TV Show review
Review basis: 1 season · through November 29, 2020
October 25, 2020 · 60 min · TV-MA · Ended
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The Undoing is a six-episode HBO miniseries that aired in 2020. It follows Grace Fraser, a Manhattan therapist, whose seemingly perfect life with her husband Jonathan and son collapses after Jonathan is accused of murdering a woman connected to their social circle. The story centers on betrayal, secrets, class differences between elite families and outsiders, and a high-stakes legal battle told through personal drama and thriller elements.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Undoing.
Woke representation / casting
Supporting roles feature actors of color in professional positions such as detective and lawyer that fit a diverse New York setting; Elena’s class-outsider status drives tension more than ethnicity, with no visible quotas or mismatches highlighted in marketing or reviews.
Woke political dialogue
Characters discuss wealth, privilege, and personal failings during the investigation and trial, but conversations stay grounded in individual motives rather than activist or ideological talking points.
Identity-driven story themes
The central arcs involve marital infidelity, obsession, family trauma from a childhood accident, and courtroom strategy; class contrast and outsider status serve the mystery without turning into race, gender, or sexuality-focused messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The story shows elite snobbery, legal procedures, and personal accountability in a wealthy family’s scandal, yet presents these as plot devices without reframing them through modern systemic oppression, toxic masculinity, or anti-traditional norms.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant; this is a contemporary original story adapted from a 2014 novel with only minor background adjustments.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No right-leaning or anti-identity-politics complaints appear in coverage or social discussion; reactions stayed limited to plot and character execution.
Creator track record context
David E. Kelley and Susanne Bier carry low activist profiles from prior work; Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novels examine liberal campus dynamics and social change with a critical rather than promotional lens.
Production
