The Honourable Woman is a 2014 British spy thriller television miniseries in eight parts, directed and written by Hugo Blick for the BBC and SundanceTV. Featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal in the title role, it aired on BBC Two in the United Kingdom on 3 July 2014 and will be shown on SundanceTV in the United States on 31 July 2014.
Centers on Nessa Stein, a woman who inherits her father's arms business and finds herself in a international maelstrom when as she continues to promote the reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.
Excerpts from reviews:
The miniseries weaves a spectacularly well-constructed story--intricate, dense, demanding and rewarding--about loyalty, deception, forgiveness and revenge. - THR
The Honorable Woman is a slow-building but gripping story, regardless of where you stand on Mideast politics; Gyllenhaal delivers a remarkably measured and moving performance. - The Washington Post
A beauty that requires time and patience, but at least strongly hints at a payoff that will reward both. - Newsday
The Honorable Woman is a slow-building but gripping story, regardless of where you stand on Mideast politics; Gyllenhaal delivers a remarkably measured and moving performance. - The Washington Post
A beauty that requires time and patience, but at least strongly hints at a payoff that will reward both. - Newsday
So I know what you're thinking, this show looks, sounds, and smells like Homeland. And in some respects they are indeed similar; but only in their best qualities. Both shows feature a strong female lead, and both stories involve espionage and the Middle East. The lead in THW, however, is not a spy but a British-Israeli heiress. She uses her company to commission the building of telecommunications infrastructure in The State of Palestine in order to rid the country of poverty and thus mitigate the extremism of both sides of the West Bank. In order to do so, she, Nessa Stein, has to navigate between the conflicting interests of the Middle East, the British government, and her own company's attempts at staying neutral and uncompromised.
In terms of quality, what has been shown thus far, which is up to the penultimate episode, rivals Homeland season 1. They share the same complexity and patience in storytelling. As THW begins to wind down, I wondered if the payoff would match the build-up, and thus far the show has accomplished that and promises much more. The feeling of watching a good spy thriller unfold is like no other; and this show simply delivers. Of the minor plot points I saw coming, none compared to the big reveals. I highly recommend picking this show up if you are looking for the same thrill as what was offered in the beginnings of Homeland before it went downhill. THW ends next Thursday, so you can even binge watch the whole series. If you are watching already, please discuss, but please do so in spoilers. I can't be the only one watching?