Motherland

[3Gifts41]

It's so sexist, unbelievable.

The bitch, the stressed out working mum who is so incapable that she can't organise her child care, (no stressed out working dad in sight), ridiculing the stay a home dad by representing him as an emasculated clown.

I cringed cringed cringed when I watched this with dh. Won't be watching the rest.

I love it. It’s exaggerated, yes, but rooted in reality and I can relate to Julia!

I hated it too.

I had heard good things so I perseveared for two episodes but I thought was pathetically shite.

I loved Catastrophe so was really keen to give Motherland a go. But I didn't really like the pilot last year and having watched episode 1, I only managed half of episode 2 before I deleted it all and gave up.

I just found it cringey and not funny, maybe had a wry smile once (cat man).

I'll admit I'm "only" a SAHP so I've never had to juggle between children and work, but all the WOHPs I know seem to be normal and competent whereas Julia just seems chronically and stubbornly disorganised. Granted, she's got a shit hands-off partner...

Our primary school didn't have wrap around care, working parents relied on childminders and grandparents, but who in their right mind would treat or speak to their mother like Julia does to hers?!

The writers haven't really subverted or highlighted any issues in any kind of intelligent way, it all just seems to be let's see how incompetent and desperate a working mum can become. And hopefully the laughs will come from that desperation

I do think some of the characters could be better though - I’m up to episode 4 and Julia seems to suffer no real maternal guilt, it’s just about her failure to sort decent childcare - do they not have an after school club?

Mind you, I love the useless grandparents on he dad’s side - they were hilarious - you can see where the dad gets it from! And the overstatements ‘now your Mum isn’t doing everything for you...’

Dear God, overthinking, much? It's just a sitcom, the writers clearly aren't saying 'this is just how it is' - it's supposed to be ridiculous and exaggerated with unsympathetic characters. No idea why the OP thinks it's sexist

As a sitcom it's also supposed to be funny

Really? Wow, I must make a note of that so I can contact the BBC today to ask them if they can add that revelation to the 10 o’clock news tonight.

You're very defensive of this program

I think it's a disappointing load of crap. You clearly think it's great. I guess if everyone liked the same thing we wouldn't need all those channels!

I really liked it. It’s a sitcom. Sitcoms generally exaggerate real life situations for comedic effect. They’re not meant to be an accurate portrayal of real life.

So many sitcoms are unfunny crap but I thought this one worked. Having said that, it could have been toned down at times. The funniest bits were the more subtle ones - like the exposed boob in the swimming pool (so well done) or the vomit on the bedroom window.

I cannot stand Julia, she's such a wet lettuce. She just frustrates the shit out of me, I like the red haired mother and I'm basically now just watching it for her character, the Catherine Tait-esque alpha mother is annoying too.

Also, are Julia and her husband separated or is she just too wet to ask him to do something? I'm just not getting her character.

Whether its funny is down to personal taste but its probably the only sitcom to include dialogue about the 'patriarchal society' (in the last episode). Ok it isn't exactly The Handmaids Tale but its not trying to be.

I'd like to see a second series. So much of tv is male dominated with women sidelined to supporting roles. It was just nice to see a programme with women central to it who aren't all young and gorgeous.

it is variable - the swimming pool episode drove me crazy - if you turned up on the day you had a big work event to discover a in the pool party, you'd surely have taken them home? And why did she look so crap at the event? If you had stayed, you'd have re-done your make-up and rushed to next or whatever to buy a clean jacket!

and I agree brio, I do think the DH is a good character with his touchy-feely but nothing behind it rhetoric, BUT any normal person would've had a shouting match after each time they were badly let down, wouldn't they?

on the whole though, i tend to think all comedy series are hard to establish and to give it the benefit of the doubt as some bits are really good.

I smiled at your post dameofdilema, mental image of a Venn diagram with Motherland on on side and Handmaid's Tale on the other.... And I actually think there are some parallels! The ever present patriarchy and the pitting of women against women. It's all down to personal taste really, but if it's stimulating conversation then that has to be good.
I wouldn't be defensive of Motherland, but a work colleague was dismissive and derogatory about Handmaid's Tale and I had to step away from her, I felt the rage rising!!

I’m a fan! It is very exaggerated but puts forward perhaps how you feel your life is or how you feel you look. I also think the conversations between Julia and her mum are things you might often THINK but never say. Grandma’s bid for freedom and Julia’s struggle to ‘ have it all’ really ring true. I loved her boss being oh so understanding and then doing nothing to help! Very very typical of a modern workplace, all words and guidelines and no action.

Although to some extent expecting your boss to internalise your childcare issues and make adjustments is not rally going to happen.

I just finished it - it’s good but the character of Julia never gets any better - she’s on odd combination of spineless and self centred.

I thought an awful lot was very true to life - I’ve read thread after thread on here about exclusion at the school gates, crap exs, crap husbands who do fuck all and cheeky fuckers who expect you to do their childcare for them! The stereotyping could have been more subverted though.

What I thought was interesting was the sahd getting the house, kids and self ready for date night and then the wife not being bothered. How many women on here and irl tie themselves in knots trying to keep relationships going by doing everything like that? I didn’t realise how subservient it was until a male character tried it.

I’ve also got an animal party coming up at home, though personally I’d be quite happy if the guy turns up with loads of cats

Just baffled by people complaining about exaggerated characters and 'oh that's not would happen,' it's like complaining that Fawlty Towers isn't a fair representation of the hotel industry.

Me, I loved it. Then again, people have been texting me saying Julia is me ...
.