Based on 1 season, 6 episodes · through September 10, 2025
The Girlfriend is a psychological thriller TV show. It follows Laura, a wealthy mother who is highly suspicious of Cherry, her son's new working-class girlfriend. The two women get locked in a dangerous battle of mind games and lies. The show features noticeable identity themes, particularly through a prominent lesbian relationship between Laura and her ex-lover Lilith. It also highlights class tensions and features a diverse main cast.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Girlfriend.
Woke representation / casting
The show has a diverse cast. It features actors of color in prominent roles, such as Waleed Zuaiter, Tanya Moodie, and Shalom Brune-Franklin. More importantly, the show features a lesbian character, Lilith, played by Anna Chancellor. Lilith is the ex-girlfriend of the main character, Laura, and they are having an affair. The diverse casting is noticeable, but the queer relationship is the strongest identity-driven casting choice.
55%
Woke political dialogue
The characters do not give long political speeches. The writing stays focused on the thriller plot and the mind games between the two main women. Characters sometimes talk about being rich, class differences, or their sexuality. However, these conversations feel normal for the story and do not sound like modern social justice lectures.
10%
Identity-driven story themes
The main plot is about class differences. It shows a rich mother who hates her son's working-class girlfriend. The story also uses identity themes by showing Laura's sexuality. Her past and present lesbian affair with Lilith explains why she is so jealous and scared. Because of this prominent queer storyline, we add +25 points to this score. This turns a standard thriller into a story about identity and sexuality.
55%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The show criticizes rich British families. It shows them as fake, cold, and obsessed with money. It also shows a marriage built on lies, where the husband secretly pays for his wife's career to keep her happy. This touches on themes of male control. However, these elements feel like standard thriller drama rather than a direct political attack on Western society.
15%
Woke character or canon changes
The show makes big changes to the original book. In the book, Laura's husband cheats on her with a woman. In the TV show, they have an open marriage, and Laura is having an affair with a woman named Lilith. This change introduces a major queer storyline that was not in the book. The show also changes the race of several book characters to make the cast more diverse. This includes the husband, Howard, and Laura's best friend, Isabella.
60%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
There are no major complaints or backlash from conservative viewers about the show being woke. Most viewers and reviewers talk about the intense acting, the crazy plot twists, and the mind games between the characters. There is no active political controversy surrounding this series.
0%
Creator track record context
The creative team is a mix of progressive and moderate voices. Several writers have a history of progressive, feminist, and queer work, such as Isis Davis, Smita Bhide, and Ava Wong Davies. Director Andrea Harkin also has a history of directing queer dramas. This activist footprint is balanced by more moderate creators like Gabbie Asher and director Robin Wright.
52%
Production
