. It’s so well observed.