MotherFatherSon is a BBC Studios show that started up in March of 2019 and came to a conclusion in April of 2019 with a total of eight 60-minute episodes. There are a number of very interesting things that stand out about the show. However, for a lot of people, chances are good that the single most exciting element is Richard Gere in one of the three starring roles. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about MotherFatherSon:
1. Features a Dysfunctional Family
Given its name, it should come as no surprise to learn that MotherFatherSon is centered upon a nuclear family consisting of a mother, a father, and their son. Moreover, considering that MotherFatherSon looks very similar to the image of a “serious” show that a lot of people have in their heads, it should come as no surprise to learn that said nuclear family is more than a bit dysfunctional in nature.
2. The Mother Is Played By Helen McCrory
The titular mother would be a British heiress named Kathryn Villiers. She was once married to the titular father, but she is now divorced from him. Unfortunately, Kathryn’s relationship with the titular son is strained as well, not least because she is disappointed by how he has turned out compared to how he used to be. As for the actress, that would be Helen McCrory, who has had roles in projects such as Hugo, Skyfall, and the Harry Potter movies.
3. The Father Is Played By Richard Gere
Meanwhile, the titular father is a media mogul named Max Finch, who has been described as a “psychopath CEO.” Unsurprisingly, this means that the character isn’t what anyone would call pleasant, with an excellent example being how he teaches his employees to arrange chairs so that their interviewees will be as intimidated as possible. On the whole, Richard Gere gives a very memorable performance as said character.
4. The Son Is Played By Billy Howle
Finally, the titular son is the 30-year-old Caden Finch who works in his father’s business empire. There are various things that can be said about the characters, but the one that sums him up the best is that he has some serious issues. In particular, Caden has a fearful relationship with his father that is nonetheless mixed in with what might be called a sense of respect that has been stripped from his relationship with his mother. In any case, Caden is played by Billy Howle, who is a veteran of British movies as well as British TV shows.
5. Mix of Genres
It is interesting to note that MotherFatherSon can’t be categorized with ease. For example, there are clear elements of a drama to the whole thing, which is wholly unsurprising considering the dysfunctional family. However, there are also clear elements of a political thriller, which come from Max’s meddling in national politics. On top of these, there are even suggestions of a crime investigation show because there are journalists looking into Max’s business empire.
6. Some Have Called It Melodrama
With that said, some people have called MotherFatherSon not drama so much as melodrama. Essentially, the argument is that the show comes with bigger stakes, a higher sense of tension, and more emoting from its cast members than what one would expect from something that hews closer to real life occurrences. Something that is supported by Gere calling some of its characteristics “Shakespeare-like.” However, while MotherFatherSon may or may not be a melodrama, that doesn’t actually detract from its watch-ability.
7. Has Big Things to Say
Speaking of which, one of the other reasons that some have called MotherFatherSon a melodrama is that it is a show that looks like it has some big things to say about contemporary society. In particular, it seems to comment on toxic masculinity, with particular focus on how it can pop up in both the personal and the political spheres as well as the havoc that it can wreak on a very wide range of individuals.
8. One of the Most Loveless Sex Scenes on TV
There are some sex scenes that serve to titillate the viewers. In contrast, there are other sex scenes in other TV shows that are more meant to shed light on the participants, though these two purposes are not necessarily mutually exclusive to one another. In any case, MotherFatherSon has what some people have called one of the most loveless sex scenes that can be found on the TV screen that provides incredible insight into Caden’s state of being, which is very much a product of his unhealthy relationship with his father. Moreover, the scene makes it clear that Caden is taking this out on other people over whom he has power.
9. Gere Has Called the Show an Exploration of Journalism
In an interview, Gere called the show an exploration of modern journalism, which isn’t necessarily dark but tends to be very competitive in nature. Due to this, modern journalism can lead to some very unpleasant places when mixed in with the need for publicity as well as potentially problematic politics.
10. Gere Got Involved with the Show Because of the Script
Some people might be curious why Gere decided to get involved with making a TV show at this point in his career. If so, the answer is that he thought that the script for MotherFatherSon was very good. However, it is interesting to note that he actually waited to see the scripts for five or six of the eight episodes before he made the decision to commit to the project, which is in contrast with more impulsive actors who have been known to commit after seeing th script for just one.
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