The Politician's Husband

As fan of David Tennant's and Emily Watson's work I couldn't pass on the opportunity to watch this miniseries. In a way it reminded me of Secret State, but it was less flamboyant while being a lot more visceral. This is the story of a successful politician who gambles on his way to power. He loses, allowing his wife, until then staying in his shadow, and his backstabbing friend to rise to the top of the political hierarchy. As a result he cannot stop plotting to get himself back to where he has fallen from, only losing everything else on the way up.

A nice cautionary tale, a criticism of the political system in Britain (and everywhere else, really) and brilliant acting. The problem with the story, though, was that one could not sympathize with any of the characters. David Tennant's interpretation of an obsessive politician is brilliant, but who can really identify with it other than the psychopaths that enter politics in the first place?

Bottom line: a good movie, but at one moment I couldn't wait for it to be over and the finale was not really something that inspired me.

"The Politician's Husband" is a 2013 miniseries out of England, starring David Tennant and Emily Watson.

I'm unclear if this is supposed to be a series or just a miniseries - certainly the ending indicated it's a miniseries.

Anyway, it's the story of Aiden Hoynes (David Tennant), a senior cabinet minister who shoots himself in the foot politically with a leadership bid, and his friend Bruce Babbish (Ed Stoppard), another higher-up, does not support him.

Hoynes' wife, Freya, has always stood in her husband's shadow and concentrated on the family, a severely autistic son and a daughter.

When Freya has a chance to become a cabinet minister, Aiden is all for it, believing that at the right opportunity, she can support his immigration bill, a stab in the back to the government.

After getting a taste of power, however, Freya goes on television, the perfect opportunity to say she agrees with her husband, and doesn't agree with him.

Very good drama about politics behind the scenes, with both Tennant and Watson giving excellent performances. I have to say in most instances, I don't think times have changed that much, and that the miniseries is realistic in that the husband would definitely mind being overshadowed by his wife in the same profession.

The rest of it is more the stuff of drama, and I did like it, as Aiden becomes more convinced that his wife has aligned with his now-enemy Bruce both politically and physically. What looked like a strong "fairytale" marriage starts to unravel, with Aiden exhibiting sexual violence toward Freya, and there are accusations of infidelity that hit the press.

I found Tennant especially good as the manipulative husband; in a way, it's a stronger part.

Highly recommended.

Oscar Kennedy was his usual natural self & that natural air of comedy & tragedy that enthrals me.

It's mentioned somewhere that if you can 'dream it up', well then, it could possibly happen... that might be true except in this instance. For most of the three episodes things moved along fairly believably... except that it was somewhat difficult seeing the to leads together for a majority of the time. Don't know what it really was, but they just did not at all gel together. Anyway, we then arrive at the final few minutes, and all credibility is chucked completely out the window, with an ending so ludicrous it defies all logic. Hope this is not a growing trend, for this is now the second production viewed in succession that completely challenges in similar manner the intelligence of its' audience. Could easily have 'dreamed up' a couple different scenarios that would have better matched the preceding material.

I think my main issue with this was that none of the characters were particularly likeable. So I found I didn't much care what happened to any of them. My favourite character was the grandfather. Second thing, the title gives the clue that this is an exploration of what happens to a man when he becomes the husband of a successful politician, rather than a successful politician in his own right. It all seemed so 1980's, I feel like that horse has bolted, and the politics were dated as well, the same old same old political games. I watched it because, well Emily Watson and David Tenant, what could possibly go wrong? But I was only lukewarm all the way through.