The End (2020)
A review of the first season of The End
Frances O’Connor and Harriet Walter star in an enjoyable new ten-episode dramedy series for Foxtel.
Gold Coast palliative care doctor Kate (Frances O’Connor) has a lot on her plate. Her grifter-husband Chris (Brendan Cowell) is in a low-security prison, her son Oberon (Morgan Davies) is dealing with his maturing sexuality while transitioning on hormone therapy, and her daughter Persephone (Ingrid Torelli) is as precocious as they come. Back home in England, her mother, Edie (Harriet Walter), has attempted suicide, prompting Kate to fly her to Queensland and admit her to the Emerald Fields retirement village ‘for active seniors’.
Death, suicide, pain and the issue of assisted dying/euthanasia take centre stage within the first episode, setting the series up for some thought-provoking themes to explore. Kate’s patient Beth (Brooke Satchwell) and husband Josh (Luke Arnold) reveal they’ve purchased Nembutal online and plan for Beth to administer the drugs to end her life. Kate confiscates the drugs, instigating a moral and ethical debate. ‘You wouldn’t do this to a dog,’ Josh snaps at Kate. ‘I hate that argument…she’s not a dog,’ Kate replies coolly.
The End struggles to find a captivating premise until mid-way through its ten-episode season due to too many competing storylines. While Kate and Edie’s relationship serves as the overriding arc of the season, their ancillary relationships are more interesting. The dynamics of Kate’s relationship with Beth’s husband Josh becomes quite precarious and Edie strikes up an unlikely friendship with free-spirited fellow resident Pamela (Noni Hazlehurst). Oberon’s transition also forms a compelling storyline and warrants a deeper exploration that may develop in a second season.
Head writer and series creator Samantha Strauss finds a solid premise mid-season where Kate and Edie begin to manufacture and distribute home-made Nembutal to terminal (and vetted) patients. From here, Strauss and directors Jessica M. Thompson and Jonathan Brough elevate both the comedy and the drama from its proceeding hit-and-miss first half-season.
Hits and misses are never louder than in the first episode. The episode opens with Edie’s farcical suicide attempt played out in a series of slapstick missteps. In the same episode, a poignant zoom out sees Edie sitting naked on her shower chair, crying as the water pours over her, downing a bottle of wine and revealing her double mastectomy. ‘Youth’ by Daughter plays, raising the emotion of the scene. Plenty more inspired selections by Music Supervisor Jemma Burns are provided, as well as a measured score from Antony Partos.
Performances by both lead and supporting actors add gravitas to the various competing storylines. Harriet Walter imbues a familiar dry, British sensibility in her delivery and movements and impresses by turning from comedic to dramatic at a moment’s notice. Frances O’Connor embodies the often-shaky Kate with dignity, deftly portraying a woman caught in the inter-generation web of middle age, forced to care for both her children and her mother.
A cavalcade of Australian performers round out the cast with Brendan Cowell, Alex Dimitriades (as Kate’s legal-advising colleague), Morgan Davies, Ingrid Torelli, Luke Arnold all giving solid performances. Much of the joy of The End comes from the minor supporting performances by Robyn Nevin (who is hysterical as Dawn, the oft-times drunken queen bee of the retirement village), John Waters (as her philandering cad of a husband) and Roy Billing (as Edie’s ailing neighbour who strikes up a friendship with Persephone). Without a doubt, Noni Hazlehurst is the series standout and shines in a sublime performance that makes a strong case for a series focused purely on Edie and Pamela.
Slow off the mark, The End lands on its feet from the midway point and spotlights death, terminal illness, aging and familial relationships with sensitivity, warmth and humour.
The End is airing on Foxtel or the whole series can be streamed on Foxtel On Demand.
Whole season screened for review.