Maryland

Nature or nature, we are all a product of our family and this carries through our whole life.

Maryland is the story, whilst mainly about the relationship between two sisters, about how the passage of time builds deep bonds and deep wounds among family members having pursued what life they wanted to or felt they needed to lead.

TV is full of programmes with a goodie and a baddie, or very stereotypical formats. McDonalds for your eyes.

Maryland is very different, it's written and acted with refreshing normality with a flawless sensitivity to the highly complex reality of family life and relationships.

Maryland looks at two estranged sisters drawn together by a family tragedy which exposes uncomfortable secrets they have to deal with.

Plus points were the sisters played by Suranne Jones and Eve Best who played the sibling rivals beautifully. Negatives for me were in the storyline which sometimes didn't quite add up for me.

Production values were fine and I enjoyed the beautiful Irish scenery (though it was set in the Isle of Man it was shot in Ireland). Personally the story didn't grab me and hold me, but if you like the principals give it a shot, its a quick watch with just three episodes.

Probably not one that will stay long in the memory but a fairly interesting family drama that examines grief and deception and what they can do to families.

The theme of this at times painstakingly slow drama is one of information withheld -- from viewers and between sisters. Thrown into the mix is a series of brief scenes with supporting characters forced to recite often mundane dialogue seemingly for no other reason than to plant bits of back story and nudge along plot points that, frustratingly, don't add up to a whole until the final episode.

The main characters, sisters Becca and Rosaline, have been withholding information about themselves - and about each other - for decades. It affected this viewer's understanding of the animosity between them, which didn't come clear until a scene at the very end of the series, when Becca and Rosaline's individual childhood traumas burst into the ether.

Going from episode one to the last episode (three), I couldn't quite grasp the reasons for the deep animosity between these two sisters. I got that they'd made different life choices, but siblings do this all the time, and it doesn't necessarily result in them detesting each other (as it appears Becca and Rosaline do).

Then there is the mysterious back story of Becca and Rosaline's mother, a story that is slowly teased out in between sisterly scowls, alarmingly insensitive commentary by Becca's husband, a side plot involving Becca's 16-year-old daughter entering the dating world, and other supporting character obfuscation.

It's a lot of plot points to juggle, with performances that bounce between nuanced and over-the-top. Strong performances by lead actors Eve Best and Suranne Jones lifted the script beyond its natural capabilities. And the scenery was something to behold.

But I'm still trying to figure out why this series was called Maryland. Was it a nod to the mother, named Mary, and the elusive "land"(scape) of her mind? I found the title confusing. Every time I saw it, it reminded me of the state of Maryland. It in no way suggested the Mary of the story, Becca and Rosaline's mother. But maybe that's just me.

This is clearly not going to be for everyone, you can easily figure that out by reading the reviews. I really enjoyed it. Two sisters coming up against every family fault line. It wasn't overly dramatic, but it didn't feel slow either. A bit of a mystery thrown in to spice things up. I thing dramas about women's lives seem inconsequential to some people, and they are still rare unfortunately. The sisters had very different lives, plus a lifetime of misconceptions. The situation brought it all up to the surface. There were aspects of this show that I worried might wander into soap opera, but it never did that. It was warm and true throughout.

I agree about the Stockard Channing thing. She was fine in her part, but why not use an English actress? There must be a story there.

Just a wonderful family story with some thought provoking issues along the way about life, love and family. Loved the acting in this. Not sure why some reviews are awful as it is a fab storyline. A nice normal message to boot.

Binged in one day. Parts of the story aligned with my sister and I. Plus my Irish mum has always wanted to go to the Isle of Man. Mum recommended we watch this. So will be interested to get my sisters take. There is one scene in particular that I want her to watch as she has thrown that sentence my way before about not having children. So sis. Start watching this please.