So disappointed with Motherland **Thread contains spoilers**

[Fenty1]

I'm the biggest fan of Motherland normally but I feel so let down by the Xmas special! Have been looking forward to it all day but didn't laugh once. Yes it was very sad etc but not what I wanted from a Xmas special at all.

Title edited by MNHQ to add a spoiler alert

I laughed. The look for gives her husband when he comments on the hummus! That was everything

Meg.

I wasn’t sure about the Tamara character. She seemed lovely but in my experience that’s not the type of woman a man like Johnny would go for as a second wife. Just seemed odd as the other characters tend to follow the stereotypes a bit more.

Looked forward to it, recorded it, watched it, deleted it.
I usually watch episodes a couple of times to catch the subtle little jokes and sides…. Won’t be bothering with this!!

What a disappointment, I barely smiled, and didn’t laugh once (normally love the prog!)

Everyone seemed ‘different’ somehow…? It was very topical - but made it very depressing!

A real shame☹️

It could have done with a lighter touch. Particularly Meg, I missed the first 5 minutes so did I miss something? She was like a totally different person?

There were some really funny bits though, like Kevin comforting Julia by saying at least Marian climbed Mount Kilimanjaro before she died

I do think there has been significant character development for all characters throughout the 3 series, and they've ended in a very different place to where they started.

It wasn’t very funny which is fair enough. But I had spent the evening watching TV with an elderly relative who kept falling asleep in her chair. Then we watched Motherland together with said relative so it was too close to home. We also watched it with the kids so not great. Christmas can be a really sad time for people remembering and dealing with loss and we really didn’t need that.

I loved it. My Mum's had cancer this year and has also spent more time than is reasonable screeching while trapped in VR dancing with a demanding robot. I sobbed but found it uplifting. I loved how they pulled together and supported each other.

First half brilliant
Second half was just too much of a downer

defo needed more Ann
also they changed the Tamara and I don’t believe this one, the younger version in series 3 was a far more likely trade up

I absolutely loved it. I’ve had a bollocks year of it after a Christmas last year that was not unlike Julia’s and it actually done me the world of good to watch t. Amanda was just fantastic and I laughed out loud a couple of times. I get what you’re saying about wanting something lighter but it really has been pretty rough going for millions of us over the last 2/3 years and I felt it quite comforting to have that acknowledged and really uplifting too as it reminded me there’s still lots to laugh about.

I liked it too, and unlike many episodes, I laughed too.
As for this ‘Amanda- smug posh middle class SAHM who is portrayed as an idiot when she starts a business and of course her DH has a very important job and boffs a secretary on the side’: Have you actually watched the programme? This character seems to be a figment of your imagination. There is so much bitterness on this site.

It was a sad event to include in a Christmas special but I thought the way the friends rallied was spot on.

As I was watching it I was a bit surprised but now I've thought about it I think it was a bit of genius.

Showing the real version of Christmas. When you haven't bought someone a present. When people let you down. When you're fed up of being the organiser. When your family is maddening. Plus it was highlighting that friends will pick you up. Amanda in Anne's house with her family was the subtle one here. Amanda's horrible mother and ex juxtaposed with Anne just accepting her as she is. I actually loved it.

Sharon Horgan, who wrote it, is no stranger to sadness in her life and this episode was for others in the same boat.

That's how I see it anyway.

I loved it!!!

What has Maui got to do with Mumsnet?

It's from Moana?

We enjoyed it. Not a lot of laughs but some great acting and some moments of joy (loved Amanda partying with Anne at the end.

My only gripe, which I acknowledge is kind of ridiculous, are Christmas specials set in the UK where there are shots of trees still covered in leaves. I can’t not NOT see it and it takes me immediately out of the drama. The recent Strike adaptation did the same as well. I’d rather they just did all face shots and indoor backgrounds than expose me to a fully leafed tree in pretend December.

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/dec/23/motherland-christmas-special-review-youll-laugh-gasp-in-shock-then-punch-the-air

I agree with this.

Sad things happen all the time including Christmas and I thought they handled this well with all the friends rallying together. Even Julia's useless husband was comforting her until he mentioned the cheese and her present from her Mum was a brilliant touch.

We also watched Two Doors Down which disappointed me a bit - too schmaltzy. I was waiting for a twist that explained how Christine could afford to treat them all - a lucky find maybe?

I was really looking forward to it, but finished in tears, sadly my mum died on Xmas day so it was not an ideal watch for me and still feel quite teary this morning! But some bits were very funny, and Kevin is always wonderful

Loved it. Funny, sad, honest and not schmaltzy. Genius.

It’s very personal isnt it which dark humour storylines affect people. I loved it but I had to turn the cleaner over and I usually love them. The story of the young man not being able to leave the ice cream parlour in case his dad turned up I found heart breaking. I’ll try again with it though. Greg Davis is a but Julia i suppose very self serving. I like them as I’m a bit of a people pleaser.

I agree, surely the Maui thing was in reference to Moana and the song- You're Welcome

Was it a different actress playing Tamara? I didn’t notice that but I completely agree with you that she wasn’t a very realistic character. Which sticks out because the others are mostly exaggerated versions of people you might know in real life.

Isn't Tamara too old to be pregnant?

I loved it. And two of the DD’s (16,22) who have never watched motherland both said they hadn’t laughed out loud at anything for ages. I enjoyed the way the characters had evolved. And the £400 handcrafted hat 🤣

“Oi, Phillip Schofield” at Ann at the Butchers was genius 😂

I thought the point of Tamara was to show her as a “better” version of Amanda and in fact someone that, in other circumstances, she might have been friends with.

I thought the comment from Amanda that she thought her ex didn’t want any more children was subtly clever in indicating perhaps she had wanted more and he had said no.

As another poster said m, we’ve all seen it on here 1000 times - man leaves wife and very quickly the new girlfriend is pregnant. I did actually think that it would have improved it slightly/been more MN (which we all know is the inspiration behind the show) had Amanda bumped into Liz who would have cheered her up by pointing out the ex would be dealing with shitty nappies for years to come while Amanda can be out partying, with Anne!