Anatomy of a Scandal unravels a scandalous affair in this thought-provoking courtroom drama that delves into lifestyles of the British elite.
Anatomy of a Scandal, the Netflix miniseries is part relationship and part courtroom drama that slowly unfolds an affair between a British minister and his colleague. In the process, the minister’s family is exposed to the reality of a betrayal and a scandal that could affect their lives, permanently damaging their reputation and social standing.
We don’t immediately get the answers. The show opens from the moment the minister, played by Rupert Friend, finds out that his affair will be publicly leaked. This means he has to tell his wife, played by Sienna Miller, about the affair as it’s absolutely imperative that she supports him both, publicly and privately. And she does, by dismissing the affair as a minor screw-up. However, the penny drops when the minister gets accused of rape by the same woman he had the affair with, played excellently by Naomi Scott. It’s no longer easy for the wife to support him as she is bewildered by the alleged rape accusation coming from the same person that also admits to being attracted to the perpetrator. The wife reflects on the time when they met during their college days. The husband was quite popular for being handsome and intelligent with a promising future ahead of him.
Meanwhile, we are introduced to Michelle Dockery as the prosecuting lawyer who is supposedly good at her job but she too feels the weight of the enormity of the case given its high profile. Once the court case begins, the show doesn’t waste any time in giving us all the juicy details and being riveting in the process.
Naomi Scott as the victim is in a supporting role. Besides being only shown in flashbacks when not in court, her character is very well-defined. While watching the show, you may or may not believe her, but you will agree that she has given a good, honest performance. Ruper Friend is also great as the person who’s constantly doubted by everyone around him, and us too, as we keep flipping from being for or against him. It’s also clear that despite the affair he seems to genuinely love his wife. Sienna Miller as the wife is near perfection. She is smart, beautiful, loving, trusting, just about everything a man could hope for, in a wife. Throughout the show though, she is reevaluating her life choices, wondering whether she married a man who has the capability of committing rape. That’s a tough place to be in and Sienna Miller is totally convincing in the role.
It’s one of the finest mini-series coming from Netflix in recent times and I’d say it’s worth watching if any of the themes like adultery, aristocratic lifestyle or mystery are interesting to you.