Mrs Wilson Review: Just the perfect watch if you're in the mood for drama

The joy of watching a series or a movie is being able to imagine oneself as the protagonist or a character. However, Mrs Wilson robbed me of the experience. The 2018 BBC miniseries is well received, but it is certainly difficult for the viewer to imagine themselves as the protagonist of the story going through the emotional rollercoaster.

The story of the series is definitely extraordinary. It is based on a true story, real characters and people, whose impact is relevant to this day. The series has a star-studded cast with the protagonist Alison Wilson’s character played by her own granddaughter and actor Ruth Wilson; Alison’s husband, Alec, played by Iain Glen of Game of Thrones fame, about whom the entire extraordinary story is about. Indian actor Anupam Kher plays the character of Shahbaz Karim, Alec’s colleague from British India; Dorothy Wilson, Alec's second wife is played by Keeley Hawes of the British hit series The Bodyguard fame; and Fiona Shaw (Petunia Dursely from Harry Potter) plays Coleman, the MI6 boss.   

WHAT IS THE STORY?

The story follows Alison Wilson’s shocking discovery about her husband, after nearly 20 years of marriage and upon his death in 1963. For nearly 20 years, Alison believes in something, but the reality turns out to be something else altogether.

Alison and Alec had met when working for the MI6, British Intelligence, during the Second World War. He told Alison he was a spy, out on various missions under numerous identities and cover. While it is true Alec worked for the Intelligence services, Alison has a hard time figuring out which one of the stories he told her was for work and others pure lies.

Alison’s journey of discovery does have its own twists and turns and to an extent, grips the audience on what’s to come next and how it all happened.

NOT AS INTENSE AS EXPECTED

However, at the same time, as a viewer, it is difficult to share in the grief of Alison about her discovery. While it's plausible to see why Alison falls for Major Alec, her struggles when he's away, through financial hardships, suspicions, are unrelatable.

Even when Alison makes some heartbreaking discoveries, the emotions the character feels do not manifest in empathy in the viewer.     

Perhaps it is because of the stoic expression of the emotions to each discovery and situation – is it a British thing or a 60s way of expressing grief?

Or maybe it’s because the story is told only from Alison’s point of view. Given that show was acted in and produced by Ruth Wilson, it perhaps came out to be a one-dimensional story on a mysterious man and his secret lives, told only from the perspective of one of the women affected, Alison Wilson.

In fact in real life, Alec’s second ‘wife’ Dorothy’s son Mike also goes on to make his own discoveries at the age of 72, coming to shocking terms that his father, who he had thought perished a hero during the Second World War, had only abandoned them.

But then again, in the real story of Alison Wilson, she didn’t make as many discoveries as she does in the TV series. 

A COMPARISON 

I’m tempted to make a comparison here with a K-drama series called The World of the Married, a simple story of a cheating husband. But the narrative takes us on an unexpected and almost psychological thriller-like plot on the discovery of the truth and the subsequent revenge.

Of course, the two series differ widely on their storyline, but they have one thing in common – a cheating husband and the domesticity of the story.

Except, one is told through the streets of London in a set of dry discoveries of the truth and the other through the streets of Seoul in a rich and relatable journey of emotions on the discovery that the person you loved and thought you knew is a stranger after all.

Other than the storyline, the set designs and the costumes look amazing and true to the time period. And there is also a difference in the colour palette of the scenes from the 60s when Alison makes the heart-wrenching discovery, to the warmer tones in the scenes from the past.  

If you are looking for a series with an interesting story, that is not too emotionally draining, and without having to spend too much time binge-watching 10s of episodes, Mrs Wilson is definitely a go-to. The 2018 BBC miniseries Mrs Wilson premiered on Lionsgate Play on Friday, February 11, 2022.