Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Genre : Drama
Year : 2018-2024
Episodes : 20 (4 Seasons)
Running time : 60 minutes (per episode)
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime
Director : Jessica Hobbs
Cast : Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan, Annabel Scholey, Fiona Button, Debolay Findlay, Barry Atsma, Meera Syal
Kid rating : G
The Split might as well be called Hannah and her sisters, because it IS about Hannah and her siblings. Hannah, Nina and Rose are daughters of hard-nosed lawyer Ruth who set up the family firm of Defoe’s, where lawyer daughters Hannah and Nina worked. When Season 1 opens, this is all in the past, and in the present, eldest daughter Hannah has left the firm after differences with the mater, and joined competitor Noble & Hale.
The star of the series is Hannah Stern, played by Nicola Walker. She is an accomplished lawyer, and married to lawyer Nathan Stern (Mangan). Hannah and Nathan juggle busy professional lives while raising a family. Despite differences, Hannah is also close to her sisters and mother.
Hannah specializes in marital law, so while the series delves into many of the divorce cases she takes up, it also devotes a good chunk of time to her personal dilemmas. Hannah is principled and savvy and attempts to do her best by her clients. On the personal front, Nathan is the love of her life, but at Noble & Hale she also works with Christie Carmichael (Atsma). It was, we are given to believe, between Nathan and Christie that Hannah had to choose. Christie lost out then. But he hasn’t given up hope yet.
There also fairly detailed episodic forays into Ruth, Nina and Rose’s lives, and their past with their estranged father. But it is around Hannah that the sun revolves. And rightly so. Nicola Walker is probably one of the most charismatic British actresses of present day television. I’ve seen her before as DCI Cassie Stewart in the fantastic Unforgotten (with Sanjeev Bhaskar), and as DS Stevie Stevenson in River. In The Split, she holds the show together. As Hannah, she’s the responsible, almost duty-bound daughter, wife, mother. She’s shrewd but fair, polished yet vulnerable, and attempts to the right thing even when it is the most difficult thing to do. You may not agree with everything Hannah does but such is Walker’s skill, you will feel for her.
This women-written, directed and produced series has 3 major seasons, and an ultra-short 4th. It is one of the rare series where women and their stories take centre-stage. Yes, male characters exist and are beautifully fleshed-out, but they exist only in relation to the female characters. All the seasons are gorgeous; a great balance of the professional and the personal, with twists and turns galore. An arresting screenplay, skilled direction, great acting and easy-to-like characters make this a compelling watch.
