The title evokes a lot of curiosity. I assumed that ‘The anatomy of a scandal’ on Netflix would be an insane thriller with a whole lot of minute details that leave space for intelligent guesswork and shocking twists throughout. But this six episode limited series does not reach those expectations. That being said, it’s not a total waste of time either. The lead character has been written in an interesting manner; we’ll talk about him in a while.
The phrase in the title ‘Anatomy of a scandal’ made me expect an extremely detailed unveiling of an intricately fabricated scandal. Disappointingly, that’s not the case at all. In fact, there is no anatomy here. It’s just a sex scandal, and the court trial of it. Like many other series/ movies that involve sex scandals, this one too reaches out into the family element and narrates some events from the perspective of the accused man’s wife.
James Whitehouse, played convincingly by Rupert Friend is a spoilt rich man born into fortune. However, he works his way to the top of the social hierarchy not just from his parents’ status, but thanks to his own capability. James is as smart as a man can get. There are glimpses from his past at his (and his wife’s) college where he showed early signs of his bright future – James Whitehouse had it all from looks to real talent. His dialogues are written carefully and delivered perfectly. Even in the face of a rape accusation, James is extremely composed and always seems to know exactly what to say. It makes him a dangerous man – extremely manipulative and charming. One massive blind spot James has is his own entitlement. He does not like to admit that he has what he has owing to his privilege, he believes that he worked his way up from scratch.
(Spoiler ahead.)
The entitlement becomes unbearable only when the viewers realize who he truly is, when the truth about Holly Berry is revealed in a rather simple twist. James forgets and forgives himself for all the wrongs he and his friends have ever done. He believes that their intelligence and privilege makes them immune to trivial things like the consequences of sex without consent and fleeing a suicide scene that he and his best friend instigated. He has no trace of guilt whatsoever, and he doesn’t even remember some of the terrible things he’s done.
The bad side of James Whitehouse is in fact not revealed until the very last episode in this mini-series. Until the end, the viewers are made to like him and root for him – all because he is an extremely good looking and talented man displaying true competence in politics. We almost forgive him for being so entitled, only until the end where we see that he too forgives himself easily for everything he has done wrong. And then suddenly, in a matter of last few minutes, things change. Even for a mini-series, the climax feels very rushed and shabby.
It is also interesting to see how the writers have treated the affair that James had with Olivia Lytton, the employee who accuses him of rape. He admits the affair to his wife Sophie only when news reaches him first that the affair will be published in the next day’s newspaper. Sophie is simply expected to accept it and stand by him because it was only a ‘mistake’. She has to appear at every court trial and put up a supportive front because his political career could not be jeopardized over a petty sex scandal. It is almost as if it is natural for a man of his position to have an affair – and his family has not right to be angry at him for walking that lane in the first place. Sophie herself becomes the tipping point of the entire series and initiates his downfall. However, her importance is not shown enough; nor is her mental journey traced convincingly enough.
A good part about this series is the editing. The transitions are notably intelligent and new. Technically, the series has almost no flaw.
It cannot be said at all that The Anatomy of a Scandal is an awesome thriller that cannot be missed. It is however, an interesting point of view of a sex scandal. The line between yes and no is extremely thin in the rape case that James is accused of. How the legal system interprets and concludes it is an interesting thing to watch. It is recommended for anyone who would like a sneak into the intricacies of the political and legal trivia.
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